Monday, June 18, 2012

It was scary.  I had a fever.  I was shivering. I fell, and I couldn't get up.  Well, I figure that experience was worthy of a memoir or a poem, and I had fun writing the following:


WHAT HAPPENED?
There’s a TV commercial
About the lady who’s fallen
And can’t get up
It’s no joke
I’m a macho man
Worked in the garden
Weeded, mowed and mulched
Did I overdo?
 I was tired, but I felt good
Little did I know
I’d soon fall
 And couldn’t get up.

My balance has been a problem
I was told to use a cane
No, not me, the macho man
Didn’t need a cane
Until Tuesday, the 5th of June
 I was running a fever
One hundred two point 5
I was stumbling
Almost falling
It was scary

The doctors ran tests
EKG, blood, urine, chest x-ray
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera
With so much attention
I felt better
My temp was normal
Until later that evening
It was up again
I was stumbling again
Called the doctor
No house calls
So off to the Emerson ER
 Previous tests were duplicated
A few more added
No medical conclusions
But the night was not a total loss.
We watched TV from an ER bed
The Boston Celtics Beat the Miami Heat
To lead 3 to 2 in the championship series.
The Celtics could win the series in game 6
With the Celtic’s win
And all the attention at the ER
I felt  good. 
Had a good night
Wednesday took it easy
Watched the Red Sox
At ten pm
The chills again
Shook all over
Got under the blankets
The shivering stopped

Now here’s where I have to be creative
I don’t remember the sequence
Got up to pee, I think I made it dry
On the way to bed,
Shivered Uncontrollably
Tried to plop into bed
Missed it
Landed on the floor
Couldn’t believe it
Unhurt, but
I couldn’t get up.
Couldn’t get on my knees
Couldn’t push up.
Leona helped to no avail
So I slept on the floor

Thursday morning
No problem
I was OK
I just got up
Spent a restful day
Watched the Celtics routed
Series tied at 3
Wait till game seven
Or till next year.

Check up at the doctor’s office
Maybe a bug
Taking antibiotics
We’ll see.
No more chills
No more stumbling
Feeling better
Game 7
The Celtics lost
Maybe next year
I think I’ll make it
Not sure about the Celtics.






Thursday, June 14, 2012

Mitt Romney

I know politions don't alway tell the truth.  I know poltitions change their minds, sometimes honestly.  An intelligent person will admit his mistakes and go on.  It may be a flip/flop, an "evolving" or a political expedient to satisfy a constituency.

 But, when Mitt Romney didn't remember his leadership role in the terrible beating of a gay classmate in prep school, that was an outright lie.  One doesn't forget such an experience.  Romney's classmates didn't forget.  His classmates remembered, with regret for their own participation or failure to intervene.  Yes, boys will be boys, and Romney can be forgiven for youthful indiscretions, but not for lying about it now.

I'm not voting for Romney because of the issues.  But his lying about not remembering, confirms that he is not fit to be president of the United States.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The truth is finally out.

I’M NO POET, I KNOW IT
They
Tell me I can write
Well, surely I’ve tried
I’ve written poems
 Memoirs, short stories
Nothing to crow about
I know it
They know it, too.

I’m can do some things well
I can split infinitives.
Dangle a participle
End sentences with a preposition
And when absolutely positive,
Write a double negative
I don’t know what road I’m on
Much less the road not taken
So, tell me
 Why do I write?

Monday, June 4, 2012

I was wondering.  How come America has been in so many wars.   It's a puszzlement to me.

WAR AND PEACE
Tolstoy wrote about Napoleon
An evil war mongering aggressor
I wonder what Tolstoy would write about America
Is American an evil war mongering aggressor
Of course not!
 Americans are peace loving people
America is a peace loving Nation
And yet, America has be in so many wars
The war for Independence
The war of 1812, the Mexican wars
The Indian wars, the war between the states
 The Spanish-American wars
World War I, the war to end war.
World War II, the Korean War, The war in Viet Nam
The never ending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
Little wars in Granada, Panama, Somalia
 Lebanon, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya
What might Tolstoy ask?
Are Americans are a peace loving people?
Is America is a peace loving nation?

Saturday, April 28, 2012

The Three Little Pigs and Robin Hood


This is a sequel to the Three Little Pigs.  I've taken the liberty of resurecting the Woodsman.

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS and Robin Hood

What Really Happened



We all know the story of the Three Little Pigs.  When the three brothers were old enough to leave home, their mother gave them motherly advice.   “Whatever you do, do it the best that you can because that’s the way to get ahead in the world”.  She also warned them to be careful.  “It’s a zoo out there, and the Big Bad Wolf is nothing but big trouble”. Well, only one of the little pigs followed their mother’s advice.



The first thing they had to do was to build a house, so that they would have a safe place to live.  They decided to build their houses next to one another so that they wouldn’t be lonely.  The first little pig built his house of straw.  The second little pig built his house of sticks.    Ah, but the third little pig, remembering what his mother said, built his house of bricks.



The Big Bad Wolf watched and waited, licking his chops as he thought about the nice meals he would have.  You remember what happened next.  The Big Bad Wolf huffed and puffed and he blew down the straw house and then the stick house.  Fortunately, two pigs were able to escape to their brother in the house of bricks.



The Big Bad Wolf was now very angry, and hungry as well, so he followed the two little pig to the brick house   The Big Bad Wolf knocked at the door of the house of bricks and said “Let me in or I’ll blow your house down”.  The three little pig said “No way. not by the hairs of our chinny chin chins.”



So the Big Bad Wolf took a deep breath and blew.  And no matter how hard he huffed and puffed, the Big Bad Wolf couldn’t blow the brick house down.  And the three little pigs laughed when the Big Bad Wolf had to lie down and rest from all that huffing and puffing. While the Big Bad Wolf was lying exhausted on the lawn in front of the brick house, the Three Little Pigs dialed 911 and the animal police came within minutes.  They corralled the three little pigs and brought them back to the farm where they belonged.  When they were nicely fattened, they were brought to The Swift Meat Packing Company, Inc. where the butchers made them into hams, sausages, bacon and pork chops for the dinner table.



And what, you ask, happened to the Big Bad Wolf?  He was put on the endangered species list, and had been living happily roaming the woods.  Unfortunately, for him, he ran into Little Red Riding Hood.  He had his comeuppance when the woodsman saved Red Riding Hood and her grandmother.



And what happened to the woodsman who saved Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother?  He was arrested, convicted, fined and sent to jail for killing an animal on the endangered species list.



But that’s not the end of the story.  Red Riding Hood’s grandmother was so grateful to the woodsman that she made packages of sweets and fruits for Red Riding Hood to take to the Woodsman every visiting day.  Before long, Red Riding Hood and the woodsman fell in love and planned to marry when he got out of jail.  But the wedding was not to be.



One day, on the way home from the jail Red Riding Hood met Goldie Locks on the trail and they became good friends.  Indeed they became intimate friends.  When the woodsman read of their same sex marriage in the BOLLI Bulletin, he became very, very depressed, but with the help of the prison psychiatrist he felt much better.



When he got out of jail he decided to pay a visit to Grandma to thank her for the care packages that Red Riding Hood brought to him.  When he arrived at the cottage he knocked at the door, and was admitted by a man he had not met before.  “Robin, who is at the door?” called Grandma from her bedroom.  She was still recovering from her ordeal with the Big Bad Wolf, and spent most of her days resting in bed.



“It is I, Grandma, the Woody Woodsman who saved you and Red Riding Hood from the Big Bad Wolf” answered the Woodsman,



“Oh, Robin, show the nice man in.  Robin, this is the Woody Woodsman who saved Riding Hood and me.  And Woody, this is Riding Hood’s father, my son, Robin Hood.”  



“I heard all about you while I was in jail.  The sheriff has spent a great deal of time trying to capture you.  He is offering a big reward. The sheriff says you rob the rich, but don’t give any of the loot to the poor.  He says you are as corrupt as a politician”, said the Woody, “but none of us believe what the sheriff said”.



“Well”. said Robin, “you know there are expenses.  My merry men have to be paid, and the cost of arrows is now almost prohibitive, and Maid Marion does require expensive entertaining, so it’s true that the poor don’t get all of the proceeds, but a few of my best poor friends do benefit.”



“Yes, I understand”, said the Woodsman.



“My mother says you swing a mighty axe, and that you handily offed the Big Bad Wolf.  I could use an axe man in my group.  With your criminal record, you may find it hard to get a job, especially in this recession economy.  Would you care to join my group of Merry Men?’ Robin asked.  The pay is pretty good, and I know you will fit in with the rest of the rascals.  What do you say?



“I’m not sure Robin.  I’ve never been an outlaw.  I killed the wolf only to save Red Riding Hood and your mother.  It was justifiable homicide, but those liberal judges on the court care more about a mean animal on the endangered species list, that about a do good citizen.  I hear that the wolf had blown down two houses and tried to blow down a third, but it was made of bricks and he couldn’t do it.  Then he attacked your mother and Red Riding Hood.”



“Speaking of Red Riding Hood”, Robin interrupted, “I know she broke your heart, and I am very upset about my daughter having a wife.  That’s weird.  Neither she nor Goldilocks will be welcomed by my Merry Men.”


“Oh, Robin”, broke in Grandmad Hood, Red Riding Hood is you daughter and my only granddaughter.  She and Golfilocks will always be welcome in my home. 

Friday, March 16, 2012

Whatever Is.

A bit of philosophy

WHATEVER IS
Whatever it is, it is.
Whatever it isn't, it isn't
Believing doesn't make it so.
Not believing doesn't make it not so.
Whatever is, is
Isn't that so?