Love those Leisure Drives

 

A vast blue surface dotted with fishing boats;

Not some distant ocean, but rather our local

Mississippi river shining in springtime.

Taking a drive along the river is a delight!

Sunday morning and there is little traffic,

the rest stops and historical markers uncrowded.

Time to enjoy the sunlit serenity and scenery,

unopposed by impatient or reckless drivers.

That time passes, and then the sun climbs, traffic increases.

Tailgaters in a hurry, trucks barrel along in the opposite lane,

noise and congestion increase, crowds appear at rest stops.

A small, peaceful interlude soon overwhelmed by humanity.

But I, too, am humanity, so I take up space on the roadway,

try to make the last exits and head towards home,

without hitting anyone or getting hit as the afternoon sun

tries to blind me along the busy interstate highway.

Make it home okay, and breathe a sigh of relief.

The next morning I get up, it's raining outside.

And there I am, inside, a map unfolded on my lap…

Plotting my next great exploratory drive north.

Never learning my lesson, and always thirsting for More.

See you out there somewhere – and Safe Travels Everyone!

A walk along the spacetime trail

 

Not just a long walk on an asphalt ribbon,

but drinking spacetime up in big gulps.

Tasting the flight of hawks and vultures,

a waterfall rushing by on the creek,

sun-dappled buds unfolding everywhere.

I absorb ninety minutes worth,

filling up on moving limbs in an

easy gait, some footfalls on grass to

let bikers pass by on their electrics, hearing

a strident twittering of robins and sparrows.

Once I reach my vehicle, get to relax and

digest the experience of varied spacetime as

only a mind can, in all its fulsome scenery.

From my sore feet to my tingling scalp,

this spacetime went down good and smooth,

like the best of beers or finest of wines.

Tonight I’ll dream and drink a little more,

wake up refreshed and sober, ready to

consume more galactic vistas in nearby locales

.

Will leave it to the physicists to figure out

reality with their equations and computers.

I’ll just have another glass of time, please,

and slam that puppy down without a twinge of guilt.

Drink up!

Weaponize

 The military is always on the lookout for new weapons;

Various advanced drones and aircraft flit about in our skies,

Beamed laser weapons have been tested for many years,

apparently without any useful results.  They should take a lesson 

from Marconi and Edison:  Keep on trying!

Perhaps better yet, weaponize peace and diplomacy.

All human beings want pretty much the same things:

food and water, shelter and care for loved ones.

Good times, love and laughter, and especially

freedom from endless warfare and conflicts.

Spread the word like a hypersonic missile:

Compassion, peace and empathy will remove

high casualty counts and increase productivity.

Cooperation can solve many vexing problems.

Casting blame and accusations, going on the attack

will only do more damage, and produce great suffering.

Fire your ballistic missiles of love and empathy,

and do the worst thing imaginable to your enemies:

absorb them into the greater whole of humanity,

 so we can solve our serious problems and move on out 

to ever greater accomplishments and experiences.

3, 2, 1....Fire!

Avoid Nuclear War

 

Ever since I’ve been alive,

all I’ve known is the nuclear sword poised,

hanging over us all, ready at any moment

to fall and send us all back to the stone age.

There was that brief decade of thaw,

when the Soviet Union disintegrated;

we seemed the victors in a new world order

that came about, for better or for worse.

Some mighty war toys got spent in smaller conflicts;

The new scare of terrorism reared up,

and every one had to adopt that security mindset.

Especially after those towers got hit and collapsed!

A new century brought new terrors,

but I never thought that the nuclear threat from

the last century would rise up again, bad as ever.

Now the world seems more fractured than ever,

Russia and China are allied against us again.

Yet somehow advancements keep coming,

the world survives, and some conditions get better.

So while the news frightens and alarms us,

we still enjoy more electronic conveniences,

we still manage to eat good and stay sheltered.

Most of us, anyway.

We never knew just what would happen until it did,

back in those Cold War days. Ironically,

we still do not know what will happen to us all.

Just have to keep trudging down that road.

Peace is still the best choice for leaders to make!

On the importance of important things

 

I like to post some poetry and the occasional mini-editorial on this blog. But I view it as a place to get out my creativity at times, and sometimes general impressions of things. This is not a bid for political power, or any kind of great importance. Rather is it just as a way to make my small ‘scratch on the fabric of the universe,’ a way of saying “I was here.” Just another flawed human being adding his voice to the chorus of humanity. Not in any bid to “be important” in some historical sense.

However, I am important to myself, and I hope, maybe to a few friends as well. Many other people are important to me in my life, in one way or another. My family is important, even though I don’t communicate with them very much. I still value them, and care about them. I’m not sure how may more years I’ll get to spend on this Earth, above it rather than buried in it. But my time with others is important. Making some happy memories with other people is important. Good health is important. (Some things that used to be important are not nearly as much now. )

After I retired, getting out and seeing the world (that I missed while trapped in a work setting) became more important to me. Watching finances to keep on going without undue money stress is very important too.

Fame and reputation I could care less about at this point. If I seem like some kind of a poser,  then my apologies.. Just trying to get out my “two cents” in the brief time allowed me here. Thanks for reading.

Emotions Conveyed Through Time

 

Vibrant colors that ripple and shimmer from different times

through history, emoting to us from the floor or a wall;

they give us strong messages in a deep primal language,

the impact more powerful than from mere words alone.

They speak of war and misery, or love and joy;

routine images of irises in a vase next to pears,

blooming waterlilies in a pond in spring,

or vast landscapes in a new land beckoning.

Full three-dimensional works tempt one to touch,

but deny that with a boundary, forcing a closer look.

Sight alone must convey the full impression,

though my fingers itch to feel and add sensation.

Shining ceramic impasto rises off the canvas,

tall lucite boxes with vacuum cleaners inside;

Human figured sculptures in various states of gesture,

all blur the lines between “see” and “touch,”

forcing one to feel it with their mind -

as if there is any other way that we really feel anything.

It is a wonderful experience to absorb these

communiques from many different human epochs.

Hopefully many can enjoy this art walk through history.

Viral Villanelle

 

Vacations can be such a wonderful thing,

abandon your worries and enjoy many pleasures.

Those sneaky viruses can spoil a weekend fling.

It sure is fun to tour and gaze at all the residents bling,

then relax in a nearby swim spa for good measure.

Vacations can often be such a wonderful thing.

Stroll pleasant avenues under festive light strings,

peer into shops with some exotic local treasures.

But beware the sneaky virus that will spoil your fling.

A delicious meal with wine, before some nightclub zing,

drink, dance, sing and maybe lose your composure!

Exotic vacations can be such a wonderful thing.

Perhaps that special person might surprise you with a ring,

Banishing any thoughts of some possible unknown exposure.

You can still be grabbed by a virus that will spoil your fling.

Let us hope that you do not feel influenza’s sting,

or feel like you just got hit by a sickening bulldozer!

Vacations are usually a wonderful, delightful thing,

unless you get clobbered by viruses that will spoil your fling.