What can you give up, or give, for Lent?
Give up being thoughtless
Give up being cruel
Give up all the bullying
You learned to do in school
Give up killing spiders
Give up squashing flies
Give up drugs and alcohol
Give up telling lies
Make LENT into a giving time
Giving folk a smile
Let giving be your habit
And not just for a while
Forty days is all it takes*
To form new ways of giving
To find a kinder habit
And a kinder way of living.
Be Giving of affection
Be thoughtful and be kind
Try being empathetic
To your neighbour and mankind
Some have nothing left to give
Their lives have turned to grey
Give a thought for those in need
And help someone today
*New habits form in less than forty days, but as this is a poem inspired by LENT, I kept the Forty days in to represent it. Three weeks (21 days) is often quoted as the length of time it takes to form a new habit.
© Amanda Samm