Sunday, April 27, 2014

Dressing up, dressing down

Business suits were a "must" till I retired,
A help to my career, and they mattered.
My suits are fossils now, and I'm attired
In comfort togs, some of which are tattered.
I bought the best suits, ones I could afford,
Conservatively tailored, but in style,
No detail left undone, no touch ignored,
The image sincere, beyond denial.
Now, closets bulge with untouched suits. The stuff's
A weight, like nosey neighbors refusing
To mind their business, in spite of rebuffs
A flock of sheep wouldn't find confusing.
My dress clothes worked, that's true without dispute,
But now I've said goodbye to business suits!

Saturday, April 26, 2014

First, people made jokes

- We have found the enemy, and he is us.
                                                   - Pogo

First, people made jokes
About other cultures and beliefs;
Then they joked about other people:
Male people, female people, bald people,
Fat people, short people, stupid people,
Poor people, blind people, deaf people,
Lame people, black people, white people,
Straight people, gay people, young people,
Old people...

Then people looked in the mirror,
And stopped joking.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Caesar's Gallic Wars

"All of Gaul is divided into three parts."
                                     - Julius Caesar 

Enemies loomed; all Gaul was divided,
Massing his army, Caesar decided
The time had come to fight; soon Gaul would be
A new province of Rome, from sea to sea.

His legions marched; they fought their foes, and won.
The vanquished swore their fealty; war was done,
And at its end, the Romans gained it all;
Laurels went to Caesar; defeat, to Gaul.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

The lion

The lion is the king of beasts,
A point there's no denying,
In fact, if you said otherwise,
He'd say that you were lying.

His regal mane, and stately tread,
Are signs of his high station;
He sleeps, when he's not making love,
His favorite avocation.

His loyal helpmate, Mrs. Lion,
Will jump to do his bidding;
When Lion roars and flicks his tail,
She knows that he's not kidding.

The lion is the king of beasts,
Commanding our attention.
His place in life is absolute,
At least, that's his contention.



Friday, April 18, 2014

Chasing away Mr. Blues

When Mr. Blues comes to visit,
The pain is exquisite.
When that mean old dog bites,
Your despair knows no heights.

But one fact remains true;
He'll leave, and then you
Will cheer up and incline
To your old state of mind.

Regaining resources,
You'll marshal your forces,
Solve problems when ready,
Both major and petty.

The challenges waiting
Might seem aggravating,
But you'll meet them each day
When Mr. Blues goes away.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Obituaries


When people die, they're only dead;
No angels weep beside their bed.
Please, spare the silly euphemisms
As we go through departurisms.

We don't "pass on," we're simply done,
As though we never had begun.
The only place we were, is here,
And now we're not; is that not clear?

Thursday, April 3, 2014

On the road

Your beatnik friends, were they on track?
Please, tell me how, Jack Kerouac;
Did they express, in great degree,
Your fervent longing to be free?

What made you get out on the road,
Your need to shuck a heavy load?
Or was the road your only goal,
A means to irrigate your soul?

And when you rode from coast to coast,
Of what deep insight did you boast?
The same sun rose on east and west,
Which coast did you decide was best?

You knew your life was just on loan,
Not some new plaything you could own,
And knowing that, saw it clear,
Embraced the whole, devoid of fear.

You saw a chance to get some kicks,
And rolled along Route 66
(The road we used to navigate
Before they built the Interstate).

And whether you were right or wrong,
You stayed the course, and sang your song;
It rang out on the open road
In cadences that never slowed.

Was it "beat," your generation,
Or symbolic of the nation,
Espousing a philosophy
Demanding that all men be free?