Month: August 2020

We are free to dream

We are free to hypothesize

Free to draw conclusions and

free to analyze

Feelings are tender, still

we have felt no anguish

except for our losses and even then

others come along to fill all voids

Resentment will prey on reality

We have our positions and hold fast

Blustering is a substitute for

An unconvincing point of view

Understanding may be a hostile word

We have that need to be right

and what about all the precepts

given to us as a gift which

in the end had a great cost

What is our position now, when

we remember the basis for our living

Do we drop our head in shame?

Recognize Who gave us the ground

upon which we proudly bloviate

attacking a wayward acolyte

instead of serving those on the fringes

We bring light to our eminence

Missing the chance to bring food and water

to those who have been denied and have no shelter

Is this what we are good for?

Have we no higher aspirations

then to find fault in things

we do not put into perspective

Do we attempt to elevate ourselves

By diminishing those who sacrificed

Life is a precious gift meant

to be lived to the fullest

while dreaming of eternal rewards

So clear, when reflected properly

Stanski

August 11, 2020 ^

We dance sometimes when we want to cry

No one can observe this theater of the feet

Music ends; you do not wait for the next song

Fresh air was the music my heart desired

Deep inhalations as I took in the view

Moon light on the water showed a calm sea

My heart ache would not ease – memories-

Too strong to let go nor the desire to do so

Dancing had always been fun – of course she led

The band could not stay long enough

Silent respect and love of each other enabled us

Something unique; we had so much to live for

There was no pressure; we lived for each other

Our lives, though together, had their singular paths

Questions were never asked; only support was given

Live proceeds; hard work required and accepted

Time moves on; eventually we were alone

Our children found their own paths which they took

We pulled the stop cord and ended our careers

Moved to our shack in the Upper Peninsula

Angels can dance on the head of a pin

The number has never been revealed to us

They were dancing privately while keeping their watch

Knowing there would be a day not too far into the future

They waited patiently until they were called to duty

In the meantime we danced a different step for us

We traveled to visit our children and enjoyed life

Being on the ground of life was a lifting experience

We had our moments and life was good

Our accomplishments were not counted as we went on

Then the news that a diagnosis was going to be fatal

Her angels showed her the light:  Magenta, Gold, and Purple

They stopped dancing and took her away

I was left empty with no place to turn

So we smile even though we are sad

And dance slowly when we want to cry

Stanski

August 10, 2020 ^

                                                                                                            August 8, 2020 ^

Today is Saturday and it is morning.  Wind is blowing and waves are crashing the shore.  It is nature’s music and the performance is continuing without sunshine.  Clouds are heavy and deep gray.  The weather map does not show signs of any let up.  Rain so far is intermittent.  Our plans had been to go to the Lutheran Church and tend to some landscape maintenance.  My landscape work of the last seven years has been neglected.  I resigned because of health concerns and no one has stepped up, nor was anyone been hired to do the work.  I will plug away at it for about an hour each day for the next few weeks.  This should suffice and bring things up to speed. The congregation is dwindling.  People quit attending for various reasons; health is a factor and death has taken some of our dear ones.  One man who led the singing and his wife who played the piano at a weekend service just quit saying the church was not conservative enough.  They had been involved for years and then suddenly they leave a note on the piano bench with their explanation.  I thought why not say you are getting up in years and need to call it a day and give thanks for the opportunity to have served.  Jesus taught us to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves — so LOVE is the word.  It was never qualified which implies that we may not be selective in whom we love, but should love all without question.  Each of us has a purpose, usually unknown to us and we should not set ourselves up to pontificate.  Why bring misery and doubt when you can bring joy.  In the Catholic Church, I cringe when at a wedding or funeral mass the priest has to tell the non-Catholics that they cannot receive Communion but can come up and be blessed.  In the bible we read that Jesus said at the last supper, come, all of you and eat this bread for it is my body and drink this wine for it is my blood.  He made no exceptions, but invited everyone.  At a time when all churches are reaching out for members it seems contrary and offensive to go against the intentions of Jesus.  Do man rules supersede the wishes of our Redeemer?  This denial of the Eucharistic meal seems so counterproductive.  Rain is pouring and trees are swaying.  It is most likely that plans across the region have changed.  The birdbath is filling and plants are being watered and other things are being done.  Before I left my bed, I thought about writing these things down and sharing them with people I love and respect.  I think and pray for friends, living and deceased, as well as for all my relatives, those past and the present, each day.  Everyone has their own life and some paths that once crossed frequently do not cross at all any more.  We have little control physically so we make our connections in a spiritual way which is probably more meaningful.  Life events take us from one thing to the next and many times exciting things are never shared.  We send Christmas letters and greetings and that is that, but in the meantime have social intercourse with those around us who have a present influence in our lives.  Everyone, with some exceptions, pretty much believes this and the same phenomena exists in their being.  It is with these thoughts that I close for now, sending my love and best wishes.  Be at peace.

Steve

Morning comes and she is not there

Mourning follows morning but must end

There will be no news reporter echoing sentiment

Only a mind that is strong will attempt

to remember the things she did in

surrendering her life to the needs of others

Her family was everything along with

a few close friends who needed her for

the balm to soothe over their lives rough edges

She participated, but was not

an absent minded follower and walked

away from useless activity because her

devotion to family was so important to her

She had great sentiment and could surge with pride

Steps taken by her had purpose and

she would light up a room with her presence

Scores were known but there was no condemnation

Rather she offered her unique balm which

was only understood long after it was applied

There was no competition with herself or others

“So what” was her attitude as her reflections

brought her into a new theater of opportunity

Her memory is my ointment and I do not

need pictures as she is enshrined in my mind

She a jewel, cut just so, that the prisms

reflected her attributes in ways that

changed her charges forever and a day

Stanski

August 9, 2020 ^

                                                                                                             August 8, 2020 ^
 
Today is Saturday and it is morning.  Wind is blowing and waves are crashing the shore.  It is nature’s music and the performance is being done without sunshine.  Clouds are heavy and deep gray.  The weather map does not show signs of any let up.  Rain so far is intermittent.  Our plans had been to go to the Lutheran Church and tend to some landscape maintenance.  My landscape work of the last seven years has been neglected.  I resigned because of health concerns and no one has stepped up, nor was anyone hired to do the work.  I will plug away at it for about an hour each day for the next few weeks.  The congregation is dwindling.  People quit attending for various reasons; health is a factor and death has taken some of our dear ones.  One man who led the singing and his wife who played the piano at a weekend service just quit saying the church was not conservative enough.  They had been involved for years and then suddenly they leave a note on the piano bench with their explanation.  I thought why not say you are getting up in years and need to call it a day and give thanks for the opportunity to have served.  Jesus taught us to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves --- so LOVE is the word.  It was never qualified which implies that we may not be selective in whom we love, but should love all without question.  Each of us has a purpose, usually unknown to us and should not set ourselves up to pontificate.  Why bring misery and doubt when you can bring joy.  In the Catholic Church, I cringe when at a wedding or funeral mass the priest has to tell the non-Catholics that they cannot receive Communion but can come up and be blessed.  In the bible we read that Jesus said at the last supper, come, all of you and eat this bread for it is my body and drink this wine for it is my blood.  He made no exceptions, but invited everyone.  At a time when all churches are reaching out for members it seems contrary and offensive to go against the intentions of Jesus.  Do man rules supersede the wishes of our Redeemer?  This denial of the Eucharistic meal seems so counterproductive.  Rain is pouring and trees are swaying.  It is most likely that plans across the region have changed.  The birdbath is filling and plants are being watered and other things are being done.  Before I left my bed, I thought about writing these things down and sharing them with people I love and respect.  I think and pray for friends, living and deceased, as well as all my relatives past and present, each day.  Everyone has their own life and some paths that once crossed frequently do not cross at all any more.  We have little control physically so we make our connections in a spiritual way which is probably more meaningful.  Life events take us from one thing to the next and many times exciting things are never shared.  We send Christmas letters and greetings and that is that, but in the meantime have social intercourse with those around us who have a present influence in our lives.  Everyone, with some exceptions, pretty much believe this and the same phenomena exists in their being.  It is with these thoughts that I close for now, sending my love and best wishes.  Be at peace.
Steve

Every word we utter, with purpose or nonchalant
And every act and action or reaction has purpose
and matters in this shallow life we live
 
Every thought has consequences and
as we delve into “what is life”; we must work
with persistence to stay above the fray
 
We must listen to our inner voices, our spirit
and the very core of our nature
 
To drift away from who we are is to
fracture or chip off a piece of a precious vessel
and only the foolish would do this
on purpose knowing the results
 
Life is a precious gift and with it comes
the gift of opportunity to live it to the fullest
 
We are our own keeper, but
our brothers and sisters matter
We are not their keepers but we may
charge ourselves with helping them
even laying down our life for them
 
To live this way with care and not
abandonment is to be filled up
What would life be without this?
 
What word; what act would matter if
we did not blanket it with good purpose
 
We are the assigners of our destiny
Let us remember that thoughts of this matter
 
Stanski
August 8, 2020 ^
 

Waking up feeling restored

Morning is bright and smelling fresh

You thank your God for being born

Then you feel the condition rush

Where are the broad shoulders

That could carry the weight?

They have vanished; we are on our own

Anarchy; virus – destined to defeat us

A media enriched by lies of leftists

Denial and blame when there is no goal

The truth is there but slanted at best

We must dig deep searching for our soul

Fight without fear for security

It is in our hands and we must persevere

Guilt and blame are counterproductive

We must collectively put on the pressure

Think of Antifa and Black Lives Matter

Both are socialists; Marxist groups

Came to life after the Lockdown

Using a foolish murder as an excuse

Waking up is important as are

Sunny mornings and fresh flowing air

Divisive tactics must be put aside to

Insure avoiding an equal misery affair

Peaceful protest must not unfold

Into a destructive, violent mob

Broad shoulders could carry the load

Protecting the innocent who will later sob

Let us keep this a one act show

Make sure the actors know their role

Quality not quantity will make them glow

Tame the anarchy; allow life to flow

Stanski

August 7, 2020 ^

It sounds so good

Has a nice ring to it

As does liberalism

And Marxism

But

When you feed

This beast

When you ride

This beast

It will take you

To the top

And then it will

Eat you

And

You will share

Equally in

The misery

You were

Unwittingly

Promoting for

Everyone else

Stanski

August 6, 2020 ^

We wander, graze and follow others

Our thoughts are vague, if we have any at all

We herd together and shadow each other

Now and then in our human form

we have thoughts that may cause distress

Eternity is ageless and evidence gathered

establishes our earth as billions of years old

We have no real idea of anything of substance

Our small thoughts are on survival

They are minuscule and of little importance

Billions have been here before, to little consequence

I sit as a human in your pasture

and think of what we are doing in Portland

It is an unfathomable phenomena

Over two hundred years ago—a speck in time—

men and women were blazing the Oregon Trail

At the same time the Santa Fe Trail was formed

These were primitive times and death and loss

were common elements of our being

We were intruding in territory occupied by

Indians who also came from other places

to form their encampments and way of life

There were skirmishes, killings, and the stealing of

horses, sheep as well as women and children

Retaliation followed and great leaders eventually

with the force of the military found a form of peace

Nothing is perfect compared to your pasture

Uprisings took place, but as time passed

Countrymen moved west and land was settled

and states were formed which still exist today,

a mere few years later, in reality

Everything is not perfect, but eventually

our Manifest Destiny was achieved and

for better or worse, at costs indeterminable

we became a nation, under God,

with inalienable rights—among them life, liberty

and the pursuit of happiness

Our country prospered as do the sheep in your pasture

There was food and opportunity but, as always,

dark spirited people who prey on others, as

a wolf will prey on your sheep, and people seeking power

began movements which would slowly

break down civility and remove our basic rights

Today the sheep are safe under your watch, but

because of the Chinese Virus, the Lockdown

that followed, the loss of business and jobs as

a result of decrees and fiats by those governing,

followed by deep concerns and panic and the unknown,

we find ourselves in a flux with continual change taking place

Then because of an unfortunate murder in Minneapolis,

isolated and confined people broke out in protest

They were obviously frustrated by this brutality

Evil forces intervened—Antifa, who tried to make us believe

they were antifascists, but are really paid anarchists

as are the Black Lives Matter organization, also present

Both groups are sponsored by Socialists and Marxists

They stepped up, infiltrated peaceful protestors and

encouraged the violence, fires, looting and

the murders which took place

These foolish people protesting destroyed their own business districts

owned by their neighbors and retaliated viciously

against those trying to keep law and order and contain the violence

The anarchy erupted in many cities around the country and

eventually broke out in Portland, which was settled,

thanks to the trail built so many years before

Many days, weeks and months have passed and

the vehemence continues, paid for by the radical leftists,

anxious to see the country in chaos

We need the good shepherd to lead us and keep us safe from

this aggression and brutality. 

Evil forces must not prevail and the Light must

overcome all of the darkness

We cannot sit idle, but do everything in our power to

bring about calm and peace

We can be our brother’s keeper, but must

Be ardent in obeying the law and following our great Constitution

In the end the virus will pass as will the violence

Peace will return to the cities and we will be content to be

Sheep in your wonderful pasture

Stanski

August 6, 2020 ^

I can see a man sitting in his wagon, directing his horse. 

He is a black man, wearing clean clothes and a straw hat. 

I do not know him, but can identify with him. 

I could even be him. 

I do not know where he is going but

he obviously knows his destination. 

He continues on, probably to a town for supplies. 

He is me and I wonder if I will forget anything. 

He is at one with nature. 

The time is in the past and in an area

where racism is not a factor. 

People of all persuasions attend churches and

schools and normality is existential. 

I am that man and have respect for

what is about me including the environment. 

I know things change including the weather. 

Glaciers existed where I am now farming. 

My soil is arid and difficult to work. 

I keep showing up through thick and thin.

I hope for success for myself and family and fellow farmers. 

I am not aware of the lynching in the south. 

I am at peace and free to proceed with life. 

I am now the white man observing the man in his wagon. 

At this time there is no pining against him. 

He is one of us. 

These are good times and we feel that they will hold forever. 

I am so sorry that we are wrong.

Stanski

August 5, 2020 ^