Steve Haarman

THE ARENA OF POSSIBILITIES

We are told by many of possibilities

We look at those telling this story

They are the well-connected;

Already in power and usually

Indebted to power brokers because

They have sold their souls

They sit at the table where decisions

Are made and make their choices as

Instructed by those who own them

This is not what America should be

These people will ultimately fail

We can do the unthinkable

We are a nation of faith

We have been lied to by those we voted for

Have lost jobs because of their decisions

Have opened our border to illegals

They cannot be retained or released to Mexico

We have promised them housing, food and health care

This is while millions of Americans are struggling

We must keep our faith and have undaunted courage

There is power in the number of people who believe

In spite of the odds we must persevere

In spite of the odds we must join to fight

What lies in front of us seems insurmountable

Our forefathers faced down and defeated their enemies

We can do the same with our ideas, courage and will

Stanski

February 11, 2025 ^

YOOPERS DROOPERS

I look at my blank sheet of paper

Remember the winter stream of water

A creek that flows into Lake Michigan

There every day, always moving even

When covered by ice and frozen snow

I think of this when I am about to give up

If I want to accomplish anything

I must keep taking the steps

It would be easy to give up

Lay down the pen and walk away

Hope that I might feel better about it tomorrow

But this is today and tomorrow isn’t here

I think of how gray it has been

The sun graces me every so often

Through the huge puffy clouds above

It streaks through the trees in the south

And shines on the branches in the north

It is beautiful and lovely and a rich gift

The weather forecast predicts cold

Subzero weather is as depressing as

The bright full moon is uplifting and beautiful

Thinking of cold before it is here does no good

If it comes I deal with it as best I can

Hoping that there is some offset

From my window I can see large chunks of ice

Waves bring pieces of it to shore where it crashes

The mountain grows and is amazing

Wind blows, but not hard enough

To remove the snow from the green trees

The sun has somehow melted the roof snow

And drops of water fall like rain

It is mysterious and mystical

I have read stories of survival

Conditions there are grim and hopeless

What I have is nothing in comparison

I should be able to survive today

No need to worry about today and

Tomorrow will take care of itself

Stanski

February 10, 2025 ^

BRIGHT FEBRUARY BLUES

Sunshine lights up the landscape

Spirits are lifted for a while

Grueling winter wears heavy

Normally felt losses seem more hurtful

Today we all feel better

The cold still has us laden with anxiety

We wonder if it was ever worse

Is this the norm or a curse?

It could be more disastrous, we know:

Preponderate amounts of snow

Ice storms shutting down electricity

Alternate fuels causing fires or poisoning the air

Still we only know today

Enough promise to make us gay

Stansberry McKricken aka Stanski

February 9, 2025 ^

A PLACE WHERE BEAUTY LIES

In the fall in Wyoming

Beauty is all about

Aspen leaves turned yellow

Reflected in moving clouds

I think of eternity

Looking at the endless blue sky

Mountains magnanimous

Lift us to where we have never been

Roads drift toward the sun

Then turn and float away

Beauty continues in the flow

Doubt that it will ever end

Small towns come and go

People appear as normal

Hypnotized by natures features

Taking it all in stride

Cars and farm machines rust in fields

Labeled by natives as abstract art

No one willing to argue the point

We are just lucky to be passing through

Mountains begin to appear black

Missing the angle of the sun

Then the yellow blazes again

We decide that this is heaven

Stansberry McKricken aka Stanski

February 8, 2025 ^

MY MEDITATION FOR FEBRUARY 7

The waiting is not always splendid

Many times accompanied by

grief.  Things done wrong or failed

to do now become regrets

Jesus died for us to absolve us

from the fretting and anguish

He wants us to do well

That is His focus.

Not evil which his death voided,

But works of good which will

Lift us along with others

Goodness is a release

Evil an anchor

Let us be good and do well

Amen

Steve Haarman aka Stanski

February 7, 2025, ^

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Again, I look, but cannot see

Is there a horizon for you and  me?

The only color is green and it

Makes me feel like Silverstein’s

Queen. Such a day with everything

Gray. The sky, the clouds and the

Lake all the same shade, but who

Are we to say or dictate. We should

Be happy just to be about and be

Able to observe nature and all of

Its wonders. We can be whimsical

As we chase up and down the shore

Laughing and crying forever more

The wind, the glare, the constant color.

It never seems to change up. It is more

Like an overflowing cup. Soon we

Will see upon the hill, snowmen fighting

a royal battle. It will be a fight to see

Snow flying from tree to tree. As long as

No one gets hurt, everything wiil be fine.

STEVE HAARMAN aka Stanski

February 6, ^

The day was not much

different than 25 of the last 30.

It was bright with gray clouds,

almost blinding you. The horizon

was there and the sky was

filled with gray clouds. One could

wonder how long this would go on.

Two weeks of winter have passed

and there is no evidence that It

plans to stay. We must be pragmatic.

with all the hysterics, persecutions,

murders taking place along with the

starvation, thirst, and lack of shelter,

we wonder what our Father has in mind.

The Jews are being killed, persecuted

and prevented from open worship and

Eastern Europe is in chaos. Eastern

Africa is hungry and Christians all over

the world are being attacked.  Is the

Father allowing this or does He plan

on putting a stop to it. Does he have

plans for s to come to our own defense.

We must have faith that His plan is in

action and we are part of it.

Stanski

February 5, 2025 , ^

14 LINES ON STRUGGLE

Look upward for strength

Life’s answers do not come by

Pawning problems off to others

Inner security allows you to

Address your situations head on

Not always a rosy picture

Walking away brings no satisfaction

Hesitation brings only delay

The route to success often comes

By experiencing failures

No need to put your head down

There will be no quitting

Pick yourself up:

You are not on the journey alone

By Steve Haarman aka Stanski

February 4, 2025 ^

Nothing is certain about the ground hog except

that it is a tradition. It is not a reliable instrument.

Was its shadow seen or thought to be seen. No one

knows and sometimes even drops the animal. The

Weatherman says winds and snow at eleven. When

eleven comes it is still and sunny. So much for accuracy,

even in the short term. It is fun, though. In six weeks, we

will know. I think of the two winters when I only needed

snowplowing four times. Unfortunately, two of them were

in April. I wonder what the animal thought about that.

As for me, I wasn’t too happy, but that’s life.

Steve Haarman aka Stanski

February 3, 2025, ^

A REAL WINTER DAY

Snow and ice from the shore to the horizon.

Beautiful but dangerous.

Wind gusts at 25 mph chill you to the bone.

We are in the frigid zone.

Snow swirls by the windows and disappears.

The wind blows the snow from

the trees and off the roof.

It feels like it’s time for a long winters nap,

but who has time to sleep when

there is so much anxiety to deal with.

A sign says, “This is a seasonal road”,

but the county keeps it plowed and open for now.

All in all, we have much to be thankful for

and even when we are filled with dread,

we can acknowledge the mysteries of nature

and pledge to do everything possible

to protect it from human harm and be

thankful that we are able to witness a real winter day.

Steve Haarman aka Stanski

February 2, 2025, ^