Month: December 2023

It is over

The year closes gray

Celebrations reign

Not for the feign of heart

But for those who welcome

A fresh start

Drink the champaign

Cheer your fellow man

Make exciting wishes

For success and all it encumbers

Some won’t be around

To watch us as we grow

Will remain a memory

Some have forgotten

How they got this far

It wasn’t alone and

Not without fear.

The carpet is swept

Purple, gold, and magenta

Waiting for fresh steps

And purpose. Elements of

Emotion will shake us

Yet we will take the steps

Our hand will be encompassed

By One of a higher command

Thus we have nothing to fear.

Stanski

December 31, 2023,

I gape into the past or look back

The past year particularly

It was semi-lost because of an accident

The year before in February I slipped on

Black ice and tore a ligament in my

Right quadriceps. It has been a long

Time healing. The book says two years.

This takes you away from many things

You like to do in the community. These

Things have always delighted me and

Include gardening, landscaping, working

With art, including framing. There are

Other things such as writing poems and

Muses that take time and tax creative juices,

If there were any to begin with. It leaves time

For reading, but mostly you are involved in

The rehabilitation of the injury. Traveling

Great distances alone are a no-no so I stick

To the so-called back forty. However there

Is much you can do there, such as supervising

And giving advise whether asked for or not.

I do not get out as much as liked, but by the

Grace of God this will change before long and

I will be back to tending the gardens and

Changing the landscape. It is a wonderful world,

With many people to help along the way.

Stanski

December 30, 2023, ^

You have to understand my friend

This is all from a dream

We bought a cottage north

Patchy purple with a poach

Neighbors came, took photos

Then copied, charcoal on paper

Wrote headings in two languages

Sorry that I only knew one

The images they drew moved

They danced and ran through the woods

Returned, out of breath, and

Took their place on the walls

One or two had been institutionalized

The rest pointed them out with pride

Then wrote in their native tongue

Interpreted just below in ours

Their clothes like cloaks blew in the wind

Babies, two or three, they held and swirled

The children squealed in delight

The charcoal nary moved in the dance

But in place they stayed transfixed

The collection of hand drawn animals

We hung around the dinning table

The sky above reflected the house

Sadly they announced their move south

They would return now and then if

Only some of our photos we would send

Stanski

December 29, 2023, ^  

We wait

A few more days

Then start over

A new year

A chance to make amends

Or repeat the same mistakes

What makes us happy

Can we put our finger on it

Or just roam the land looking

What concerns us the most

Ourselves or the condition of others

We better zero in on the answer

Our chances are dwindling as we age

Little things give us joy

Then we think of the deprived in the world

The persecuted, raped, and ravaged

The hungry, thirsty, those without shelter

We become meaningless to ourselves

Except in what we can do for others

Real joy takes this route

How can we look away and ignore need

And watch as others take action

Are we just fans or are we followers

Jesus gave His suffering and life

He said to imitate Him in our sacrifice for others

Let us find the fringes and employ our help

This is what He asks of us

Stanski

December 28, 2023, ^

Back in 1961 or 1962

The snow fall in Grand

Rapids was 192 inches .

This record has lasted all

These years. Now we are

Wondering whether we

Will be getting any snow

At all, at least on the shores

Of Lake Michigan in the U.P.

The ground is as bare as it

Is in the fall and the trees

Show no snow or frost.

We, us older folks, do not

Need snow to make us

Happy, regardless of the

Commercials telling us

Otherwise. Snow-machinists

And alpine skiers would differ

But then again, that is their problem.

Safe driving is important and

It is safer without snow and ice.

Christmas has come and gone,

Except for the twelve days of

Christmas, and New Years will

Soon be here. Snow has bogged

Down airports all over so we can

Be happy that we are safe.

Stanski

December 27, 2023, ^

No man is walking the shore.

No snow to buffer his steps.

Rain by the buckets.

Reminds us of our fallibility.

We are one of many.

From all over the world,

We have no claims than

Others can’t also make

The Child has been born.

This is significant in different ways

To each of us including the one

Sitting next to us in the church pew.

If Jesus is the Savior, then what

Are we? As He grows He will

Call on us to follow Him. We

Are already His Fan, but that is

Not enough. That would be too

Easy. We must be ready to roll

Up our sleaves and get our hands

Dirty, following His command to go

To the fringes and help those in need.

When this is finished, we will go to the

Next location. This will not be easy.

There will be conflict and fighting,

Sacrifice and slaughter, all in his name.

If we are loyal, He will call us home. He

Will be The Shepherd leading and

Caring for one flock.

Stanski

December 26, 2023, ^

The morning is here.

We have been waiting

For the birthday of Jesus

It seems a long time coming

We wonder how the

Orient Kings felt

Their trip was long and

They must have felt relief

The shepherds were nearby

And the angels nigh

The Holy Family also traveled

From afar, due to a decree

No room in the inn, they

Settled for a stall. As we

Celebrate we also have a

Heavy heart. The baby had to

Fulfill a prophesy made a long

Time ago. He would grow into

A man, a carpenter and then

A preacher and miracle worker

He knew His time was marked.

He gathered His followers to

Spread the good news. We think

Of this as we gather and sing songs.

Now is the time to be quiet as the

Child has to sleep. He has a big

Journey ahead.

Stanski

December 25, 2023, ^

With no snow to cover

The ground and trees it

Seems like another gray

Day of fall. The days are

Getting longer and the

Temperatures mild and

It does not feel as though

Christmas is a day away.

It is a dreary feeling and

When one has prepared

It is a disappointment. The

Influx of cards and greetings

Has diminished and I have

Been ignored by many of

My so-called friends. I can

Forgive them and do as they

Are probably sick or may have

Had a bad year which left them

Handicapped. The thing hits at

A time when you are already

Depressed because of the weather,

Etc. a lot of energy expended to

Celebrate the birth of Jesus and

Many are not happy at all. Maybe

We are selfish or possibly just old.

Conditions will get better, but it will

Be too late.

Stanski on December 24, 2023, ^

A mother’s delight.

Watching her child in

The preschool class

Celebrating Christmas

Following the music

Embellished by homemade

Tambourines which gave

A silver jingle and it must

Have broken their hearts

Because only yesterday

Their little darling was

Just an infant in swaddling

Cloths totally dependent

On her and now look at

The little one, leading the

Band, all dressed up in

Holiday clothes and happy

To be with all her mates.

It is a wonderful time of

The year, when Christ was

Born. The angels were there

Too, along with the shepherds

And later the wise men and

In the background you could

Hear a hardy, Ho, Ho, Ho. Tears

In her eyes as she held up her

I-phone capturing the event.

Stanski

December 23, 2023, ^

I reach inside myself to

Awaken myself to reality.

This is not a game we’re

Playing. This existence

We call life. It is serious

And we have an outline

On how to live it. That is

If we wish to gain eternal

Reward. We must not

Neglect those in need,

Just as we don’t neglect

The weeds in the garden

Or the grass when it grows

Long. We pick the weeds and

Trim the grass and in real

Life we feed the hungry and

Give then water for their

Thirst, along with clothing

And shelter. When this is

Finished we move on to the

Next area of need. In the garden

We scrub clean the bird bath and

Fill it with water, as well as the

Birdfeeder. On the fringes we

Read the bible and teach prayers.

This is truly living as we were instructed.

Stanski

December 22, 2023, ^