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.

Thoughts on Travel

 

Travel can be such an adventure, in ways both good and bad. For instance, I recently took a trip to the Palm Springs, CA area with a friend. I was really looking forward to it all. When we flew there, everything seemed to go smoothly. The whole aviation experience seemed pleasant. The professionalism of the crews, the screens to track our flight progress right there on the seats, including at times a virtual altimeter. When we arrived, we had to wait for a while to get a rental car. That process is always time consuming, as the rental co's try to upsell you, and find a car close to the one you reserved. On at least three different trips, they have ended up substituting a different vehicle – but they tend to be upgrades too, so that was good.

So we drive out of there, and manage to find our way to the resort. That is another process – first time visitors to the resort have to fill out background check-type apps. Sheesh – it seems like every business needs to know every little thing about their customers. I came from a different time, and this always irritates me. But, we got through that, and got some entry wristbands. Once we got to our room, I was pleasantly surprised. It was an elegant, modern room with clean minimalist design, and had all of the amenities. (They made the same mistake a lot of places do – they have a bathroom sink with just narrow counter space around the sink. No place to put toiletries.) Still, I overlooked that. Everything else was nice, from the fully stocked kitchen to the TV fully loaded with many premium channels, along with all the basic cable ones. Our room had an outdoor patio area, with glass-topped table and chairs, facing the pool area. The beds were comfortable, and we had daily towel service, with room cleaning on request.

When we went downtown, we enjoyed seeing the usual tourist places, eating at some delightful restaurants, and visiting nightclubs. But there will always be some letdowns. Maybe a long wait, or someplace will be hard to find, or the prices shock you, or the crowds annoy. The nightclubs were mostly packed. That's a good sign – the place is popular.

The first three days were a lot of fun, with good weather, a fun jeep tour, and good times back at the resort. But when it came time for our open-air bus tour, the weather stopped cooperating with us. It got rainy and cool, and we got soaked, despite the gratis 'rain ponchos' they handed out. Well, the tour guide kept on narrating places despite the rain. And no one can control the weather that I know. But it did put a damper on the day. Still, we managed to get back to the resort, and even get our laundry done. The next day, the sun came back out, and we spent an enjoyable final full day, touring around. That night, rain and high winds came back to haunt us.

The day we left, we turned in the car, and got into the airport, checked our bags, went thru TSA, and all. Then we got to our gate, and waited. And waited, and waited. The plane that was going to take us to Denver could not land due to the high winds, and had to divert to Ontario (LAX). Sooooo – we got to wait for around four hours, until another plane could get there, and we could board that one. But, kudos to our airline, United, for automatically re-booking us on a later flight out of Denver. We arrived in Denver, and were able to make it to our next gate with around 15 minutes to spare. That flight left on time, and we made it back home to Des Moines later that night.

This all goes to show that travel for fun and leisure is not without various risks. You assume those when you leave on a trip. If you're lucky, everything goes smoothly and you enjoy a great vacation. Most of my vacations have had their “bumps”, like this last one described. But it was still worthwhile, with a lot of fun moments. A warm desert resort in the middle of February is delightful all on its own. One just has to pack a fair amount of patience along with their clothing and suntan lotion, and then you'll do fine. (Barring any real disaster, of course) . Travel is an adventure, one that I enjoy, and one I'll be doing more of in the future. Hope you all can too.

Taken Way Way Back

 

One moment, I'm the usual 68 years old, huffing my way around a walking track. But then that song comes on through an overhead speaker, at the fitness center. A song that takes me back to 1975, and a bunch of us are in a school van, driving back from Chicago, after going on a long field trip. We had had some conflicts between individuals, and there was some ongoing tensions. But when the song came on, someone started singing the refrain. Old Mississippi, I'm calling your name. Old black water, keep on flowing, Mississippi moon gonna keep on rising... And before I knew it, I was singing along too. We were all singing it after a while. At that moment, we were all joined in good vibes. It just resonated with all of us. And for the first time in days, I felt completely happy. It was at the endpoint of the high school days, with some college and life all way ahead. Now, to hear it again at the “endcap,” after a retirement, and a few years beyond that. It is an eerie feeling, but also fascinating. A lot of years have passed – 51 since the van singing group. No thoughts of tech changes or anything, just the memory of that group of us, sharing a happy moment together, resonating across so much time, yet seeming fresh and new again. Shared camaraderie seems the most valuable currency, since it is never spent and never dies. Happy February (2026) all.