Attitude by Angela Okafor
Attitude, the maker: attitude, the breaker
Oftentimes undermined
Almost always the underdog
Daddy would say…“There’s always something good in ev’ry situation”
…Depends on attitude.
Positive, it’s awesome
Called positivity…only adds
Optimistically taking responsibility, accepting failure, searching inwards for better
Actionably determination, hard work and perseverance
…Attitude at its best.
Negative, it’s burdensome and damning
Some say…“It’s very difficult to succeed at this or that”
“Cos this or that”
Perfectionist at taking away…pessimistic
Actively excuse, self-pity…finger pointing
….Attitude at its worst.
Positive attitude, the magician
Turning half-empty cups into half-full cups
Disappearing “im-” from possibilities.
Daddy will say….
“God bless you” can either be…
A blessing…Or…A curse
Best intentions and gestures, a suspect before negativity
A burden heavy to bear.
The positive mind sees challenges as opportunities even in “bad”
Understands “No” as “you deserve better than this”
Focuses on possibilities…obstacles refueling its zeal
…seeing not just open doors…also cracked doors…to be pushed “ajar”
Stubbornly after her goal. Flexible at modus.
Working in the dish room
the Licensed Attorney chose to be grateful
“…cos while people pay to lose weight,
She got paid to lose weight”
Bad attitude, the thief…powerful mind twister
Speaking its own words to the mind
Uneasily beclouding the mind
Different from “reality”
Creating a mirage of “clarity”
Swearing on it. Dressing up opportunities as dead end
“Yes” sounds like “NO!!!”
Stones being thrown…
Excuse says…“I can’t
The odds stack so high against”
And on and on it goes
And the towel is tossed in
And another failure prospers.
Determination says…
Only good tree bears fruits
Only sweet fruits attract stones for a taste of the sweetness
Or jealousy to rid it of its sweetness
…cos allergy to success
Bright light very blinding…
Positivity hands out shades
But never dims her light
…Shines even brighter
Hoping to brighten some spaces
Calls on to perseverance to keep holding on
Until the stones finish or throwing hands hurt
Attitude the maker,
100% of every success story
Attitude the breaker
1000% of failures
Attitude the dream-killer
Snorting out daylight off “dreams”
Just locking up “dreams” in dream
Attitude, the dream whisperer
Blossoming dreams into the most beautiful of achievements
And happiness…and precious peace of mind
My living choice to make.
Angela Okafor, Esq., is an immigration lawyer, entrepreneur, and poet who lives in Bangor, Maine.
