Nine inches, ready or not

 

“It’s not February yet!”

first thought that came to mind,

along with “Tournaments are months away!”

Nevertheless, central Iowa got socked in

with 9.6 inches of fresh, unwelcome snow.

“Should be able to go to work,”

was the second genius idea I had.

After all, I shoveled two hours earlier,

at 1:30 PM last Tuesday afternoon.

By 4:30 there were five more inches

on the driveway, car, and street too.

“Hmm, may be time to text the boss,”

the third, and truest, impression formed.

She was sympathetic, and even offered

to give me a ride into work.

Silly me, I walked through three blocks

of the white sh*t, even slipping and falling,

before meeting up with her at the arranged spot.

Fortunately, the night passed reasonably well,

and with no parking in sight, a ride turned out

to be the best choice one could make.

When I disembarked from my boss’s 4 X 4,

clambered over snowbanks to get to my jobsite,

the last, most unerringly accurate thought of all:

“Next time I’m gonna call in sick, dammit!”

But I’ll see just how accurate when “next time” indeed rolls around.

We know that minds, like the weather, are subject to frequent change.

 

The meme that conquered the galaxy

 

Lots of memes come down the aisle,

all crowing with clever words and photos.

Drunken lady pointing at white cat,

lecturing some finer point, getting

stuck by the kitty with salacious smile.

Movie stars grin or leer or smirk,

point or pose or strut and impart

clever truisms or false-isms.

They jostle and posture and posit superiority.

Too bad they have all been defeated,

wiped out before they had a chance,

beaten right out of the gate...

One overwhelming Super-meme came before all.

Star Trek and the starship Enterprise!

Anyone alive not know the Enterprise?

Any person on Earth never heard of such a

fine ship that various captains profess “her”

as their first and/or only love?

How many iterations, versions of a starship,

from Warp 5 to warp umpty-whatever,

have graced television screens and computer monitors?

How many games, contests, books, even action figures?

Star Trek may be a long-running theme,

but the Enterprise is an infectious meme,

her warp engines thrumming our brains

like a flamenco guitarist evoking flames.

Sorry, wannabe brain candies;

The Enterprise got there first,

and is still resident,

will never leave us,

ever, ever, it seems.

“Aye, laddies, and time for a wee

bit o brandy” and reflecting on

past times with the Enterprise kicking ass,

all over the galaxy – and beyond.

Sleep well, space cowboys – and everyone else.

(Merry Christmas too.)

To my poet friends

 

To try and scrape up some rudiments of verse,

from my tired brain some lyrics to rehearse.

A chore at times on par with unplugging the toilet,

Some distraction yanks attention, surely spoils it.

But then I check my mailbox, and a light emerges,

cards from the Alpha contingent that I can submerge

in, creativity be reignited, my keyboard get warmed

once again, fingers trying to capture new ideas born.

This holiday season I am so grateful for those

faithful folks who inspire with poetry and prose;

you inject love into my dreary winter picture,

infuse black and white with color-hued tincture.

To one and all I bid you Happy Holiday wishes.

Merry joyous celebrations and many tasty dishes.

Enjoy everyone!

A good visual metaphor for my poet and writer friends.

Current Events

 

Georgia runoff election – Will McConnell be defeated?

Covid-19 deaths continue to rise.

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being distributed,

Healthcare workers are getting inoculated.

Still many new cases of Covid pop up every day.

Major hacking attack occurred on US government servers,

those pesky Russians are at it again – or is it the Chinese?

A stimulus bill is grinding its way to completion,

congress-people haggling over final details.

Many entertainment venues are going broke,

throwing more and more people out of work.

Will the current situation be another great depression?

Just reading the news gives one a bad case of depression.

March has become December, and we now have vaccines,
but how many have died in the meantime?

Every day spent alive and healthy is a thing to celebrate,

even if we have to do it at home,

separated from everyone by six feet,

preferably wearing a mask.

SpaceX has lofted another satellite into orbit,

and landed another booster back on the pad.

25 this year, I think – another record.

Blue Origin and many other companies are

working and making prototypes of our future in space.

Will they find a cure for something out there,

or perhaps just more superbugs to tangle with.

Lunar and Martian soil could be full of surprises!

Religion is the answer for some,

science and technology a solution for others.

Whatever god or machine you believe in,

they/he/it/ have a lot of work ahead,

saving the human race,

or eliminating us if that is in the cards.

If only the Ancient Aliens or modern Extraterrestrials

would tell us what is going to happen,

or what we should do about anything.

So far they are not talking –

at least, not talking to me.

Yet?

:-0 :-0 :-)

Live Long and Prosper, my friends.

Snow Deed Clears up Outlook

 

Sarcastic comments ring in the ears,

uncertain unsettlement circulates.

Time to go get a needed task done,

and I open the door, and presto!

Someone cleared my driveway of snow.

Then they shoveled a path to my door,

and around the front of the house.

Angry vitriol floods the Facebook page,

experts commenting, what can I add?

Better not say anything, show my ignorance.

It is all so maddening at times…

Then I open my door,

and the driveway has been cleared,

the walkway too.

Just purchased a car, and

naturally, something goes wrong.

Run thru options mentally,

cost analysis follows close behind.

Just one more P I T A to deal with.

Well, time to go shovel…

I open the door, and look, someone did already,

the whole driveway, and around to my door.

Midway through a round of antibiotics,

surely feeling better by now – I think?

But my nose runs, my head throbs,

I cough up some stuff, and wonder,

will this really do the trick?

Visions of more doctor visits cloud my outlook;

Okay time to get something done.

I open the door, shovel in hand, and…

someone had plowed my driveway,

cleared a path all the way to my door.

Thanks go out to that special someone,

for not having me give up on humanity.

For all of the anxiety and upsets,

the anger and guilt and blame and doubt,

such a kind deed clears away

that sheer veil of anguish,

wraps me in relieved hope.

Today might just be one damned good day.

Signs and Tags

 

A younger person, say 20 - ish,

drives down Interstate 80...

Exit signs pass by: Stuart, Redfield, Dexter, DeSoto.

Most all meaningless, just another town on the way

to where we are going

to see family or friends,

to buy a car or antique,

maybe see some park,

ride on a new bike trail.

Add a few decades and stir:

Then exit signs become memory tags.

De Soto was that trailer you bought and lived in,

Redfield the park, the party,

the bad ending as well.

In Dexter you stopped for a soda,

and met someone special.

Casey, for gas, at guess where?

The smiley face in Adair was lost on you,

after the flat tire disaster there!

Blank slate now filled with

mnemonic tags and blinkers.

Who says older drivers are not

well informed?

Memories leak out of our ears.

As we drive down the highway of years.

images of past life modes shift

through our minds like changing gears.

But now we are somewhere else,

not dead yet,

still out there,

and still here.