Every Annual Pledge Part Two

Growth should be the ultimate criterion,
centrepiece and essence at the heart of every annual pledge,
for myself and other people who might gain from such commitment,
that monumental new year down the clock so aptly named,
global village stepping stone infused with razzmatazz,
celebrities whose sugar candy script is relayed world wide,
to captive audience transfixed, their eyes glued to
gauche routine pantomime,
imbibing endless fulsome puerile cant,
those once upon a time trite shibboleths,
lauded in the past so to speak,
now anathema by modern age yardstick,
Yet for me this is a golden opportunity
to reengage with distant relatives abroad,
to renew and revitalise acquaintanship,
to forge cast iron bonds in fine locations,
against a backdrop of stimulating habitats,
the debt I owe my influential sister, Jay Pallen,
has to be addressed without delay,
higher level generous support for those in need,
sustaining local business with original ideas
where and when I can,
initiative in concrete terms is key,
I will endeavour to diversify my brief,
make myself as interesting as possible,
embrace new hobbies with a will, cryptic crossword clues,
logic fill-in puzzles, hatha yoga practice, meditation,
focus even more when precious
matters come to pass as they inevitably do,
thoughtful discourse after deep reflection,
our existence on this earth in peril
where prompt gestures are required right now,
be rest assured I’ll tap the latent activist within,
I must revere the human eye as potent lense,
human mind potential gemstone vault,
imagination that multi-hued artistic brush,
creative hand sculpting lucid verse,
expect due diligence from me on all four counts,
foreign tongues  are high on my agenda,
lame excuses will be given short shrift,
a roadmap for the linguistic bashful I’m bound to plot,
with fluent speech desirable denouement,
however long it may take,
nutritious food is something very vital for this writer
but extra colour, spice, zest must be added to his cupboard!
in this regard I may have been remiss from time to time,
rely on me to buttress resolutions with true valour,
harness my resolve beyond mere transient aplomb,
fire that inner gumption if the viral plague
of doubt by any chance should appear,
as, perforce, it often does when least welcome,
emphatic as I am in grand pursuit of broad horizons,
doesn’t mean that I’m an unfeeling person,
insensitive to warmth, kindness  or romance,
but personal development a social obligation always beckons,
and as such a clear response shall be forthcoming
on my part to its portentous advent,
composite of variegated traits that lurk inside,
be they positive or flawed must at once
be subject to the harshest of critiques,
on an ongoing regular basis,
where performance may have lapsed
into crassness devoid of real meaning,
candid reassessment will be crucial in my quest,
irrespective of the challenges ahead one has to face,
I, Howard kerr, organic chemist, essayist, poet,
computer buff, am on a mission,
catch me if you can

Edits and updates on earlier version