Day: February 20, 2020

I see her approaching
Can read the anger in her face
She is the director

I am talking to a female volunteer
She is showing me a table for sale
We had a chance to sell it for twenty dollars
This was over a month ago

The lady wanting to buy had donated to the store
Her deceased husbands clothes and other unwanted items
She could not pay more than her offer
It was refused and the table is still for sale

A similar incident had taken place with cross country skies
A sale for ten pair for one hundred dollars had been refused
The director sequestered the better skies and they are hid away
 
The approaching lady wanted to know what we were doing
The volunteer said we were wondering how
to get rid of the metal in the back room
He is not in charge said the director

I volunteered that I had made no claim and
that we were only having a conversation
The director was spiteful
Show me what you mean

The volunteer obediently led the director to the metal
I walked away, shaking my head in wonder

I visited another volunteer
What are you doing I asked
Packing away these baby clothes
Why aren’t they being put out?
 
They were out but were not selling.  Why?
The price is too high for baby clothes
Why not half-price them?  The director says no

I said that we were hoarders; there is no room to turn around
I know, I know said the volunteer; what are we supposed to do
We are running out of room to store boxes

We’re taking stuff to Good Will Industries
That makes sense.  We won’t lower prices, but we’ll give it away

I was told I wasn’t in charge.  He isn’t in charge she said
I had made no claim.  But we do need someone in charge
A non-hoarder who can get this stuff moving out

We have a lot at stake; would hate to lose it all
Egos and control-freaks cause a lot of ruin
We definitely need an audit

We need to evaluate; make adjustments; grow; survive
 
Stanski
February 20, 2020 ^
 

 
The combatants are all lined up
Nothing we haven’t seen before
The pride
The glint in the eyes
Readiness prevails
Just waiting for the call to arms, 
Whatever that may be
 
There are no rolling drums
Just a thing called drive
Get in there --- do your best
The whole idea is just to survive
No one taking notes on how the game is played
Milling around as if it were just a parade
 
But for you:  you know it’s different
You will do it right
This thing you’re struggling for
This precious gift of life
This chance for you to score
 
It must be lived, and rightly, too
Otherwise it’s not worthy of the fight
Others drop out, one by one
They seemed not to have prepared
No one takes notice, 
No one really cared
 
A mother, somewhere 
May have a broken heart
She did all that she could do
Wasn’t she, too, just a child?
Clues were given, just ignored
When our own parade is over
We call it just another day
 
Maybe!  Maybe!  Maybe!
Maybe it will, maybe it won’t
Tomorrow that is
Will it bring us a better float?
The weather, too, could be risky
Don’t over-prepare
Don’t get too frisky
 
The crowd may be different
Show appreciation
We’ll do what we have to do
Forget about salvation
 
Years go by
One, two, ten and twenty
What once was scarcity
Is now the land of plenty
You didn’t give up
Continued to show
Saw others pack it in and leave
The way it seems to go
 
All were lined up
Now there are just a few
Who ever thought the winner might be you?
Wisely wondering, yes
But costing the best years of your life
Now, use well the time that’s left
Prepare for the real parade
Don’t be afraid
Bring on the clowns
 
Stanski
February 19, 2020 ^