Author: stevehaarman

I sit at my table, reflecting

On many things, including

The bright light of the sun

Reflecting off the inland sea

I dream of a time when I

Was young and delivered

The daily newspaper

At five in the morning

For five years. I knew my

Customers well and could

Tell when they were hurting

Or doing well. I knew when

alcohol was involved or when

couples were not getting along

many times, I was told to come

back later when I went to collect

the forty-five cents for the week.

at Christmastime, I was rewarded

with generous tips from some

and almost nothing from others

one of my non-paying customers

moved to Ada and was still up

to non-paying until I went to

using the charge cards only and

was told that the only reason he

came to me because he could

get what he wanted and pay only

when he felt he had enough money.

A few others didn’t like it but it

Saved me about three hours on

Sunday afternoons writing up bills

Which I hoped would be paid.

Soon it was a nonissue. That was

about the time the insurance companies

stepped and made-up rules we had

to follow, limiting my discretion in

how much I could dispense while

they offered three times the amount 

for the same copay if the customer

would order through the mail. This

of course, affected business and many

stores closed. We made it through.

Stanski

May 22, 2023, ^

A beautiful day for a walk

The woods were calling

I accepted the invitation

Entered carefully and silently

I felt lifted and right at home

This was a great place to be

I carefully stepped and heard

No noise until suddenly the

Chirping of the little birds began

It was as though they were

Welcoming me to their habitat

I felt welcome and still watched

My stepping as I did not wish to

Destroy inadvertently any of the

Flora unique to these woods

The songs were sweet and soon

The chipmunks and squirrels

Were dancing and chasing up

And down trees. They knocked

Down some of the leaf buds, but

This woods would have plenty of

Leaves of the usual fall color when

The time came. The bugs were not

Too bad and I continued walking

Nature has a way of making you

Think of all the wonder that there

Is in the world. When you are alone

There is a special appreciation of it

And you feel the awesomeness of

Life, not only your own, but that of

The animals and the flora. Soon I came

To a small creek which I was able to

Jump across. I could see small fish and

toads and frogs also jumped. The

evergreens were swaying in the mild

breeze. They, too, were in the growing

stage. How many years before they

were majestic I wondered? Soon I met

up with the road and headed back.

It had been a wondrous journey,

Stanski

May 21, 2023, ^

A meditation and opportunity

A disturbing and deadly trend is

Growing among world organizations

And world leaders, including our own.

The support of Israel is waning and

False claims and accusations are the

Cause. They condemn and critique Israel

At every opportunity and ignore the attacks

And threats against the Jewish people.

Jews living in their ancient homelands

Are called occupiers by those who refuse

To recognize Israel’s right to self-defense and

Self-determination. Israel is being pressured to sit

Down with terrorists whose stated platform

Is the destruction of the Jewish state and

Negotiate peace. This is folly. Many are calling

On Israel to hand over control of much of the

Holy city of Jerusalem and part of the path to

Peace. This would be giving control of the

Holiest sites of Christianity and Judaism to

The Muslim extremists. Nuclear war threats

Are looming and Hezbollah and Hamas are operating

On Israeli’s borders within the eyesight of the Jewish state

Who, if not us, will help? Together we can.

Contributions for the Jewish State may be sent

To “Friends of Zion” along with daily prayer for the Jews

Send to Corrie Ten Boom Fellowship,

P.O. Box 30246, Phoenix, AZ 85046

God’s grace and praise will be upon you.

Stanski

May 20. 2023, ^

The road is well traveled

Farm machinery passes along from

One field to the next

Equipment is so large it occupies

The entire space; narrow shoulders

Are important for oncoming vehicles

Today I am walking in the bright sun

All dust has settled and the

Seasonal sloughs are drying

There is an empty house back off the road

The trail to it is hardly visible

Walls are bowing and the roof sags

Little of the chimney remains

A rusty swing sits broken on what is

Left of the porch or gallery

I wonder about those who left

What were their reasons?

Death or too many bad years

No one has the answer.

I sense ghosts still haunting the place

Uncles, aunts and grandparents surely

Occupied the place as guests for dinner or

Work hands for seasonal chores

Birds fly out of an attic window

The earth is slowly reclaiming the property

Others have annexed the land and

The farms keep growing in size

Men worked weeks doing what

Is now done in one day

Irrigation and fertilizers make a mockery

Of pioneer efforts and human endurance

I cannot fathom the days, weeks and

Seasons of work which kept coming

There was never any catching up

I keep walking thinking these were

Our heroes, but we just didn’t know

Stanski

May 19, 2023^

The poet sings

What’s his song?

Could any choice

Really be wrong

What would you

If you were he

Choose to sing

So romantically

When you think

It’s not an easy call

You are almost there

Then hit the wall

Loosen up

Relax a bit

It doesn’t have to be

A current hit

What is fluid?

From the past?

Contains the words

That will always last

Don’t give up

You’re almost there

Imagine the singing

Loud and clear

Think of color

Beyond the clouds

Imagine the poet

Oh, so proud

Somewhere

Over the rainbow

Birds fly high

While we remain low

Dreaming dreams,

Dreams we knew

If we dreamt them

Really would come true

That is what the poet sings

He remembers it often

When he’s on the land

That he heard of

Once in a lullaby

Stanski

May 18, 2023, ^

Scratching the surface

Barely started, but

Much is found quickly

Slowdown and digest

Carefully sift through

These are life’s rhythms

Known by me

Known by you

Give things a chance

To naturally unfold

Don’t assume anything

Many have and

Before they can open it

They have slammed

Shut the door

Life is full of scratching

Searching for the new

Refining what we treasure

Repairing what we threw

Wisdom is an asset

Age usually required

About the time acquired

Aren’t we all mired

Under piles of stupid?

Bad decisions and worse

The tools of the feeble

The bed of human curse

When will we ever learn?

Stanski

May 17, 2023, ^

Blame is a terrible game

Martin Luther King said there is enough to go around

The bloom comes off the rose bush

The thorn stays

Next year there will be blossoms

No need to uproot the plant

The fig tree did not produce

A few years went by

Some wanted to cut the tree down

Others fertilized the tree and cultivated around it

The tree produced a record crop

Christ’s cross was made out of dead wood

He provided eternal life through His sacrifice of death

We are all doomed to fall

It is human nature

What we do is get up and begin again

We have faith in what we have been taught

There is no excuse for complete failure

People everywhere offer help

Advice is not always something we want to receive

Our own methods have worked as far as we are concerned

One day we find ourselves alone

Then we take an inventory

Foolishness is something we can count over and over

It is not something we want to acknowledge

Resolving to make a change is paramount

What we thought impossible begins to transpire

We begin to bloom and look at life in a different way

People appear to glow when we encounter them

We have learned the art of cultivation

Faith is deep rooted

We have been moved

Life is a precious gift

Stanski

May 16, 2023, ^

We know truth and

have our emotions.

Many times

the two are in conflict,

not always to be discerned.

We feel right, regardless

and later, when the obvious

dispels the myth of this

we must face up

to what was missed.

So hard to do,

so difficult.

Pride is not an ally.

Condition changes.

We may sense improvement.

Will we acquiesce to truth,

or remain buried in emotion?

The story of mankind.

Do we ever learn?

The world keeps turning.

STANSKI

May 15, 2023,^

I read the obituaries every

So often, and like most am

Saddened when I come across

The write-up of one I know or

Did know at one time. It stops

Me and I dwell on our relationship.

Very seldom do I recall any

Animosity that might have

Existed between us. I regret

That time did not exist to have

A better relationship between us.

Work, although, in my case, was

Enjoyable, but got in the way of

Spending time with the person,

That you would have liked. Family

Responsibilities on both parties

Also had an effect. The reflection

On what was, was usually good.

There are always regrets which

Causes the heart to hang heavy.

I think of all the people I know or

Knew over my lifetime and my

Experience with them. I taught and

I learned. I was settled, and then

Moved, losing contact with them

I unwittingly offended some along

The way and am sorry for that. I

Never intentionally tried to abuse

Anyone with words, but it happens.

I forgive all who have offended me

Knowingly or unknowingly. I will

Say prayers for the sacred soul of

The one who passed and also pray

For the deceased family. I have faith

That an eternal reward awaits those

Who lived according to the precepts

Given to us by the Good Shepherd

Be at peace, my friend, and stake out

A claim for me.

Stanski

May 14, 2023, ^

Sunlight filters through

The trees. Four cormorants

flying close to the water

fly by. One could wonder

about their destination

and instincts. No other birds

are pm the water at this

time. It is early with little

activity. The Hummingbirds

will soon be looking for

their sugar water. Mother’s

Day is the day to begin

according to the natives.

It is a good time of the

Year. Everything new and

Beginning again. It could

be warmer, but we have

no control. according to

El Nino, there will be severe

Storms this year. Just what

We need to distract us from

All the chaos going on about

Us in this world. We continue to

Look at the bright side of

Life. If we didn’t we would

Go crazy. Trust in the Lord

Should be our motto. Many

People are in trouble with

Addictions, abuse, and hunger

Whet will anything matter

Once it is all over? Our efforts

To help will count, but do

Little good because the

Problem is bigger than we

Know and those who have

Influence have been silent,

And everything wrong has

Been stigmatized. You can’t

blow your horn dealing with

these things that no one is

concerned with unless it affects

them personally. Meanwhile,

let’s keep the Hummingbirds happy.

Stanski

May 13, 2023, ^