Stream of Life

Sometimes it floods over banks,

drops sticks and logs and sand;

streaks side grounds with dark silt,

new fertilizer for bright spring growth.

Elms and walnut and sycamores sprout,

while wizened old geezers lean and topple over,

making new homes and food for many creatures.

Emerald wild grasses shoot up and catch the wind.

The river courses along, nonchalant today;

Tomorrow’s rains will make it swell and rage,

next month’s drought will shrink and wither it;

The water still cool and refreshing to human feet.

Some people were kayaking over, or fishing in it...

A creator of life and sometimes dealer of death,

the persistent river keeps on flowing,

even as shore life keeps on growing.

Human hassles and annoyances are rendered

insignificant next to the beauty and splendor

of a wide, strong, resurgent stream in the springtime.

a bit of verse

That Covid is a total ass,

it keeps us all six feet apart;

we sit home and feel harassed,

we chat online, maybe play guitar.

No going out to dinner with friends,

no hanging out at the local club;

no attending church to make amends,

no close contact, no foreign body rubs.

But we can still get out in our yards,

plant seeds, pull weeds and trim the bushes.

Some parks are open, with distancing guards,

we can feel breezes and hike in green rushes.

Someday soon this isolation will all be done,

The Covid-19 beaten, our victory will be sung.

Even in the darkest times

Nature bursts forth in scintillating spring!

Early violas lead the color charge:

Shooting star and Dutchmen’s breeches

push through leaves and show their stuff.

Columbine greens up to astound later,

Lady’s slipper preps to lure and amaze,

white Trilliums triumph in grabbing your gaze.

Anemone and Virginia Bluebells march up,

Bloodroot and wild ginger flash the standard.

Those lowly dandelions and ground ivy pups

populate the ranks with purple and yellow rows.

Solomon’s Seal brings up a splendid rear.

Despite the quarantine’s daily drumbeat of

casualty numbers crawling upward,

we can at least take hope in the annual glory

of Spring’s color feast she lays out before us.

Better times are ahead, she says,

better things lay ahead.

A case for home robot assistants

     Especially in this time of quarantining and social distancing, now is a good time for Americans to embrace personal robots. Robots can be sterilized, yet can act as our companions and assistants. They can act as security helpers, and answer queries for information, linking wirelessly to the Internet. It is a good time for households to consider adding some kind of robot to their collection of electronic devices. It is also time for more American companies to build said robots for use by the general public.

     It is 2020 – well past the time that many early sci-fi writers thought these would be a common household feature. While many intelligent functions have been built into devices themselves, like TVs and microwaves, there is still a role for standalone robots. An entity that can move about in a physical space, and interact with humans and pets, would be a helpful addition to many homes. They could perform some search functions, and many entertainment functions for the family. At the same time, they could incorporate features now included in smart home switches, voice-operated devices, etc. Like the robot in the original Lost in Space show, they could become a valued member of the family. It should not be very difficult to build in a few different ways to deactivate a mobile robot in case of any kind of mishap or problem.

     A final reason for making a mobile robot household companion is it could be a product built here in the USA, and exported. In these days of everything being manufactured elsewhere, it would be heartening to know that a popular consumer device is made here and exported elsewhere. This alone would be a reason for a government-industry partnership to facilitate bringing these mobile assistants to fruition and to market. It is time to do this. Thanks for reading.

We will get thru

Sunlight will grace trail flowers with bright colors,
Blue lakes will dapple an invitation;
Robins, meadowlarks and finches will sing joyful odes,
even the cicadas and tree frogs will get in on the act;
all welcoming normality once again - perhaps by this summer.

We will make it through too.

     See you on the other side.

Viral Overload

They sit around and decide

how many of us they’ll let die.

This outbreak is the other party’s fault,

Easy to smear them with bloody gestalt.

Panic and hysteria is all this thing is,

no real problem to worry about, Liz.

Heat will kill it, all over by April;

No, folks, wrong, sorry, it’ll be August.

Let’s throw money at it, trillions to disappear,

placate money worries, greed replaces fear.

Maybe dollar bills can replace now-rare toilet paper,

one thing accomplished by our great decision maker.

Outsourcing and lean manufacturing lost our capability,

greedy decision-makers share guilt and culpability.

Now America needs help from many other nations,

humbled and reminded of our new national station.

No longer at the top, we sit closer to the bottom;

when it comes to capabilities, we no longer got ‘em.

This Pandemic may teach us to re-prioritize our thinking,

hopefully before our ship of state finishes sinking!

Where did it go

I skip over years in memory,

was 12 once, 13, 15, 16.

All those characters on TV

(watched by this aging body,)

had something in common with me.

Used to laugh at, mock or impatiently

skirt around people who were older, now younger...

Used to be the smart-ass I now loath.

Several decades sure changes a point-of-view.

That first girlfriend, the fumbling moves,

knowledge won hard, in bits and pieces,

now seems trivial compared to what

has been acquired since those days.

My teen-aged classmates, all loud,

boisterous, and no one certain of their direction?

Now they are doctors, lawyers, mechanics,

all coasting towards retirement – or deceased.

I’ve lived a lot of life, got to enjoy the time,

if “enjoy” is the right word.

Thought I had seen it all, until this

Pandemic reared its ugly head.

You just never know what kind of shit

lies right around the next corner!

So now is the time to sit inside,

and ruminate on all of those years,

good and bad,

rich and poor,

amazing and boring.

Maybe the sixth decade can be a bit more placid,

calming looks back and forward across time.

Any new moves carefully surveyed;

And stable health savored and husbanded…

(assuming that I survive this covid-19 thing)

How many more?

One day at a time.

Civilize - it is awesome

I’ve been watching a program about “preppers” or people who prepare for the collapse of civilized society. It is pretty relevant nowadays with the Covid-19 pandemic. But these folks do things like build giant super-trucks with extra fuel, ammo, food etc, so in the event of a general collapse, they can drive their family to some remote “Bugout” site. There, they are able to defend themselves, get access to water via a well or stream, and generally hold out. For days, months or even years.

Various people have very detailed plans. They have arms and the capability to use them, foods, water, high-tech communication gear, etc, etc. But the thing I never hear them mention is what happens after? What about after the collapse? Are they willing to begin to trade with each other? So one person can grow certain things, another can grow or produce others, and a larger collective can thus re-establish a marketing and distribution system? In other words, a way to re-start an economy?

Everyone is so damn good at preparing for a collapse. But no one seems to be willing to discuss reestablishing an economy! So I sit and wonder, do some people really just want to exist in a permanent collapse, a “Mad Max” world of constant violence and killing and grubbing for survival?

Would it not just be easier to maintain a high degree of civilization like we have now, and avoid all of that hassle, work, and violent action? I suppose just acting and being civilized is too boring for some.

Civilization and trading for goods – much easier than collapse and violence and killing. Let’s try that instead. I would much rather “prep” for a happy future filled with technological delights, than some post-apocalyptic burned-out landscape where all anyone can do is simply survive.

A chant and a rant

Finding things at home to do,

they want us to shelter in place.

Cleaning living room, picking up my shoes,

they ask us to shelter in place.

Checking Facebook for the hundredth time,

they tell us to shelter in place.

Clicking on memes, reading between the lines,

they request us to shelter in place.

I had thought 2020 would see more humans in space,

they keep telling us all to shelter in place;

But now the robotic craft will take their place,

they want humans to stay earthbound, shelter in place.

Hope this all will end sometime soon,

Because me and others are so tired of sheltering in place.

Wal-martians galore

Masked counters have replaced the greeters,

one way in and one way out is the rule.

Everyone keeps their distance,

most wear masks, except a few youngsters.

The fruit counters seem plentiful,

but some freezers are empty.

For the most part, groceries are bountiful.

Why would there be any shortages

in this day and age of plenty?

People have never been through a pandemic,

so the reigning emotion of the day is panic.

“This too, shall pass.”

Like a big gallstone,

everyone is asking,

“goddamn it, but when?”

Hang in there.