Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair 

 

November 2019

 

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket
than all the other seasons.” — Jim Bishop.
-

Yes, it is here, the penultimate month to the well balanced sounding 2020. We have already seen the glimmers of what being well balanced, or matched, in this example can do: oh how evenly equal were the W S battling baseball teams from Texas and from Washington DC. For more on that see the editorial by moi, "World Series 2019 Thoughts"

Although this month is celebrated by many for the Thanksgiving always on the fourth Thursday of the month, and featuring Turkey in its various guises, only a couple of the authors addressed the fact. One therefore wishes all a Happy Thanksgiving and friends and family gathered around to cherish being together and undoubtedly some will be watching the football games all day.

Our columnists were diligent with Mattie Lennon in his "Irish Eyes," updating us on art and literary personages of his Ireland, while Judith Kroll "On Trek" focused on the memories made around the table by all who come there.

Thomas F. O'Neill, back in China, speaks on the blessings of being a teacher as building lives and displays his recently received certificate. Rod Cohenour, "Cooking with Rod") prepares a versatile recipe for us with his Hearty Beef Chili Base which means it is ready to do a variety of meals using it.

Marilyn Carnell in her "Sifoddling Along," discusses "Holiday Disasters" and proceeds to recall what was humorous about them, while being baffled at the time. "Armchair Genealogy" which is expertly compiled and presented by Melinda Cohenour, is not available for November due to her being under the weather. She says check in next month.

The opening quote was chosen after working on editing and preparing for inclusion in both (requiring different processes) the eZine pencilstubs dot com and the blog version pencilstubs dot net, how prevalent gold is in these poems. "Autumn 2019," "I Dreamt of Goldfinches," and "Golden Days," are the poems by John I. Blair, with the latter sharing a photo. Bud Lemire has six poems this issue, each illustrated except the last on this list: "Read Me," "A DVD is for Me," "Seven Years," "Orange, Yellow, & Red," "Leader of The Day," and "The Witches Song." Bruce Clifford sent "The Invisible Light." Carrie E Joslin, your editor's late maternal grandmother's two poems are lovingly presented: "Dreams of Long Ago," and "The Land of A Million Smiles."

Michael Craner, our co-founder and webmaster, and barbeque master extraordinaire, is the key to our well being, our equilibrium, our dreams. Thanks again, Mike!
See you in December!

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This issue appears in the ezine at www.pencilstubs.com and also in the blog www.pencilstubs.net with the capability of adding comments at the latter.

Armchair Genealogy

By Melinda Cohenour 

 

Apology Offered

 

    The undeniable excuse is unable to get to the personal computer room because of limited use of my knee plus doctor orders to stay off my feet. Hopefully this is a flare up that can be resolved this month in which case, the column and I shall be here with incredible tales of where family and extended family ancesty searches can lead you.

    Please check here in December as we give details in the search to solve the next ancestor mysteries.

    Meanwhile here is the link : Melinda Cohenour Just click my name here for a complete clickable list to my previous columns.

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Cooking with Rod

By Rod Cohenour 

Hearty Beef Chili Base

This is so easy to make and extremely versatile. Eat as a big warming bowl of chili, or use to create New Mexico Style Flat Enchiladas, or mix with beans and rice rolled in a giant tortilla with cheese for a Hearty Beef Burrito, or spoon over an omelet (with plenty of onions, peppers, cheese, and cherry tomatoes mixed in) topped with sour cream and cilantro leaves for a twist on Huevos Rancheros.

No matter how you choose to serve this chili stew, you will receive raves!

Bon appetit!

  Hearty Beef Chili Base Ingredients:

• 3 lbs lean beef stew meat
• 1 lg can tomato puree
• 2 lg cans tomato sauce
• 3 10 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes and chiles (Rotel or similar)
• 4 Tbsp New Mexico Chile powder ( or to taste)
• 3 Tbsp ground Cumin (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb Blend
• 2 Tbsp Coriander
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 32 oz Beef stock (unsalted)
• Pam or similar spray oil product, just enough to cover bottom of skillet

Instructions:

1. Season beef with light touches of chile powder, cumin, garlic powder and Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb blend. Spray cold skillet or large pan with Pam before placing on heat source (Important!) Brown stew meat on all sides, in batches. (Adding too much meat slows the browning process. I usually use a pound or so at a time in my large electric skillet.)

2. In a large Dutch oven, blend canned products and spices. To this, add browned stew meat and deglaze the skillet, using a very small amount of the beef stock, adding browned bits and liquid to the Dutch oven.

3. Stir meat and liquids then add balance of beef stock. Stir very well.

4. Set Dutch oven on medium heat burner and permit to warm chile gradually, stirring frequently to make sure no scorching occurs.

5. Chile should simmer for at least one hour, preferably two, to allow the meat to become fully tenderized and the flavors to blend. Do not leave unattended for long periods. Continue to stir and regulate heat as necessary to prevent scorching.

Serve with an assortment of toppings, such as tostada chips,  (see photo below) diced or quartered chilled onions, grated cheeses, avocado slices, sour cream, cilantro leaves or warrm buttered flour tortillas or, to try something a little different, a big pan of fresh hot cornbread.

Excellent with a simple salad of greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers with salsa roja as the dressing or even just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and fresh ground peppercorns.

Either hot or cold liquids, depending on the weather, are a welcome accompaniment.

Bon appetit~!

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Sifoddling Along

By Marilyn Carnell 

 

Holiday Disasters

As we approach the holiday season, I get nostalgic for the times when my once-big family gathered together to celebrate. There were always feasts, but sometimes not everything turned out as intended.

When I was 12, Bill, my big brother, announced that he was bringing home a young woman to visit with us for Christmas. That was big news. Although he had “fallen in love” many times, this was the first time we actually were to meet the beloved.

My Mom was in a tizzy. She was working full time and now she had to be sure the dinner was extra special. My Dad was going the Joplin for a meeting and to save time, Mom asked him to pick up a frozen turkey at the market. The purchase was made, and the critter was stowed in the freezer until time to thaw and cook it. The large frozen lump was put in the refrigerator to thaw, but not examined closely. On Christmas morning, the turkey was brought out and unpackaged. Mom was aghast. This wasn’t a turkey, it was a goose! Mom had never cooked a goose and wasn’t sure she wanted to. However, she had no choice because in 1952 no grocery stores opened on Christmas Day.

Mom roasted the goose and served the meal as best she could. Goose was not popular. My older sister, newly pregnant, took one sniff and fled to the bathroom. The rest of us ate what we wanted, but I think the carcass was largely untouched. The rest of the day turned out well, my brother and Joyce soon were married, and a few months later, my sister had a bouncing baby boy.

The other memorable holiday was a Thanksgiving in the early 1960’s. My parents had built a new house and we were all excited about the new bells and whistles it contained. A big feature was a built in wall oven. Mom popped the turkey into the oven and went about peeling potatoes and other tasks. That same big brother, Bill, wandered in, peeked through the glass window at the turkey and casually said “What is this button for as he flipped the switch.

“Oh, my gosh” Mom said. You put it into the self-cleaning mode! Turn it off! It seems that was not possible. The switch had no reverse. Frantic conversations ensued. My sister called me for help. “You worked in the Betty Crocker Kitchens.” She said. "Do something!"

Alas my work with 7 types of flour were of no immediate use. Mom located the phone number of the salesman at Sears and we called him for help. The switch was in the back of the oven and impossible to reach without tearing into the wall.

We sat about pondering and imagining the consequences of his careless mistake.

1.)We might buy an urn for the ashes and remember it forever.

2.)The fire department might have to come.

3.) We would become the laughingstock of the town for years to come.

Sister- in- law, Joyce won our eternal gratitude. She kept her head and solved the problem. It was simple: Reset the timer for five minutes and when it went off, rescue the hapless bird.

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Irish Eyes

By Mattie Lennon 

 

Bits And Pieces For Halloween

 

Founded in 1886, Lucan Sarsfields GAA Club is the largest sporting organisation in West Dublin, and the oldest. The club was also the first in Ireland to be named after the great Irish hero Patrick Sarsfield - who was born in Lucan around 1649 and became Earl of Lucan in 1690. It began life as most GAA clubs did, with a group of local young men getting together and forming a club.

On Thursday 10th October, in conjunction with Lucan Social Initiative, they organised a wonderful historical tour of the Beara Peninsula. It included a visit to Molly Gallivan’s cottage and traditional farm located in Bonane, outside Kenmare. Molly Gallivan was widowed with seven small children. An innovate woman, she used her resourcefulness to make a fairly comfortable living . She sold part of her farm produce such as butter, eggs and honey at the local markets. Her home baking and spun woollens were famous all over Kerry and parts of Cork. However her poitin (“Molly’s Mountain Dew”) was her most profitable product.


Molly’s house, now a museum , originally a single story thatched cottage, which was extended, raised and slated in the early 1900s, was inhabited by one of Molly’s descendents until 1997. At this fine heritage and culture centre you will experience the simple lifestyle of the people of rural Ireland before the days of electricity and modern conveniences. The adjoining farm is complete with animals, fowl and traditional agricultural implements. From the ruins of a family dwelling from the era of the Great Famine to a Neolithic Stone Row it’s all there. It is described in the brochure as, “5000 years of history on a 500 metre walk.”


The Druid, a wooden sculpture, by Andy Comeford, which stands outside Molly Gallivan's cottage.

* * * * *

The committee of Lacken Community Development Association is bringing out a 2020 calendar. Keep your shirt on. It doesn’t have twelve pictures of muscular semi-clad sheep farmers. It has pictures of the most stunning views in the world taken by local photographer, Christy Crowe. Details from: lackencomdev@gmail.com

* * * * *

Did I mention here before that Journalist Brenda Power suffers from taphophobia, which, as you all know, is the fear of being buried alive)? Well, she has found a solution: “. . . as far as organ donation goes, I want the doctors to take whatever they can use. . . With heart, lungs and kidneys gone, I reckon, the chances of me waking up in the coffin are pretty slim.”
 

* * * * *

Satirist, Oliver Callen, from Enniskeen, is 39 but he has his epitaph ready, “Why are you in a f***ing graveyard reading this? Go home, enjoy yourself. And do no harm. Now get out, you’ll be stuck here long enough.”
 

* * * * *

It is that time of year when it was believed that the veil between this world and the next was drawn aside, and Irish people honoured the Holy Souls. Recently my favourite journalist, Billy Keane, was telling the customers in his pub how much he missed his late parents John B. and Mary. He wrote, “I concluded my talk with, ‘I’m fairly sure my mother and father are still here.” The Irish-American lady looked at me and said, "Billy, your Mom and Dad are still here. Why would they want to leave?”

The great and good of the literary world turned up on Thursday in Dubray Books for the launch of Billy's latest book, "The Very Best of Billy Keane."


To date Billy has a number of books under his belt, "The Last of The Heroes," "Rucks Mauls and Gaelic Footballs," which he co-wrote with Moss Keane. He ghosted Billy Morgan’s autobiography "Rebel Rebel." His latest novel "The Ballad of Mo and G" was a best seller. And of course "The Best of Billy Keane" published in 2016.

This latest publication "The Very Best . . ." is not to be missed. Details from: info@dubraybooks.ie

* * * * *

The multi- talented John Sheahan is no stranger to John B. Keane’s. His collection of poems "Fiddle Dreams" was published in 2015, but I only got my hands on it recently. If you can track down a copy please do. No matter what sort of day you are having John’s compositions will give you a lift.

See you in December.

Happy Halloween.

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Introspective

By Thomas F. O'Neill 

 

I can honestly say it has truly been fun and rewarding working as an ESL and cultural diversity teacher in China. I also found that having a good sense of humor can get you through any difficulty in life. And reaching out to people, and communicating openly and honestly, is important, too.

When I first arrived in China, I quickly noticed that American humor is quite difficult for many Chinese people to understand. Culturally speaking, what is humorous in one culture may not be entirely understood in others. One reason for that is most humor is language-based; it’s a play on words and meanings.

Physical humor, on the other hand, is universal, and comic actors like Rowan Atkinson are very popular here in China. The Chinese, especially children, love watching short movie clips of Rowan Atkinson playing Mr. Bean.

For me personally, I found out quickly from teaching here that I lack the proficient language ability to tell a good joke in Chinese. When I try to tell jokes to my Chinese students, I’m told that I don’t have the right verbal cues that a Chinese person would use to make the jokes hilariously funny. My students do say, however, that I look funny when attempting to tell a joke in Chinese.

I found out also that young kids are the same everywhere and playing is necessary for them to build social skills. I like to give little kids a deferent perspective on the world by picking them up and holding them upside-down — that can be rather humorous for them and me.

In the 1960s, comedy teams in America such as Rowan and Martin used the politics of their day to bring in the laughs, but here in China political humor was banned after 1949. Modern times and modern politics have altered what can be funny in China. The humor here can be rather vanilla; the opposite of political satire.

I have learned also that after 1949 comedians in China had to clean up their humor. They had to get rid of country bumpkin jokes because the peasants were the heroes of the Chinese revolution. Of course, all the sex and bawdiness were gone, too.

The Chinese love posting political satire on the Internet, where they can remain anonymous from the Internet police. Old clips of Jon Stewart jokes are translated into Chinese and they are extremely popular here, but they are still a long way off from gracing Chinese primetime. His jokes are far too politically sensitive.

A major source of Internet satire in China is aimed at North Korea. In April of last year, a clip of a Jon Stewart joke about North Korea went viral in China. Turns out jokes about North Korea are funny to both Chinese and American audiences.

The topics at the Chinese comedy clubs are rather tame, nothing to bawdy or political and I suppose that is a major reason I prefer American humor over Chinese humor. One thing I found interesting though, in most of the improvisational comedy clubs, the Chinese players do not want to be videotaped or recorded due to fear the videos or recordings will be posted online.

I like to tell my Chinese students that in America when it comes to political satire, such fear as to what we say or how we say it is unnecessary. We have our freedom of expression and that is something most entertainers in China envy about us Americans.

The Chinese have a saying — laughter is the shortest distance between people — and that saying is profoundly true in any culture.

Humor has always been a perfect art form for connecting with others and I try to make the best of it in my classes.

Always with love from Suzhou, China
Thomas F O’Neill

Phone: (410) 925-9334

WeChat: Thomas_F_ONeill

Skype: Thomas_F_ONeill

Email: introspective7@hotmail.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/thomasf.oneill.3/

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World Series 2019 Thoughts

By Mary E. Adair 

 

We have already seen the glimmers of what being well balanced, or matched, in this example can do: oh how evenly equal were the battling baseball teams from Texas and from Washington DC. So what can we expect from a well balanced sounding year called 2020?

It was almost excruciating to watch them as they stayed so equal. Right down to the 7th inning of the 7th game, they were only separated by minimal points, after each team, the Astros and the Nationals, had already won 3 games apiece. It was almost like, ok, now it's my turn today. Congratulations to the Washington Nationals on their first ever World Series and the championship for 2019.

This was the most ambivalent I think I've ever been about who should win, as my lifelong team, the St Louis Cardinals (my grandfather raised me as one of their fans) had lost, been swept in fact, by the Nationals, and of course that was the National league to which I've been faithful. Yet, here I am, living in Texas, so it would be wonderful to see them win again as they did in 2017, but hey, they are in the American league.

So, in the long run, I watched to see great plays and great pitching, analyzing in my own way who I thought they should bench or praise, and both teams were amazingly good. I have to say it was the least serious attitude and comportment within the dugouts and even on the field I've ever seen. It was rather refreshing, to be truthful, and due in large part I believe, to the youth of the majority of the players on both teams.

I am already looking forward to the makeup of future teams in both leagues, not only the two World Series competitors this year, but all teams in both leagues. The draft and its intricacies are over my head but I still enjoy seeing the new faces and sizing up their potential.

The Cardinals can count on me to be rooting for them but as I mentioned, living in Texas and being a National League devotee, the Arlington based Texas Rangers get a lot of my attention as well. Meanwhile, I'll be upping my viewing minutes to the NFL and AFL even though I'm a "Boyz" fan, a good game is a good game, you know, so then, the STL Blues hockey, and maybe the Lakers over NBA way, and there's always racing, until it is time to hear once again

Play Ball!

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On Trek

By Judith Kroll 

 

 

The Table Talks

The table talks.

Hear the chairs scraping against the floor,
people turning to see who's knocking at the door.

The smiling faces greet the family of four..
Red cheeks and laughter carrying gifts to adore.

It is Christmas time and the table responds,
holding the ham and potatoes,and salads galore.

A prayer is said before the meal,
all holding hands, all can feel..

the joy the love the belonging mood,
makes this family cherish even more, the delicious food.

Each day the table takes a poll,
remember all, even those of old.

A tradition is made on the table top..
a memory shared, with the table that talks.

©8-4-'19 Judith Kroll

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The Witches Song

By Bud Lemire 

 

It's Halloween, and the wind blows strong
If you listen closely, you'll hear the Witches song
They've put together a special brew
It'll do something bizarre to you
Don't drink it, don't drink it I say!
Heed my warning, and you'll be okay
Don't take a drink from a Witch
It's not Mountain Dew, she made a switch

She can make it hard to resist
It's even worse if you've been kissed
There's magic there, upon her lip
There's poison there, if you take a sip

She has no wand, and doesn't wiggle her nose
For it's hidden well, and she won't expose
Within her, lies such a wicked power
It's even stronger during the Witching Hour

She doesn't have a broom, she doesn't fly
That's just a myth, a man made lie
Listen closely, and don't take me wrong
Block your ears, from The Witches Song
©Oct 17, 2019 Bud Lemire
                       Author Note:

You have been warned of The Witches Song.
You may be asking if they are a good witch or
a bad witch. On this Halloween, you will see
Witches of all sizes and shapes. They'll take
your candy and run, to the next house. If you
are careful, you may just have a Happy Halloween!

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Dreams of Long Ago

By Carrie E. Joslin 

 

When my work for the day is ended
     And my darlings are all asleep,
I sit alone by my fireside
     And sometimes I softly weep

And smetimes, I find myself laughing
     And sometimes I softly sigh.
As memory comes back to me
     Of the dear old days gone by.

Tonight, I am dreaming, dear Hettie
     Of the joys we used to know,
Of the days we spent together
     When we loved each other so.

There were days that were sad and dreary
     And days that were filled with pain,
But some of those days were such happy days
     I would gladly live those again.

If only again I could cross the road
     To the house that you call home,
And feel as happy as I felt then,
     When I found you all alone.

If only again we could wander
     Along those winding ways
That led to the dear old swimming hole
     As we did in other days.

If only again we could feel the thrill
     That we felt in the long ago
When we played in the sparkling water
     Where the willow boughs hung low.

The past holds many memories
     That to me are more precious than gold;
And one of my heart's own treasures
     Is the memory of the old swimming hole.

©circa late 1950's Carrie E. Joslin
Written to her friend Hettie Caldwell,
daughter of the Methodistpastor who
lived across the street from
the Bullard residence.

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Read Me

By Bud Lemire 

 

Read me, read me like a book
Just go ahead, just take a look
Chapter by chapter, turn the page
You're the audience, and I'm on stage
  What does my body say to you?
With every movement that I go through
What do you see in my eyes
With my body there are no lies

The way I hold my head
My response when words are said
How I move my hand around
Read me, and I won't make a sound

The way I dress may speak to you
Some thoughts on this, might come through
My reactions in a special activity
May be what you are reading from me

I'd like to know just what you see
When you are looking at me
Read me, just like a book
What do you see, when you look
©Oct 10, 2019 Bud Lemire
                       Author Note:

Many people can look at people and read
the person. Know exactly their personality
and what they are like. Many who have lost
their hearing can do that as well. People who
are in tune, and are aware of everything pay
close attention and understand so much.
Your eyes, posture, hands, legs, position,
voice, clothes you wear, and so much more.
They know how to read you like a book.

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Golden Days

By John I. Blair

 

Every day is golden --
I yearn to hold each one.

But then I learn
Half the pleasure’s in the fact
It’s not been here before
And will not come again.

So I just let it flow
And pray for more.

©2019 John I. Blair, 10/17/2019
See pic below of an earlier day's sun bronzed Blair.

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Seven Years

By Bud Lemire 

 

When seven years come around
That's where our love will be found
We found each other in the chat
We've been through this, we've been through that
We've learned a lot, about the other one
Through it all, we had lots of fun
We journeyed through the books we've read
Hand in hand, where our hearts were lead

Acceptance learned, is our love's key
To understand, who the other can be
We unlocked the door, and stepped on through
That is when, both our spirits flew

Our spirits intertwined, and took flight
On a lovers embrace, all through the night
Fulfilled in love, with such a pleasure
Our time together, was one we'd treasure

We were there for each other, at every turn
And during this time, there was much to learn
We held hands and hearts, through laughter and tears
As our souls embraced love, for Seven Years
©Oct 17, 2019 Bud Lemire
                       Author Note:

Baby, thank you so much for the love you've shared
with me for Seven Years. On October 17, 2012, our
love connected and has stayed that way for Seven Years.
I love you analways will.

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In The Land of A Million Smiles

By Carrie E. Joslin 

 

In the Ozarks we live and are happy
     We thank God for blessings and trials;
With good deeds we banish our sorrows
     In the land of a million smiles.

In the Ozarks gay banners are waving
     Unfurled to the pure autumn breeze;
Their colors are red, green and golden
     All painted on beautiful trees.

The trees are God-made and sturdy
     The artist who gave them their hue;
I know He will watch over our Ozarks,
     In this land of the red, white and blue.

In the Ozarks wild flowers are blooming.
     You may gather bouquets--they are free;
And rivers of clear running water
     Are calling to you and to me.

Apples so luscious and mellow
     Are ready to fall to the ground;
And hidden within the brown corn shocks
     Ripe pumpkins are sure to be found.

©1940 Carrie E. Joslin

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A DVD is for Me

By Bud Lemire 

 

A DVD is for me
It's what I like to see
Binge watching brings me joy
I feel just like a little boy
Move forward or move back
Got to find the scene, the title track
That's where I left off before
Now I long for even more
  A DVD looks a lot like a CD
But it plays videos that you can see
They look alike, but they're not
Be sure you know what you got
Closed Caption is for those who can not hear
It's make understanding the video, much more clear
Read the words, upon the screen
What is said, goes with what is seen

You can watch movies or shows from TV
That's the reason I love the DVD
I don't have Blue-Ray, I love my DVD
On the screen, it works perfectly for me
Sitting on my couch, watching my favorite show
Believe me, it's the only way to go
A great meal, and a good scene on my TV
Because I'm watching my DVD

One disc, two, three, four and five
It's great enjoyment, I feel alive
A series that I just love
It's all that I can think of
There's so much to watch on DVD
Choose the ones you want to see
A series that I really love
Is the one I'm thinking of

Unwrapped and all ready to play
My DVD is the truly the only way
Right from the store
Who could ask for more
No streaming video, no live TV
I'll just sit back and watch my DVD
You have to choose what's right for you
Maybe your choice will be a DVD too
©Oct 2, 2019 Bud Lemire
                     Author Note:

Ever since we don't get streaming videos, I decided
to try DVDs as my way of watching TV. Yes, you are still
paying. But no matter which way you choose, you have
to pay something. It seems to be working for me. And you
have all those Bonus things included, that you don't see
on TV. Anyway this is my choice for now..

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I Dreamt of Goldfinches

By John I. Blair 

 

Last night I dreamt of goldfinches
Clustered on the feeders
That surround my patio.

It’s October’s end,
Still far too soon
For real ones to appear

Although the early snow
Reported just today
In central Kansas

Is bound to push them south
Within a week or so
To decorate the garden

With their yellow feathers,
Stir the leaves with flurried flight,
Warm the air within my house

With sights of pointy beaks
And plush breasts
Inches past the window glass.

©2019 John I. Blair, 10/31/2019

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Orange, Yellow, & Red

By Bud Lemire 

 

As the leaves fall upon its Earthly bed
They form the colors of Orange, yellow, and red
Multi-colored leaves upon the ground
A place where Autumn is found
I look for the changing colors everywhere
At certain times, it's just not there
In other places where I am lead
I see plenty of orange, yellow, and red

In some places it is in between
A little yellow mixed in with green
Some places turn red right away
So bright and beautiful on a sunny day

I believe it depends upon the tree
On which color their leaf will be
Some don't change colors at all
Their leaves don't even fall

Some places don't even see this season
Where they are located, is the reason
As the leaves fall upon its Earthly bed
They form the colors of Orange, Yellow, and Red
©Oct 17, 2019 Bud Lemire
                       Author Note:

Those Autumn colors are so beautiful to see. I love it when
the season is at its peak and you can see so many colors
among the trees. But if you don't see them at just the right
time, the rain will come along with the wind and blow the
leaves right off of the tree..

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Autumn 2019

By John I. Blair 

 

After months of heat
And doubt that clouds
Would ever come again

Autumn enters in a rush,
Blowing leaves and limbs
Across the lawn,

Drenching my little world
With welcome rain,
The miracle of moisture.

Knowing nearly 80 years
Of this, why do I
Still see a miracle,

I who firmly cling
To lack of faith in miracles
And cry there is no wonder?

It’s time I listened to my flesh,
Responded to its thrill,
Abandon rationality for awhile.

©2019 John I. Blair, 10/31/2019

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The Invisible Light

By Bruce Clifford 

I’ve got all the living
I’ve got all the dead
I’ve got all these flashes of light flying through my head

I’ve got all the reason
I’ve got got all the time
I’ve got all these empty thoughts floating though my mind

I’ve got all the memories
I’ve got all the faith
I’ve got all these ancient waves flying through empty space

I’ve got all the living
I’ve got all the dead
I’ve got all these gaps in time drifting through my head

Can you see the invisible light
It’s there for the taking
The invisible light
It’s there
I know it’s there

I’ve got all the happy
I’ve got all the sad
I’ve got twenty reason to be bitter, lonely and sad

I’ve got all the energy
I’ve got all the time
I’ve got all these pieces of dust floating past my eyes

I’ve got all the living
I’ve got all the dead
I’ve got all these flashes of light flying through my head

©10/5/19 Bruce Clifford

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Leader Of The Day

  

By Bud Lemire 

 

I am the Leader Of The Day
But you don't have to do it my way
I can not tell you what to do
I will leave that up to you
I relay what's happening that day
From our bosses, is what I'll say
It keeps them from repeating every word
From only one person, you will have heard

It's passed from our boss, to the Leader Of The Day
I believe it really works out better that way
Being Leader, doesn't make you the boss
You're Little Joe, you can't be Hoss

So what's the agenda for today?
Will it be Bingo, or cards that we play?
Oh it is Cover Up, well if that's what you say
I'll listen to the boss, from The Leader Of The Day

I'll follow the Leader, that's what I'll do
The words from your mouth, must be true
You don't have to do it the same way
I'm only The Leader Of The Day
©Oct 10, 2019 Bud Lemire
                       Author Note:

I wrote this with Senior Companion's Leader
of The Day in mind. But also wrote it for
everyone else as well. Being a leader is
appreciating the unique way each person
does things, no matter how they do it.
Accepting them for who they are, not for
what they aren't. Not many people do that.
And we need more of that in the world..

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