Riders of Steel

 

They brave the night and cold,

rain and wind and snow unfold.

Risking life and limb, or at least

an angry Bull here and there,

they grab on, lever up into a

IM, grainer pocket, or even a gondola.

Catching out for far destinations,

route mapped out on their phones,

they hunker down, but lift a camera

so that the rest of us can watch too.

Once thought a dying breed,

their numbers swell with younger hoboes.

These have no trouble at all navigating

and documenting their every move online.

Surely the railroad workers and managers

are noticing this – they can also access Youtube.

But somehow, despite it all, the riders persist.

They describe issues like food and water and sleep,

all scarce when waiting in the brush for an outbound.

Much advance planning makes their rides smoother.

For me it would be far simpler to just buy

an Amtrak ticket. 

 But where is the romance in that?

Safe travels, everyone.

For the Good of our Community

 

The Amos collective does a lot of good,

as a community organization should.

Many churches' congregations join together,

address community problems, mainly secular.

Disparate ideologies can find common ground

on social justice, and make improvements all around

our local area, upon issues that need attention –

capitalism needs safety nets for our protection.

We can set aside our minor differences,

unite to work out municipal difficulties.

There is great strength in large numbers,

whether or not all are active members.

Just imperfect humans extending care and love,

whether or not there's any thundering god above.

Another Time Capsule Message

 And why not, it's as good a subject to write on as any.  Here goes...

A wave from the past

Not sure if you've colonized the Inner System yet,

or solved the environmental crises that we created.

Maybe your every need is tended by humanoid robots;

Perhaps you've even reached a Kardashev type I civilization.

Here in 2026 we are stuck in two long running conflicts,

And no one seems to be able to put a stop to them.

Even if we know that war is not the answer,

human beings continue to be cruel to each other.

It will always matter how people

treat each other – hopefully with

respect and decency.

People should always help each other,

no matter what. People will always be

the most important resource.

Freedom of the individual matters,

will always matter, despite the

crazed state of the world in 2026.

Do not judge us too harshly,

simple foolish semi-sentients that we are.

Would be wonderful to see the firsthand views

of the outer planets – enjoy them for me, too!

Fare thee well in 2276 and beyond.

Rockford into Rust

In the space of 20 years we lost so much manufacturing capability to other countries it boggles the mind.  A villanelle to address the subjerct.

The empty factories stand in quiet rust,

 Their echoed whistles silenced long ago

; The fire in the furnace turns to dust.

The golden promise shattered as it must,

 As lines were moved where cheaper currents flow;

 The empty factories stand in quiet rust.

The towns that thrived on work and steady trust 

Now watch the shadows of the machinery grow;

 The fire in the furnace turns to dust.

We traded iron gears for steel injust,

 And lost the craftsman's touch we used to know;

 The empty factories stand in quiet rust.

No sparks are thrown, no sudden metal thrust,

 Where generations worked to make it so;

 The fire in the furnace turns to dust.

The heavy hammer falls because it must,

 Yet leaving only ghost-towns in the snow:

 The empty factories stand in quiet rust,

 The fire in the furnace turns to dust.

Triple Me

 

Political campaigns all take a similar path. . .

They start out with such noble goals;

bring democracy back to the people,

take corruption out of the process.

Time to give all parties due process,

bring fairness back into the fold.

But then the realities set in...

Running a campaign costs money,

“Brother can you spare a twenty?”

Need to find hundreds of write-in votes,

if the committee will allow them in!

Leadership already has their favorite picked.

Inevitable corruption seeps in,

power posturing and majority rule

enforce ultimate control over it all.

Two contenders emerge, and one wins out.

With the financial influencers and horse-trading,

any actual good done for the public at large

seems accidental, ephemeral good fortune

for the actual benefit of all society.

Everything else is just “Me, me and me,”

group after group tugging our country

back and forth, to and fro across history.

Everybody Does It

 

     Masturbation, or self-pleasuring. It is nature's own sexual safety valve. When one is so overcome by desire, and cannot get it another way, one can always resort to their hand – or a sex toy. And there is nothing wrong with that at all. Most of us are in a place where we will not likely get the object of our desire, and therefore need some kind of relief mechanism anyway. To deny this on some religious or moral grounds is just plain cruel. There is no rational reason to deny ourselves this stress release.

     Now, granted, some may fall into a pattern of compulsive over indulging. This is probably not a good idea, just as overindulging in any other pleasure or vice can also be destructive. And one should certainly give a try to dating and other social options. But for most of us, there is no reason at all to not give ourselves a helping hand from time to time. It is good for our physical and mental health, if for no other reason than to exercise our reproductive machinery – keep it 'tuned up.'

     World leaders especially should practice more self-pleasuring. It might lead to less conflicts, and more peaceful negotiations. It's difficult to maintain a state of anger or mistrust when one is flooded with post-orgasmic oxytocone/dopamine. While I'm not suggesting that world leaders have sex with each other, they could do something to lower the temperature of anger around the world today. Something to think about. Like, get yourself off, don't set the nukes off! Then maybe start cooperating on issues of mutual concern, like global climate change and pandemics.

Oh, if only it were so.

High Summer Time

 

July 15, the middle of summer, high summer.

Outside temperature to match – mid 90's F.

Steamy humidity and foul tempers go together;

It is also a summer of war.

Ukraine and Iran are smoldering with hatred and heat,

one can smell burning bodies from a long way off.

Leaders yell and bark orders, and more

young people die in many senseless ways.

At home gas prices follow thermometer readings up,

but various local events try to give us a bit of joy.

Every time happiness promises to creep in,

some seething hatred always spoils the day.

People just can't help but inject misery into life.

It is high summer,

and folks are out on the water,

on the recreational trails,

in their yards working on projects.

Bitter winter cold is a distant memory.

No season lasts forever, and change is

always in the mail, arriving harshly later on.

It is high summer,

and there are some good memories,

oh, to bring them back to life.

Oh to create some new wonderful memories. . .

But that gets more difficult every year.

It is high summer,

but youth is a fleeting memory,

and joints never work as well as they should.

Still, a walk can be forced,

a social event planned,

a pleasant conversation enjoyed,

a tasty meal savored.

It is high summer,

and I'm determined to enjoy it,

no matter what anyone says or does.

Here's hoping that you can too!