Steve Haarman

We have all seen winters
Have loved many of them
Even this one with
a preponderance of
white precipitation
We are all human
Know when enough
is enough and my opinion,
which is usually correct and
spot on, says that we have
reached that point
 
Nature, being nature may have
other plans. She may need
to have the lake rise again
Take back our beach and
some of her dunes, reclaiming
what we thought was ours
I have lost a dune, that
I didn’t want in the
first place, because it took
away our bocce court and also
an eight foot square deck,
a thirty year old bench
and five totems we had
placed in the sand
 
I look out the window
See snow falling off of
the branches of evergreens
and see deer tracks going
over to shrubs which are bitter
I know they nibble at them
and then walk away looking 
for some new treasure
They are habitual creatures
They go to the road knowing
they will find some salt
They are not thinking, but
instinctively wish this were over
So do we, you white tailed beauties
but we will have to wait
Won't we?
 
Stanski
January 24, 2020 ^
 

Here I sit again
Resting
Snow removal finished
A big job
Very strenuous
Even with snow-blower
Worked over an hour
Then parked the machine
Filled it with gasoline
Easier now than in
the midst of a blizzard
Placed my heater to melt
the snow in the auger area
Then covered the machine
with a canvas tarp and weighted
the tarp with pieces of wood
 
Now I sit, thankful
Nature came
Snow came
Wind came
I cleaned up what was necessary
The surrounding area is magnificent
Beauty beyond our ability to describe
The lake looks almost white
Lots of ice and icy-mush
Two more months until spring
Then one or two more months of winter
That is how it is in God’s country
A kind of give and take thing
Nothing is for sure
 
Life is that way
We are just a speck in time
Here today, gone tomorrow
What did we do?
Did we have a positive affect?
Will people miss us?
Does it even matter?
We know who we are
What else could matter?
What is, is
 
Stanski
January 23, 2020 ^
 

I have nowhere to go
No one to be with
Good thing too
We drank too much
But my show was good
It’s getting better
There’s slander on the table
Screw that we said nothing
Need another gig
They’ll be crying for you
You sure?  It’s inevitable
Merry-go-round
Riding is fun
Especially with booze
And the right pony
Can I ask you something?
Am I the guy?
I don’t know
But you’ll do for now
Prove it, walk this way
It’s tough backwards
You’re doing fine
Let’s get back together
What about the church
You are the best
Start wearing purple
What will your parents say?
Screw them
But it’s their house
They’ll understand
It’s better than the apartment
Never said I’m sorry, did I
Is this part of life?
Can we start over?
I should have brought flowers
You usually do. What can I do?
I love you
Tell me what you want
Just you is my best answer
Oh to have a camera now
Man do you have some moves
Should try out for the Yankees
 
Stanski
January 23, 2020 ^
 

I am so tired
So much absurdity
How can people think
the way that they do?
 
I know the news:  CNN,
MSNBC, CBS, NBC, PBS,
ABC and the rest
The New York Times,
Washington Post
and others
 
Spew out what they
want you to believe
and so many times
these are the sources
and people do believe
even when lies are told
That sound like truth
 
The discovery of the
evil of one and the
sainthood of another
sounds so good.
Hard to disavow
 
Then when the truth
Is told in other sources
It is denied and scourged
There is no winning for
foolishness leads to
victim-hood
 
All of the promises
Were they kept?
Has life improved?
Self-esteem depends
on remaining attached
 
We’ll get our chance
then can show them 
In the meantime
We will impeach

Stanski
January 22, 2020 ^

Newspaper
Rolled up
With rubber band
Not to be read
Just to lie there
Until needed
To swat something
Or someone
Maybe just throw away
 
Contained news
Already old
Before even printed
New age
New way
 
Old days
And ways
Still tug
Too early
Won’t give up
Completely
At least not until
New swatter item found
 
Stanski
January 22, 2020

It is chilly
The wind is blowing
Gusting
Snow is swirling
Drifting
It is climate
Not freezing
Not warming
Just changing
So natural
I am sitting
Looking
Eating Blueberries
From Chile
I may have Chili
For dinner
With oyster crackers
Or soup crackers
Whichever label fits
I do not like controversy
Or liberal heresy
Distortion of the truth
I have friends
Treat them with respect
Read what they write
It is from the left
I am from the right
I talk to them
Ask them questions
They answer
Many times they like
The same things I like
Small government
Low taxes
Less regulation
A mighty defense
Care for veterans
Jobs and good wages
We’re together
Have some berries
Have some chili
 
Stanski
January 22, 2020 ^
 

Stanley Kunitz could be my friend
He was a poet and a gardener
I have never met him in person, 
but he has the characteristics 
of someone I would really like
He is deceased  
We are less without him 
Twice he was Poet Laureate 
of the United States  
He has written many 
books of poetry
but I “met” him when 
reading a book about him  
He is a man who has such a profound 
relationship with his work that
it took only a few snippets of reading
to teach me new and valuable lessons
 
He is working in his lovely garden 
He pulls a weed, clips back 
some overgrowth, removes a few older, 
starting to dry leaves
He cultivates an area; 
does a little fertilizing
and waters where needed
Looking at the sun, 
he wipes his brow,
then goes back to the garden
Everything is as he knows 
it should be for him,
not perfect and not symmetrical 
for then it wouldn’t be his garden  
It would be landscape
 
As much as he loves his garden, 
he loves words
They, too, need to flow.  
They are not to be impeded
by someone’s empirical rules.  
They are natural, colorful,
truthful, simple and 
direct to the point he is making 
He won’t change them to some 
that will fill in just right
He will not alter them 
to make what he is saying
a little more dressy.  
It wouldn’t be him 
or his richness
 
And so too, as we live, 
we can conclude that 
our truth should flow 
naturally and easily 
in all situations of life 
and our purpose, 
whether understood or not,
should not be tampered with, 
adjusted or altered
just to make a good appearance 
A garden attended with love, just is 
The poetry, to speak, 
must be in the true voice 
Our lives cannot be contrived 
if they are to be fulfilling,
rich and beautiful  
Thank you, Stanley 
 
I wish I could have met you 
and been your friend
 
Stanski
January 22, 2020 ^
 

.

What once was reality had faded
The ACLU intruded
People had rights not to recognize God
The deplorable had the right to
God being in the market place
All religions had the right
to express their faith through symbols, but
God was removed from the schools
God was removed from the public grounds
Respect for these rights was lost
 
Now we have hope
A man who believes in life
A man who has accomplished
Knows what capitalism is all about
Who asked for a chance and asked
What do you have to lose?
He was elected by the people
There was hope for change under God
 
He, an outsider, who saw through
the workings of the swamp,
had been on the sidelines for
three decades wondering
what was going on in America and why
He decided to dedicate himself to
Make America Great Again
He campaigned and was elected
 
The opposition decided to impeach him
This was before he was sworn in
He has been assaulted for over three years
Still he moved and accomplished more
than one can possibly believe, especially
considering the vipers in the Swamp
Officials on both side of the aisle were
scared to death that they would be exposed
 
He will be elected to a second term and
finish the work he has promised to do
the Swamp will be exposed; those we
thought were trying will be gnashing their teeth
The dream will be restored  
The erudite will tremble
 
Stanski
January 21, 2020 ^

Quoting the New York Times
Quoting the Washington Post
Quoting themselves
Quoting those who had no facts
This is the new force
Challenging in a sense themselves

There were conflicts
But they were constitutional
They were not an act of abuse
The President is doing his constitutional duty
He also must protect confidentiality
He has been tainted
The House of Representatives has charged him
with Impeachable (in their opinion) Charges

They have had the President Impeached
They ran for weeks, an exclusive inquiry
They would not allow the President to bring
forth witnesses or challenge their witnesses
They were in a hurry

Now they want to do inquiry in the Senate Trial
They want the Senate to play fair,
not how the House played
They want fair play, but forgot that 
when they had the ball
They call down the following of 
legal process protecting the President

They came forth with no evidence of wrong doing
They made up their own rules and twisted
evidence to their own purpose

The elements of truth matter
Truth in the House inquiry was an unknown word
They had planned to impeach this President 
before he was sworn in

The Senate investigated the President
Robert Mueller and his band 
investigated for over two years
There was no there, there

But there was evidence that 
the Democrats had violated laws
This was not reported on the Front Pages
So typical

Washington does not recognize this President
He is not a member of the Swamp
Republicans and Democrats who are, have worked
against his and our interests for three years

He keeps on working for us
He has been amazingly successful
An outsider who cares for our Country
 
Stanski
January 21, 2020
 

Sometimes funny
Looking back
Flailing parents
Trying to do
The right thing
In the process of
Making their children right
 
They were kids too
When you think about it
No training
Just learning on the job
 
The pear tree
Offered answers
Three foot shoots
Growing out at the ground
Were the right medicine
Go pick a switch
Bring it in
Then we’ll punish you
 
We were wise
Beyond our years
The softest switch
We picked for her
She was smart
Handed it back
Get a tougher one, sir
 
We were not in danger
Fear was on their side
The promise to be good
Saved us and our hide
 
The leather belt would
Give us a scare
Now it’s a blur and
We don’t really care
They are missed now
What could be more fair?
 
Stanski
January 20, 2020 ^