Deeper into adulthood — as we
become our parents — we begin
to inherit the excuses of our
childhood.
All of the reasons we were told,
all of the lines we vowed
never to use.
Priorities shift when protection
is the goal and responsibility
a reality.
Did you laugh when you joined
in the budgetary battle against
the evils of a light left on?
There is an argument for leaving
the umbrella in the stand
and dancing in the rain.
Thunder is an advocate
of staying inside.
Awakened Words 
In so many ways, we do become our parents, don’t we. The leaving the light on made me smile. Always telling my teen off for leaving lights on all over the house…haha
This was a lovely read Mark
I remember a time, years ago, when I left the umbrella in the stand—Oh, wait! I didn’t even have an umbrella—shed my clothes, and danced naked in the rain over a New Hampshire hill. It was glorious…as is your poem.
Whirling with Robinson Jeffers
You hit a universal with this one, Mark. Well constructed. I really like thunder as an advocate…strong personification.
I, too, had to laugh at the statement about turning off the lights. To some extent we do become our parents, but then cringe at the thought of our children seeming to choose only our worst habits as an umbrella.
Elizabeth
http://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/
So true…..things we vowed we would never say end up being spoken by our own mouths. I guess we just can’t escape the influence (for better or worse) of our parents!
Isn’t it scary how we catch ourselves spouting those very words we hated to hear?
Mark, this is marvelous. I love this part,
“There is an argument for leaving
the umbrella in the stand
and dancing in the rain.”
How splendid!
Pamela
I loved the italicized stanza — I could almost hear the speaker chuckling in asking that question. Nice!
I inherited my light-turning-off gene from my Dad, and my daughter has passed it on.
Joking apart, a terrific use of the wordle words.
You do have a most delightful way with words!
that is too good…!!!
Love this:
“There is an argument for leaving
the umbrella in the stand”
Gracefully metaphorical. My favorite stanza:
“There is an argument for leaving
the umbrella in the stand
and dancing in the rain.”
Could be an entry from my diary…!