My Conundrum, #Gogyohka

Posted on by Colleen M. Chesebro

This week for the poetry challenge,  Linda Lee Lyberg selected some interesting synonyms: nimble, for which I used the word lithe; and for the word enigma, I used the word, crux.

First, how has your week gone? I’ve had a week of false starts, computer issues, WiFi and phone problems, miscellaneous errands, and other crazy issues that stifled my creativity. For example, it’s taken all day to get this one post finished. The last I checked, there were at least three planets in retrograde. Read: Retrograde Season: A Time to Reflect and Decompress

In between all of this chaos, I’m trying to lose weight by watching what I eat and walking at least two to three miles a day!

I’ve struggled with my weight since I was a child, so this is not an unknown subject for me. As I’ve gotten older, it seems harder to lose and to keep it off. To make matters worse, the more I exercise, the more I gain. I blame it on my ancestral farmer genes. When I don’t exercise too much, I’m able to lose weight. Don’t ask… it’s just the way it is for me.

The results of my experiment slipped out in poetic form today. I wrote this tanka in a s/l/s/l/l/ format, which is basically a Gogyohka in English.

So, here’s my humorous humorless take on the prompt words:

My Conundrum

here lies the crux
of my current problem
to stay lithe eat less
to lose pounds exercise more
at the risk of gaining weight

©2020 Colleen M. Chesebro

It turns out that exercise is useless for weight loss. Read: Why Do I Gain Weight When I Exercise?

I’m off to meditate the weight away! Pounds be gone! So, Mote it Be!

23 thoughts on “My Conundrum, #Gogyohka”

  3. I’m cooking lots of good things but also eating them…until I’m not at home most of the time I’m going to gain weight.
    But I do exercise to stay limber. (K)

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    1. It was rough this spring. I’ve had my thyroid removed years ago so when my weight creeps up it’s a nightmare. We’ve got to stay limber for sure. I’d be lost without my walks. ☺️❤️

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  5. Your poem made me smile, Colleen. When you exercise you can gain weight as muscle weighs more than fat. It is centimetres you have to measure. I have lost weight since Covid-19 started because I have been so stressed and working non-stop. I have had little appetite.

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  7. I share your conundrum and retrograde quandries. Colleen, much ❤ flowing to you. Xx

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      1. And we do, with laughter when we can. A friend is struggling and we decided to do our grocery shopping together, at a safe distance. Our laughter and shared ‘Ohh, look at this’ could be heard across the store. Much love flowing to you, my lovely. ❤ xXx

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  9. Pingback: Weekly Poetry Challenge Stars | Synonyms Only, No. 181: Anita Dawes – Word Craft ~ Prose and Poetry

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