Steve Haarman

Hello my friend.  It doesn’t matter

that I call you friend does it? 

I know we are not well acquainted

but we come from the same soil. 

We are companions in a way and

would look after each other in our

own way if something were to happen

and you would see that I cared and

most likely the same would be true of you. 

So we are friends and now

what are we going to do? 

A celebration you say and

I think that is great, but on what day and

who will we invite to this festive occasion? 

You say I should invite all whom I know

and you will do likewise.  We will fill

the old armory, have music, wine and food

and introduce everyone and things will

never be the same and the event will

become legend and next year at

the appropriate time we will do the same thing. 

The armory will be too small.  We will need

the football stadium or somewhere along the beach

where we will tell our stories and hold on to each other,

spreading the bond of human love.  We will try

our best to make sure that no one is left behind and

this will go on each year until you and I, friend,

are no longer here and surely because

our love for others is gone.  The festival

will slowly disappear and the soil will consume

us and we will return to the dust that we were

and in the spirit world we may reacquaint and

express our feelings on what we caused and

have a good laugh and consider it all a dream.

Stanski

November 16, 2020 ^

THE GULLIVER RODIN

No one, I was told, liked candy or animal crackers

or Oreo’s with orange colored filling. 

The candy was the fall Halloween style candy and

the yellow, orange, and white corn that everyone loves. 

I filled my round bowl in an artistic way. 

All the items were sectioned off and

the resulting composition looked like

a Rodin sculpture, almost. 

No one cared for the ingredients of the bowl

and I want to mention that they all claimed

not to like sweets.  The evening progressed

with dinner, (A Jack’s Pizza), along with red wine

and little by little the sculptured art work

made up of the afore-mentioned candy and cookies

dwindled in size and at evening’s end

I had four empty wine bottles, plates and forks

along with used cloth napkins plus an absent “Rodin”

The dish that denial had enhanced was

reduced to emptiness.  I turned it over. 

It had been made in Spain and was mustard yellow

on the outside and sweet potato bronze on the inside. 

Everyone remarked on its beauty and proclaimed

that it would be useful as a serving dish of some kind

I thought their insight was spectacular

Stanski

November 11, 2020 ^

We cannot redo what we have done wrong,

but lessons can be learned. 

It is foolish to get into conflict

unless dangerous violations can be confirmed. 

When accused of violence

that we have imposed

We climb up on our high horse,

forgetting about the lashing of slaves

We are all aware of cruelty

and of our need for power and

When we are accused of greed or violation

we present ourselves as a flower

Why we are this way is the question?

When there is room for everyone

and all opinions have purpose

Even those that oppose your own

We violate our own beliefs

just for the purpose of being right

Then make a vow of humility

and find ourselves in another fight

We try to climb the mountain and

find another mountain beyond

If we succeed what does it matter?

When we leave so many behind

No lessons to teach; we have reached freedom

But emptiness has a way of settling in

We thought we discovered all the answers

But really didn’t discover anything

Wasted efforts and potential

My friends, we can be so much better

We cannot be happy if we’re not givers

But without your care I guess it doesn’t matter

Stanski

November 16, 2020 ^

There is no neon

Where I live

No distractions

Of any kind

I see bill boards

Now and then, but

No distraction

Can’t remember

What they said

And anyway

They’re not close

More like far away

Last night though

The full moon

Had its way with me

Got me to thinking

About important things

Like that lady sleeping

Next to me

And all the promises

I’ve made

Whether or not

I’m up to grade

The noise then made

By the wind blended

With her gentle snores

Makes me realize

She’s sleeping well anyway

And will wake up happy

Can’t ask for more than that

And she was joyous

Right up to the end

When the angels came

And took her away

Stanski

November 15, 2020

You give your hand to me

And then we both fall down

You land on your rear

I fall on my crown

We linger for a while

Laying there in that aisle

I know that you’re alright

When I see your lovely smile

We managed to get

to the dinning room

She asked as we were

about to eat

What’s the name of

that dance again

I think it was pretty neat

Stanski

November 14, 2020

Little puppies that try to nip at your fingers are cute.

I always hope they are broken from the habit

and instinct as they grow.  Most are trained,

but many continue to aggravate.

It becomes part of their nature and

their need to be chained. 

People are much like these

once gentle animals. 

When growing they are

either neglected or

raised in a good manner. 

It helps to have wholesome

guidance when growing but

even the most ardent attention

to details does not guarantee

the results that most parents desire. 

Conversely, neglected children often

succeed beyond expectation. 

This is not juxtaposition, but

just the way things happen when

we interface with others as we develop. 

Divisions begin to take place. 

Certain people are desirous and

others are considered outcasts. 

The playing field begins to become

un-level and not in the favor of

the downtrodden or unstable. 

Those most in need are

neglected and under served. 

While the fortunate attend

the better schools and, until recently,

charter schools and vouchers

were still off the table. 

When schooling and indoctrination end,

young adults go on to their destiny. 

Some will nip at fingers and get

kicked around until they find the wrong path;

others are good little pups and wind up getting

the nicest treats on a regular basis. 

As a whole we appear to be indifferent;

lay down and suffer the consequences.

Stanski

November 13, 2020 ^

Here I sit, almost nine at night

trying to come up with something to write. 

I keep getting interrupted by Joe Namath

and his Medicare coverage ads. 

When his finishes another shows up

so I am pretty much up to speed

on my health care options. 

I think about how many are dependent

on the government for so many things. 

Social Security which retrospectively

was a bad idea, in my opinion,

expanded into payments and

control of senior healthcare

and a great safety net was in place

except the fund set up for this was

raided time and time again for other

purposes, so it stands on wobbly legs. 

Soon safety nets became common place. 

Churches and Social Organizations

used to be the ones who came to

the aid of their neighbors in trouble. 

This gave purpose to these members

and the recipients’ pride was such

that they wanted to get off the dole

as soon as possible and usually did,

unless there were extenuating

circumstances that existed. 

The government took over and soon

we had monthly checks, food stamps,

housing provisions and insurance,

removing any incentive from those

receiving, to pick themselves up,

shake themselves off and

get back in the race. 

It is good to have safety nets

for those truly in need, but those

in need seem to be encouraged

to take advantage of everything available

leaving them dependent on the government. 

The nets should not be disabling and

then making it not only comfortable

to be dependent but also a badge of honor.

Stanski

November 12, 2020 ^

 
 .
 
 I look for goodness; it is out there; 
 people trying to do the right things 
 on a regular basis.  One could almost 
 predict who will show up when 
 there is something to do. 
 
 They come; do what is needed;
 leave fulfilled and often tired.  
 There are many who do this and 
 also many who would like to 
 but cannot for various reasons.
  
 They do their good in other ways.  
 The joy of giving of yourself cannot
 be overstated.  Happy people are givers.
  
 Those unhappy keep looking out for 
 themselves always wanting more but 
 more was the wrong choice and 
 now they wish they had chosen 
 something different, a yellow car 
 instead of the red on they settled on.  

 They become depressed and affect 
 other people.  What should be 
 systemic joy is melded into 
 a bland populace.  Blandness leads 
 to indifference.  Where some care 
 about condition and others don’t. 
 
 Respect for others becomes a lost notion 
 which leads to a divide eventually goes 
 to the courts.  This comes with costs 
 paid for with citizen’s money and in 
 the end one side is a victor and 
 the other is bitter and in a sense
 everyone loses. 
 
 The coming together 
 is not that difficult if pride and 
 ego could be set aside.  We have 
 a way to go and many steps to take, 
 but eventually sensibility will take 
 us to where we want to be.  
 Our integrity will have been restored.
  
 Stanski
 November 11, 2020 ^ 

One-way streets to nowhere

Lack that basic appeal

Then we find ourselves traveling them

Wondering if this is real

No plans on which to act

Or influences present to reject

You’re on your own you realize

Enough to almost make you sick

Birds fly overhead silently

Grounding you; you begin to think

Dependence on others is not for you

Something missing in that link

You walk; you jump, seeing a shadow

Likening it to a lost yesterday

But you are looking for tomorrow

There are few more acts in this play

You are independent; yet wonder why

Certain things aren’t happening

You want to get by all alone

But you really miss the pampering

You say you are wrong

And miss those with the touch

You’ve come around and that’s awesome

And the effort wasn’t much

Something else that’s missing

The ringing of the bells

You realize that was your job

Don’t worry; no one will tell

Stanski

November 10, 2020 ^

Originals

Vanish

One by one

Lost

Destroyed

Think:  Four horsemen

What’s left?

Memory!

Copies!

Suddenly

Valid copies

Transcend

Originals

Become

Desirable

Authentic copies

Supersede

Originals

Values

Escalate

Precious

Replicas

Of what used to be

To die for

As it were

Perception

Altering

Reality

Markets taking

Wrong turn

It happens

Beware the bubble

Find the truth

Stanski

November 9, 2020 ^