quiet poet
the home of sherku and other verse I write
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
'please' should not be needed
Monday, March 20, 2023
This branch
Saturday, March 04, 2023
Advice from the corner
I
I bought a new basketball when I retired, planning to be ready to shoot some hoops, yet it sits in its the box in the corner
Neighborhood natives will give you directions to go down a ways, and turn 'where such and such used to be' on the corner
You can save time cleaning by doing the visible spots first, if it seems to pass the white glove test, inspectors may not check in the corner
I'll drink any beer the first time, after that, only the really good ones make it to the shopping cart, the rest will remain in the corner
MA needs more housing, especially that which is affordable, yet there are those that won't approve building something down on the corner
Plan, share the plan, talk about the plan, adjust the plan, many minds will do better planning together, otherwise you can end up in the corner
II
You can get a book through the Minuteman library network, easy peasy, just like it was on the shelf, at your library, on the corner
He sang the song, as if he owned it, but finding out that his wife actually wrote the lyrics to the song blew me off the corner
The webinar shared insights on listening trends, some broken down by age group, some made sense, some could have stayed in the corner
She is such a breath of fresh air, yet some powerful men despise her so much, they work hard to keep her in the corner
The agenda was to plan for the event, which they found out as the meeting started couldn't happen, someone was not able to come out of their corner
There is a relationship between a thing, and the word for the thing, otherwise the concept would need to remain in the corner
Those in the know need to share what they know, or folks will fill the void with anything else, forcing those in the know to dig out of the corner
Friday, March 03, 2023
The face of my father
I
He would come home from work, lunch bucket, and newspaper tucked under his arm, and sink one-handed free throws endlessly; I have not forgotten the face of my father
He would only need to threaten us kids with the belt, and when he'd yell "Not one more peep out of you" one of us said "peep". I have not forgotten the face of my father
He played Cribbage during lunch time with his office buddies, when someone got a 29 hand, they'd tape it to the wall, and crack open a new deck of cards. I have not forgotten the face of my father
He was a cost accountant at the Washburn Wire mill, a steelworker union organizer, and for a long time, president of his local union. I have not forgotten the face of my father
He had worked as a roofer and helped weld leaks in the city hall tower during the winter before getting into office work at Washburn. I have not forgotten the face of my father
He served in the 4th Marines, seeing action on Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. He always said he was lucky to return and finally left us quietly on February 19, yes, 67 years to the day that he had landed on Iwo. I have not forgotten the face of my father
II
He was the middle child of 9, although he found out when his brother researched the family genealogy, that it was really 10; "They only counted the live ones". I have not forgotten the face of my father
He met, fell in love, and married Rita, in the time after WW II, and eventually reconciled with her parents even though they did not attend her wedding. I have not forgotten the face of my father
He was not French, Rita's father felt it was beneath his daughter to marry an Irishman, so he took the family out of town come wedding day. I have not forgotten the face of my father
He folded out the living room sleep sofa nightly; that was their bedroom for 20+ years while raising 6 kids in a 2 bedroom 5 room 1st floor of a triple decker. I have not forgotten the face of my father
He would have us gather our shoes to be shined while watching TV Saturday night, while we took our turns through the bathroom, well organized chaos, I have not forgotten the face of my father
He became well respected by Pepe for his ability to maintain a serious, and civil discourse, especially when some of the in-laws couldn't. I have not forgotten the face of my father
He and Mom had got back into good graces with Pepe after the first grandchild came along. That was me. Now I understand it was my calling to bring people together. I will not forget the face of my father
for Gerald Sherlock
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Elephant corral
Searches return what has been asked for, that is what they are designed to do, hence the context, and the text strings used, are key for proper results to run
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Valentine's Day 2023
Tuesday, February 07, 2023
Ghazal: rough sleepers
Saturday, February 04, 2023
Ghazal: trial balloon
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Ghazal: is it live?
Don't say AI, say what it really is; artificial intelligence.
yes artificial for sure, not really sure if it is
intelligent yet. Is it live or is it Memorex
Yet another shiny object catches attention, draws
the media talking heads briefly and all too superficially
discuss the latest. Is it live or is it Memorex
The daily writing or reflection time can center oneself
in comfort and solitude, can allow for putting things
into perspective Is it live or is it Memorex
AI is an algorithm based upon data, the data set could be
Good to use or worthless depending upon what the data
is trying to anticipate Is it live or is it Memorex
One talented individual with a high vocal range
Can hit the proper note, the proper pitch
To shatter fragile glass and ask is it live or is it Memorex
Kenyan proverb, the sun will rise tomorrow, simple in what
It says and just as important in what it doesn’t say;
Will we see the sun rise tomorrow? Is it live or is it Memorex
Monday, January 23, 2023
Ghazal: Thoreau's chairs
Sunday, January 08, 2023
Ghazal: street people
Forward, occasionally stopping to
Pick up a coin from the concrete sidewalk
Coins used to be good currency
For vending machines and toll booths; now
They seem to be tossed to the sidewalk
What will become of 'Dropping a dime'
When there are no functioning phone booths
At the corner stores or along the sidewalk
I considered it a lucky day when I would
Find a penny, or a quarter, now it seems I can
Hit a jackpot of coins along the sidewalk
Spending has become a plastic swipe
Coins will jingle only in pockets of the people
Who pickup the coins from the sidewalks
What will become of the city street people
Who would ask for spare change as they
Mingled at the corner stores on the sidewalk
Ghazal: both sides now
Monday, January 02, 2023
Ghazal: 3 words for 2023
I traveled 300 miles to bend over, cup my hands for snow crusted
at the driveway edge making the first snowball
of the season, cold and full of life
A straightened wire clothes hanger, same as my father taught me
to use to fish something from a hard place, was lying
on the edge of their driveway, cold and full of life
You can despair when the band of clouds hides what could be
a glorious sunset, or turn and look the other way to see
a white orb in the distance, cold and full of life
Just out of reach of the tree branches the white orb flies,
an almost orb at same time, whole yet not completely
revealed in this light, cold and full of life
I filled the 3 bird feeders, emptying 40 lbs of mixed seeds
to nourish those winged ones in what's left
of the light of this day, cold and full of life
SHARE, LEVERAGE, & EXPAND reveal themselves
as my three guiding words for this new year providing nourishment
for this day which otherwise is cold and full of life
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
sherku: 2 sides
Wednesday, December 07, 2022
Inventory: updated Dec 7, 2022
Four be the things I am wiser to know:
Love, patience, process flow,
and the joy of snow
Four be the things I'd be better without:
Anger, impatience, jealousy,
and clothing inside out
Three be the things I shall never attain:
Perfection, completion,
and the last word on any train
Three be the things I shall have till I die:
Bruises, scars,
and hope for the sky