Art, Beauty, Life, London, Photography, Photos, Poetry, UK

Bleeding red day

29 Comments

what should we box
wasted sweets in giant socks
uncountable gold, silver coins
shiny colourless rocks

billions saved from wasting lights
pieces of junk causing unthinkable fights
money spared of expensive hangings
unwanted gifts, lingerie, leggings

turkeys, sprouts all food wasted,
wine, liqueur, those drinks never tasted
having more and more, cleaning entire stores
of those things we’ve bought, unwittingly sought

a day of reckoning what could have been
a generous giving yesterday should have been
humanity matters possessions certainly not
what a wonderful bleary weak afterthought!

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Universally applicable to second days of Eid, Diwali, Christmas and all other global retail festivals, so no discrimination in collective criticism…I wish I could act on this thought but I don’t so certainly don’t practice what I preach…

29 thoughts on “Bleeding red day”

  3. 1982 was the last year that I decorated for Christmas. I gave away the decorations that I had. It’s too much work, and too much money which in my opinion, is not what the holiday symbolizes.

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  5. Love the thought.Festivity does not depend on the money we spend.We all can suffice with rejoicing in the love and attention of our loved ones.At the end of the day,if you do not have them,would money and materials suffice?Never!
    Beautiful construction!Way to go my friend.. 🙂

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  7. Thank you for liking “More Holiday Lights.” I also do not like that the spiritual significance of Christmas and other holidays have become overshadowed by overindulgence on a materialistic level. The clutter and waste created by paying homage to retailers at this time of the year bothers me too. I feel kind of trapped into gift giving because it is a tradition, but I try to buy gifts throughout the year so that I do not have to rush to the stores in December. I also try to have a simple celebration with some special food but not so much that it ends up getting spoiled and being thrown away. I used to put up a fake Christmas tree (the real ones seem like a hassle and such a needless waste of plant life), but I do not do that anymore because of my playful cats and my big playful dog. They might be tempted to run off with the ornaments and chew on them, which is not good for them.

    Sadly, the mantra of buying more and more does not end when the holidays do. However, I ignore it most of the time now that I am older. I used to like shopping until I inherited my mom’s role as caretaker of the house after she died. I am still figuring out what to do with some of her things and the things my two older brothers left behind after they moved away. I have thrown out a lot of stuff that is old and broken, but there is still plenty more for me to sort through. I am also not happy to realize I have accumulated a lot of things over the years as well. Now I think twice whenever I buy something at the store or order something online. I ask myself if I really need this item. A new question that I need to ask myself when I buy something is “where will I put it?” I literally do not have much space for any more junk.

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    1. Hi AG, I wrote a longish response re your wonderful thoughts and somehow it has disappeared in WP mysterious dark alleys. Apologies!

      I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments and trying to a adopt a similar lifestyle whereby shopping is mostly on needs and replacement basis 😀 thank you so much your wonderful thoughts and sharing your life with me.

      I enjoyed your article and how you traced back the origins of Christmas lights, I did not know most of the mentioned facts, very informative indeed!

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      1. That is okay. My comments have disappeared into spam filters and who knows where else before too. It is disappointing and annoying when that happens, but it is out of our control.

        I am glad that you liked my comments. Shopping is not one of my favorite subjects or activities, but I guess you have to do it once in awhile.

        I am surprised at the emotional attachment we develop toward things. It is difficult to throw out things that belonged to someone you loved. I have also experienced feelings of guilt about getting rid of unwanted gifts. For instance, I have hesitated getting rid of a baggy pair of white short pants with silk-screened half-geishas on them (I call them half-geishas because only the upper halves of their bodies appear) because they were a gift from one of my relatives. I just need to get over the guilt and donate these unwanted things to Goodwill or some other charitable organization. At least donating these things would be better than throwing them away.

        I am also glad that you enjoyed my holiday lights post. We see these lights around us every year, but most of us don’t really know much about them. It is good to know that my post has helped to fix that problem.

        Liked by 3 people

      1. Thank you. 🙂 Oh yes, I am aware that the rest of the world can see our conversations here. I should be used to having little privacy because everyone’s emails and phone calls are monitored by government agencies here. Then there are the security cameras in stores and other businesses and the “red light” cameras that will take the photo of a car that enters an intersection after the traffic light turns red. Aren’t there a lot of street surveillance cameras in the UK? Does this lack of privacy bother you? It bothers me. I hope all this surveillance does not reach the point where cameras are installed in everyone’s homes in a manner reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Interesting topic Arlene, we are way past 1984 today, all our phones, computers have cameras and mics so if required, agencies could hear our conversations, see us anywhere at any time. It is too much surveillance in the UK, and soon it will be a global concept. We are helping the cause by putting every second of our lives on Facebook and Twitter 😀

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  9. Yes, you made some great points about the phones and computers. I think your movements can still be tracked even if your cell phone is turned off. The desktop computer that I am using does not have a camera (at least one that I am aware of), but one time I was looking at laptop computers and noticed that all of them had cameras! I think people try to put tape over them, but the surveillance people can still hear you if they want to.

    I also agree with your observation that people are contributing to the problem of diminishing privacy by sharing every second of their lives on Facebook and Twitter. My supervisor at my job told me he has a Facebook account because it is the only way he can keep in touch with his adult children, but other than that reason I do not understand why people feel the need to share their lives on Facebook and Twitter. Even some employers want access to a prospective employee’s Facebook account before hiring him or her. I myself do not have Facebook and Twitter accounts. And I am not into posting selfies on Instagram and Pinterest. I also do not understand why this is a popular practice these days.

    I think you are right about the widespread surveillance in the UK becoming global. Using incrementalism to pave the way for a worldwide police state seems to be working very well.

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      1. Yes, the hackers have been very active lately. They are some of the reasons why I am uneasy about driverless cars, delivery drones, and security systems that allow you to watch and lock up your house remotely. Thanks for another thought-provoking discussion, AB! 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

  11. Pingback: Bleeding red day — Perspectives on Life, the Universe and Everything – Sarah's Attic Of Treasures

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