Steve Haarman

The goofy moron in the waiting room

Reminds me of old Clem Swartz

A stupid kind of guy, he was in charge of

Religion studies at our church

Not a bad guy, just couldn’t inspire

Asked too many trick questions

A lot like the goofy in front of me

What color is the plane?  White?

He answers his own question with another

He is kind of smart I thought

I bet he knows his own first name

Had a little carrying case

Attached to his belt

Smaller than a man purse or

His gut lapping over his 36” belt. 

One of those guys you would like to pelt

Old Clem, too, you’d like to smack

Because of all the finesse he lacked

This goofy too as he asks the toddler

If he sees grandma.  No, but look at the truck

He was quite aloof and played along

There is another plane, do you think

Grandma is on that one

Look someone is waving

Is that grandma

I needed a piece of rope

I was about to choke goofy

Slap him around a little bit

Because he was such a loud mouthed-clown

Clem could have used a few slaps

Being so pious and righteous

This day will shut down before too long

I’ll be going home

Goofy will go back to camp, but

I don’t know where old Clem is

Stanski

September 24, 2020^

DDT was an effective insecticide
But used in too high concentrations
Smaller amounts of it would have been effective
We learned that, but
Outlawed the use of the chemical
Millions die from the manifestations of malaria
We, being wise, pass out mosquito netting in Africa
 
A poet writes a clever poem about commerce
Complains about the use of non-renewable fuels
Feels strongly about the importance of fair market price
I quit reading the poem
 
Baseball is a game played by millionaires
You read about how “the guys are really tired”
They just played “on the road” for seven days
Good, old home cooking should help
You think of young Welsh boys who worked in mines
They went down before the sun came up and
Came up after the sun went down
I feel real sorry for the overworked players though
Even those on our favorite teams
 
I mull over the possibility of a mini-ice-age
The prediction made by more than a few
The hope I hold is that man can warm the planet
That is if the ice-age thing is true
 
When a cloud blocks out the sun
I notice that if feels a little cooler
When the morning mist evaporates
The same thing happens
I like the sound of cool
Especially on warm days
 
Midday power naps are not essential
They sure do feel good though
 
If you live surrounded by gravel pits, as I did
By definition you are not a NIMBY
Even if you complain about the backup beepers
Which wake you up at 5 A.M.
 
Stanski
September 23, 2020 ^
 

Save that green apple!

I have no teeth.

Make it into sweet sauce.

It helps me with my grief.

We’ll call it my green apple salve.

I remember when I would never sigh

and could never get enough of life.

I thought those bygone days would not end,

as on the plains, the wind or

on the sea, the waves.

They will end but have not yet ended.

I can go on singing and the rhythms

of the soul ring out in tune

to the heart that’s beating.

My song whispers the thank you, my  

gratitude for life.

It ponders on the mysteries,

the miracles and strife.

You can’t go back to make a change,

but you can live today.

You will find a comfort

that will never go away.

So I will live today

and live each new tomorrow.

For greater glory I am marching now

with new purpose and new order.

Let’s  call it my green apple way.

Stanski

September 22, 2020^

I had a perfect dream, providing that

we lived in a faultless world.

I worked in a take-out deli.

May sound a little absurd

I fixed an egg salad sandwich on

our oven baked white bread

with a few leafs of lettuce

along with a cup of expresso

The customer, a regular, tapped

his credit card on the machine

and left the store.

Thanks and see you later.

The day went on like that

Customer after customer

It was lovely with no problems

We had unique paper wraps for

the sandwiches and special bags

for the purpose of carry-out.

We included a card of thanks

which included other items on

our menu. 

We carried wine, but only a few

of the popular ones that we

priced reasonably considering the

quality.

We had Sauvignon Blanc

from New Zeeland and

the Napa Valley of California.

The Pinot Gris from Oregon was

a favorite along with the Shiraz

from Australia.  A few Malbec

selections from Argentina and

Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon

from California along with a

Riesling from Germany and a

Chianti Classico and Pinot Grigio

from Italy. 

Just a dozen, but all

affordable and delicious.

Our cheese selections

followed the same pattern;

not overwhelming, but

the right choices.

We had gift trays of nuts and candy

Baskets for picnics or

to fill with presents

Everything was wrapped

in our unique way.

We baked our European

style breads fresh everyday.

We did a few cakes and rolls.

Our process seemed faultless.

We were textbook perfect and

very difficult to duplicate by others

The days flew by like magic.

We were closed on Sundays

But there was no complaint

and during the week

it was at seven P.M.

We were a happy bunch

And with the various shifts

Everyone was happy. 

We were able to cover

for each other when necessary,

which was ideal.

Yes, the Stanski Deli was

The talk of the town.

Stanski

September 21, 2020 ^

Billie Holiday

One of the greatest ever

Sang her jazz real cool

Loved her heroin

Although it caused so much harm

Cuts a life span short

A soulful lady

Knew the way to sing a song

Sang those rhythmic blues

Sang like no one else

Mournful note in every breath

Sadly laid to rest

Loved to gather round

Never quite sure of the day

Nor kept track of time

Beautiful to hear

Quiet without her around

Miss that soulful sound

Ended so badly

We will never forget her

Billie Holiday

Stanski

September 20, 2020 ^

Waves down on the lake and

Wind here blowing on my face

Raindrops, slowly filling birdbath

Remind me to slow my pace

Weeds do not misconstrue meaning

Work awaits, cannot be neglected

Waiting beyond a day or two

Will leave twice the work projected

Sunflower seeds scattered daily,

Our token to the birds,

Are gathered by chipmunks

Whose efforts are heard

Windows call, “wash me”

Car says the same

Forsythias sway approvingly

Withholding any shame

We overload and get bogged down

Have we failed to hear?

Nothing conveyed that isn’t known

About this life we hold so dear

Stanski

September 19, 2020 ^

A red maple leaf

Glued to the road

By yesterday’s rain

High winds

Would not remove

But reworked the beach

Birds gathering to migrate

I think nature is

Marvelous

Never predictable

Always accepted

Always wonder

A porcupine

Climbs a tree

To avoid me

It is a large creature

Resembled

A miniature sloth

Made it up the tree

I lost sight of it

But nature knows

Survival is instinctive

Equilibrium exists

There is a balance

Live and let live

An old adage

Still has validity

Summer will bow

Change is peaceful

We could learn

We should learn

Maye we will

Let us hope

Stanski

September 18, 2020 ^

HARD WORKING MEN

Farmer’s boots full of mud

A fencing chore done in the rain

Posthole digging is tiring

Like digging a grave

A long day makes the whiskey quicker

No one looks anybody in the eye

Nerves are half broken; bones don’t need to be

Drink up and leave

Horses to feed and stall

Evening chores never ending

Children gleeful but careful

Do not upset the equilibrium

Tomorrow will bring whatever Saturdays bring

Men cleanup for dinner

Not much talk of the day

Wagon will be taken tomorrow

Supply list has been written

Mother feels good except for the rain

It continues day after day

Mud—mud—mud

Wet messes; shortages

Children are happy

No school—play in the wet

They know—stay happy

Work hard—don’t irritate

This is their life

Sometimes good; mostly difficult

Now and then bad

They are secure in knowing

This is how life is

The plains were not cruel

There were peaceful times; secure times

Sometimes fires wiped them out

But they emerged again

Too strong to lay down

Too bright to remember the bad

They grew and prospered

Built new schools

New towns and churches

They knew life and lived it

Loved what they did

Stanski

September 17, 2020

Gathering over

Go home

Live for another day

Expound upon

How great it was

Since you were there,

A part of the scene.

But what does it

Really mean?

It was just

Something you gleaned

Here’s what you do

Build your own platform

Make it nice

Because it’s what you do

Then dance all night

Devote yourself to others

This is real life

Doesn’t have to be

Make-believe

Stanski

September 16, 2020 ^

I just don’t understand how people cannot

see the truth and do nothing about condition. 

Too many are passive; believe what they hear

and do no searching on their own. 

They are not inquisitive; do no critical thinking and

have a capacity for criticism and finding fault. 

Too many are suffering in a country where all

should be excelling if it were not for the evil

being encouraged by the opposing party which

has done everything in their power to remove

the president from office. 

Swampers from both parties are fighting

the efforts of the President.  He keeps working,

accomplishing what was said impossible; ignores the doubters. 

He is a flawed diamond working with all he has against

what Aristotle called perfect pebbles. 

The radical left wants to terrorize the police. 

Antifa and Black Lives Matter lead them. 

They are supported by George Soros, his ilk and

the Hollywood Elite.  The peaceful protestors

do not know what they are protesting against. 

They are anti-trumpsters and are cheering for

the breakdown of this country.  They apparently

would prefer to live like the suppressed in Cuba and Venezuela. 

Who is standing up in resistance?  Not the Pope;

not the Bishops, the priests and ministers. 

They remain silent, maybe not knowing

the Black Lives Matter Group is a Marxist with

the goal of defeating our country. 

We know all that we need to know. 

To remain silent is contemptable; to stand up require courage. 

The swamp blames the president for the Chinese Virus. 

How foolish; how divisive.  The ignorant cheer while victims die. 

We witness sheep running over the cliff. 

Let us respond boldly.  It is now or never.

Stanski

September 15, 2020 ^