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Waiting For The Bus

 

Clumps of kids
sit on the grass
with books and backpacks
and their ever-present phones
always staring at phones
they do not see the other
right beside them
they do not care
they just wait in a trance
blankly staring at screens
waiting for the big yellow school bus
to take them away
remember the day
when we rode without phones
and were so excited to be...

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War Games

 

How can there be a war
without America?
we are always there
ready to volunteer
our blood and treasure
our sons to die
while politicians grow rich
back behind borders
it is what it is
we add and they subtract
a zero sum game
our fine young men
the zeroes.
 
 
 

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One Day Closer

 

One day closes
the sun goes down
too little accomplished
reality dawns,
just an observation
regret is left
another day closer
to coming death.
 
 

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The Center For Disease

 

The Center For Disease
promotion and distribution
has now agreed to relax its guidelines concerning masks
and states that effective immediately all masks can be dropped
along with the pretense that they ever did any good.
New data has come in from wherever the Center keeps it
showing that people who wear masks are usually criminals
and that ordinary people do not need t...

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Old Fools

 

You cannot fool
an old fool
they've lived here
long enough
not to be fooled
the young
are prone to foolishness
they consequently make mistakes
the old lean on experience
they can't be fooled twice
if you need advice
ask an old person
don't be fooled by
their appearance
they know things
you have never even heard of
the young are in hurry
the...

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Pain And Suffering

 
When we are together
our Health is the main topic
we describe our aches and pains
their locations
their intensity
whose misery is worse
we share these conditions
in communion with each other
we speak of surgeries and doctors
and medications and labs
our diagnosis and our prognosis
this is our common denominator
it drives our conversati...

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Anger Management

 
I am past my prime
I am an angry Old Man
ornery and cantankerous
like most old men
little things upset me
like stupidity
conformity
diversity
I have been placed
in Anger Management therapy
but even that makes me mad
I hate doctors
I hate couches
I am not managing it well
I still believe crankiness is a virtue
I use it on my poor wife
with spotty...

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Adopt A Poet

 

Old Poet is ready to be assigned to his new family! His former family gave up on him as he was uncontrollable.  Since then he has gone through intensive training where he has learned to obey his wife and can now sit and stay on her command.
 
Despite the fact he was abandoned and left by the side of the road, Old Poet remains happy and lovable.  He loves being patted on the head and...

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Clutter

 

It comes when we collect
when we never throw anything away
we don't see it
because we are in it
we are surrounded
we make it we own it
it grows like fungus
increasing incrementally
so slowly
we do not notice
until it possesses us
every closet is full
every drawer every shelf
every nook and cranny
so
 
we move.
 
 
 

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Hugs

 

To be a tree
I wish I was
simply because
trees get hugs!
 

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Half A Poem

 

This is only half
a poem
 
but a half is
better than nothing
 
if you want
write the other half
 
make up
your own poem
 
you can call anything
a poem these days
 
just like this.
 
 
 
 

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The Alliance For Tired Senior Citizens

 

We are working hard to ensure that
Tired Seniors get enough sleep
we recommend taking a nap
once every two hours
 
naps refresh you
and keep you safe
if you're sleeping
you can't get into trouble
 
most seniors wear out around noon
but with our sleep plan
you will be able to make it to 1pm
eat and then take another nap
 
double up on your naps if...

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The Lizard Story

 

Every little boy loves lizards
the fact that there is something wild
roaming around on the doorstep
a creature fast and slippery
the fun is in the chase
and when the little boy does catch it
it is a victory of sorts
he has found a friend to talk to
and feed and take care of
so of course out comes the plastic tub
the little bottle cap of water
then leaves and...

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Sign At The Post Office

 

"Practice Social Distancing"
you don't actually have to do it
just "Practice" doing it
follow instructions, obey
 
arms folded, mask secure on nose
stand on yellow footprints
get nervous if someone
gets too close
 
keep a watchful eye out
for anyone who might
creep into your space
do they look like carriers?
 
behind those masks
there are secret...

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The Glade

 

A little pond
hidden far back
in the Cedar Breaks
water trickling
music of the woods
silence pervades
this little glade
a green jewel
a found place
stumbled on by chance
a tranquil place
so quiet and still
alone with
quiet thoughts.
 
 
 

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Under Bridges

 

 
There is more junk under bridges
than in most junk yards
all left behind by people too lazy
to put it in a trash can
or give it to Goodwill
there is no goodwill anymore
that's an old concept
now it's only me me me
the new generation prefers
to just throw it out the window
let the wind carry it away
let someone else worry about it
our bridges become con...

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No Two Alike

 

Poems appear
like shells on a beach
 
we are excited when
we find them
 
we hold them up
to our ears to listen
 
words roar with
beauty
 
poems are personal
discoveries
 
no two
alike.
 
 

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CROW

 

The Crow
bold & black
bandit
pirate
thief
tracks in the snow
caw conversations
eyes in the treetops
echos in the woods
eking out
a living
eating leftovers.
 
 
 

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The Treadmill

 

There's another one
sitting so lonely by the curb
another Treadmill deserted
gone the way of broken promises
 
with no one wanting it or using it
another resolution cancelled
good intentions gone awry
 
it was supposed to be the answer
the way to exercise and health
but after a while the routine grew old
the excuses came
and the treadmill fell into disus...

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Neither Here Nor There

 
The saying is
its neither here nor there
 
so if it's not here
and it's not there
where is it?
 
it could be somewhere in between
but then if it is
it's stuck between two opposites
 
it can't get loose
so let us help move it along
with a little nudge
to get it to make up its mind
 
so finally
for once a...

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Killer Freeze

 

The freeze killed off
the plants I had
those I planted
all by hand

brittle to touch

the plants gave up

yet still in all
I am
 
The pipes got froze
so did my nose
now it's silent
as a lamb
 

bones turned stone cold

freeze took its toll

yet still in all
I am.
 
 
(not sure why the spacing is like it is.   Not my doing.)

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Hurt Feelings

 


Sadness comes
and feelings get hurt
when there is no acknowledgment
no response
just the dead silence
of nothingness
it wears on the soul
it troubles the mind
as if you do not count
as if you do not matter
how cruel it is
to not say something
even a one word reply
would suffice
give solace
but to ignore completely
as if one does not even exist
that is the lowest feeling of ...

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Bugs Under Rocks

 

Bugs seek shelter
crawl under rocks
roof over head
and there they flop
their cozy home
as temperatures drop
being in a hole
should not be knocked
when weather warms
they adjust their clocks
come back to life
pulse never stopped
back from their basement
we are dumbstruck
how they survived
to run amuk.  
 
 

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Snow Day

 

Snow covers all
the tall grass along the side of the road
looks like little animals with white tufts puffed up
the dead trees are covered
with white icing
and the houses take on a fairy tale look
as snow builds on their roofs
it is a magical time
when snow falls
the ground snaps
the roads slip
the car windows fog up
but people still go...

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The Sun Calls In Sick

 

The sun
got up this morning
and felt the extreme cold
then went back to bed
despite its never missing
a day of work
it just called in sick
let somebody else do it
the sun said
I have a good record
surely I can get a day off
once in awhile
if they don't like it
they can stick it where
the sun don't shine.
 
 
 

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Power Outage

 

Lost power for an hour
wind not turning blades on towers,
under blankets now we cower
the power always theirs, not ours!
 
 
 
 

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Free Thought

 

 
I make no trouble
I don't bother anyone
I just spend my time thinking
and I think it's important we share our thoughts
because that's called conversation
Free thought used to be common
you could find it everywhere
but free thought now gets you in trouble
If you have an unauthorized thought
they will come after you and
get you fired or i...

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Masked Men

 

Everybody has to  mask
except those in power
who don't have to mask
because they are better than us
they don't like masks
any more than we do
but still they mandate masks
and we comply like sheep-
with masks.
 
 
 

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