POEM - Venus Lint Trap

Frosty dawn tickles

Last footsteps left

Of scattering bed bugs;

My guiltless friends

So busy, so silly

I watch as you gather

A last string, a last thought

Evidence of industry

In considered navel.

The hairy trap

Useless since nativity

Open, mysterious, enigmatic

The great equalizer.

From goddess to peasant, united

Explore the pucker

Only to wonder, confused

When did I wear blue?

Harvesting arthropod of morning

Store detritus treasures

In oft neglected orifice.

I give all, storage and shelter

Blood and skin, gratis

For retribution nil.

POEM - Joe Torres

we spent hours together

on the North side

of the old Main building

tossing a plastic disc

endlessly back and forth

unless we chanced an escape

just every once in a while

when the guards took a break

we'd slide of the grounds

beeline it to Campus Discounts

for two big bags of popcorn

at 15 cents a piece

and me with an Abba Zabba

and a Root Beer with crunchy ice

Joe with his Orangina

spending the first few minutes

slowly shaking it up and down

like a ritual meditation

the Zen master, serene and patient

it was good to know Joe

then I moved, and he moved on

i saw him on some kid show

hamming it up

didn't know the stoic had it in him

and I was going to end on a sad note
a rumor went around a few years ago 
that Joe was dead, what a bummer

instead Fletcher sent me a message
let me know about Joe
still keeping guard in Tucson
our very own dude who still abides

POEM - rising

dusky morning sun

relies lazily upon

a few patchwork chickens

ceaselessly harassed

by the monochromatic rooster

near the crumbling green shed

covered in a mossy cloak

beside a chaotic carpet

of scattered calico leaves

POEM - We

you followed me

across everything

despite warnings

better judgment

I followed you

through everything

amidst heartache

serious injuries

if that was all there was it would be something

not a lot, but something to talk about at times

if that was all there was, I wouldn't write this

I wouldn't really care or need to

instead it is a Jackson Pollock painting

everything is thrown up on the canvas

all of it is there, all at once, and it changes

depending upon which way you hang it

despite warnings, better judgment

amidst heartache, serious injuries

across and through everything

we walked together

POEM - Resourceful

My eldest criticizes my resourceful nature

An ability born of impoverished formative years

Able to make much from nothing

Find beauty in all forms in all around

I will find myself reading this

In rough draft, to her, on purpose

As I withdraw the paper, eyes will roll

A question will form

One, THE one, I expected. Engineered

I like this game where a small insignificant action

Generates the biggest response

I ignore the incredulous guttural churnings

Begin to read only to be interrupted

Here it comes

            "Is that toilet seat paper again?"

            "Maybe . . . "

Yes, of course it is

Of course I will continue to do this

A moments peace at the office

Reposed in the cool tile lined sanctuary

With only my thoughts,

            and my thoughts are

                        as thoughts will be

Good ones now and then

And I must capture them

Resourcefully so

            These fleeting vapors

            From the porcelain muse

Before all is consumed and withdrawn

Vacated, departed and cleansed

POEM - A Good Day To . . .

It was my favorite line

In that movie we sort of watched

"Some days it is a good day to die.

Some days it is a good day to eat breakfast."

Some days are like that

You wake up in between

Can't decide if that pain is death

Or heartache, or depression

Or just a toy left in the bed

And you have to decide

Make the choice to give up the ghost

Or roll to the kitchen and make waffles

I think it is easier to die

Or at least be on the way to dying

It is a big effort to keep focused on living

Instead of turning around to the past

Becoming just one more pillar of salt

But the future has it all, man

I mean it has everything you could want

Hot breads in the morning

Dripping with salty butter

Smothered in sweetest maple syrup

Dusted with clouds of powdered sugar

Death will have to wait

Until waffles are extinct

POEM - Elijah's Place

This year we went to the park for dad's birthday

He would have liked it

Sunny and cool, it was a beautiful day

We all ran and played Frisbee and laughed

In the pauses a slight breeze

Suggested thoughts and feelings

Distances and time and separation

Swirled through the conversation

Explained the nature of elements

Things that kept dad from the park

Explained all the reasons that kept him

From talking and playing with us

All of us waiting

An empty place at the table

But he did what he has done

For over a decade now

And the place remains vacant

And Elijah isn't coming to the feast

POEM - Just Family

Some people I'm related to are smart

And some are just family

And it's hard when you have to be kind

Treat everyone like they are important

My family will eventually see this

Read the whole thing, and wonder

Is he talking about me?

The problem is, I know my family

Each and every one will do the same thing

Without fail they will assign names

Associate faces with the first two lines

And they themselves are the smart ones

And the rest of us are just family

POEM - Saturday from a Thursday Point of View

I tried to write about Saturday on a Thursday

Not a past Saturday; the next one coming up

Somehow it hasn't worked

I haven't got the swing of it yet

Especially not on Thursday

                Who gets Thursdays anyway?

But I wanted to be ready for Saturday

I will have a lot to do

I need a jumpstart after this failure

Maybe instead I could take a shower

Take it tonight to cover until Sunday

That would save a few minutes

                Live the weekend in my overalls

                Chew minty gum and wear a hat

Little things to disguise things in me

Things that are socially unapproved

Let out the secrets I keep

List out what offends

Make it a matter of public record

                I don't mind dirt and grime

                Don't own hand sanitizer

                Drank the water in Mexico

                Ate the pizza that sat out overnight

               

There it is, for whatever it means

Now I can live my life, enjoy my Saturday

Languish and roast and not act so Thursday

POEM - Tight Shirt Blues

I hate tight shirts, oh yes I do

They squeeze my jelly, belly goo

I get all grumpy and full of malice

Bound up and tied and getting a callous

Chaffing my handles that are made of love

Fitting tighter than an Isotoner glove

Glued to my biceps doesn’t feel tough

It more resembles a blood pressure cuff

Sitting at my desk I yearn to break free

Unbutton each hole  and fling it in a tree

But why stop at my shirt when pants suck too

All khaki and stiff and I’m sure filled with poo

Ok, that’s just an excuse, but can you cast blame

As slowly I lose the corporate casual game

I want to wallow and roll and lazily flop

Grow out my beard and the mop up on top

Wear oversized t-shirts with clever sayings

Flip-flops and shorts that are holey and fraying

And you do to, I know that you do

If you say that you don’t, it’s simply not true

Fire light in your eyes, wind in your hair

As we burn my torturous office chair

And my shirt and my khakis and my fancy dress shoes

A guaranteed remedy for curing these blues

POEM - Color me Rhyme

Roses are red and violets are violet

Urine is yellow and goes in a toilet

The sky is light blue. Pink is light red

Grey is light black like the hair on my head

An orange is orange and doesn’t like to rhyme

Unlike my green and tart friend the lime

A Poem a Day . . . I hope

So, not that anyone is watching, but I am going to post a poem a day for hopefully a year or something like that and see what happens. Nothing too serious as I will be generating these on the same day or close to it that I write them.

Call it an exercise and hopefully a few will find this entertaining, annoying or otherwise.

Please comment if you feel something about it.

Laters!

Getting away is fun to do!

Had a fun weekend with the whole family getting away to Greenville for some change of scenery. The big park in the middle of the city is sure cool and quite the workout. The suspension bridge is too cool but a little freaky - if you stand still you can feel it move and that can their you off a little.

Then we went to Stumphouse Tunnel which is a Civil War train tunnel that never got finished, so it is just a long cave and a bit spooky. I'm still unpopular for turning off the lights and then shaking the steel cage door that keeps you from even further down the tunnel. Got many screams and punches for that trick.

Then there is Isaqueena Falls that is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Tranquil and picturesque and wonderful. Apparently an Native American woman of great fortitude used these falls to escape from some enemies with her young child and everything. Great story and amazing views. Glad we made it there and we we will definitely be going back soon.

Oh, and a new job . . .

Started work at Hubbell Power Systems over the summer. Really a great company and glad I took the chance and left DHL after nearly 13 years. I am the Customs Classification Specialist, which is really more exciting than it sounds and I like it, and no one else here really does, so now I have a nice job that no one else wants to do and that works for me just fine.

Fall and change

Looking forward to many wonderful things this year (as signified by the start of school). The house is filled with music these days from Max and his collection of all that is stringed and musical, including his new banjo. Josie practicing the clarinet for marching band. Vern getting her violin replaced and starting to play again. Claire starting on the cello, and Ezra making enough nose to drown out all of them.

Now we just need to get Linda her drum set and we will be on our way to being the Osmonds or something like that :)

I have a much bigger class for seminary this year as I have learned to share with the other wards and now have the Juniors and Seniors, while the other class is Freshman/Sophomore. Fun and nice to have the change and glad it worked out with the new job and all. 

General Conference

What a great weekend. So many great talks and many re-enforcements of seminary among the talks, so that was fun to share with my class this morning. I was proud of Max because he went outof his way to watch the session he missed. What a difference in the attitude of the kids in my class. I really think they are a VERY chosen generation as this group has the gospel far more a part of their lives than the last few years have produced. Much more like my group of friends when I was in High School. That's good to see.

The weather here in South Carolina is wonderful this time of year. 70 degree days and beutiful clear skies: who could ask for better? Heading home soon to have Family Home Evening. Should be a good week ahead.

Now is the time . . . to turn the record over

So, we are in another school year. I think everyone is glad to be back and entertained each day. Linda started her new job as a lunch lady at Ezra's school (Gilbert Primary School) and she just said that despite the taxing physicality of it, she finds she really is loving the job, so that's a fun thing.

I started another seminary year and we are studying Old Testament - this is a fantastic group of kids and I am lucky to have them. Also lucky to be teaching at my house. Our sun room was an unqualified disaster prior to this wild hair I got to teach at our house, but it has worked out fantastically.

This also marks my promotion to Trainer at my job - again teaching, but that's what I really do like to do so why not get paid for it, right? Well, at least until I can wrangle the Poet Laureate gig :)

That's it for now - was having problems getting back on the blog and then figured it out finally - will be more consistent now in sharing - started writing a journal because the message finally sunk in after hearing the same talk from Pres. Eyring about 5 times, so I realize this is important stuff and also keeping in touch with friends and family I guess is important or something so here you go.

Transitions

If I thought this'd be an easy move I was sorely mistaken - 'course I never thought it would be. Let's see what happened . . . woke up at 3:45 morning of move absolutely frantic - crammed our entire life into a trailer for the next 8 hours as the temp climbed steadily rowards 100 - had several dibilatating panic attacks in the process - felt grateful to family and friends who stayed and handled stuff while I was freaking out(Lee and Lon be sure to tell your wives you saved my life) - went to moms 60th for few minutes and everyone cried (sorry Corinne we will miss you tons) - came home and packed more - bed at 11pm - awake at 3 am - pack the car and throw outthe garbage onthe road by 4 am In case anyone is wondering if we are on the right oath I want you to know that I know and so does Satan because he did everything he could to ensure we had the worst time possible, proof as follows: Linda was dumping something in the alley before we left and a horrible feeling or presence came over her and she realized clearly what it was and said "you can't hurt me. I'm wearing my garments and I'm protected and I have the holy ghost and you won't harm me" well that made it goaway, but it wasn't done yet because not 2 minutes later there was a blackout at our house that hit only about 10 houses around us and that's all - now when we normally have blackouts they last a few minutes and then come back on- this lasted a good fifteen minutes that we know of and never came back before we left - it was a real test and trial and we feel that everything is confirming this is where we are meant to be at this time. So we landed in Texas just outside San Antonio at about 11pm - a solid 17 hour day and the conclusion of 2 of the longest and worst days of my life and some of the most memorable as well. Almost to our new home now and the scenery is so different we might as well be in a different country!!! So much fun - see ya next time

1 Week to go . . .

Well, it finally happened, we are moving across the country in just over a week - I think this is a perfect time to panic - OK, I'm over it.

Not sure how this will all go down, but I am excited to move to the East coast, live out in the country and soak up the collective understanding of deep history in the unconscious atmosphere of the new world we are journeying to. Just a few more steps and everything should come together just fine. Can't wait, can't wait. Just posted a few poems in case any one cares - feel free to read and comment or read and ignore - up to you as is most of your life, all I am doing is offering and there is where my joy lies.

I see you