Steve Haarman

I heard the distant rumble

Like thunder beyond the distant hllls

Not to panic I grabbed my keys

Stepped outside to face the breeze

Got hit in the face with snow

From the roof It felt like a kick from

A donkey’s hoof. I backed up to

Take it all in. Went back into the house

Crawled into bed like a lazy louse

Heard more rumble, but then I  knew

It came down like the other shoe.

I had to dig my way out

This is winter, you must be stout.

I grabbed a beer and a shovel

Drank the beer and held the shovel

Figured out my course of action

I’d push some here and some there

Pretty soon it would all be clear

Couldn’t collect any money. That

Was for the days they called me sonny

The storm blew over to  my delight

I hate to put up such a fight

I’m happy I still had the stamina and

Could conquer such a worthy for.

One thing I feel lucky about is;

There wasn’t any ice in that snow.

Stanski

January 8, 2034, ^

The big shot wasn’t so big

A few inches of light snow

And a small amount

Of wind to blow it around

The one thing you can say

Is that it is beautiful and a

Winter wonderland. The

Sun showed itself in an

Undramatic way and in the

Process broke a string of

Several all-gray days. It is

Good to see the sun and

We can use the Vitamin D

It makes. The temperature is

Mild and the snow is beginning

To drop off the trees. The

Mini ice mountains are gone

And the waves hitting the

Shore are mild, causing no

Alarm. Two weeks of winter

Gone and eleven to go. So

Far so good.

Stanski

January 7,, 2024, ^

We are not in the middle of winter

Sometimes it seems like we are.

It is cold, damp and gray

Not much snow and hardly any ice

Where would I like to go

I could stay here and wait it out

Knowing the worst is yet to come

Then I thought of the Blue Ridge

Mountains of Virginia, where

The Eucalyptus grows. It wouldn’t

Be blooming or anything at this

Time of the yea, but it sounds like

A buffer between make believe and

Reality. It is fun playing mental games

During this time of the year, when

You cannot budge things one way or 

Another and pretty much put up with

Things the way that they are. It is not

All bad and could surely be worse.

The gray days and absence of sunshine

Are piling up and the doubters are

Afraid that we wont hove change

Until spring and that is a long way off.

No ice mountains are on the shore,

But there is indication that they are

Beginning. Here we go.

Stanski

January 6, 2024, ^

Time waits for no one

Everyone knows this, but

The Chinese have fifty and hundred

Year plans. When they arrive do they

Remember what the plan

Was about. They want control

But why? Is the question. To make

Others suffer for our amusement

Is as ludicrous as anything you

Have heard. People are set

Up, pointed out and laughed

At for some unknown foolishness

World power means nothing

When millions are murdered

For the good of the state.

Most of the great philosophers

Have concluded that there is a God

Over the years this god has taken

Many forms, but we would be

Foolish to believe that Jesus, Who

Died on the cross for our salvation

Is not the one and only true God.

His plan is a now plan, doesn’t

Believe in waiting. Be aware of

His dynamics and love.

Stanski or January 5, 2024, ^

The water is low

No waves

Whitecaps are history today

What does it mean

A few flurries

Didn’t mean much

Branches barely moving

No animals scattering about

No action taking place

Nature following the oddness of the week

New years is on a Monday

Throws everything off

Another excuse

We are full of them

None however hold water

We must live these days

There is an imperative to do this

We must not sit back and do nothing

There is too much to do and

We will be held accountable

Better to  take action now

Then pay the price later

We are wise people and

Have heard the word

Pick up the cross and follow Him

One thing that is never wrong

Stanski

January 4, 2024. ^

We have many friends

We see their trouble

Unlike the weather

We can make some moves

They won’t always work

But at least we tried

Some refuse to change

It is no use they say

Don’t want to put forth the effort

Would rather sulk or play

I say shake them up

Work hard for their attention

Give examples of life worth living

Versus life with no expectations

Take them along with you and

Let them see your operation

How helping others lifts you up

Ignoring them jus leaves sorrow

Life is a mystery to behold

Accomplishments come by ordinary people

You do not have to be a hero

Once you taste a victory, there will be

No holding you down

You said you couldn’t do it, but

Now you wear a crown.

Stanski

January 3, 2024, ^

The pictured rocks are said to be here

For three hundred million years and

Are beautiful to look at and point out

All the visuals you can find. Jesus on

The other hand has been with us as far

As we have learned for about two

Thousand years. All the history we

Are aware of has taken place during

This second period. It is hard to

Comprehend this as well as the

Never ending universe and eternity.

We know righteousness and forgiveness

Within the context of two thousand years

And had better dwell on our actions so

That we may be a part of the next generation

Of three hundred million years. I want to

Parade on those streets paved with gold.

And I want to do this forever. I have been

Groomed and grooved for this pleasure..

Stanski

January 2, ^

My garden is my life

I know the similarities

Both need attention

Sometimes at the same time

I must distinguish

Which takes precedence

The garden waits if

I am not ready, so I

Must prepare or fall behind.

I am happy with the garden  

And the landscape also

It just takes a pull here or

A nip there and everything is

Perfect in my little world.

New growth does not surprise me

It is treated like a gift from above

I look up to give thanks and feel

That I should be admonished for

Not expecting it in the first place,

Magic is not the word but is close to it.

A tug here, cultivation there, fertilizer

Where needed and water. Then wait.

Little animals love to romp and roll

They do not hurt a thing. Large animals

Find food elsewhere and that is good.

I do not stick out my chest. I have had help.

Mysterious but dependable.

Stanski on January 2, 2024, ^

The third day of gray

One at the end of the year

And two at the beginning of this year.

Safe to say the roads are clear

Black ice should not exist

People will roar to their destination

Sometimes without thinking.

The hospital is not happy

They like billing hours

Just like attorneys

They don’t extrapolate however

Like some lawmen do

They play it straight, although

One doctor told me I could

See him in five or six weeks

As he knew how to do the billing

The wind is from the south and

There are whitecaps slapping the shore

Why can’t we all be friends

I don’t want to be billed just because you can

And why can’t I call you by your first name

As you can call me by mine

I don’t ask you to call me Mr. Von Sloet tot Haarmann

Which was my last name before my dad had it

Shortened when he was naturalized. Anyway

I forgive you just as I forgive the gray. Why

Can’t we all be friends?

Stanski

January 2, 2024, ^

We begin where we eft off

Just like in the garden

But this is about weather

Gray at the end of the year

Also at the beginning of the year.

We are a little weary and as

We ponder about the conditions

Out in the world we know that

We have little to complain about

As it affects us. Everything is not

Perfect, but is far away from that

Which is dire around the globe.

We should be celebrating, but our

Leaders are failing miserably as

They open the doors that lead to

Socialism. They would, it seems,

Like one world government where

They would control everything and

We the deplorables would like a

World where we could do anything,

That is legal and proper, and a world

That feeds it hungry and shelters

Everyone and allows the free worship

Of one’s religion. We would like a world

Where there is not always an ache in our

Hearts because we know something is wrong.

Stanski

January 1, 2024, ^