- The cover of Chris Stapleton, “Starting over” was performed by State Rep Jeff Roy at the opening of the SAFE Coalition performance space https://youtu.be/_4fD7XAd72w?si=UWh7b-y0z-Sf51Vg
- Pádraig Ó Tuama - Poetry Unbound. https://onbeing.org/programs/thomas-lux-refrigerator-1957/#transcript
- Ocean at the end of the Lane, Neil Gaiman. https://www.neilgaiman.com/works/Books/The+Ocean+at+the+End+of+the+Lane/
quiet poet
the home of sherku and other verse I write
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Starting over
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Lessons from dust
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Advice from the curbside
I
The Christmas tree carefully took time to put up, to decorate, and far less time to remove all the ornaments, strings of lights, and put the tree on the curb
Middle aged honey bees work from the top down secreting wax from their abdomens to build the combs of the hive. Yes, they don't need the curb
The youthful bees fly all over to collect the pollen to make honey, they have the energy for that. Smarts come with time staying above the curb
Real estate appraisers take the measures of each room, and walls, inside and out, to make their assessment of the residences appeal from the curb
The Peregrine 1 moon shot will run out of fuel before it can power its landing on the moon. The team will maximize testing opportunities as it flies well out of sight of the curb
Recognition of the two circles overlapping, mingling, in ways I would uncover from the breadcrumbs of the table of their conversation while sitting there on the old stone curb
II
Be prepared for whatever life throws at you, whether dressing for the changing weather, or patiently waiting your turn, applaud their effort when you stand on the curb
Follow curiosity where it can take you, willingly explore with the eyes of a 3 year old, flop to make a snow angel, and step back to check it out from the curb
Be helpful and leave a rake in its proper place, definitely avoid stepping on the tines to try and pick it up, it can quickly leave you down and out on the curb
Balance is what you do when walking along the edge of a narrow surface, prioritize is what you do to accomplish goals so you won't be left behind on the curb
Mind the words you say but don't be afraid to say what you mean, to add value, to help someone, to share the lessons you acquired walking along the curb
Ben advocated religiously for work, folks remember “Industry need not wish” and should know he continued that sentence with “and he who lives upon hope will die fasting” upon the curb
So Sherlock, continue your work, taking the measure of the times, building from the top down, and bottom up, sharing the content in context, with the folks along the curb
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Treasure the moment
It’s Thanksgiving weekend and 40 years have passed since you left us
Yet you continue watching over us, reminding us to treasure the moment
Here today, this residence is empty, ready for some other family to enjoy
Daily life, and their celebrations, creating new memories to treasure the moment
There are folding chairs to add to the circle in the living room of the new house
Where conversation ebbs and flows, and games are played to treasure the moment
Someone remarks of a time when … and we all go there, transported instantly …
The thread meanders as the sparks fly triggering other treasures of the moment
The baby is passed around, everyone gets their turn, gooing and ahing
Baby talk is a universal language, in that time before words, to treasure the moment
The family tree continues to grow, some branches end, others expand
A family collaboration brings forth an updated document to help treasure the moment
II
Twenty eight years later, this residence is empty for Thanksgiving, all action takes place in the new dwelling, enabling the new residence to treasure the moments
Sitting on the stairs, recarpeted while we were here, the sounds of the house
are different, there are echos now to treasure the moment
A singular brown oak leaf remains plastered to the sky view window in the
new residence, visible as I roll back the shade, bending to stretch, and treasure the moment
Houses couldn't exist without doors to enter, or leave, windows to let in light,
and air, and then there's the sound pattern to treasure the moment
These windows and storms are less sound proof than what we had,
the folks around us seem so much closer, they are perhaps eager to treasure the moment
Boxes, multiple sizes, were full and heavy, now emptied, flattened, and recycled
leaving behind the contents, here and there, in a new spot to treasure the moment
Hold on Sherlock, did you feel that cloud of uncertainty dissipate? The shift was slight but noticeable. My T-shirts supply has been shelved so I can now treasure the moment
Friday, December 15, 2023
Call for Water
I
When thirsty, your body signals a call for water
A turn of the faucet, or a flush of the toilet, starts a call for water
The signal may require a long walk, to the well, or stream,
To return with a full yellow container to answer the call for water
The faucet at the sink will start the flow through the pipes
in the house, the street, pump, or water tower to answer the call for water
When the hot water faucet is turned, the water flows under pressure,
with a diversion through heating coils, to answer the call for water
When the toilet is flushed, the water flows carrying the refuse liquid
and, or solid, before refilling the device in the call for water
The refuse, liquid and solid, moves through gravity flow pipes
to get processed before returning to the stream to answer the call for water
II
Science tells us human males are about 60% water, females about 55%,
which shows why we need to respond to the call for water
The earth's surface is about 70% water but 97% of that is salt water
requiring treatment before answering the call for water
We have to take care of the 3% fresh water, use it as needed,
conserve it to help with the call for water
Science can help determine a good economic process
for conversion of salt water to better answer the call for water
We need to foster those scientific efforts, and trust the science,
as it evolves to provide a solution to the call for water
There are those among us near and far, who need shorter walks,
or better access, to answer the call for water
So Sherlock, are you all wet yet? Or will you help Frank,
and Lynn when they initiate their call for water?
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Time for the music
I
What is the one thing we usually never have enough of
And which we can't buy? Haven’t Got Time for the Pain
Do you manage it, or do you let it control you? I have tried
To be as efficient as I can. times they are a changing
A little planning can go a long way to helping avoid
Wasting energy, money, or time; time is on my side
I like to reward those who manage time well. My time is
Important, and when others recognize that, let the good times roll
Think about it, lots of action words are associated with this
Concept: Make, take, buy, spend, waste; baby, one more time
It seems like time is a thing to be handled, bought, boxed
Stored, when it just keep ticking on its own, Time in a Bottle
II
It can be a real question, or a good ice breaker, to ask
someone, Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?
I would propose that only when you are up and about
Does it exist, Time has come today
Memories, whether the penultimate, or even the last time
Are instances when we recognize Times like these
What is it that gives us pause, stops us to realize, and
recognize the present as a gift? Only Time Will Tell
Without that pause, a sense of something else, we go
About living, doing, being, Time after time
If it is worthy, and created the pause, then the best thing
to do is likely to Love me Two Times
Sherlock says: give a gift to yourself, think, plan, and then
tackle the day, the next minute, so that it feels like the first time
Source of 100 song titles with "Time"
https://spinditty.com/playlists/songs-with-time-in-the-title
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
10,000 decisions
Monday, September 18, 2023
Confused, and bewildered, or
How is it that the sunlight, just so, reveals the dust that has been gathering from the bike running down the driveway, while the band plays on
We find the cleaner, and cloths, to get rid of the dust, putting aside the writing which wasn't going as fast as the single speed wheels, while the band plays on
If there is a cure for an illness, why won't folks take it? If there is a treatment that helps an illness, it can be like a single speed cycle, while the band plays on
Is nonsense the lack of sense, or a component of sense, that you can build on, like Lego blocks, or shifting gears on a ten speed bike while the band plays on
Heard someone reveal it took them until they were in college to find out that there were poets that were indeed alive, and writing today, while the band plays on
II
There are pairs of things, think about it, that'll give you pause, cause you to do a double take, check it out, where, why, while the band plays on
As we grow older each day, some wisdom may reveal itself to us, releasing us from instant satisfaction, bestowing us patience, while the band plays on
Writing works when you can read and follow what I am attempting to convey, head nods, uh huh, provides feedback, gears shift cleanly, while the band plays on
"Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second", we need an emotional approach to bring others to a review of facts, while the band plays on
Addressing the elephant in the room is good, reason rides the beast, whether shifting gears, or kicking up dust, while the band plays on
The hard ribcage protects the pumping heart, sending oxygenated blood throughout, letting us clean, ride, or double take while the band plays on
So Sherlock, you know positioning is key for the line of sight in a quartet, the eyes do a lot of communication, keeping the rhythm, shifting the gears, while the band plays on
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
What time is it?
Katydids come out as darkness arrives, what time is it
Their da da da, back and forth, da da da, asks what time is it
The rain falls knowing nothing of the concern it causes
Because the runoff now requires payment, what time is it
A raindrop in Flint delivered as clean water costs more
Than a raindrop delivered in most other places, what time is it
The grasses rise, reach for the sun, bend with the breeze
Until they're trimmed or not, do they ask what time is it
Late May frost caught blue hydrangeas buds, most failed
To bloom, now in August, we get a few, and ask what time is it
Tree branches reach up, and over, along the trail, making a canopy in search of the sun, so we ask what time is it
II
There is a cycle to life, most things within it, and around us
A question we tend is miss is when, what time is it
There are best times of day for creative work and also
Respectfully, for required grunt work, what time is it
There are best times to start new patterns, new habits
New challenges, to succeed not fail, what time is it
There are best times to make big decisions, times to avoid
That dental visit, times to take a napaccino, what time is it
There are best times to start school for middle and high schoolers,
too bad 80% of districts don't do that, what time is it
Coming off the pandemic, with uncertainty, and tight budgets
Wouldn't it makes sense to adjust the start time, what time is it
Katydids, larks, and owls seem to know about cycles
They don't need technology to live, what time is it
Written in response while reading https://www.danpink.com/books/when/
Updated Labor Day weekend when I realized it was the sound of katydids, not tree frogs, that I was referring to. https://youtu.be/TjM9tZE_bDg
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
"Once upon a time"
Wednesday, August 02, 2023
The poetry game
I
Some don't read poetry, they don't understand the poet game
So this is my chance, maybe I can explain the poet game
This forces me to begin; welcome to my front porch, relax
We can sit, and laugh, toast champagne to the poet game
An image or a object is where I'll start, what do I call it, name it
To conjure the same in your brain for the poet game
Green grass is a good one, what kind of green is it
My grass grows, as does yours, when it rains in the poet game
Celtic green, evergreen, lime green, thousands of shades yet
Shades don't matter when you're filling the grassy plain for the poet game
However, to complete the knit pattern successfully, you
need yarn from the same batch of color skeins for the poet game
II
So we're back to a specific shade of green grass
Conjured in both our brains for the poet game
In agreement, we move along, another image adds to our
Thinking, another car joins the freight train in this poet game
We continue on the same track, adding images
Building them like a block chain in the poet game
The length of the poem depends on the train of thought
To be shared to avoid a migraine in the poet game
The line length and punctuation are chosen by the poet
Important to refrain from eyestrain in the poet game
It may be work but not impossible to follow along, find
ourselves comfortably riding the airplane in the poet game
When successful, we're gliding along, admiring the greenery,
Together above the tree-lined coast of Maine in the poet game
Thursday, July 27, 2023
sherzal: commonwealth
I
She brought her carriage to the car parked next to me in the Walmart “pick up” row, turning she breaks into sobs, surprising me, waiting for my common good
“There aren’t enough of us in there, there are so many of them…” and more sobs, leaving me meditating, waiting for my common good
“He’ll come back and save us, she says with a gleam”
I then realize what she is stating, waiting for my common good
I am sorry to disagree, I don’t believe that will be the case.
If he does come back, there’ll be more hating, waiting for our common good
My package was delivered and loaded, I thanked the young man, closed my vehicle and began relocating, waiting with my common good
She is standing still, lost somewhere. I start my vehicle
But can't move until she does, it's frustrating, waiting for my common good
II
She starts unloading her carriage, I get out to help
Frustration to action translating, liberating our common good
I helped, lifting her last bag from the cart, placing it next to the others, then reached for the cart indicating, relocating the common good
Bumper sticker aside, there was another way to take her comment "he'll come back", restating, narrating the common good
The world is in turmoil, disaster screams in all the headlines
We can keep hydrating, deflating for the common good
I do maintain hope that together we can figure this out
Many of us came here migrating, fixating on the common good
We can put aside the differences the media and social apps
Exaggerate to the nth degree, inflating, debating the common good
We can find within us the source, the love, that conquers all
And go about collating, creating for the common good