Let it decide your conduct and action

The rugged account of her life,

d' young lady vividly narrated

how things were hard for her,

to mom, she warily stated 

How going to make it, no idea

with life how to cope up?

tired of fighting, struggling,

eventually wanted to give up 

If a problem seems solved,

a fresh one ready to pop up

always d' life is trouble loaded,

distresses unending, non-stop

Mom hauled her to d' kitchen,

and filled three pots with water

 placed each on a high fire,

came to a boil in d' container

In 1st put a few chopped carrots,

some eggs in the 2nd container

in d' last put ground coffee beans,

till brought to a boil, waited there 

In 20 mins turned off d' burners

fished out carrots, kept in a bowl

pulled eggs out, placed on a plate

ladled coffee out into a tumbler 

Asked flatly to tell, what do I see?

I replied, eggs, coffee, and carrots

come close, feel d' carrot pieces,

wearily I felt, noted they were soft

Take an egg, crack, pull off d' shell,

tell me, after palpating it with care

I felt the boiled egg to be hard,

next to sip d' coffee in d' tumbler

She cheerily smiled,  rich aroma

of d' steaming coffee she inhaled

but totally unclear of those acts,

what do they mean she enquired 

Mom smiled a bit, then explained

each had faced d' same adversity

unendurable heat of boiling water

but reacted diversely, no similarity 

The stiff and unrelenting carrots,

as subjected to d' boiling water

got softened and turned weak,

as on hot pan d' melting butter

 D'eggs with a fragile outer shell

and a delicate liquid interior

bit by bit coagulated, solidified,

put through the boiling water

 

D' ground coffee beans, unique,

boiled to alter d' quality of water

if adversity knocks on your door,

tobe which one you would prefer 

Act promptly but unlike d' carrot,

wilt swiftly, even if, seem strong

turn soft soon, lose d' strength

can't be rational, evidently wrong 

Nor a flexible heart as d' egg stuff,

that stiffens on facing hardship

a death, breakup/a cash crunch,

loss of job, shattered friendship

Be beans, turn d' ambiance finer,

let go of d'  fragrance and flavor

get pounded, crushed, grounded,

boiled, bubbled but to turn better 

Elevate yourself to another level,

behave better in d' worst situation

d' element, you made up of, let it

decide your conduct and action