FISH FRY FRIIDAY

Called off

No fish

Changed to Pizza

Home cooked

Brains were fried

On cigarettes, drinks and

Songs that we were picking

Accessories from nowhere

Added spontaneously

Stomping on the floor

Clapping hands

High volume

Low meekness

Trying new songs

Adding new words

Starry, starry nights

No one would understand

They didn’t know how

Perhaps they never will

We had our duty

Never stop trying

Giddy and happy

There was no lying

Images were flying

On a cold autumn night

Waves from the southeast

Caught sparkle from the moon

Our hearts were lifted

Stanski on 11/20/2023, ^

LISTENING

A telephone call and I

Cannot quite understand

At first, but then it is

Explained that this is a

Thankyou call for a gift I

Made to help feed people

Who are starving and

Barely making it from day

To day. The caller tells me

That the conditions are

Brutal and that much

Suffering is taking place.

Meanwhile we are entertaining

The Chinese dictator Xi, who

Has us wrapped around his

Finger and who is persecuting

Hundreds of thousands citizen-

Slaves for China. We have made

It easy for him to have what looks

Like a grin on his face. The many

Millions the Biden family has made

From China is not worth the falling

Into Marxist Socialism. We see

Students cheering for Hamas and

Hezbollah and can only wonder.

Stanski

November 17, 2023, ^

A MONTH AND A HALF

About a little more than

Six weeks. That is all that we

Have, to do all the things that

We intended to do before the

Year came to an end. I look at

My record and have plenty

Of excuses. But the good Lord

Is not interested in excuses.

He is looking for a record of

Accomplishments which would

Stagger most men, but under normal

Circumstance, I would plow through

With ease and good intent. Injuries

Have held me back and I pray every

Day for healing with hope that I can

Get back on track next year. There

Are many saints I pray to for intercession.

I can only hope that I receive positive

Answers to my requests. There is much

To do and it pleases the Lord as well as

Myself when I get certain things done.

It is not easy, but with a good outlook

And strong endeavor I will be successful.

This will make me very happy.

Stanski

November 15, 2023,  ^

THIS RECKLESS WORLD

It is hard to believe that a

Person is not impeached

When over 6 million people

Have illegally immigrated

Into our country, including

Terrorists, convicts and

Evil people. The political

Party in charge could not

See fit to do the right thing

Meanwhile our country is crumling

Had the homeland security

Secretary been a republican

He or she would have been

Impeached if the same record

Had been prevalent. We are

Playing, “gotya”, with our children’s

Future. It doesn’t seem to matter

Because it is just one more piece of

The Democrat Party to turn our

Country to Socialism and take control

Of our every move. These people qill

Receive their rewards when the time

Comes. They have the numbers but no

Leadership. There will be a price to pay

And the crying and gnashing of teeth

Will bring no relief.

Stanski

November 14, 2023, ^

MONDAY MORNING COMING DOWN

The sun and wind working together

This day to provide a wonderful display

Of spindrift. The sparkle and irregularity

Of it dazzles and you have to protect

Your eyes from its glare. Here we are in

The middle of November, waiting for

Thanksgiving, then Christmas, New Years

And Valentines Day. It was the same this

Year. Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s day,

Memorial day, then the middle of November.

The world keeps turning and we have to

Keep up or else lose out on the adventure.

There are always projects and plans and

Before you know it, it is all over. Today the

Clouds are telling me to be on the lookout

For other’s needs. Many times you only get

One chance and it would be sad if you

Missed it. As we grow older we are saying

Goodbye to many friends for the final time.

It bruises the heart, but you cannot circumvent

Nature. We must keep up and use well all

The time we are given. We must remember

Our doldiers and others who sacrifice for us.

Stanski

November 13, 2023, ^

WHAT I SEE TODAY

I skim through the headlines,

Then the sports, followed by

The obituaries. Lately there

Have been many people dying

And I feel we are being diminished.

One was a former neighbor who had a

Twin and remembered me on my

Birthday a long time ago when, “Bell

Bottom Trousers, Coat of Navy Blue”

Was popular. He attended one of my

Parents visitations. We hadn’t seen him

In years. Three in a row have died from

The Lutheran Church. One of them was

A former pastor who kept active in the

Community well into his nineties. The

Other two were active in the church and

All three were members of the choir.

Life goes on but it is difficult to forget

Good, decent, and humble people. I

Always pray that I can be remembered

For the grace and dignity that I believe

I carry currently. Past times I remember

I have been quick to judge and sarcastic.

Overcoming these has been a challenge

That I keep working on. I try to make up

For it by doing good things for our community.

A loss is still a loss and I have an aching heart.

Stanski

November 12, 2023, ^

A DAY WITH PROMISE

Morning was bright with sunshine

The horizon merged with the clouds

There was no dread to be seen

No evil speaking out loud

The summer is behind us, but

Still gives hints of existence

The autumn leaves have fallen

Their color disappeared.

Tamaracks still show promise

Different stages of color

From deep golden to brown

Soon they too will be on the ground

With winter around the corner

We will be longing for these days

But we must face up to it

Snow, ice, and slippery roads

First we will have thanksgiving

And have much to be thankful for

Then preparing for the birth of Christ

The greatest gift, our redeemer

The Romans, afraid of a young king

Sent an edict calling for death of

Males under a year, making many

Live with fear. We wish for now in the

Promise of  a happier new year

Stanski

November 11, 2023, ^

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH

Jordan had the Palestinians who

Believed in a different form of Islam

Leave their country. This was many

Years ago. No Arab country would

Take in this sect of Arabs so they

Settled on claiming part of Israel

As their own and formed the PLO,

With Yassar Arafat leading the way.

Soon other Arab countries joined

With the idea of eradicating the

Jews. Over the years several attempts

Were made to have a peaceful

Middle East. At one point Barak

Was willing to give the Palestinians

95% of what they requested, but

This offer was refused because it did

Not include the exile of the Jews.

Over the years the Golen Heights was

Turned over to the PLO and later

The Gaza strip. Many American Presidents

Have been involved and many peace

Prizes have been given, but still we have

The issue. The Arabs want a Palestinian

State on Israel’s land. Even today there

Is talk of this. But the real issue is the

Existence of the Jews. Their demise will

Never take place.

Stanski

November 8, 2023, ^

A FEW THOUGHTS ON MY WRITING

I love to write

Especially when

The outcome is great

Who do I write for?

Myself and loved ones

Friends and fellows

I am encouraged

When kind comments

Come my way

Many, many words

Many, many miles

Good and bad

It all comes out

I watch a bird

Dive into lake water

Spear a fish

Live for another day

The ways of nature

The ways of poets

Not everyone satisfied

Nor do all understand

Poetry mimics life

Or maybe the other way

Some cringe at

The route to survival

A fish dies, the bird lives

Until an eagle changes that

This is not a human plan

More a law of nature

I’ll examine myself

The good, bad and the ugly

Regrets for some

Humility for others

Nothing changes yesterday

We have just today

Tomorrow when it comes

Begins with a clean slate

When we look back

We see a blur

Yesterday gone

I write for today

My words will fade

In the same way

Only the truth of them

Will endure forever.

Stanski 11/07/2023, ^

CONFUSION

Telephone notes

Overdue bills

   Add to clutter

Looking like a power pole

In Chinatown

Dirty clothes

   And ashtrays

Dripping faucets

Rust-stained shower with

   No clean towels

Kitchen sink full

   Of dirty dishes

Refrigerator empty

   With no hope of refill

Glass in side door

   Patched with duct-tape

Covered with weather-proof

   Plastic tacked in with carpet nails

Parents have been gone for how long?

   Too long is the answer

No chance on getting them back

Died with tears in their eyes

   And with broken hearts

Although not from pain, but

   Disappointment in not

Having claim to success

   In their effort to

Teach esteem and reliability

Self-respect was a foreign word

Laundry room full

   Of everything but

Soap and bleach

   Dryer without vent

Clothes just lay there

   No hope of seeing them clean

      Know what I mean?

This thing I’m on has to stop

   And let me off

No need to be this way

   Turn it around or

Start on fresh ground

   Which may not be better

Stanski

November 6, 2023, ^