ONE OF A KIND

Well, Gigi Lynn,

I have to ask

is this the beginning?

or is this the end?

I can see you, if I wish,

scurrying around. 

Trying to make do,

but never satisfied

with your talents. 

Your best will never do

and the praise expected

drifts away. 

You do not hear it

as others will say,

you need your glory,

your identity

and so you are leaving

to find it some place new. 

So long, Gigi Lynn,

what a time it has been. 

The one who has

sacrificed for you

watches you walk away. 

There are angels with him

wondering, while they

are humming, Gigi Lynn

don’t walk away. 

What are you looking for

Recognition?  That should

come naturally.  To chase

after it is a sin against pride.

To just be you would never do,

So you have to improvise.

Make up your line and

then extrapolate.  Make

your story bigger than life

and expand it as you will,

but for whose sake?

Remember that the angels

will know the truth when

you meet them at the gate.

Stanski

October 11, 2020

JUST TO ENTERTAIN YOU

I am here to entertain you,

something that I love to do

and while I’m on the subject of love,

I love being here with you. 

How many years has it been? 

I think its at least more than a few,

but it’s good to see you, my friends

and I have a story for you. 

I lost in a recent love affair,

knowing that, l take all blame,

and feel that you might care when

the vows of silence disappear. 

Four wonderful years;

through good and bad,

the downs did not last;

we were filled with highs.  

Our spirits kept noble

even when sad; our time

went beyond dreams;

very few negative sighs. 

My friends you know the story,

I’m just sharing mine with you. 

I gave her the best four years of her life;

she answered  with a hard hitting boom. 

I don’t blame her, she was injured,

a scalp wound she chose to ignore. 

Then serious conditions developed;

she would be needing surgery. 

The MRI’s priming her to be a victim and more. 

Allergies to her medication fractured her spirit;

gave her the courage to want to leave me. 

What can I say, my friends, I pleaded,

I should have been more patient. 

Not being a doctor I still sensed bi-polar. 

Cut off and hurt I felt her salience. 

That is my song for you my friends. 

It is a verse that goes to music. 

Sing your song when your heart aches;

drop your interest in all who are fakes.  

Don’t let them lead you on

Thanks so much for listening to me

You have been such a light

I can also say delight

You share and I share, sadly though

What we share is heartfelt misery

Stanski on October 10, 2020 ^

REMEMBERING CAROL

You know I remember many things and I for sure remember,

when we first met romantically at that bar on South Division,

in Grand Rapids, with your friends who called you “Chipper”,

because of your laugh. That never stuck with me.  I called you

Carol, Love or Lovie and that seemed to cover it all.

I arrived late, for I had been working and had just closed up at 9 P.M.,

a half hour away.  You made room for me to squeeze in beside you,

held on to me, and I knew my life was over as I had known it. 

Your moves were like a proposal and all I could say was yes. 

The diamond would have to wait.  Next it was when we would

be married and how many children we would have.  We started

with the idea of twelve and ended up with six, which turned out

to be exciting enough for us.  We found our farm gothic home

in the country on five acres of land.  It was a big place,

5000 square feet and would take a lot of work,

about 30 years’ worth to bring the house up to speed. 

It had been built between 1840 and 1850.  I worked on

the project when I wasn’t at the store, while you taxied

the children to their schools and then to the extra-curricular events

they chose:  Dance classes, gymnastics practice and events, cross-country and

swimming meets and later the Lacrosse practice and meets.

We didn’t have any close by neighbors so the siblings connected with

each other.  It wasn’t all bad by any means.

We built a basketball court and an in-ground swimming pool. 

We had cross country skiing, hiking and rope swinging, built

forts in the woods behind the house and tended gardens.

We built a stone hedge around the west side of the house

which was the front side and formal entrance. That took one whole summer.

We had one wedding at the home on a beautiful June day. 

The work on the house ended just as we became empty nesters. 

We came to the Upper Peninsula and found “The Shack”

on Lake Michigan which we visited about one weekend

a month for five years and then moved in permanently. 

We built a bigger home on that site; finished at Thanksgiving in 2003. 

Carol loved the water and walked the beach often, collecting glass.

We had the chance to visit all of our children once or twice a year. 

We had forty-six years together before she died of cancer in

November of 2010.  Now I am left with many memories. 

I know she cherished her time on the Big Lake                            

We had an exciting run and would do it all over again. 

She was a happy person, gave comfort to many,

and added to the beauty about her.

Stanski

October 9, 2020

THE HELPLESS

I feel for the poor—I read their stories—

Dictators get in the way of what could be their glory. 

Many people are wanting to help but their help goes in vain. 

Those power hungry control freaks ruin every line of hope. 

The faith of the downtrodden, who seem to be slowly dying

is greater than any faith I have had. 

I learn from them as I give to them and

I think my reward is the greatest. 

They believe in Jesus, while I take His love for granted. 

Their deep faith sustains them as they make

their soup out of semi-potable water, weeds and grass. 

Their children are dying of malnutrition;

they sleep in a make-shift shelter. 

The mother, with her deep faith,

watches for poisonous spiders and snakes. 

How deep her faith; how deep her faith. 

She has faith in her redeemer. 

Her condition and that of her children seems hopeless,

but prayer and faith is her major tradition. 

We have no cause to complain, but sometimes

we feel we have it bad.  If the situations were reversed—

we would understand the meaning of sadness. 

So now, all we can do is keep emptying ourselves for them—

the beautiful children of Jesus, whose life has been so grim. 

I, too, pray to Jesus to watch over these precious beings. 

Give them a room in your mansion, dear Father.

They deserve the best; they haven’t failed. 

They have lived and died with passion; never having any doubt in You

Stanski

October 7, 2020

FORGETTING ABOUT LOVE

One wrote that I tend to read through

the lens of my experience, dreams and

prejudices, but they try to pull items

from what they read that are relevant

to making them a better person. 

I experience without reading;

I dream and act on my dreams;

and have few prejudices except

against those who are not truthful

and those who advocate Marxist

Socialism which will leave everyone

in an equal state of misery.  Is this love?

However, I still associate with those who

have the leftist’s views.  I believe in prayer

and pray that my dreams come true. 

I pray that the leftist media will listen

carefully to the answers given by

the Press Secretary Kayleigh Mcenany

which are beautiful answers to questions

which are stacked against what our

President is doing or planning to do

and have an agenda to foil the President

and make him fail.  My friend will never

read of the many great accomplishments

of this man, whom I call a flawed diamond,

because the media, an arm of the liberal party,

will never print them.  Is this love?

There is without doubt a double standard. 

I can only conclude that the negative news

from which he pulls items to make him

a better person actually make him

an advocate for evil unless he feels

socialism is righteous.  I feel that the Pope

advocates socialism and I totally disagree

with him.  I do not know what he reads, but

I know that it has never worked wherever

it has been tried.  Is this love.

I point to Cuba and Venezuela as recent examples. 

My dreams are to help the Haitians and others

and somehow lead them to rid their countries

of dictators.  The Pope is good with man rules

and writes them in Encyclicals four inches thick. 

Jesus taught LOVE, just a four letter word.

Stanski

October 6, 2020 ^

MISSING THE TRAVEL

Thinking back when my bride and I were

Traveling to see our children, all of whom,

Were living west of the Mississippi River, we

Tended to take the same route over to Fargo

About forty-five minutes north and west of Duluth

There was a place where we planned to get

An ice cream cone.  This particular year it was closed.

I looked at her and she looked at me and I cannot

Repeat the disparaging words we used. 

We were going to miss out on our treat.

I looked at her and said, “I love you,

you are the greatest ever—and such

a wonderful mother; I am so glad we are together.”

Then I said, “You are my queen—I am a lucky man.”

She said, “Let’s go find some ice cream, before

I go completely mad.”  We found our treat and

then continued to the place we stayed in Walker,

Minnesota.  We had pizza and wine, watched TV;

cleaned up our mess, showered and slept.

We took this trip many times over the years.

It was just like a dream.  Too much to detail.

The most meaningful part of life for me and

now it is over, but if I had a chance I would do it

all over again.  You were my queen and

I would dress you in your colors:  Gold, purple and

Magenta.

Stanski

October 6, 2020 ^

TO HAVE PEACE ON EARTH

I know I want peace on earth

The peace that was meant to be

If only everyone could follow the precepts

We would have it as solid as mahogany

What is color?  I love beautiful blacks

And how do you define beauty

It is abstract like the color of spring

Let go of all the perceived limitations

Listen for the church bells to ring

Who do they ring for—Christ our King

How does He differentiate—He knows

Every sparrow; every hair on every head

Who did He admonish, along with His Father?

Just the idolaters who forgot His thinking

Everyone—listen—let us come together

Hebrews, Armenians, Turks and the like

He knows you like He knows every feather

He laid down the basic commandment

A simple word spelled LOVE

The creator gave us free will, so

Naturally we can disagree, but the

Underlying fact is that you can run

But not hide—follow this simple rule

Then we can all abide—abide—abide

No one will be seeking power, but falling

To their knees to serve and the out coming

Joy of this act is so easy to observe

To dominate brings hatred—a tool of a fool

And hatred upsets the cartwheel

Throws us all into a perilous pool

The opposite of what we should want

Demeans the role of the Jesus—our ultimate servant

Stanski

October 6, 2020 ^

LISTEN NOW AND LEARN

You know what it is

Don’t even ask the question

The direction you took

Protected behind your Bastian

All doing well; couldn’t stop spending

Then one by one you saw your luck fade

The god’s of Jupiter and Mars

Said, “Son, it’s the end of the parade.”

Welcome, welcome; come in off the steps

I hold no judgement just wish you the best

After that journey to nowhere

Your body and soul need some rest

So lay down; take my big bed

Think about things; even begin to sing

Songs uplifting, like the fresh air will

Lift a bird with a wounded wing

You are mine my son; mean the world to me

The heavenly Father gave me a precious gift

I can tell you the number of times I fell

But was never left to rot in a ditch

We work together; we learn

Our ways of doing—are no major concern

It is where we are headed and the path we take

And using all the lessons we’ll learn

Stanski

October 5. 2020 ^

LOOKING BACK ON WHAT WAS NEVER THERE

We could talk and laugh

Our innermost feelings touched

Sometimes joyed; sometimes hurt

How did we manage to do this?

I’ve only been gone for a little while

I left what was good in your hands

Now I return and start to cry

Do you like those tears dropping from my eye?

What happened to you in all your thinking?

All this time I’ve been out drinking

Talking philosophy with the best of mankind

On bar stools where love is not a crime

We talk the story; the truth; the gory

Then we might stumble home until tomorrow

But I made a right turn; came back to you

You look at me as a stranger and call me a fool

What happened?  What happened? I ask you

My head is split open wide wondering; wondering

How many steps can be taken before you abide?

I left you clear in your thinking and saw

That you had resolve; had found the path of glory

You said you were the light of lights

Only to find that it is another story

You broke apart with an amazing start

Forgetting the one who was here to heal you

You erroneously thought that meant remake you

Now you fight; argue; most often ignore me

Then walk away convinced that you grew

You regressed, my friend, and now you can’t see

The harm that you have done to you and to me

Now you make claim for a mediator

This is not drama class or theater

But real life; so open your eyes

To things you seem too inept to realize

Remember the crack in the liberty bell

Was that what you used for your socialist swell?

We cannot live by giving away free

The cost we paid for our liberty

We want to give back; but not this way

A one way street to where no one can pay

It sounded so good when sung out in tune

But it is loser’s music as you’ll find out soon

So wake up my child; I must leave again

I want you to stay clear of the vipers den

Sing your own music; the freedom song

Remember the cost; it shouldn’t take long

Ignore the mad-piper; he cannot lead

Don’t give up now unless you want to bleed

Remember me; I gave you my life

Followed your orders; took it all in stride

Look up and see the red, white, and blue

Remember, my friend, all I did for you

Stanski

October 5, 2020 ^