Steve Haarman

                                                                                                             August 8, 2020 ^
 
Today is Saturday and it is morning.  Wind is blowing and waves are crashing the shore.  It is nature’s music and the performance is being done without sunshine.  Clouds are heavy and deep gray.  The weather map does not show signs of any let up.  Rain so far is intermittent.  Our plans had been to go to the Lutheran Church and tend to some landscape maintenance.  My landscape work of the last seven years has been neglected.  I resigned because of health concerns and no one has stepped up, nor was anyone hired to do the work.  I will plug away at it for about an hour each day for the next few weeks.  The congregation is dwindling.  People quit attending for various reasons; health is a factor and death has taken some of our dear ones.  One man who led the singing and his wife who played the piano at a weekend service just quit saying the church was not conservative enough.  They had been involved for years and then suddenly they leave a note on the piano bench with their explanation.  I thought why not say you are getting up in years and need to call it a day and give thanks for the opportunity to have served.  Jesus taught us to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves --- so LOVE is the word.  It was never qualified which implies that we may not be selective in whom we love, but should love all without question.  Each of us has a purpose, usually unknown to us and should not set ourselves up to pontificate.  Why bring misery and doubt when you can bring joy.  In the Catholic Church, I cringe when at a wedding or funeral mass the priest has to tell the non-Catholics that they cannot receive Communion but can come up and be blessed.  In the bible we read that Jesus said at the last supper, come, all of you and eat this bread for it is my body and drink this wine for it is my blood.  He made no exceptions, but invited everyone.  At a time when all churches are reaching out for members it seems contrary and offensive to go against the intentions of Jesus.  Do man rules supersede the wishes of our Redeemer?  This denial of the Eucharistic meal seems so counterproductive.  Rain is pouring and trees are swaying.  It is most likely that plans across the region have changed.  The birdbath is filling and plants are being watered and other things are being done.  Before I left my bed, I thought about writing these things down and sharing them with people I love and respect.  I think and pray for friends, living and deceased, as well as all my relatives past and present, each day.  Everyone has their own life and some paths that once crossed frequently do not cross at all any more.  We have little control physically so we make our connections in a spiritual way which is probably more meaningful.  Life events take us from one thing to the next and many times exciting things are never shared.  We send Christmas letters and greetings and that is that, but in the meantime have social intercourse with those around us who have a present influence in our lives.  Everyone, with some exceptions, pretty much believe this and the same phenomena exists in their being.  It is with these thoughts that I close for now, sending my love and best wishes.  Be at peace.
Steve

Every word we utter, with purpose or nonchalant
And every act and action or reaction has purpose
and matters in this shallow life we live
 
Every thought has consequences and
as we delve into “what is life”; we must work
with persistence to stay above the fray
 
We must listen to our inner voices, our spirit
and the very core of our nature
 
To drift away from who we are is to
fracture or chip off a piece of a precious vessel
and only the foolish would do this
on purpose knowing the results
 
Life is a precious gift and with it comes
the gift of opportunity to live it to the fullest
 
We are our own keeper, but
our brothers and sisters matter
We are not their keepers but we may
charge ourselves with helping them
even laying down our life for them
 
To live this way with care and not
abandonment is to be filled up
What would life be without this?
 
What word; what act would matter if
we did not blanket it with good purpose
 
We are the assigners of our destiny
Let us remember that thoughts of this matter
 
Stanski
August 8, 2020 ^
 

Waking up feeling restored

Morning is bright and smelling fresh

You thank your God for being born

Then you feel the condition rush

Where are the broad shoulders

That could carry the weight?

They have vanished; we are on our own

Anarchy; virus – destined to defeat us

A media enriched by lies of leftists

Denial and blame when there is no goal

The truth is there but slanted at best

We must dig deep searching for our soul

Fight without fear for security

It is in our hands and we must persevere

Guilt and blame are counterproductive

We must collectively put on the pressure

Think of Antifa and Black Lives Matter

Both are socialists; Marxist groups

Came to life after the Lockdown

Using a foolish murder as an excuse

Waking up is important as are

Sunny mornings and fresh flowing air

Divisive tactics must be put aside to

Insure avoiding an equal misery affair

Peaceful protest must not unfold

Into a destructive, violent mob

Broad shoulders could carry the load

Protecting the innocent who will later sob

Let us keep this a one act show

Make sure the actors know their role

Quality not quantity will make them glow

Tame the anarchy; allow life to flow

Stanski

August 7, 2020 ^

It sounds so good

Has a nice ring to it

As does liberalism

And Marxism

But

When you feed

This beast

When you ride

This beast

It will take you

To the top

And then it will

Eat you

And

You will share

Equally in

The misery

You were

Unwittingly

Promoting for

Everyone else

Stanski

August 6, 2020 ^

We wander, graze and follow others

Our thoughts are vague, if we have any at all

We herd together and shadow each other

Now and then in our human form

we have thoughts that may cause distress

Eternity is ageless and evidence gathered

establishes our earth as billions of years old

We have no real idea of anything of substance

Our small thoughts are on survival

They are minuscule and of little importance

Billions have been here before, to little consequence

I sit as a human in your pasture

and think of what we are doing in Portland

It is an unfathomable phenomena

Over two hundred years ago—a speck in time—

men and women were blazing the Oregon Trail

At the same time the Santa Fe Trail was formed

These were primitive times and death and loss

were common elements of our being

We were intruding in territory occupied by

Indians who also came from other places

to form their encampments and way of life

There were skirmishes, killings, and the stealing of

horses, sheep as well as women and children

Retaliation followed and great leaders eventually

with the force of the military found a form of peace

Nothing is perfect compared to your pasture

Uprisings took place, but as time passed

Countrymen moved west and land was settled

and states were formed which still exist today,

a mere few years later, in reality

Everything is not perfect, but eventually

our Manifest Destiny was achieved and

for better or worse, at costs indeterminable

we became a nation, under God,

with inalienable rights—among them life, liberty

and the pursuit of happiness

Our country prospered as do the sheep in your pasture

There was food and opportunity but, as always,

dark spirited people who prey on others, as

a wolf will prey on your sheep, and people seeking power

began movements which would slowly

break down civility and remove our basic rights

Today the sheep are safe under your watch, but

because of the Chinese Virus, the Lockdown

that followed, the loss of business and jobs as

a result of decrees and fiats by those governing,

followed by deep concerns and panic and the unknown,

we find ourselves in a flux with continual change taking place

Then because of an unfortunate murder in Minneapolis,

isolated and confined people broke out in protest

They were obviously frustrated by this brutality

Evil forces intervened—Antifa, who tried to make us believe

they were antifascists, but are really paid anarchists

as are the Black Lives Matter organization, also present

Both groups are sponsored by Socialists and Marxists

They stepped up, infiltrated peaceful protestors and

encouraged the violence, fires, looting and

the murders which took place

These foolish people protesting destroyed their own business districts

owned by their neighbors and retaliated viciously

against those trying to keep law and order and contain the violence

The anarchy erupted in many cities around the country and

eventually broke out in Portland, which was settled,

thanks to the trail built so many years before

Many days, weeks and months have passed and

the vehemence continues, paid for by the radical leftists,

anxious to see the country in chaos

We need the good shepherd to lead us and keep us safe from

this aggression and brutality. 

Evil forces must not prevail and the Light must

overcome all of the darkness

We cannot sit idle, but do everything in our power to

bring about calm and peace

We can be our brother’s keeper, but must

Be ardent in obeying the law and following our great Constitution

In the end the virus will pass as will the violence

Peace will return to the cities and we will be content to be

Sheep in your wonderful pasture

Stanski

August 6, 2020 ^

I can see a man sitting in his wagon, directing his horse. 

He is a black man, wearing clean clothes and a straw hat. 

I do not know him, but can identify with him. 

I could even be him. 

I do not know where he is going but

he obviously knows his destination. 

He continues on, probably to a town for supplies. 

He is me and I wonder if I will forget anything. 

He is at one with nature. 

The time is in the past and in an area

where racism is not a factor. 

People of all persuasions attend churches and

schools and normality is existential. 

I am that man and have respect for

what is about me including the environment. 

I know things change including the weather. 

Glaciers existed where I am now farming. 

My soil is arid and difficult to work. 

I keep showing up through thick and thin.

I hope for success for myself and family and fellow farmers. 

I am not aware of the lynching in the south. 

I am at peace and free to proceed with life. 

I am now the white man observing the man in his wagon. 

At this time there is no pining against him. 

He is one of us. 

These are good times and we feel that they will hold forever. 

I am so sorry that we are wrong.

Stanski

August 5, 2020 ^

We all have opinions as well as favorites

Much of this stems from the history of family

We are indoctrinated by our relatives and

Tend to follow the program

Now and then a maverick shows a new plausible way

It may make sense and where you were once a Ford fan

You now go for the Chevy or Dodge

New sets of friends are persuasive

Change is gradual but a new paradigm takes place

There is in actuality no logic to the persuasion of values

What was up is now down, but only for a while

Families break up in dispute; hostilities lead to obscenities

No discussion, without respect, can take place and then

There is no changing of minds and people do not think for themselves

They are like sheep over the cliff falling into oblivion

It is a wonder to me how people that I respect

And consider fairly intelligent can put out signs

Indicating their desire for socialism or Marxism

Which has never worked in the history of mankind

As we know it and only leads to the

Murder of millions of people who protest human abuse

These people, apparently do not involve themselves

In critical thinking and still consider elections as my side versus yours

Similar to a football game only the stakes are beyond comparison

Freedom versus equal misery

I know misery and see it in Cuba, Venezuela, Nigeria, Haiti, and

The Gaza Strip, China and wherever human rights are denied

It is sad and so obvious that it should not even be a conversation

We need love, understanding and tolerance and a desire to unite

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said:  There is enough blame and guilt

To go around

Stanski

August 4, 2020 ^

The day begins and we become aware of life once again
Then upon reflecting we wish to become
 a better version of who we are this day,
 this week and forever more
 
It is so easy to improve if conditions are right,
but in our present world we are astonished by all of
the back and forth we hear from the media and the
changing of rules almost on a daily basis
 
The insurrections witnessed in cities where Marxist groups
such as Antifa and Black Lives Matter
twist the truth and lead otherwise peaceful people to
become criminals in their destruction of businesses
 
They are encouraged and given the tools to loot,
cause physical damage and setting fires to places of business
as well as injuring, even killing, those who have had
the responsibility to keep peace and arrest the violators
 
It is an unbelievable time, but still we must improve
No one has it all and even the richest among us
have shortcomings and shortsightedness in their hopes of
breaking down society and controlling it as would a dictator
 
We must seek the truth of which there is only one true version
It is however, twisted, slanted, and even mangled to fit
the philosophy of those trying to break this country from within
while immigrants wait patiently to legally enter the land of the free
 
We are bombarded with terror on the streets while trying to fight off
the Chinese virus and are being curtailed by those in charge with
their fiats forbidding attendance in places of worship,
in supporting small businesses or receiving critical medical care
 
Teacher unions refuse to let teachers back to public schools
where they would be safe and the best interests of the students would be met. 
Schools of choice are also forbidden to open because
they are denied the funding necessary to carry on
 
These are the ways of socialists who have been indoctrinated over the years. 
They accuse their opposition of being everything that they are themselves,
while we are thinking of self-improvement and justice for all while being
depressed by the endless violence and murders taking place country wide
 
We can walk in our own shoes and have empathy for those walking in their own
We can visualize and feel their pain as we have all endured it in different degrees
Everyone is given power to handle their situations and create their own peace
We do it in different ways as we are not equal in all ways
 
Goodness towards others even when we disagree.  Respect is a necessary tool
Gratitude for what we have, however meager that may be is a valuable positive
Desire to help others even when we struggle to make it through the day ourselves
These opportunities are universal and are either accepted or not acted upon
 
Enriching ourselves in this spiritual way of giving of ourselves creates our better version
We must know that everyone will not be the same for various reasons
Our attempts to improve condition must be ongoing
This type of love is necessary and our only means of fulfillment
 
No one is infallible and everyone has character flaws, even our leaders and heroes
Perfection is something we strive for but seldom achieve
The idea is to keep going on the journey you have been given
Climb the mountain knowing that there is another one waiting
 
Stanski
August 3, 2020 ^

We have all waded through
The tragedy of loss
 
The death of someone loved
Has a way of diminishing us
 
It is difficult to bear but there
Can be no relief in hope
 
We encounter individuals in life
And attach closely in many cases
 
The persons become part of us
And we feel part of them
 
When they leave through death
They take part of us with them
 
We find ourselves in a flux and
Wonder how we can go on
 
Many times we can’t for a while
Because we are tied down in grief
 
Regrets at missed opportunities
Begin to creep into our psyche
 
Our inner spirit begins to weaken
Steps are more difficult to take
 
We abandon what were shared dreams
Revert to self-imposed isolation
 
When we eventually come to our surface
Nature’s invitations stagger us once more
 
Birds singing or the lapping of water on
The shore reminds us again of our loss
 
We can walk slowly through woods or meadows
Wade in moving water until tired and broken
 
Nothing we do will return us to what once was
The sun rising reminds us of new days
 
Night stars and the moon light reflect the
Beauty of what our life was given
 
We slowly come to new realizations
New graces will see us through
 
We will be blessed with an empirical
Desire to improve and have fresh dreams
 
What was unbearable seems tolerable
We were gifted and now give thanks
 
Thankful for the inner-spirit of things
Aware of life’s enduring connections
 
We will not give up on life and will
Seek new ways of connecting with reality
 
Coldness leaves our body as we wade
To the shore to begin a new journey
 
We realize and are thankful that
There will always be a spiritual connection
 
We are aware when we hear the bell’s toll
That we will do better as we go on
 
Stanski
August 2, 2020
 
 
 

She is artistic, full of bluster, but a lady has to be.

Clever with a capitol C and also a clown is she.

Delightful, never dull and alas not dimwitted.

She is energetic to a fault, funny but not frivolous,

grateful, gregarious and out-reaching too. 

Helpful and helpless with a heart of purest gold,

She is independent but dependable and not judgmental

Just a junk shop girl who’s klutzy but gutsy

Lives life, listens and lectures real well.

A mother, marvelous, musical and

modern with a scavenger’s glow

Nobody’s fool, a negotiator, nuanced and nice

An orator, non-stop, playful, prayerful, powerful,

pleasant and a grand person, too

Quirky, quiet, quaint and lovely

Resourceful, ritual, restful and responsive is she

Sassy, but nice, sincere and saintly

Tolerant, tribute giver, trusting and true

Underrated, uniform, unlimited,

Vivacious, warm, worthy and wonderful and

X-knows how to sign her name

She’s youthful, yearning and yard master,

The zig to my zag, the ying to my yang

A zen-master and full of zest

Stanski

August 1, 2020 ^