Keeping Up

Trends, styles, the perfect vibe
"The look" for your age, fashion-hip
Mindfulness, self-awareness
"The moves" -- shuffle, wool tang, whip
Mental-emotional health
Mood balance strong, on point
Past traumas dived in, dealt with
Working each muscle and joint
Advancing in the workplace
Certifications, degrees
Relationship-savvy, likeable
Aiming, as always, to please
So many standards, demands
Too much to attain them all
Life itself is an intricate process
Not a target that's hit by a ball
It's not ladder or catwalk or sport
Nor a double elimination
It's not formulas or tonics
Or based on any equation
There's so much to "keep up with,"
The mass can weigh you down
But only one thing is required--
It is simple yet profound
To choose a part that is good,
According to God's own plan
We're told to act justly, love mercy;
Walk humbly while holding his hand
You don't have to keep up appearance
Or bite and claw up to the peak
For unless God meets you there,
It's not the high mountain you seek
Don't try to keep up with the world
Or meet others' wild demands
The only list to keep up with
Is what you have placed in God's hands

© 2025 Teresa Miles Kephart