A SMALL BOX OF POEMS

6-19-20

Under a blazing morning star,
a faint glow rises in the east.
From the highest branch,
a winged muezzin calls out over a quiet land.
A new day has arrived, for all,
our wheel of fate whirls.
Every day is a gamble, the house always wins.
Yet awakened by the morning call
an inward smile, siamo qui.

3-22-20

Not enough ventilators exist.
The world turns regardless. Daffodils are ready to bloom.

We can’t find toilet paper and all our subscriptions are digital.
The soil is warming, grass is greening.

Will I taste my ripened tomatoes?
Monarchs and bees are busy at the blooms.

Quick, name your great, great, great grandfather.
Such vanity, all are forgotten.
Days shorten, birds are heading south. Frost is near.

The leaves remain unraked.
First snow falls quietly.

Winter solstice heralds the return of the sun.
The Magi’s gift: there are far fewer of us.
Cold War roaches rejoice and dance.

BEFORE THE FIRST SNOW (2009?)

Tonight I walked the woods
Strolling, contemplative,
Before the first snow.

A milky gibbous moon
Above, I hear softly,
Trees speaking in tongues.

How will it arrive?

Furiously squalling, blinding white
Or mutely, slowly, one by one
Against a sullen grey sky.

What planet can this be?
I don’t know how to walk.
My thin coat, obsolete.

Afterwards an inward smile
How I keep forgetting
Each and every year.

120 YEARS OF MOURNING (EARLY 2000’s)

Where have you gone?
Astonishingly, the mundane has returned.
Breakfast, the electric bill, winter wheat.
How can things remain the same
When they never will.

How can you be gone?
Everywhere, your presence insinuates.
The tides of memory ebb and flow.
Old habits are not forgotten
I still sleep on the same side of the bed.

I live paralyzed
In love with my inert twilight.
After 120 years of mourning
It never ends
It never ends.

Two Guys Talkin' Winter Holiday Chat 2020

 

(Sound of cat door)
J-Hey, man-how was patrol? All is well?
B-All is well. I just nosed around a bit. It’s freezing.
J-C’mon over to the fire old man and warm your bones.
B-(jumping up on couch) Ouufff. (J gives him scritches)
J-Your ears are cold (chuckling)
B-Oh, the fire feels good.
J-Yeah it does. Did run into your buddy Russian Blue?
B-What is your obsession with me and that feline?
J-Well, she does keep showing up…
B-While pissing the hell out of Molls and Tomi, who seem to have taken up Homeland Security duties.
J-No love lost between them-Blue was growling through the slider when Mom opened it and Blue saw Tomi.
B-Did you see RB’s tail? Definite aggression. Pay attention, man. This cat is a trouble maker. Why do you think we had that big fight a few summers ago?
J-How could I forget-4 o’clock in the friggin’ morning. Awakened out of Dreamland by the sound of your growling.
B-No one forced you to get up-I had things under control and was protecting the house and despite my continued warnings, dear RB required additional guidance on the subject.
J-It was a donnybrook for the ages for sure. Reminded me of the famous overland battle between John Wayne and Victor McLaglen in The Quiet Man (Oh, look it up, it’s a classic). You were awesome!
B-Thanks, she didn’t hang around much afterward did she? But now that I’ve retired, I think she is back to her old ways.
J-Mom was worried that she was getting abused or ignored at home so she came over here.
B-For the love of Christ-is this an after school TV program? NO! She is up to no good!! I am telling you-I know this cat!!
J-Geez, calm down, dude-I’ll keep an eye on her behavior.
B-You know Molls and the Calico aren’t fighters-they just get worked up protecting their turf which is the inside of the house. Any cat would. You have to keep driving her off every time RB comes around!!
J-Alright man. (Gets up to put another log on).
(They sit quietly watching the flames.)

B-Sorry I was grumpy-been one helluva year.
J-(exhales) No worries-everyone is stressed and yeah, it was one long, f’d up year. At least the elections are over and we’ll have professional adults trying to run the show. Crazytown and friends are becoming irrelevant. (And soon to be prosecuted, enjoy-you fuckers) Vaccines are on their way. Just have to keep hunkered down and remain vigilant.
B-I’ve lived through dictatorships in past cycles-just didn’t think it would happen here.
J-Well, the only good thing to come out of the past 4 years is that the veil has been pulled away on so much and revealed some very ugly truths about the country. Astonishing.
B-True that.
J(pulls on his drink)
B-Whatcha got there?
J-Drambuie.
B-I see you and Mom have been partaking the cannabis-it seems to agree with you giggle-pusses, lol.
J-Indeed. Cheaper than booze, easier on the liver, stronger buzz. The edibles are nice-no smoke to lungs, no skunk stink in the house. And it slowly comes on, peaks and slowly wanes. The Simpsons are a hoot- BTW-we’re on year 25 and it seems like there is a subversive, parallel universe in the production.True stoner talk, lol. Certainly has been helpful in these trying times.
B-Sure, escapism and laughter make a good tonic!
J-What’s the news from The League?
B-Not much. The militants are disappointed with the low death rate from Covid.
J-A blood-thirsty bunch.
B-In their eyes it’s either you guys or the rest of all other living creatures. Save the World-kill the humans.
B-Here’s a crazy ass thing I caught wind of…and it is one whopper of a conspiracy theory. Seems there was a super secret black op where all the Ra’s (felines whose ancestors were endowed with special powers by aliens 8000 years ago) in the world converged on America to push the election towards 45.
J-Whaaaa…???
B-Yep, allegedly they performed mind control on an unprecedented scale. Helps explain the number of supporters and whack jobs, doesn’t it? And we know how gullible and susceptible they are to mind control. Fox News figured that out. Easy prey for even the apprentices.
J-But to what end??
B-45 wins and continues the downward spiral of the country especially with his animus towards climate change. Remember, the militants are going for the long game. Even if large areas of the world become uninhabitable except for roaches and viruses, the idea is that some species would survive and adapt after the humans are gone.
J-Whoa. This puts QAnon to shame, lol!! Get me my tin hat and keep an eye out for insect drones!
B-Got your back, dude!!
J-Well, how about a snack after all these weighty subjects?
B-Have you ever known me to say no?
J-Lol-I found this treat online-it sounded like something you’d like. Let me get you a dish.
B-(digging under the couch) here’s your goodies.
(The sound of a can opening)
J-daaaayaaammmmm
B-Oh man, that is fishy!!! (crouches down on the coffee table to eat) mmmmpphhh, mmmpphhh. Ohh this is primo. You’re the best!
J-Gawd, the joint smells like a fish market.
B-Best smell ever!! Thanks man!!
J-And thank you for the Mozarts. Tasty and goes well with the drambuie.
(Log settles and sparks. The wind has picked up)
J-I’m surprised the aroma hasn’t awakened the ladies.
B-Naw, they’re conked out.
J-Molls has lost weight like you around the back haunches.
B-Yeah, I noticed that too. We’re all getting old. How’s your neck?
J-Hurts. The steroids are somewhat tamping it down.How are your hips?
B-Meh, but it’s always a good day when you wake up!
J-You bet!- it’s that simple. Box up all the world’s bullshit the best you can and enjoy the time left.
(Sound of jingling bells)
B,J-Delivery!!!!!!
J-I’ll see if they want to come in or leave the stuff on the back porch.
(Sound of door opening, muffled conversation, shadowy small figures moving around the tree)
J-well, that was pretty efficient. Nice young elves.
B-(sarcastically) did the side of the sleigh say  Amazon Prime with their Nike-ish  swoosh?
J-No, thank goodness-at least Santa hasn’t sold out to that asshole Bezos!!!
B-Shit, no way Bezos can take on Santa Inc. who has Krampus on the payroll as their enforcer. You know Big K considers young children a delicacy? Mmmmm, milk fed and tender. Hello Bezos future grandkids!
J-Wow, I never thought of Santa Inc as a cross between the mafia and evil capitalism.
B-Tis how things are, man. You’ve applied for loans: some fat bank manager across the desk deciding if you’ve been naughty or nice. You get behind on the payments and you’re gonna have a Krampus on your style: 40% compounded interest and wage garnishment. For half of your friggin working life. Just ask any college grad from the past decade how this has worked out for them. (Really though, kids, you need to choose your major with an eye towards decent employment. A degree in Ancient Egyptian Folk Songs will probably lead to a career at Family Dollar)
J-Sigh. I am glad to be retired. I’m weary of so much. Can I enjoy the holiday spirit for awhile?
B-Didn’t mean to harsh your buzz (nuzzling J’s hand).
J-I really love the holidays.
B-I know, buddy. Memories. “All alone in the moooooonlight…”
J-(chuckling) Silly boy!
B-(big yawn and curls up) Great song, what can I tell you. Welp, time for a long Winter’s nap.
J-I’ll put another log on for you.
(Bin is already in Dreamland, remembering lying by the hearth in a Vatican apartment many cycles ago)
J-(gently stroking his back) goodnight old friend. Happy Christmas, we’ll see you in the morning.

I stared into the fire, finishing the drambuie. It was quiet in the house aside from an occasional pop in the fireplace. The wind had died down and began to remember my visit to the muskrat mounds in the shallow swamps behind our neighbors. It had been very cold that year and the ice could support the weight of a 10 year old. There were several lodges clustered together on the west end of the swamp situated among the cat tails and scrub trees. These were mysterious objects made even more so by the thought that they could only be entered via the water. The doorway led to a dry, warm room under the dome of nearby plant materials and mud. What an amazing piece of architecture that seems to grow right out of the ice! That day was bright and cold, the snow crunching underfoot as I toured the settlement. One rarely saw a muskrat so I had only a slight bit of fear encountering one. But just think, only a few feet away under those domes, were possibly 10s or dozens of these furry critters! It was time to head back as I was getting cold and it was quite a walk back through unbroken snow that came up to my knees. Finally I arrived, tired and sweating under my stocking cap, nose running. I peeled off my boots in the breezeway, brushed off the caked snow from jeans and entered the house. My mother was baking and directed me to wash my hands and sit down at the dinette table where a glass of cold milk and a couple of kolaches were waiting. I tore into the snack, chattering away about my expedition to the muskrat colony. Dad would be home soon and he, as a keen and dedicated reader of  the National Geographic, would certainly be interested in hearing of his youngest son’s exploits over supper. After depositing my dishes in the sink, I went to my bedroom for a bit of a rest and quickly entered Dreamland.

I awoke on the couch in front of the fire which had died down to glowing embers. Bin was curled up next to me. Time to toddle off to bed. I latched the fireplace door, turned off the heat-a-lator fan walked over to the picture window. Despite the solid overcast, I could see the back yard quite well. Around the giving stone under the feeder were Stampy the skunk and Blossom the possum side by side having a snack. No quarrels or species posturing, just sharing a meal. Simultaneously, they both looked up at me, still chewing and instinctively I responded as our species does-I raised my right hand palm facing them. We stared at each other for a bit until they went back to eating. “Happy Christmas” I murmured, turned to check the locks, turn off the tree lights and went to bed. I don’t remember Dreamland other than my persistent thought of the pleasure of awakening the next morning.
Everyday is Christmas.

Bin's Crazy Ape Tales

Hello there! Well, it's a crazy ole world especially anything where apes are involved. The rest of the species are sick to death of hearing about your thumbs and going to the Moon etc etc. Meanwhile, you regard the entire planet as a toilet and this is killing an alarming number of the rest of us as a result. You fucking bastards. But, you do weird stuff that is worth noting and having a bit of a chuckle (my less tolerant friends say "Well, this is like slapping your knee and guffawing at the zany antics of SS guards at Auschwitz. What a bunch of jokers! Point taken, brothers). Still, apes are entertaining and Jeff and I want to share stuff we come across and just shake our heads and say "Man, weird or that's fucked up". Just a note: the F-bomb often is liberally employed--sometimes, nothing else is as appropriate or precise. Immediately stop whining, will you--if it bothers you, go away to your safe place.

Mike Pence's Mackinaw Adventure

Evidently, Pence was so fearful that enraged late season peasants might hurl molten vats of fudge at him that he decided to violate a 121 year old tradition and transport via motorcade on his recent visit to Mackinaw Island. Yep, the Secret Service had 8 (yes, eight) black SUVs ferried over to pick The Anointed One at the helipad and drive him to the annual Republican suckfest at the Grand Hotel. The only other # 1 or #2 (perfect scatological designation for Mikey)to visit while in office was Gerald Ford, who chose to go by horse-drawn carriage. Oh, such  different times! What got our attention was  leading the motorcade were Michigan State Police on bicycles! (see photo above) Someone on the State level decided to make a statement here (which we applaud). A very curious (and Pythonish) juxtaposition.

 

You don't see this every day in Lansing.

Jeff spotted this WTF Thing while out and about: a 36 foot tall wooden statue of Nebuchadnezzar. Which cult has this, I asked? 7th Day Adventists. Here is a quote from their website:

"Nebuchadnezzar, ancient king of Babylon, had a dream that changed his life and is changing the lives of people still today. He saw the future as only God can reveal it. This prophecy is increasingly relevant for our time, showing where we are and how to prepare for the future, It accurately foretells the contour of world empires, giving reasons to believe the promises of God's Word. The story of Daniel 2 is history from 6th century BC you cannot afford to be ignorant of". 

Hmm, this is why ape species ain't making any progress when you have wackados hollering that you're ignorant if you don't pay attention (no less believe) stuff allegedly said by some king 2600 years ago. How do you know this wasn't spun back then-ole' Neb wasn't having bad dreams because his mind was troubled (that's from Daniel 2 for those who keep up with things biblical), he was in the grips of a bad case of the clap, administered by a member of his concubine. Well, the grey men (Britspeak for palace bureaucrats) couldn't have that come out so they spun it. And now, knuckleheads in modern times take every single word as literal truth and trot this nonsense out. Why do you folks have to continue to endure this stuff from people who keep looking backward. I mean, really backward. 2600 years of backward. Like those were the good old days? 

Sharpies

We have some other uses for magical sharpies besides altering NWS Hurricane maps...

 

Wooly Caterpillar predicts....

A mild winter according to the first one I have seen this season. The brown band is bigger than the black ones.

Trafficker of Despair

 Periplaneta Insuasum Trumpi

 That which flees from the light of truth and reason.

I was reading a New York Times article concerning the efforts of the people and government of Iceland to address the rapid changes in their country due to climate change. Their president, Gudni Johannesson said "Let's look at practical solutions instead of being filled with despair." My first thought was good on them to take this on instead of wasting time engaging in ideological wars and getting nothing done as is happening here. I then thought what a simple and great attitude--let's GIT R DONE!--to use a popular catchphrase from a good ole' boy comedian from 20 years ago. A very American can-do spirit we used to have or at least what we thought we had as part of our culture's identity myth. 

Not anymore. Despair and anger seem to be the common ailment throughout the country and the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is directly responsible. He obviously enjoys sowing despair-one could argue that he feeds off the negative emotions like a parasite. The more he can rile folks up, the stronger and better he feels.

This made me think of an old Star Trek (Day of the Dove) where the crews of the Enterprise and a Klingon warship are overpowered and manipulated by an alien who lives off violent emotions. Old deep-seeded prejudices and hatreds are inflamed in both crews at each other's throats until Spock figures out what is going on. He convinces Kirk and the Klingon commander to change their emotions and literally laugh the alien into a shrinking, impotent force that finally leaves that part of space.

We couldn't be so lucky.

Post Retail Hell Decompression Dream

I dreamt I was working in a market that sold shark but insanely, kept them live on the premises so they would be as fresh as possible when they finally were put out for sale. They were 6-8 footers and kept in huge tanks of salt water. Something happened and the side doors on the tanks burst open. Image: me running for my life down a grocery aisle with sharks body surfing on the expelled water snapping at my body as they went by or come up behind me. I woke up. Ouff, intense.

Gardening

“After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, love, and so on — have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear — what remains? Nature remains; to bring out from their torpid recesses, the affinities of a man or woman with the open air, the trees, fields, the changes of seasons — the sun by day and the stars of heaven by night.” -Walt Whitman

Critter pix: grey tree frog

Cat hygiene as depicted in medieval manuscripts

So you're a monk stuck in some god-awful dark and dank church building making holy manuscripts all day long and probably hectored by some PIA Bishop. Years and years you have been doing this and you began to think: Dear God, if I have to do Deuteronomy one more time, I'm gonna lose my shit. One day, you look over and one of the cats (oh, there are plenty around. Uhh, vermin issues) and he is doing what cats do. On a lark, you decide to take a break from the thees and thous and draw him. You show it to the guy next to you who happens to have a good sense of humor. You both begin to draw cats at work on the QT and the subversion spreads. Sometimes you insert an small image on one of the texts. Bad lad!

https://www.sadanduseless.com/funny-medieval-art/?fbclid=IwAR3Ni50C-txe5BPCDEcjVn3ozr-ns8ulV_oFxlQd27CCKJjUrvLhgyZd3S4#Q01yP4Z7XZTP7sgQ.01

C's 60th Birthday Celebration

Critters, swimming and books: a winning combination to celebrate my sweetie's 60th. We spent a couple of days in the Holland/Saugatuck area. Avoiding the mobs at Saugatuck's Oval Beach, we opted for Saugatuck Dunes State Park which is midway between the two towns. The park info warned of a 2/3 mile walk from the parking lot to the beach. I worried that this was gonna be a tough slog through the dunes but we were pleasantly surprised: the walk was entirely through the woods. The weather was clear and warm with a good breeze but alas, Lake Michigan was too frigid for the Watergirl. We hung out under our beach umbrella for a couple of hours until it was clear that the biting flies were going to be relentless. On the walk back:

Lil' Bucky! Before we left, someone had posted a short vid on FB about this fearless guy and there he was! In the flesh, velveted antlers and all! Just extraordinary--the park is protected land so the deer are not afraid of humans. Walking back through the woods, I spied a doe and motioned C to be still. The doe saw us and sauntered in front of us about 30 yards away. Then, a couple of spotted fawns appeared! Mom was leisurely walking down the trail seemingly unconcerned about her little ones. The fawns were in high spirits as they often are, playing games with bushes and jumping around. No worries with these folks! Normally, if a doe had spotted us, she would have immediately bolted along with her kids. What a treat!

After heading back to the hotel in Holland, C went for an hour swim in the pool while I rested. That evening, we had supper at The Wild Dog Grille in Douglas which is just to the south of Saugatuck. Relaxed upscale place with vegan offerings. Do check out if in the area. 

The next morning and early afternoon, we spent in Saugatuck wandering through the shops. Nothing particularly extraordinary but C enjoys a good nosing around. A striking feature of the village was its dog culture. A good number of people had them and they seemed to be welcomed in most shops. In fact, cafes with outdoor seating had bowls of cool water for their canine visitors. We lunched at Fresh Basil Cafe and it was cool enough to sit outside. The counter was staffed by a couple of young ladies from Ukraine. More vegan grub and very tasty gelato and sorbetto.


That afternoon we went back to Holland to visit Centennial Park. A section of the park was being turned into a celebration of the Wizard of Oz which is one of C's favorites. Oz's author, L. Frank Baum vacationed frequently in the Holland area. The park will feature a combination of bronze and horticultural sculptures bordering a yellow brick road. The first piece has been completed--it is a living sculpture:



Across the street was the Holland Museum-they have a nice collection of 16th, 17th Century paintings by Dutch masters and a tiny Rembrandt etching, maybe 1"x2". In the gift shop, C spotted an A-Z compendium of Victorian illustrated children's books. That evening, we leafed through it in bed and I thought of one I had as a child. The book has been long lost, I made a mental note to look for it in Ann Arbor.


The next day we traveled to the Battle Creek area to visit Binder Park Zoo. We were there 9 years ago and remains one of our favorite places.

Cheetahs

Snow leopard

Lynx

Black Bear

Tortoise

The real Mr. Tortoise was undergoing medical treatment on a foot so we visited his bronze doppelganger.

Chinese Red Panda

B/W Ruffed Lemur

Peacocks

Peacocks wandered freely around the grounds. At the cafe, a couple of peahens panhandled for food. One readily ate french fries from C's hand while the other enjoyed a nearby family's pepperoni.

Llama

Mr. Llama enjoyed all sorts of scritches and here, C said he seemed to be sniffing her breath. His wasn't bad either.

Brachiosaurus Sculpture

This life-sized sculpture was pretty cool and getting close, it is astonishing just how large these creatures were.

The path to the trolley that takes one to Wild Africa.

You arrive at a replica trading post that over looks a savannah-like expanse.

For many, this is the highlight of the park-feeding the giraffes. Feed is romaine lettuce that costs $2/leaf. Oh, stop clutching your chest, it's a profit point for the organization.

"Say, do you have something for me?"

I asked where do the animals go during the winter. They said that they have a huge facility about 7 miles away and noted that the building looks quite out of place in it's surroundings. To accommodate giraffes, I bet it is!

That afternoon, we drove to Ann Arbor where C was born and lived until age 10. We got up bright and early to have breakfast at Zingerman's, a notable bakery/deli/cafe. Barely a block away is the Farmers' Market which is always fun to peruse. Waiting for shops to open downtown, we visited C's childhood home. Her elementary school is nearby, accessible by crossing the street from her home, then following a 20 yard tree-and- shrub-lined path. 

Once downtown, we visited our favs: Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room which offers selections on traditional and alternative religions and spirituality, feminist and LGBTQ and all sorts of oils, teas, incense, crystals; Ten Thousand Villages which sells international handcrafted items; Dawn Treader Book Store-one of C's most favorite book stores, it can only be described as a mix of something found in a Dickens novel or at Hogwarts. Books are jammed everywhere, floor to ceiling in a labyrinth of rooms with barely navigable paths. Someone recently commented to me that there's always a gem to be found there and indeed, I found one. I headed for the children's section, with only a vague memory of my childhood book and its cover. I immediately found it!!

The True Mother Goose-published in 1916, illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright.

Fabulous, inventive imagery with strong colors that appealed to me as I began to make art. Somethings never go out of style and I would highly recommend this as a reading book to any parent with a youngster.

Finally, we came across a hole-in-the-wall book store called West Side Book Shop. Like Dawn Treader, it is wall to wall books with much towering from the floor like stalagmites. I was nosing around when C came up and told me I needed to check out the back room as there were photos and prints I would enjoy. Indeed. I was astonished to find on the walls a good number of original Edward Curtis photographs. Mr. Curtis received a grant in the early 20th Century from J. P. Morgan to document Native American life before it disappeared.

Beautiful sepia tones, shot on glass plates. And, they could be yours...if you had $1500 on hand. I chatted with the owner wondering how he obtained these museum quality pieces. "Oh, I've been collecting them for 40 years now". He was quite a character. Upon hearing that C teaches at MSU, he recounted the time when his professor invited him to a party. The guest of honor was Argentine author Jorge Borges who was giving a talk at Jocundry's Book Store in East Lansing!

We finished the celebration on C's Birthday with a meal at the State Room, practically the only upscale restaurant in town that offers vegan fare.

A fun-filled send off as my sweetie enters her seventh decade on the planet. Happy Birthday and I wish you many, many more.