Lyrical Answer to the ?: "How Are You?"

*Updated 2x*

Often I have been asked, how are you?

As with most people, this is not the type of question I enjoy being asked or having to answer, since most of the time people are not really asking as if they care how one really is or otherwise are expecting an honest answer to it either.

In my case and on the asking end of of it, when I ask this type of question however, I am actually prepared for an honest answer and, if I can tell someone does not care being asked it, I back off and try to let them off the hook.

In the past when I would be asked the question, I would usually always answer with okay. However some people would look at me in a certain fashion and say something along the lines of, just okay?! To which I would reply with, it is better than not.

On the answering end of things for a while here and there and, when I was not feeling well or had been really struggling with things, I have answered: I’ve been better, I’ve been worse.

Then more recently the following is what I have been using — particularly when I am not feeling well, etc., which has been the case these days — along with a short explanation, which usually gets a laugh, though sometimes it receives strange look from the person asking:

I’ve been better, I’ve been worse.
I’ve been blessed, I’ve been cursed.

At first I thought it had the making of the lyrics of a rap song, but then this morning when I repeated it to a beat, it came out as more of a country type of song.

Anyway, the reason behind this post is that the next two lines are yours to contribute, but they must be short, too the point and keeping in rhyme as well as context to answering the question: how are you?

Once again, the two first lines of mine are:

How are you?

I’ve been better, I’ve been worse.
I’ve been blessed, I’ve been cursed.

*Update 1*: Have received one comment post in response thus far, as well as an e-mailed version via a friend (which I have edited, the original version is posted in the comments) and, although I did not get around to posting it until now, since my friend’s version came in prior to the comment post, will update the lyrics with my friend’s version first followed with the version posted by Marty as a comment on Friday (October 24, 2008).

How Are You?

I’ve been better, I’ve been worse.
I’ve been blessed, I’ve been cursed.

I’ve been happy, I’ve been sad.
Yet to be alive, I’m still glad.

I’ve had more joy, I’ve had more sorrow.
Ask me – “How are you,” again tomorrow.

*Update 2*: Have come up with an additional stanza and posted it within the comments section of this post. The updated version is as follows:

How Are You?

I’ve been better, I’ve been worse.
I’ve been blessed, I’ve been cursed.

I’ve been happy, I’ve been sad.
Yet to be alive, I’m still glad.

I’ve had more joy, I’ve had more sorrow.
Ask me – “How are you,” again tomorrow.

Life includes both bad moments, as well as good times.
There are those with lots of lemons, others with more limes.

Although when it comes to the actual fruits themselves, I like both lemons as well as limes, I most prefer limes over lemons. As far as the use as metaphors goes, while limes are tart, lemons are far more sour and, when the choice is mine to make, my taste preference is less tart over what is more sour.

Should anyone else become inspired to follow along with either submitting or posting additional two line stanzas, please take it from there.

*Note*: edited 2nd sentence of 2nd to last paragraph for the purposes of clarification and readability; made several edits for the purpose of clarification and readability, last updated on Friday, November 21, 2008 at 2:21 AM (ET).