Month: June 2022

JUNETEENTH

Lake Michigan is active

Waves scatter at the shore

There is no rhythm

Birds, mostly seagulls

Act confused and the

The gaggle of geese has

Trouble staying together

Color the lake gray with

A sky that is white, blue

And pink with a cold look

Tree branches move listlessly

Last night a storm went through

Lots of lightning and thunder

A Fourth of July show only

It was Juneteenth.  So it

Was two weeks early

Landscaping work planned

For today may be put off

Unless the sun begins to shine

The new electric mower

Needs a workout.  The

Gasoline mower which takes

Ten minutes to start will

Be used like a brush-hog

Cutting the rough stuff to

Make is easier for the

New mower to do a job

That looks finished when

It is through with its cutti9ng

The wind and waves are

Putting on a concert with

The rustling of the leaves

Which have gone from

Lime to a darker green

It feels like fall but we still

Have part of June, all of July

And August and most of

September.  We have food,

Water and shelter which is

More than most of the world

Who would call today a great day

Stanski

June 20, 2022, ^

Our nation is divided

But we have been able

To survive in a reasonable

Way, except for those who

Use criminal ways to proclaim

Their displeasure with things

While never doing anything

To improve condition for

Themselves of others causing

Many people to suffer, but

Nothing like the people of

Ukraine have suffered

Their culture is different

From ours with fathers

Choosing a man for his

Daughter to marry, giving

The man the right to beat

And scold the daughter at

Will, leaving her distraught

Seemingly with no way out

Of the undesirable situation

Many of the women turned

To religion and found solace

There.  Many time the man

Found religion for himself

Peace in the family resulted

And thanksgiving to the

Almighty took place.  They

Were blind, but now they see

His light overcame the darkness

Faith prevailed followed by

Gratefulness and thanksgiving

Stanski

June 19, 2022, ^

There are a lot of needs

Many people just above the poverty

We know those close to the line

Still, we look out for the damaged

Tends to their needs, gives them council

This is where we have to be

Jesus said to go to the fringes

Carry on without complaint

And we can do much more

Work many hours, almost tirelessly

Love our work, and would like to serve more

Would be happy with a few volunteers

Wouldn’t ask for anything more,

Isn’t that the way of true saints

They show up and serve

Doing all they can

Then look for even more to do

Quietly charting their course

Never waving a flag or

Looking for recognition

We are like that

The One who counts knows

He is the one we please and

He gives us the strength

People are grateful for us

We are grateful for Him

Standki

June 18, 2022, ^

Holler when you think you’re

Right, it impresses the weak

Good ideas are buried

Because big men put their

Fingers down and believers

Cave, being afraid of retribution

We can’t raise the rates now

The neighborhood will be upset

Finally a compromise.

We will raise a smaller amount

Three years in a row

That just brings the irritation

To light and we don’t need that

There are a lot of mistruths

The waves are rolling in by

The hundreds; when they

Hit the shore they disperse

Lies to not disperse and

Eventually cause a lot of pain

When meeting on the situation

The big man with the voice

Doesn’t show up, not wanting

To be associated with the failure

The way of life and we question

Why things don’t get done

Too many egos with the need

To control.  Not a good thing

The truth just sometimes isn’t

Stanski

June 16, 2022, ^

With my back to the west

I must face the east and

In the morning it is bright

On some days you see the

Sunrise and on other days

You stare at the glare it

Causes as it tries to brake

Through the clouds

The lake looks cold with

The wind coming from

The southeast the waves

Appear parallel to the shore

It is a lovely visual and as

The sun breaks through

We see the birds flying

Happily and hear their

Songs which syncopate

With the rustle of the leaves

Nature is powerful but

Most of the time remains

Gentle and considerate.

You might say, if it had

Emotions.  It is still cool

For the middle of June

Warnings came for an

Afternoon storm.  We

Take what comes and

Are happy to be here

In the Garden of Paradise

We will not be tempted

By any dark angel to

Abandon our beliefs

And fall into witchcraft

The geese are slowly

Swimming to their feeding

Ground which is on a

Sandbar about two hundred

Yards out from shore

Their instincts sometimes

Supersede our thought out

Intentions.  So it goes

Stanski

June 15, 2022. ^

I struggle now, to a degree

The pain, the noise, and the chaos  

But then again the beauty of

Nature, when I take the time to

Consider melts away all anxiety

And I realize that just to be is

A wondrous miracle and this

Event brings with it the

Wonderful opportunity of

Doing for others in the midst

Of a wave of negativity.  We

Look for locations or people

To lay the blame on and we

Then realize that the blame

Falls upon us all.  We do not

Make the rules and many that

Are made make no sense and

If you discuss this with the wrong

People you get rebuffed because

They are certain on whom to blame

I am tired, but cannot stop working

For what is right.  I do not compare

With Gandhi, Mother Theresa and

Others but strive to follow their

Footsteps, using them as a guide,

Never deviating from their path

Soon it will be quiet and I will

Struggle to have some noise and

Chaos.  I know we have not

Existed for any length of time

Without warring and enslaving,

As well as committing genocide

On our fellow man.  Collectively

We do not appreciate the folly and

The beauty of nature.  The rustle

Of leaves, sound of the wind,

The songs of the birds, the sunrise

Moon, stars and sunset

We are told to build our places

Of adoration with love, but

Being men, we bring stones

Stanski

June 15, 2022, ^

Where would we be if

There were not so many

People seeking to control

Others and having an ego

Which prevents them from

Listening to other’s ideas

For solutions to the pitfalls

We have in our society

Those ordained to lead

Walk away from the

Difficult and choose the

Easy paths where much

Credit falls upon them.

While this is true the

Accountability although

Ignored will not be removed

From them in a sacred

Ceremony, but contrarily

They will be held to account

By the people, they were to

Serve or the Deity who gives

Out talent.  If we could

Accept this as the truth

And then make a determined

Effort to turn ourselves around

We could have a world where

Everyone lived in harmony

And had shelter, food and water

We are frail beings and the

Likelihood of this occurring

Is almost nil although the

Actuality would provide us

With a wonderful world

Stanski

June 14, 2022, ^

When an injury occurs or an operation takes place

You usually need some physical therapy to improve

Recovery and shortening the path to psychologically

Keep you sane.  One is grateful to the person

Helping you and they are very encouraging, prompting

You do your exercises correctly and be aware of

Your posture.  They are also keenly aware that you could

Take a spill so they are always on the alert for the sake of

The recovering patient.  It is a wonderful feeling to

Have a healer who actually cares and is pulling for you

Throughout the process.  So far I have been lucky or

Blessed.  All of my caretakers have been lovely people who

Are diligent and do not deviate from protocol

The Physical Therapy area is part of the addition to the Hospital

They also have a swimming pool for water therapy. 

An infusion center, named for my late bride,

Is also ready.  The rural health clinic has been remodeled

And soon will be ready for the art to be hung. 

This will be a big job and it will be fulfilling for me 

If I am left alone to make the decisions on where

The work is to be hung.  In life, there are usually more Chiefs

Than regular Indians so I must contend with egos and

The need to control.  Everyone has an opinion and not every

Piece of art is appreciated by everyone, although

The majority of the people really like the art and

Many of the pieces came from Santa Fe.  Some of

The artists there donate a few pieces if I but one

Or two.  This has helped our collection and we

Have about three hundred pieces.  It will take some

Time to figure the layout, then the hanging, and

Finally the labeling.  I hope I continue to heal

While proceeding with the Art Project.

Stanski

June 13, 2022, ^

The sun is shining brightly

The mild breeze is whispering

Nature’s original music

A fawn is laying on the grass

Just outside of the woods

Its white spots are round

Like its position on the ground

To say we are blessed is

An understatement to all

The television is blaring

Baby talk and bad manners

Prevail and I wonder what

The psychological result will be

As those who watch it grow up

Stupidity wrapped up as

Entertainment.  There may

Be some lessons learned but

Also affirmation for bad manners

It is the way of an affluent society

Where control of people is

A necessary evil that we do

Not realize until we are in a crisis

There is a family of geese swimming

In single file in Lake Michigan’s water

It appears to be a mother and four

Children.  The father was with them

Yesterday but absent this morning

The reason is not known and

Could only be guessed at

My daughter, granddaughter and

Great-granddaughter are on the

Beach looking and searching for

Beach glass.  It is fun and I hate

To paint it black, but why should

We have broken glass on our beaches

It is said that the lakes and oceans

Are full of man-made garbage

Some people just don’t care or

They learned the bad behavior

From the Sunday morning cartoons

Stanski

June 12, 2022, ^

My meditation for today. An adoration.

I see the God of earth, the God of all the universe; the creator of all we understand, and the God of all that we don’t know. The Almighty One, the all-powerful One; the One Who knows everything, which is beyond our comprehension; the God Who wants love and gives love to us in ways we cannot understand; Who keeps order in the planets and stars and all solar systems, while we destroy one tiny speck (our earth) like a dime on a football field and think we are righteous. Where we live in chaos and fail to live up to His precepts where we ignore the fringes in order to favor our own selfish interests, where we focus on ourselves avoiding the cries for help, and where our faith is weak but our hope for His favor is excellent. Our love although sincere falls short of expectations.

Stanski

June 11, 2022, ^