Stories of Kindness from Around the World

High Noon For The Blues
By Lance Landall

Everything was going fine, ’till the blues rolled into town,
Holsters packed with surly clouds, ready to bring a man down.
Heavy boots strode ’cross my mind, pausing, intimidating,
Yes, misery at the ready, success anticipating.

Demons clothed in black, faces masked by shadows — halted there,
Defiant and menacing, sneering too — provoking fear.
Yes, the blues looking for victims had chosen to visit me,
Just spoiling for a showdown — a duel, emotionally.

Suddenly a voice rang out, “You ain’t got no business here,
Just turn about, saddle up, and high-tail it out of here.
My names Sheriff Positive, I’m in charge of this terrain,
And I ain’t letting no blues, trample over this ole brain.”

“Just take those mean ole clouds away, and all your ballyhoo,
And never come back, ya hear, we don’t want the likes of you.
Emotionally you’re draining, yes, plain gloomy, in fact;
All that negativity, only bad things will attract.”

And to show he meant business, he then fired a shot or two,
Hitting barrels of laughter out of which endorphins flew.
Soon the positive returned, and much clearer I could see,
Which left me smiling brightly, and striding confidently.

The moral of the story? When the blues roll into town,
Call on Sheriff Positive, don’t let grey clouds take you down.
Let the positive ride shotgun, as you journey through life, and,
You’ll find you will cope better, when things do not go as planned.

Treat those blues like tumbleweeds — blow them west, just right on by,
Yes, every negative murmur, don’t listen to, don’t buy.
Just fire off a shot or two, that will see them on their way,
Yes, stir up those endorphins, with shots that will ricochet.

[Note: An updated version of this poem is also online on the author's website.]