Under and Over

 

 

I knew them well

Well, not that well,

They were somewhat mysterious

I heard people tell.

 

I will refer to them

As under and over,

I won’t mention their watchdog

His name was Rover.

 

I know that I said

I won’t mention his name,

Are you making that an issue?

Are you insane?

 

I may have overstated it

But you don’t understand,

I am telling this story

That is the overall plan.

 

Let me get back

To over and under

And by the way it has nothing to do

With a four-leaf clover.

 

He was under weight

But she was over bearing,

They so got under your skin

You dreaded their appearing.

 

She had over anxiety

Which she under expressed

And he was overwhelmed

And much distressed.

 

Once he over excitedly said

That he underestimated her

And she over exuberantly replied,

“In that we concur.”

 

They used to live together

But operated apart,

He understated the problem

But she over shot the charts.

 

  

They quarreled excessively

And over excitedly so,

And there was nothing one knew

That the other didn’t know.

 

They reached retirement age

But refused to stay at home,

Though married for many years

Each preferred to be alone.

 

Understandably so

Since no honey was in the moon,

And with the overtones and undertones

They never sang the same tune.

 

Their relationship was under stress

And overheated most times,

He was under a cloud

And she was over inclined.

 

Interestingly, over time

The couple had underachieved,

She had overworked

But underpay she had received.

 

This was unfortunate

And he well understood

That they had overshot the mark

Choosing an upscale neighborhood.

 

I hope you understand

Though I may have overstated their case,

But be under no delusion

I wouldn’t want to be in their place.

 

 

Under and over

That is how we view life

Even though all along you thought

It was a man and his wife.

 

We often over project self

And undervalue others

But do we understand ourselves?

Well, that’s another matter.

   

Under and over

Which are you today?

Note: there is a tendency to switch

Depending on what is in the way.

 

Get over yesterday’s problem

Do not be overwhelmed,

And I will be over enthused

If you understand this poem.

 

I may be exasperating

And overly so

But that is only because

I know much more than you know.

 

I wrote it but you said it

You’re no different from me,

When we under or over look others

We are in the mirror we see.

 

 

Understand therefore

I am not underestimating you

So get over yourself

And commit to my view.

 

Stewart Russell © September 2019