Month: August 2022

FROM WINTER DREAMS TO SPRING COVID

The other day about seven in

The morning I was dreaming

That snow was all over the

Evergreens and the leaves and

Branches of the deciduous trees

My screens were covered with

Snow the way the wind blows it

I was just making peace with the

Situation when I woke up and

Saw the early morning sun

Being ready for snow I was a

Little disappointed, but when

I really woke up I was a happy

Camper.  A night to day difference

A story from a fellow traveler a

While back exclaimed about a

Spring when they were confined

It was the most beautiful that anyone

Could remember.  The birds singing,

The sun out, and the trees bursting

Into bloom.  The people were let out

For only an hour a day.  When traveling

By train a lot of bribery took place

It was customary so people weren’t

Taken back.  He slept on the ground

While everything was checked at the

Border.  He was near the Niger River,

Had the stars above. The faint susurration

Of the river and the murmur of voices

From the nearby village.  Patience and

Respect were needed.  It cost him

Five pounds in bribes.  He had been in

Mali three times and mad a point of

Stating the importance of custom,

Language and protocol. Travel is like

The weather as you never know for sure

Stanski

August 17, 2022, ^

A FARM IN JUD, ND

There is an abandoned house

Along a dirt road in Jud, North Dakota

I’ve walked by it a few times

It’s off the road a piece and

When it’s not overgrown you

Can see where the narrow drive was

Along the old fence line

Tall trees including a few cottonwoods

Stand proudly around the old place

They were probably planted when the house was new

Rather small by our present day standards, but

Once was considered stately and envied by

More than one of the gentry and fellow churchgoers

Now the roof has caved a bit and some of

The glass is broken.  Eventually

The earth will reclaim it

Life goes on

I was never curious enough to have a look see, but

I often wondered who the homesteaders were

What were they like?  Where were they from?

Did they have children?  How many?

How did things go? 

How was it taking the bad with the good?

What did their parents think?

Oh the questions to ask and

Then only imagine the answers

Did they have to leave?

We’ll never know, but

My contemplation lifts my spirits and

I thank God for these people

They are my heroes

By Steve Haarman

July 10, 2012

^

The street was not busy

It was more of a country road

We were happy and walking

The side of the road was rough

So we walked down the center

Of the road and moved over

Most of the time trying not

To inconvenience the drivers

Of vehicles who not the less

Tooted their horns and gave

Us the Pope’s blessing.  We

Ignored everything and kept

On walking and talking and

Telling each other our fears

And sins.  We laughed so

Hard we cried and kept on

Walking.  A produce truck

Stopped and gave us some

Fruit and veggies.  We thanked

Them, ate the food and headed

Back.  We had a lot of dreams

To share and felt that life

Had a lot to offer us.  We

Couldn’t write anything in stone

But made some vague

Agreements that we would

Try to accomplish.  It was

Getting late so we packed

It in and headed home

The visuals looked different

Going the other way, so

We were filled twice. On

The outskirts of town we

Were picked up by friends

They took us home and

We called it a day

Stanski

August 12, 2022, ^

It is August, but

A hint of winter is

In the air.  Much too

Early; it gives you

Something to think

About.  We have

Learned to take it

As it comes

Across the street

There is a field of grass

Along with a circular

Pond of water about

Ten feet across.  In

The middle of the pond

Stands a man with his

Arms outstretched much

Like you would expect

Of a scarecrow

He had a full beard

And medium length

Curly hair.  He is wearing

A black cassock which

Just covers his knees

There are birds flying

Around but not making

Much noise. Further back

In the field is an old church

It looks abandoned, but

There is smoke coming out

Of the chimney.  There are

No cars, trucks, or buses

I think about it and conclude

To my satisfaction that

The man lives in the church

And does what he can to

Keep people from intruding

He is his own minister

And sings songs from the

Requiem and stays until

He feels redemption

His songs are soul cleansing

I feel exhilarated.  Everything

Is coming together for me

Let it snow; let it snow; let it snow

Stanski

August 12, 2022, ^                                                          

The “Red Alert” is feverish

News from Israel is daunting

What is left of Ukraine?

Little children hardly able to walk

Hunger and thirst left to prevail

No hope for tomorrow’s food

Afghanistan was seized by the Taliban

Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan

The Biden Family handcuffed by China

Nancy suddenly picks winning stocks

Better than Warren Buffett

FBI’s raid on the Trump residence

Illegals flooding our southern border

Stay in Mexico restrictions lifted

Bus illegals into Washington DC

Spend trillions to keep inflation down

Hire more IRS agents

The FBI no longer our safeguard

Flooding in Tennessee

Starvation in Haiti and Africa

River beds dry and cracking

Human trafficking causing death

Contaminated Fentanyl striking

Down thousands

Misinformation an instrument of control

Election cheating brought to notice

Followed by denials and lies

My hand is hot and my

Phone is smoking

Does anyone want resolution?

There are no trains to safety

Leaders involved in land grabs

Journalism has dissolved into

Myside versus your side

Laughter is the last thing we hear

Stanski

August 11, 2022, ^

THE WAY IT WORKS

I am operating left-handed

In a right-handed way. 

It May sound confusing, but

This is a painting and I want it to

Be intriguing.  It is not easy

To be outrageous, but I have

Clients who are breathlessly

Waiting for the result and

Then the real fun begins as

They try to outbid each other

For something they think is

Priceless.  They also want to

Be the collector with the most

Pieces of my work.  They are

In anxiety about how I do them

So quickly and uniquely

I acknowledge the good question

Comment on it and then leave

The moon is optimum

For me.  It is almost full and

The shadows caused by the light

Reflected gives a dire feeling

This time of the year.  I am

Satisfied and thinking about my

Next project.  Art is personal

And everyone has their own

Take on it.  I am driven to do

My very best when I am

Aroused by someone’s work

We should all be driven by that

Way, but that is just my opinion

I will rest now for a while and

Then go on with life

Stanski

August 10, 2022. ^

The dream is over

I am fully awake and

What I dreamt is still

Vivid in my mind

A large canvas

Deep brown apparently

But upon closer observation

There is much going on

Two people walking into

The woods without a

Care in the world

They are amazed by

The flora and fauna and

See a few non-threatening

Animals.  They are amazed as

They look at each other and

Overwhelmed as they

Encounter another couple

They have a picnic together

Drinking wine, red and white

And depart before dark

They agreed to meet again

We changed directions and

Ran into a series of people

All interesting and remote to us

Some would say that all of this

Was not visible on the

Brown canvas but if you have

An open mind and a soul

It would all become obvious

You have to look, but it is

All there.  Dreams are not to be

Debated.  Please dream on

They make good stories

Stanski

August 9, 2022, ^

No one believes me, but

So what?  I am driving a

Caddy while they are

Happy with their used

Fords and Chevys.  It

All started the summer

I decided to spike the

Lemonade with a bit of vodka

The formula was simple:

The juice of 8 lemons, 4

Tangerines, 6 ounces of

Vodka, Ice cubes, and water

A simple sign said:  “Juice

Stand; feel good before

You get home.  Four dollars”

I was usually blessed with

A dollar tip.  Now and then

An older sophisticated

Gentleman would hand me

A ten and say keep the change,

You have changed my life

My carefree uncle signed

For all the permits and

Was in charge of procuring

The ingredients.  Before long

I had ten stands and

An enforcer who lets everyone

Know that the lead pipe

He carries is to keep

Everyone in line.  My lawyer

Wrote up contracts and

Before the summer was

Half-over we had a happy

Community.  The next year

We expanded into three

Communities, then six and

Finally twelve.  I did not

Sweat the fine points

A corporation bought

Me out and set up franchises

Across the country.  Of course

My enforcer made sure I got

A cut of the profits and everyone

Was happy.  We lasted eight years

Before the war closed

The popularity of the business.

You can imagine.  It was a

Good run.  I invested elsewhere

And my nest egg kept growing.

I was interviewed and wrote

A book named “Don’t Forget

The Vodka.”  It became a best

Seller and was the talk of the town.

Looking back I can say that I

Squeezed a lot of joy out of life

Stanski

August 9, 2022, ^

I step outside and feel the air

It is not too bad, but I grab a jacket

After crossing the road I walk into

To woods.  I am somewhat leery

For I know there is a bobcat on

The prowl and has been spotted

More than once in the last few

Months.  I zip up my coat which

Gives me some security, but only

In my mind. I focus on the ground

And can see a lot of beauty but am

Not fully relaxed to enjoy it as I

Should.  Usually when I stroll through

The woods the branched brush off

All the problems I seem to carry with

Me.  I look for light and see sun rays

Filtering through the branches

This makes me feel better and I

Continue my trek through and over

The ten acres of land.  The two

O’clock train comes rumbling over

The tracks on the far side of the woods

Its first peal makes me jump.  After

Two or three more I settle down

The number of cars is over two

Hundred.  It is like counting waves

Soon the line ends.  No more click

Clack.  I see some deer and delight

At what nature brings us in spite

Of our unintentional disruption of it

There is a whole trove of white flowers

Which gave the appearance of snow

They gave out a fragrance of spring

Nothing we do can compete with what

Comes naturally to us if we just take the time

To look and listen.  I think about how we

Are just a dot in the forever universe.

We have worth but tend to waste or

Misuse what has been given to us

We never seem to learn.  I head for home

Stanski

August 6, 2022, ^

When one looks about it becomes

Obviously apparent that we are all

Different in many ways and the same

In others.  This can be disappointing

At we would like others to think about

Life as we do.  We have the feeling

That if left in charge we would have

Or could have a perfect world.  But

This is not the case as we have been

Given free will and our need to be

Important and above it all exceeds

That of others.  We see and know of

People, even whole countries, who are

Suffering from thirst, hunger and disease

This bothers us, possibly, but at the

Same time we have a lust for vacation

Homes, travel trailers and all the things

That go with them.  We see advertising

For things we already have and because

They look nice we want them, forgetting

About those knocked out by flooding,

Hurricanes, tornadoes, fire, and war

We see pictures of our world’s children

Suffering from malnutrition and dying

From starvation and lack of water, but

Can’t get the idea of a new boat, a trip

To some Caribbean island, offering

Luxuries beyond our comprehension,

Out of our mind.  We are not required

To change our life style, but have a

Choice of coming to the aid of those

In need.  We have to make our own

Choices.  It is up to us to decide if we

Want to serve others at the expense

Of giving up things that we would like

For ourselves.  Which is more important

When the time comes for reflection

Are we going to be happy with our

Decisions or wish we had done moved in

A different direction.  Only time will tell

And none of us knows how much time

We have.  Act wisely, my friends.  Give

Of yourself for others.  There will be no

Regrets if this is done.

Stanski on August 5, 2022, ^