Zero Tolerance

 

Zero Tolerance is the demand

Heroic demonstrative, enforcement

Divide them, force them from our land

 

In vacuum of righteous think

Regardless the cost or loss

Compassion was the missing link

 

Righteous, law demanded thought

Meets the searing cry of children

Hearts turned, alternatives sought

 

How to undo, horrors we wrought

The terrible mess we’ve made

Reconnecting was never a thought

 

In the moment of action taken

Satisfied, to force an issue

In zero tolerance, our soul forsaken

 

The children will continue cry

For years until they stop

Broken lives we must not deny

 

Yes, zero tolerance, was our call

Incentive to stay away

Incentive to negotiate for a wall

 

What will we get?

A generation failed

Our soul’s regret

 

Food Fight with Wes

 

He says hi, pancake pup

Hi there, hamburger boy

Do you want syrup in dipping cup

Would you like happy meal toy

 

Would you like berries sweet

Or ketchup and Frenchy fries

At the table lettuce meet

And mustard corn flies

 

Mickey Mouse pancake

Giggles at dinner or breakfast

Give it a spin and a shake

Just make food fun at last!

Repeating Dreams

 

Dreams often do repeat

Seeming never to miss a beat

Coming around again and again

Searching for a way to win

They argue and plead

And never quite succeed

In defining truth or lie

Inexplicitly they still try

So try to find meaning

In images we are seeing

Finding our way to a happy end

Or forever repeat and contend

This is a day to give thanks for our father’s … Thank you my dad, for the investment of heart and soul to me, and all your children and grandchildren and great grandchildren, we are who we are, and are happy not simply because of genetics, but because of heart, energy, and wisdom granted and gifted to us by you!

To all fathers, have a beautiful day, know we are an instrument of God’s love and wisdom that keeps a nurturing element in our hearts for our children!

 

Eternity

It’s a long time

Or a short rhyme

It’s a blink of an eye

Or maybe God’s sigh

For mortals such as you and me

This life’s our blessed eternity

On Friday I was told to leave my position at the company that acquired us earlier than the contract indicated.  A call around 11, from some HR VP in another state, said I no longer need to come into the office.  In fact, could I be packed up and out by 4:00, they will be shutting off my access to the system.   No thank you, no group goodbye, no email to customers and staff.  A few employees gave me a hug, and helped carry some memories out to my car, but after 38 years in the industry, it seemed so anticlimactic.  I’m ready to leave, don’t get me wrong. I have other things, projects, and business opportunities I want to work on, so I’m more than ready to leave.  I’ve had a successful career in aerospace and defense engineering business, and analytically and logically it’s time.  But there is a passionate, bold part of me that wants something more, that feels like there is more to this career stuff than a paycheck, and that part of me feels cheated of a proper ending to this part of my career.  The other logical part of me that ensures I make it through life to the end, and keeps me centered and healthy, says get out while the getting is good, and move on. Besides this is what corporate America is today… a bit cold-hearted it seems.

All this made me think of an article I read about a man with two hearts.  His artificial heart was lower in his body, so it felt different, it kept him alive and did its function, but it’s beat no longer told him about passion, it robbed him of his inspiration, and intuition.  It kept him alive allowing him to grow older, but seemingly it made him feel like he was outside of himself, not recognizing himself.  Maybe we all have something like that, the passionate heart that is disappointed with the cold logic of business, partnerships, and more, and the one we live with that ensures we never get too worked up and keeps us healthy as we grow…

The Two Hearts of Mine

The heart I live with, ensures life and health as I grow old

The heart I love with, is ever young, passionate and bold

These two hearts play on this scarred battleground landscape

Locked together and intertwined so neither can escape

They define who I am, these two beating hearts of mine

They battle for the essence of soul and eternal mind

Neither may ever truly win

As they go around and around again

 

 

Salesman

 

Oh no what will you talk me into

What is it that you think I should do?

 

With that smile, smooth voice and shine

What will you tell me I need this time?

 

You’ve got just a moment to make your play

Then I’m going to send you on your way

 

Oh yeah, so what does it cost again?

I don’t need it, but still I’m sucked in

Geez…

Remember today all those who serve in the protection of our freedoms, and especially all those that gave their life in the service of their country and us the grateful citizens of the USA!

 

 

Flurries

 

Flurries of the fantastical claims

To disturb, disrupt are their aims

 

We are smart and can detect certain lies

But we listen and something inside us dies

 

Open your eyes and see the world anew

Find the truth if you can, in this word stew

 

And yet the it continues, wind and rain

Distorting the view through the pane

 

Maybe we’ll learn and understand

Fantasy, and truth intertwine again

 

 

It is right and proper that we encourage learning and accomplishment.   This season we congratulate Tiana, Andrew, Ethan, Mikayla, Elaina and Christina among the many others that have achieved the conference of degrees that allow them to enter the next phase of life journey.   It’s hard work to make it thru to the next level and very special to do so with honors.  These young people are critical to our future. They will be the leaders and practitioners implementing and evolving our society.

The traditions of robes, and sashes and medals and ropes have evolved over time to represent academic accomplishments and leadership honors. They should be understood and valued.  The garb and trappings of graduation goes back to medieval clergy robes, and subsequent evolution to 12th century schools of advanced learning, where graduation considered a step.  The Latin word for step is ‘gradus’.  And so too today’s graduates make a step into the next of life-learning-phases.  With hope and pride, we watch them achieve.  Proud of their accomplishments and hope they will make our world an ever better and safer place.  Millions of graduates at all levels, making their steps to the next level, so many with hope and so great the accomplishments.  Surely we will all benefit from their future works, and so we encourage and are encouraged by these young people!

 

The person who founded Mother’s Day came to regret it.  Anna Jarvis intended the day for us all to honor the mother that gave us birth, and instead it became widely commercialized.  See https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/13/us/mothers-day-anna-jarvis-trnd/index.html

I think giving mom something, flowers and candy, or out to brunch or dinner is nice, but showing you really love and appreciate how much mom means to the family is what’s most important.   Say I love you and appreciate all you do, and I will try to be always the best I can be.   I suspect those words from the heart, or for mother’s that are past as a prayer, are the essence of what mom’s want. Appreciation for their sacrifice and understanding that they want their children to be the best they can be.

Picasso once said that “art is a lie that reveals the truth”

Are we not the same?  Do we hide behind our pride and vanity to avoid risking the truth?  Our frailties’ and ego, and fears of failure keep us from being open about our love and being really the best we can be.

We are truth wrapped in a lie

Our ego, our fears and silly pride

 

Our mothers know and can see

They know the best we can be

 

They’ve held us from moment of birth

They know all of heaven and earth

 

Be thankful for chance to see

The very best we all can be

 

Thank you, my mom and all moms, that want the best of all of us!