Days drift off into evenings People are weary of news Everything sounds the same Harping forever on this viral flu Why does this happen to us? Even though it is a world epidemic What did we do to deserve it? This haughty new pandemic All the pundit’s repeat the words Some with a touch of glee Making the President look bad Feel that they are home free It is nice to be a Monday quarterback Point out how the home team lost But these people are ruthless Forgetting the total cost They tend to get the facts wrong Write down what hasn’t been said Some have even been fired The worst a news-person should dread The serious ones crave attention They throw numbers out without caring This delights their fellow beings and Some even say they are daring They shelter us from the truth Claiming that numbers do not lie But what are they comparing them to Just more of their pie in the sky The worst may be still to come Groups are forming to pray Keep us from harm are the words Love us as we love You they say We are your loyal children And promise that we will listen Just save us from any harm We will renew our mission They are reverent and sincere The Father knows they are weak He smiles at what He always knew When in trouble it is Him they will seek Stanski April 2, 2020 ^ .
DREAMING WHILE KNOWING
We know of all the things we should and can do Travel through each day trying to stay cool We walk a tightrope, hoping we won’t fall Keep pushing forward, not ready for a stall Never know what the outcome will be That’s just the chance you take Welcome to the jungle Everything’s real and nothing fake Stay true to yourself in the boondocks or the city Drifting away from your truth would be a pity Reality gets a hold on you like cigarettes and coffee The dreamer in you says no, you prefer tea and toffee Dynamics of each percolate, leaving you queasy Resolution is your goal: Let me down easy Directions will come; all you say is too, tired to listen Groove me; send me on my way I may struggle early; in the evening I’m fine If I keep progressing, it’ll be champagne and wine There are those I know, who don’t agree Instead of going for results they wait and see They want to be sure before they say yes But won’t get anywhere; that’s my guess They know the rules and don’t think it’s fair I tell them what I think, but they just don’t care I’m riding high and stick to what’s true They play it differently, which makes me misty blue Life goes on; you cannot put it on hold Embrace it with gusto, that’s what we’re told Now and then we all need a lift Don’t waste your life; it’s a precious gift Inspired by Etta James “the dreamer” Stanski April 1, 2020^
WHO IS TROUBLED NOW
We wonder now should we worry When everything seemed in control But now with a quick review It was us who sold our soul Oh, the delights of progress The ease of getting along Now crumble with delight before us While we listen to familiar songs All of the things taken for granted And walked over by the haughty few Have been put aside and vanished The effects of this virus flu Who can sing out with joy? Bells are basically silenced Church doors locked for protection Loners appear in defiance Normalcy has been abdicated You hear the list of excuses None however stand up to muster None with confidence will exude We are in a medley of dismalness Searching for an ounce of trust All of the signs of arrogance Have disappeared like surface dust We weep forgetting our blessings Spend time singing the blues Never remembering those others Who suffered by our collective abuse Now we’re just part of the masses No one stands out in the crowd And for you there is no relief No matter if your shouts are loud You wait your turn like others The ones you used to despise When this affair with hell if over You’ll pray that you’re able to rise Stanski April 1, 2020 ^
SITTING
Sometimes when writing I sit and think Sometimes I’m moved By thoughts Remembering the goodness I see in others The caring, love and kindness So frequently witnessed In their lives I shudder and hold back tears While hoping Praying that I can become More like them Stanksi March 31, 2020 ^
WHERE ARE YOU
We are looking for the statesmen Can you possibly hear the call? Step up and do what we asked you to do Before we hit the wall Those who once were statesmen Are now the ruling class Somehow they got turned around And now know better than us They feel they belong and have the right To their lofty place on the hill And forget after awhile and all too soon That it is we who are paying the bill They say one thing and do another The lobbyist buys them a meal And pays for a trip to Paradise Then they make the deal We shake our heads and cry out a bit Not what we wanted and we tell them that They smile and say it’s all right Things will work out because they’re the fat cats After a while we see, we know The handwriting is on the wall If someone doesn’t do something soon This country is going to fall Then more promises followed by broken word We’re on the highway to hell We better start doing and doing it fast They’re ringing the last warning bell Stanski March 30, 2020 ^
MANY OPINIONS BUT FEW SOLUTIONS
We trudge along going about our business with just the normal concerns, thinking about loved ones and friends we have not seen in a while. We think about the snow and the cold and the rising lake levels and life goes on. Then the wicked virus hits and we dig deeper into the abyss concerned about how much trouble we are facing. We are thrown into the surreal and wonder if this is the end of life as we know it. Deep faith in God is very helpful. We are always aware, in the back of the mind sort of way, but now that we know this is real we find solitude in our relationship with He who is above all earthly things. Surface Christians are flooding mega-churches almost in defiance of the suggested safe-guard rules given to us by the Health team led by the Vice-President. The desire for money is greater than the need to abide. Big time preachers become demagogues making false claims and promises to ease the struggle of their flock. Foolishness prevails in localities around the world. Shortages of sanitation products cause concern. Blaming becomes a popular sport especially if your side looks to be the winner, when in reality the winners are those who survive this unexpected virus from hell. If we are lucky and God wills, there will be an end to this costly episode. We will learn and should know that we are not impervious to fate and these realities of life. There will be more struggles ahead. Our life will not be the same. We must isolate and meditate on the virtues and attempt to become better individuals; to be thankful for all the real gifts we have received. Then we may find some sort of peace. Stanski March 30, 2020 ^
HEARTACHE
Empty swing Now just a tire Hanging from a rope Listen for the echo Of those voices Daddy; daddy; daddy Listen! Listen! But they’re gone A pendulum of life Like a day or week Gone not forgotten Memories linger The passage of time Rolls over what could have been Showing no mercy While tearing at the heart Leaving scars and lumps Reality has its way It lifts us up, too High enough To cover up disappointment Time will march Life goes on Live it well Stanski March 29, 2020 ^
AND THAT IS THE WAY IT IS
My body aches and my mind is confused Why are all these things happening? How long do we wait until there is order? The order we understand We wake up every morning to the same Talking heads who know nothing Spilling their guts with glee Happy for the misery Thinking it will help them They are the fence sitters The abominable causing hatred They have their fans until It is found out that they have an evil past Thought molesting co-workers was fine And the gleeful ones who loved them so Now turn their “righteous” backs on them Wipe them from their memory as They do with most truth that doesn’t suit them Those doomed will no longer utter condescending words Which were quite disagreeable or unpleasant Some of my friends and even my relatives Find themselves in the camp of the deniers Never a civil word to say about how we are doing Always taking a negative view of the series of successes Pointing out with happiness any perceivable failure Take misquoted remarks and use them as their standard bearer Hear words ordained to give hope and comfort And persuade themselves they would have rather hear cackling Would have been better off if the evil machine was in charge Point out how the last regime was pure and productive How the leader was clever in shifting his share of the blame I know these people and their hardy laughs Slapping each other on the back; affirming their ignorance I remain silent as it is wise to do when outnumbered Do not point out how successful their strategy is in states like New York, California, Oregon and Washington and in cities Like New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore and so on I feel for the rats; they are just surviving, but it’s the rodents that bother me: The politicians who mkKe empty promises and only look out for themselves My body aches and I don’t think it will heal soon Stanski March 29, 2020 ^
BLUE GENES
Redheaded Belgians Never carry to term Must be anecdotal Or a fact I never learned Wonder what it is The country or the hair Guess it doesn’t matter Can’t really care More to life than waging On other peoples fate No matter the reason Some babies don’t wait A brunette in Thunder Bay Couldn’t have kids at all Disappointment? “ Not”, she said Motherhood was not her call A blonde I knew in Lowell Was married in the fall The baby born in early spring Was a boy: they named him Paul Redheads, blondes, or brunettes All subject to the curse Whenever offspring do arrive We set it down in verse Who are we to make the rules? There is no one to obey For whom do we give clues? They’ve all gone away Stanski March 28, 2020 ^
DEATH AS AN EQUALIZER
When the prince and the pauper die They are equally dead Their souls then have their day And are measured in an equal way Wealth and power bring no favor Good deeds done have the savor Live what you live like it’s forever Shortcuts to hell, not for this traveler Stanski March 27, 2020 ^
Steve Haarman 