Stripes

Stripes (Randyjw; May 18, 2022)

 

So, When will this flag,

kept flying at half-, ever

be returned, full-staff?

 

 

 

The Need For Ink

The Need For Ink (Randyjw; May 18, 2022)

 

I sent love and gratitude off to my exes

the other night

An air-kiss, from an airhead,

without regret

Too long in paying the price

and thankful for the experience,

nevertheless

Still really hope that they have a nice life

and would be ecstatic if that be so

And thank those

who have come into my life

Just for being there

and helping me to heal

I can unbottle my tears;

they flow freely, now

Sometimes, coming unbidden

even when I feel like they shouldn’t

I realized, today, that tears may be only a judgement

When I cry them,

it’s for others

and it makes me sad to see them

acting with such disregard

But, then I realize, too,

that theirs may have been caused

by something I’ve done, too

In some respects, I’m way too emotional;

and, in others, it seems (to others)

that I’m not that way, at all

[(even though I am);

Yeah – what a mess!

Added afterwards]

I write to tell you this

and to re-read it to myself

‘cuz I’ve led a hectic type of life

burning a bunch of candles at all their ends

Sometimes we never get to say our “sorries”

and we wind up paying our penance

through “cosmic happenstance”

or self-inflicted manners of making amends

But, maybe we should just accept whatever,

and whomever,

that has crossed our paths

for, in so many ways,

we have wished this upon ourselves

whether consciously, or not

And so, perhaps,

we should see all that:

What we might reflect on

as lost opportunities

as love most found and profound

And, now, yes,

I have to write for several reasons

The need for ink,

now my executioner’s sword

Not quite right, enough,

to exactly help others – – –

But, maybe so,

even so, I can hope that so

Physical, emotional,

a rehab overall

a long, slow overhaul

to, in the end, say,

I’m okay; after all

And you can be glad

not to do anything at all

And be happy not to be caught

where you chart your path on your own

There’s no guilt tripping here

you, or I, could ever impose

and it’s not wrong

to just bumble

or be,

all about life

and what one decides,

or what one wants

They might mesh,

or collide,

or, go off on tangents,

or continue in wavy or straight lines

So, here’s where I stand,

and also, it’s how I fall:

Had another dream-state –

don’t know if I was half-awake,

almost asleep,

on the border of exhaustion,

a wishful visualization, or what

Well, there we were

like an umbilical tether,

but, really a physical heart-to-heart

Your pouring your whole being into this

so that you could help me get better

You know, I might still wish how

things could’ve been;

But, I know they can’t

as much as my obsessive longings

find voice – so, I’ll channel them by these means

Regardless; I hope there’s no ball and chain

If so, just break it and let go

And, this other non-sequitur,

where-else it would have

no other place to go in a poem…

The amazing night sky

where some nights ago,

I saw how G-d could teach us

to draw:

actually, man has done better than that:

these were 2-D, and somewhat kind of flat –

but, for my purposes,

and because I’m no real artist,

but, just a dabbler, at that

several images, floating on by:

Faces, on about a 10° incline,

shadings, totally incredible,

in black-and-white; No, grey

Then, another one:

scary-ish, ’til I gave it time

understood, I think,

for all the emotions it implies

Yeah, I got it; I get you, too

I’m happy in you being you

Maybe, one day,

I’ll recount those other sleep dreams

Where now, my shuffling uncertainties

are just left, behind me

But, I’ll still “seek” my star-man

and perhaps find karmic messages

in these now exasperated sighs

Like when I shopped again at my local convenience store

hearing “Grease” on Muzak

and laughing out loud, like a loon

Hey, cosmos, thanks for that!

And, as for the physical, the Eros, the id and ego (all you, take that!)…

As it isn’t, and is:

Re-establishing literal connections now

in my head, my heart, and mind

Not even concerned in the slightest

to even try to make this rhyme

I power through this

and then I’m felled with poetry and song

I’ll just pick myself up again

and, once again, just soldier on

 

 

 

Joven Y Viejo

Jóven Y Viejo (Randyjw; May 15, 2022)

 

Siéntanse alrededor de la mesa para cenar

entre toda la familia

y con tus abuelos

y, Por eso,

y porqúe,

Este es la verdad,

y ésta es

una de muchísimas razónes

para la salvaguardia del todo

La razón entera, y la única, sobre todo

No dijes a los niños,

Salgan afuera, y Juegan,

dismissivamente

Escúchense a las historias de las anciénes

y haga un espacio para ellos –

sobre todo lo que ellos quieren hablar

Pero, además,

pregúntales al lo que exíste en el silencio

Gane el tiempo, Viene el tiempo

y no pueden ganar el tiempo

de la futura

 

 

Each One

Each One (Randyjw; May 8; May 15, 2022)

 

He plucked a pink carnation

from the bouquet he was bringing his mom

as he travelled the short-distance bus line

which, yet again, was to bring him home

He kept on finding that someone

whom it appeared that he could uplift

by presenting the stem of one flower

to each person with whom he shared each gift

He shared some of his family stories

though it seemed he may have been outcast

and he saved one morning glory

for when he reached his mom, at last

Surprising his mom with his presence

a family gathering of utmost joy

Mu son, she said, you’re my greatest present –

for these flowers are each of my boys

Blue

Blue (Randyjw; May 14, 2022)

 

Is it “overkill”

when eight patrol cars respond

to one shoplifter?

 

 

Lufthansa Bans All Jews From Flight

Lufthansa Bans All Jews From Flight (Randyjw; May 10, 2022)

 

Cohen, Ben / The Algemeiner; via israel365.com, May 9, 2022 – see video on Youtube:

 

(https://youtu.be/QtiWafk6dpI)

 

 

Share this:

(Randyjw; May 6, 2022)

 

I know, now,

you’ll be okay.

Flash-forward

twenty years

as if only

several days.

The woman

gets on the bus

I’m seeing her

with the same face

A content, lovely spirit

grown into her natural grace

We gaze and smile at each other

brief connections

in only minutes

the moments that tend to stay

I rambled on

in pretentious polyglot

with too much information

as I do, right now

and, in your love,

you allowed me to

let me “help” you;

When you left,

I know you did this before –

and that it wasn’t déjà vu.

(I liked your bag, by the way)

and, Happy Mother’s Day!

 

 

For Miriam

For Miriam (Randyjw; May 5, 2022)

 

(https://youtu.be/cRfIPbsMcdE)

 

– For Miriam