Old Folks Home

Dad fell off the ladder

Hanging the lights

Now in a body cast

It’s quite a sight

Mom sprained her ankle

Dragging the tree in the door

And they wonder why

No one will hire them anymore

Us kids are doing great

Our careers blossom

One moved away

Other’s getting married

To be young and vibrant

Is pretty awesome

So around here that’s the deal

Dad can’t write till he is healed

Sits in his chair

A grizzled grump

Mom has an ankle

With a big old lump

Don’t know who

Half of you are

And we really don’t care

Dad told us to send this

From his wheelchair



A Force of Good

Tough times, struggles many

Others worse off than you

Count your blessings, there are plenty

Strap on your boots buckaroo

Do what you should

Remain a force of good

The place to begin is within

Appreciate the beauty of your soul

A smile, a touch, kind words

Will do more than you know

Universally understood

Remain a force of good

Listen to your dreams

Spark another’s spirit embers

Your warm love beams

Best way to be remembered

Know you did all you could

Remain a force of good

Gift Giving

What did you give last year

What did you get

The junk we gift and collect

What is real

We seem to neglect

Indulge and consume big business screams

We know best what you should dream

Homes are lost, the jobs are gone

We’ll control the vote, just shop at dawn

Fill our tills you foolish pawns

I used to participate

But I don’t go there anymore

What’s important

Can’t be found in a store

Imaginate

Can’t help but imaginate

What good could be done

The world we should create

If every day we would celebrate

Instead of just one

Believed in the magic

Of kindness, love and cheer

Nightly news void of tragic

All through the year

War sat on the bookshelf

Hate collected dust

Learned to really love our self

Cared for each other

With dignity and trust

Took just what we needed

Gave all that we had

And chose to propagate

A world full of glad

Reflect upon this holiday

And how it makes you feel

Retain it all year long

Replace imaginate with real

Legacy

Did you kiss a heart so tenderly

Way back in gloomy January

Did you lift the spirit of your Valentine

Enrich a mind in springtime

Were you inspired by the summer sun

To put a smile on a random someone

Were you kind to everyone in autumn

Simply because that’s who you’ve become

Another calendar headed for the recycle bin

‘Tis the flagrant season once again

But presents under the tree

Both given and received

Won’t be your legacy

Wrapping Paper Blues

Pumpkin pie and gobbler gone

Time grew a pair of wings

City boy with sappy hands

The annual Paul Bunyan thing

Tree stand in the attic

With decorations galore

Right next to last year’s promise

Not to do this season

Last minute anymore

To and from the traffic crawl

Inside they push and shove

No thank you shopping malls

I go somewhere different

For the ones I love

Christmas Eve is over

I got the wrapping paper blues

Each corner fold botched

Oh no, I am out of scotch

Duct tape and beer will have to do

Scooter’s First Christmas

I saw Scooter kissing Mrs. Claus

Underneath her cheeks of rose last night

He didn’t hear me creep

When I got up to take a leak

He thought I was tucked

In bed fast asleep

Then

I saw Scooter licking Mrs. Claus

Underneath her hair so snowy white

Oh, I can’t tell Momma

Her canine is a two-timing fella

Thank goodness she didn’t have to pee

When Scooter kissed Mrs. Claus last night

Cherish The Moments

A smile from a stranger

You will never see again

A hug and a kiss

From a dear old friend

A generous donation

To someone else’s next of kin

That favorite decoration

You’ve hung since way back when

 

Cards, notes and photos of sweet faces

From all sorts of different places

Watching unexpecting eyes

Unwrap that special surprise

A quick trip to an oasis paradise

 

Full bellies rumble the walls with laughter

A day nobody declares the house a disaster

A little love, a little thought

Homemade gifts, not store bought

A letter or phone call from far away

Family together Christmas Day

These are the cherished moments

That won't ever be forgot

Childhood Christmas Memories

Before my bedtime Christmas Eve

Santa came to my front door

With brand new running shoes for me

That night in bed I wore

Rumors on the playground

That he doesn’t really exist

But I had seen him two years before

Those rumors I dismissed

Went shopping with Mom one cold December

The things she put in her cart that day

Were under the tree from Santa for my brother

So much for reindeer and sleigh

The torch was passed to my sister

To wake us all up at 4 AM

Cookies, milk and carrots

Were all gone once again

One year she couldn’t wake us up

So she opened all her gifts alone

Living room destroyed by a wrapping paper cyclone

Wonder what my children will remember

Cinnamon roll from Nana

Christmas poems from Santa

Can only hope it’s the glowing ember

Of love that rises up in December

Christmas Evolution

Our children used to wake us up

When Christmas morn arrived

Teen years, defibrillator required

To confirm they were still alive

Baby birds fly the coop

Father Time takes his toll

Life’s circle completes another loop

An empty nest before you know

Destined to wait by the phone

And checking our email

The misses and I sit here all alone

Just one more look

At the old Santa photo book

Memories prevail

Christmas Tree

Years ago, I started the tradition of giving my children one Christmas tree decorations every year.  A soccer ball, a ballet slipper, coffee mug, pickle, princess, angel each fitting the time and personality of my precious ones lives.  Our tree every year now droops with the weight of 43 kid ornaments, seven years of collecting them before child, plus a few collectibles from our childhood, store bought ones, gifts from others and of course, the ugliest handmade ones we’re too proud of to destroy.  It’s enough to even kill a fake tree.  Nobody puts it in their day planner, but it’s the most beautiful thing how we seem to gather each year to decorate it.  The laughs, the memories, the significance of each ornament, all the while building a unique thing of beauty.  Our lives together hang on those limbs.  It’s a symbol of being a part of something bigger than yourself.  There are no presents wrapped underneath, but the family spirit glows brighter than the star or angel on top. This is when the holiday season begins for me, but in my home it will always be called a Christmas tree..........

Christmas Wishes

May you be blessed with greater joys

Than presents under your tree

May you be energized by big, excited eyes

Of a little girl or boy

May you be surrounded by the love

Of special friends and precious family

 

May you be of good health

Do something kind and worthwhile

Find time to make another smile

Feel good inside about yourself

May you discover money

Is not the true measure of wealth

 

May you follow your heart

Chase after dreams

Today is time to start

Life is shorter than it seems

 

May you find the courage

To stand up for what is right

May you take less than you give

And sleep peacefully at night

Teach your children to love and live

 

May you carry the magic of the season

And sing a happy song

Share it freely with others

Everyday, all year long

Christmas As We Knew It

The North Pole melted

The elves could not swim

Either could poor Rudolph

He electrocuted them

Search and rescue gave up hope

Recovery unit sent in

Christmas as we knew it

Won’t be the same again

Without the red beacon to guide old Santa’s sleigh

He crashed and burned going the wrong way

The powerful decided scaring children just wasn’t right

Wanted dead or alive

Read the post office sign

Santa, the bearded baby terrorist

Top of the most wanted list

They captured him that Christmas Eve night

Put him in an orange jumpsuit

Confiscated his big bag of loot

Shaved his whiskers to the bone

Locked him up all alone

Those in charge proclaimed, “ We win”

But, Christmas as we knew it

Won’t be the same again

Simple Christmas Wishes

            The sky no longer warm and clear

Barefoot summer long gone from here

Leaves lay in the lawn

Christmas season must be on

More and more not quite enough 

Bargains hunters addicted to stuff

Turkey bellies jam malls pre-dawn

Christmas another business con

Selfish greed just can’t hide

Walmart riots nationwide

Rest of the world, are they so wrong

Flagrant excess going strong

Time to change the status quo

Fill the world with mistletoe

Cures what ails most everyone

Tranquility wherever hung

That’s my simple Christmas wish

My gift to you, a hug and kiss

Nothing Don’t Rhyme With Orange

Just ask your Mother

Nothing rhymes with something

But not red and yellow mixed together

People have different pronunciations

After I finish my bowl of porridge

Gonna get my imagination out of storage

My fun way of communication

I’ve been on a writing binge

Pen and paper singe

I always like a challenge

If someone tells you nothing rhymes

With a certain color or fruit

Be on high alert

Look for signs of syringes

Or scars from the mosh pit brute

Don’t let him become a sponge

Let him down gently

There’s no more grunge

Fixing Things

               A couple months ago my car was running rough.  Serves me right, I had neglected normal maintenance due to the minor detail of no income.  So, I clunked it in to the shop.  I trust the mechanics I take it to and they gave it a thorough look over.  Thought they had fixed everything when they discovered a radiator leak and repaired that before I picked it up.

               I’ve taken my dogs to the vet when they’ve been running rough too.  Shoot, you take them in for shots and they inspect their eyes, mouth, teeth, heart, stomach and paws.  Like my mechanic, they treat the whole machine.

               That’s not what happens if you go to the doctor.  They will only want to look at one specific thing per visit.  You have three minutes at $100 per second to discuss one ailment exclusively, get a diagnosis and remedy, which is usually a prescription because they are the legal drug dealers.  And the medicine they dish out has warnings that it will make you feel even more miserable and in some cases kill you.  That is so comforting.  So you go in for an painful ingrown toenail, get an anti-inflammatory prescription, also known as steroids, and a lecture to reduce your sodium intake and definitely don’t smoke or drink.

               I have to ask you what the heck does my salt intake have to do with an ingrown toenail?  And why can I only discuss one ailment when they give advice for other issues?  We treat our vehicles and pets better in this society than human health care.  Another co-pay and clinics suck the insurance companies teat for each ache.

               Learning the hard way how injury claims work in auto accidents too.  Instead of the guilty party’s insurance covering medical bills directly, your insurance pays them and then looks for reimbursement.  Seems to be a racket and huge waste of time and money.  I am starting to understand why premiums are so expensive.  Perhaps there is a benefit for the injured to have representation if there is resistance by the liable carrier, but why not wait until an issue arises?

               Is it any wonder that a few awakened  Americans have participated in the Occupy protests?  The majority just allow the rich to get wealthier and grab whatever scraps they can.  Instead, it should be the minority sitting on the sidelines fearful that their greed has been exposed.

               The time has come to fix some things.  Let’s start treating people at least as well as our cars and pets.  It will go a long way to bring peace in this world.  There will continue to be unrest until greed is replaced with love and compassion.       

Poem By Portia Nelson

Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters

 

I
I walk down the street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in
I am lost… I’m helpless
It isn’t my fault
It takes forever to find a way out

II
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I pretend I don’t see it
I fall in again
I can’t believe I am in the same place
But, it isn’t my fault
It still takes a long time to get out

III
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I see it is there
I still fall in… it’s a habit
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is my fault
I get out immediately

IV
I walk down the same street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I walk around it

V
I walk down another street

Emptiness

With a sociology background, I am an observer of people and social interaction.  As I have aged, it has become acutely apparent that everyone has an emptiness of some kind in their life.  The wealthy might mask it with aesthetics, the poor display it with despair.  The beautiful feel ugly, the kind think they could have given more.  The emotionally starved are famished, the hungry have empty stomachs, the sick want to be fed health.

Everybody seems to be going through life with a void of some kind.  The career girl is jealous of her friend with two babies, the mother envious of her friend’s business success.  The examples are endless if you look at your friends, family and associates.  Every one of them carries around a big load of empty.  Some hide it better than others.  They most likely won’t admit it, but you can see it if you really look.

Like a gazillion others before me, I must conclude that all are lacking love in some aspect of their life.  Some need affection and attention, some need self-esteem boosting, some need clean water and food, some need real medical treatment.  Some need to grow a conscience and others need to discover compassion and understanding for our fellow world citizens.

Emptiness is an lonely, hollow feeling.  We are all meant to live a full life.  Start filling your well with love and inspire others to do the same.  Allow those around you to find their happiness.  Set an example by your actions, not just your words.  Get out there and start filling the emptiness with goodwill.  It will do you and the world some good.

Life

All too often, we take it for granted.  We walk around grousing about somebody or something in this little speck of the universe.  It’s an amazing speck, but miniscule in the big picture of time and space.  Life is our most precious commodity.  Those with compassion live it to the fullest.  They tend to touch the hearts of others and create inspiration.  Selfishly, we struggle to allow them to leave us when the great creator needs them elsewhere.  All we can hold onto is the spirit they leave behind.

That becomes the cherished miracle we caress in our heart.  We all have somebody inside that is a part of us.  We must never forget the love and passion they gave and taught.  Their mission accomplished here, we are obligated to pass on the wisdom and love we learned and received.  It is our duty and tribute to them.

     ~Life~

Why listen, not feel
Why stop instead of go
How does the wind
Know which way to blow

Endless choices
Consequences each
What to leave behind
What to keep

That star attracts
Afraid to reach
Pain or glory
Experience teach

“For what is real but compassion as we move from birth to death.”  Greg Brown

Catastrophe

It might not be a big deal to you and it’s not like I lost a living soul, but I discovered I am losing two soles.  My beloved sandals are disintegrating.  No tears will be shed, but fallen rain soak my arches.  It’s as depressing as the autumn clouds and frosty mornings.  I gave them plenty of vacation time in the summer weather and now they fail me.

Time to open the scary closet with dress shirts and slacks, suits and other ridiculous clothing like long pants.  On the floor in my one-eighth of a closet is a box of footwear on the floor.  Hoping amongst the polished shoes that double as mirrors, the sneakers and other torturous foot prisons, I can find a new friend of sandals.  I hope we’ll hit it off and can travel joyfully down the path ahead.

Going to miss you, old friends.  I am grateful for your service and getting me to this point, but your treads are shot and I need to keep moving on.  There will be no socks at your funeral, I promise.  That drawer most likely has cobwebs in it.  I’ll go barefoot before I surrender to cloth toes.

Thanksgiving

I gave and gave all I could
Thanked everyone like I should
But too many who crossed my path
Turned around and bit my ass
Only turkey I want in my life
Is the kind I can carve with a knife
Pass the cranberries and potatoes
Gravy, green beans and homemade rolls
My oh my, this pumpkin pie
Sure tastes good
Ate too much again
Like I knew I would
A burp, a fluff, an innocent grin



Dreaded Dad-Daughter Talk

               It’s way past due, eleven years actually.  But, this dad has always avoided uncomfortable situations. Got to buck up and have a word with my girl before she moves 200 miles away.  Nobody wants to talk about it, nobody wants it to happen to them.  Okay sweetie, here goes.  We need to talk about flat tires.

               Get your owner’s annual out and find where your spare tire is stored.  Okay, let’s do it.  These cold, rainy days are about par for the course, but be thankful I am teaching you in the driveway instead of some dark highway in the middle of nowhere.  According to your owner’s manual, the spare should be under your hiking boots, stilettos, party dress and camping gear.  Ah, there it is.  Pull it out along with the lug nut wrench and jack.  Yes, they named lug nuts after me.  I am a big lug and nuts as you know.  It’s better than Jack don’t you think?  At least I’m not a description for poop! 

               Alright, these are lug nuts.  Use the wrench to loosen them evenly, a little with each one.  Let’s put the jack here now that the nuts are loose.  It’s going to take a little muscle to raise the car high enough to put the inflated tire on.  You’ve got the flat off the ground now, so let’s finish taking it off.  Be careful to save the nuts.  Now raise the jack a little higher so the good tire will slide onto the threaded bolts.  I know it’s rainy and miserable out here, but what are you going to do in farmland, look for warmth with cows?  You are a city girl.  Focus now.  Screw the lug nuts evenly hand tight and then tug them tighter with the wrench.  Yes, the righty-tighty maneuver.  Unwind the jack until the tire is firmly on the ground.  Tighten the lug nuts again with the wrench with all your might.  I know you’re cold and wet and miserable.  That’s what changing a tire is all about.  Just get dirtier and put the flat in your trunk with the jack and wrench.  By the way, did I mention the wrench might be a good weapon if any wild animals, human or otherwise, cross your path.  Your next move will be to a tire store.  Never drive far without a spare tire.  Yes, you can go inside now where it’s nice and warm.  Glad we had this talk.

               Alone, I realize she will most likely use her magic phone for a refresher course online instead of calling me.        

Trick Or Treat

Halloween looms although the stores started putting displays up right after Easter.  Still think it’s a dentist conspiracy.  And why do people get so uptight about witches and goblins?  And what does the Easter bunny have do with anything?  People forget the purpose of holidays and like sheep are turned into marketing fodder.  Buy candy and gifts, gun powder and turkeys, flowers, cards and party hats.  Tradition is good, but we have lost an innocence of simple trick or treating, sitting on Santa’s lap, the birth of our country that proclaims peace, but has been in some kind of war most of my life and celebrates by blowing up neighborhoods every Independence day.

As for Halloween, I am a victim of sweets.  The treats intended for the kids get gobbled before the 31^st and last minute replacements must be purchased.  We used to get a couple hundred costumed revelers filling their buckets and pillow cases.  Families in the area matured just like mine and volume faded.  Last year, there was a resurgence of costumes at the door.  Protective parents often escort their kids now.  It wasn’t like that when I was young.  It was a night to frolic the streets freely.  My sack was so full it’s a miracle I still have a tooth.  Around here the doorbell rings for a couple hours irritating the dog each time and then there is silence.

My kids used to love carving pumpkins and putting on costumes.  Without fail, they were sick each and every Halloween, but they braved the elements and did their rounds.  When they got back to the house, they sat on the living room floor trading candy after their big night out.  Older now, they have lost the enthusiasm they once had. 

Must have been twenty years ago since I’ve been to a Halloween party.  I went as a dickhead.  My friend did too.  He wore a hard hat with various pictures of Richards.  Mine was made of a woman’s nylon filled with batting, sewn on one end just so with blue Sharpie veins and worn on my skull.  It was a good two feet tall and I had to duck through doorways.  Of course, I won best costume that year.

  The point is holidays are supposed to be fun.  We get all grown up and forget what it was like to be young.  Let’s allow the little ones to collect some magic memories.  Your dentist will scold you to your face and smile privately in the office counting your money.

Hunger

Perhaps the concept conjures mental images of children dying of starvation in African villages.  It is sad to realize the hunger for power, money and fame is more important than human life.  And the children die and we export death instead of love.  How did we get to this place?  What will it take to end the cycle of hate, fear and war?

We all have had dreams and hungered to make them come true.  Life too often beats us down and our dreams go into a coma.  We quit searching for solutions to reach for them.  We settle for what we have.  Then one day, the embers are somehow reignited and we suddenly awaken famished.  I am discovering I am not alone wanting to feed my dreams.

I hunger to love and be loved.  Uncovering others dormant dreams feeds mine.  Attitude is everything.  Everyone likes happy, too many choose sad.  You receive what you project.  I am on a mission to feed my happy dreams and spread love wherever I can.  Let’s keep our dreams alive by nurturing them instead of starving and burying them.  Join me and together we can end world hunger in all its ugly forms.

Scavenger Hunt

                   Life is a scavenger hunt without a list.  We don’t even know what we’re looking for, but we search and learn and collect experiences.  When we figure out what we don’t want, we begin to narrow down what we do.  But, sometimes we still can’t quite pinpoint it and even when it becomes clear, it feels unattainable.  Perhaps we discover happiness, but it can be short-lived.  With effort, we try to recreate it with the same old, jigsaw pieces.  It is never as rewarding as the first time we made the discovery,  but we are happy and grateful.  We hang onto things that used to make us feel good and go on searching for more.  All the while, certain routines are developed and we leave unfilled voids dormant.  Like a cemetery, we bury our desires, our dreams and settle for what we have.

               We forget to keep hunting, searching, looking for the things that make us feel alive.  Small children live in wonderment, they have so much to teach us about life.  Young adults juggle school, work and social lives.  Somehow as we age, we seem to allow the tsunami to take us where it will instead of being the tidal wave we used to be.

               I am on a journey with some very special, talented people.  We are learning together to search for answers.  No more settling for the status quo because there is more to life.  I am hunting like a scavenger again for that which makes me whole.