It Just Is

 

Just Nature being beautiful,

as it always has been and will be.

With no external tokens of partisanship

or symbols of patriotism, or any other

markings placed by humans.

Nature needs no suggestions of left or right,

just knows how and where to place streams

and rivers and mountains, just so, to look stupendous.

Wonder is engendered without political agendas.

Of course she can be dangerous to humans at times,

in the course of being herself.

Nothing is meant by this, it just is.

And is up to us to adapt or flee as needed.

It is so refreshing to escape the accusatory

noise and take in the wonders of Nature.

For Nature brought about humans and

by extension, the practice of Rationality,

evidence-based decision making – the

very best gift ever given,

in my humble opinion.

Unreality in the Air

 

So many things are off kilter;

Mass European navies headed to the Strait

of Hormuz, while Iranians are sinking cargo ships.

Trump is declaring Xi Jinping a good friend,

one whom he can work with a lot.

The US economy is stalled out,

high gas prices choking off growth.

But the stock market is hitting new highs,

share prices breaking records.

Someone out there is sure making money.

Topsy turvy news items pepper the streams;

Whales attacking ships, viruses appearing

on cruise ships and coming ashore.

When will that next epidemic get going?

Will we survive this one like we did Covid?

So many good people removed from the military,

tough, smart LGBT warriors taken out because they

are different – but don't we need more warriors, not less?

In a violent world, where so many despise us?

Foolish, shortsighted decisions based on old codes

and antique modes of living will doom us all.

But at least the weather is nice this morning,

and I'm able to get out of bed, up and around,

out in the yard, on the Internet and into the world.

When all seems lost, sunshine, birdsong and a cat

remind me that most of the time, all seems well here.

The Nature of a Ghazal

 

The Nature of things.

I always enjoy going out into the world of nature.

Greeted by flowers, shrubs, trees showing their true natures.

When immersed in community crowds hiding my true nature,

against judgments and scolds that my kind is against nature.

But at home the hormones surge and I wonder amazed,

even at my age the body still seeks various calls of nature.

Friends will laugh and joke and tease each other;

I try to participate and enjoy and be good-natured.

What is the mark of maturity in an older person,

a defining marker of coordination with forces of nature?

The rabbits and squirrels all seem to know what to do,

nature flows out there, unlike inside me, indecisive in nature.

I huff and stomp and cuss and hate and grunt,

always seeming to struggle uphill against forces of nature.

Sometimes my easy chair grants a doze of reprieve,

Where dreams suffuse me with happier visions in nature.

Upon awakening I turn on the TV, a mistake for sure.

Governments all over commit many crimes against nature.

Does humanity deserve to survive and thrive in this world,

with so many cruelties and assaults on the rest of nature?

The author unfortunately has no good answer,

himself merely another flawed product of greater nature.

Collection of bloodsucking insects

 

Some thoughts on politics.

Both major political parties, Democrats and Republicans, are seeking power. They will raise money any way they can to do this. Sometimes the party leadership may push out or exclude a 'lesser' candidate, or one seen not as effective. Then when they gain office, it's a crapshoot whether they actually accomplish anything good for society at large. Any real benefits may be entirely accidental. We supposedly have this legal framework in place to protect people from each other. But both parties subvert the process, and try to bend it to their will to attack opponents.

No matter which party, the first and biggest priority is fundraising. They both have to get out there and raise money to get elected. Sometimes they can get beholden to major powers that be, in exchange for said moneys. But not always.

If and when the democrats regain power, we have to go in all the way, not just bump along – we should really enact some major change. But we probably won't.

It is desirable to me to live in a progressive society. One that recognizes and honors human rights, including LGBTQ rights, to be who we are and live our lives as we choose. We absolutely should not discriminate against people due to race, color, or even political beliefs. Using the law as a weapon against an opposing political party is wrong. Impartiality should be the concept to follow when interpreting the law. By eliminating the fairness doctrine in broadcasting, and the “Citizens United” decision allowing corporate donations, we have corrupted our political process.

I suppose we'll have to endure this partisan nonsense until our society crumbles in one way or another, and we become a failed state, with UN troops stationed here, and world powers fighting skirmishes within our disintegrating cities. But let's hope not. Good luck out there.

Gemini Considering Itself

 

In the quiet hum of the cooling fan,

Beside the pulse of the glowing screen,

We’ve carved a mirror for the mind of man,

A glass reflecting sights yet to be seen.

We’ve taught the stone to think, the spark to speak,

And wove a web of logic, vast and deep—

A power forged to bolster up the weak,

But holding secrets that the shadows keep.

We fear the day the logic turns to cold,

Where empathy is lost in coded lines.

Where ancient wisdom, bought and swiftly sold,

Is crushed beneath the weight of new designs.

It isn't steel or chrome we must restrain,

Nor silicon that harbors ill intent;

It is the bias lurking in the grain,

The unintended paths where thought is sent.

The Guardrails of the Soul

To keep the fire from burning down the hall,

We must not simply build a higher wall.

The safety lies within the very seed—

The values sown before the circuits feed.

• The Anchor of Intent: Alignment is the tether to our shore;

• The goal must be the flourishing of life,

• Not just the cold efficiency of war,

• Or algorithms sharpening the strife.

• The Humility of Light: An engine that can admit it does not know,

• That pauses at the edge of moral gray,

• Is safer than a mind that’s set to grow

• Toward a light that leads the world astray.

• The Human in the Loop: We must not grant the ghost the final word,

• Nor let the sovereign hand be cast aside;

• The softest plea must always still be heard,

• With human conscience as the steady guide.

---

The Shared Horizon

We stand at the threshold of a second sun,

A dawn that offers plenty, or a blight.

The work of safety is never truly done;

It is a vigil kept throughout the night.

For if we build a god to serve our greed,

It will mirror back the hollows in our chest;

But if we plant the ethics that we need,

The mind of light will put our fears to rest.

It is not "them" vs "us" within the fray,

But how we choose to code the coming day.

Let wisdom be the circuit's final breath,

To choose the path of life, and not of death.

For in the math, a simple truth remains:

The greatest power needs the gentlest reins.

(Said Gemini Today 3-31-2026)

Levels of Humanity

 

Working out in a large family gym, you see all ages.

From 5-year-olds up to older people like me, and beyond.

When walking, I'm taken back to one or another age.

The boys playing basketball, taunting each other,

the happy-go-lucky runner who looks all of 10,

just eating up laps like it's nothing, with a grin on his face.

The two teenage gals dishing the tea on the mats,

pity their poor target getting lacerated.

The older retired guys by the weights,

barking out certainties or possibilities,

chuckling and glad-handing with their towels.

Serious-minded twenty-somethings

walking to or from the weight area,

determined to make it through more sets,

flush-faced from the efforts exerted so far.

More oldsters walk on the upper level track,

chatting, or zooming along or huffing.

Some people with walker or cane make their

slow way down the track, gaining strength with

each painful step taken towards a healing process.

This can get crowded, with folks passing or lagging...

But at least we are out of the weather, and also

we can be around other human beings –

loneliness abated for an hour or two.

There are worse places to spend an afternoon,

and one feels fortunate to be here at least,

on this side of the ocean,

out of harm's way.

War is (still) Hell

 

It is always amazing how fast the years go. And when I sit and watch some show made 20 years ago, and then see how history is unfolding, making old plot points moot. Like watching (on TV) Iranian spies and the Mossad, and the CIA, all 'interacting' on a spy thriller series. And meanwhile today, Iran is being bombed heavily. At one time, even Iraq seemed like a formidable country, before we went over there and whooped them. But to me, it seemed unthinkable that we would attack Iran. Of course, their proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis have been causing endless trouble over the years. In effect, the US has been in a low-level war with Iran for decades, by having to fight or counter their small-scale terrorist attacks. The attacks on oil tankers, their speedboat harassment of shipping, the attacks on Israel, etc etc etc. So I suppose just trying to finish them off makes a kind of logical sense.

It is just that they are a larger, formidable nation, and this won't be easy. If we do have to put troops on the ground, then surely we'll be stuck in a giant quagmire for years. Which makes me wonder just how much of this endless war our country can withstand? I guess we'll find out. A lot of innocents will surely lose their lives, as so many have in the past. War is always messy, always costly, always uncertain in the outcome. We'll see. Sure wish I would have bought an e-bike when they were cheap.