Chatter

As the day unravels,
thoughts fly and fill each space.
Nearby boulder yawns.

The Anatomy of Distraction

Hmmm.  Now this looks interesting.
(As another shiny thing captures my attention)

I'll have to look into this. 
(As I enter full-scale planning mode)

Why, this is simply marvelous.
(As I fool my eyes and take the plunge)

OK, OK, I can do this.
(As I steel and will myself to succeed)

What joy!  How glorious !
(As I bask in my achievement, for a spell)

Look at this ! You must try it too.
(As I gloat and try to gain accolades)

Yes, I did that a while ago.
(As I smugly answer all their questions)

I think it will look good here.
(As I store it away, upon a physical or mental shelf)

I wonder what I saw in this ?
(As I discover it's inherent emptiness)

Hmmm.  Now this looks interesting.
(As I swing to another fascination)

REPEAT ABOVE - FOR ENTIRE LIFETIME

Tomorrow

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Tomorrow

I wonder where Today went?

It was here, just a moment ago,

Just as the sun lifted above those far off trees.

Sometimes I know when it’s near,

When I hear a far off church bell,

Or hear a long, lonely train whistle,

As it slowly pulls into my town.

When Today returns, I know just what I’ll say:

Wait, Wait, Wait, Today,

Let me get my pencil and draw you, or

Now hold that pose as I take your snapshot.

Maybe I can finally hold Today within these images.

The kid next door fell off his bike.

As I rushed to his aid, he started to cry.

Just then I saw Today,

As tears streamed down the child’s face, and

As his mother hugged him tight.

Once I sat, carefully staring out my window,

Knowing that Today would certainly come. 

When I awoke, several hours later,

I could see that he did come, and went, for

Long shafts of low sunlight now filled the room.

I’ve decided on the best strategy to catch him.

When my last grain of salt teeters, ready to fall,

I’ll imagine myself very, very small,

Small enough to sit atop and ride that grain,

As it tumbles into the great beyond.

I’ll take a deep breath, and beam a wide smile, 

As I ride, saying:

“There it is!”

“There it is!”

“There - ”

Lost Thyme

Two people
In love
Wasting a lot of Thyme
While cooking.

The Tale of Smiling Jack

The Tale of Smiling Jack

Once upon a time, they say it must have been around the time of the yellow moon, there was a young man named Jack.  Well Jack was forlorn, since his parents had both passed, and he was alone in the world, with only a pocketful of small rocks and dirt from his homestead and an old mule named Heart to call his own.  Food was scarce and even scarcer during the cold winter there in the hill country.  So Jack decided he best head down slope to the bottom land along the river and see if he could get a job and settle there for a spell.  

But the journey down slope was not as easy as expected.  Bandits were afoot, so Jack kept hidden and traveled along the ravines and down-chutes.  Heart, while sure of foot, was getting hungrier by the minute and staring to whine.  Jack took his bandana and tied old Heart's mouth shut.  Jack could see old Heart's ribs sticking out and knew he had to do something quick, else he'd soon lose old Heart.  

Jack looked about and noticed the squirrels and prairie dogs eating some nuts and grasses, so he gathered up a bunch and tried to feed old Heart.  At first Heart would not touch any of it, but then, when Jack was not looking, Heart tried a nut, then another and finally started chomping up the grasses.  Jack was sure glad that he was able to help out old Heart.  He promised that he would build her a stall when he finally got himself settled in the bottom lands, and would feed her the sweetest hay grasses in the realm and fit her a nice straw bed for her stall.  

Ravine running also took a toll on Jack.  Brambles, thorn trees, and sharp rocks started to tatter Jack's shoes and clothes and his arms bled red from finger to shoulder.  Two falls on rock crags have him some bad bruises on his head and legs.  And nightfalls were rainy and cold and the only way he could keep warm was to snuggle close to Heart with a handful of grasses and nuts.  But Jack was determined to save himself and Heart and soon the inclines started to flatten and in the distance he could see the river and a town and the etchings of a road, which he soon started heading for.

When Jack and Heart reached the road all of a sudden Jack heard horses galloping at top speed towards hum.  It was too late to hide and they were too tired to run, so Jack stood his ground and prayed for things to resolve.  As the horses drew near, Jack saw that the bandits had arrived.  When they saw him and Heart they howled with laughter, pointed fingers at the sad travelers and taunted them.  Round and round the horses spun about Jack and Heart, making Jack nervous and angry.  The bandits demanded his money and Heart and then they would spare his sorry life.  Jack did not know what to do, but prayed for help.  Just then one of the bandits took his rifle and started to poke at Heart's ribs, laughing and saying Heart wasn't worth keeping, and so he thought he should just shoot her now.

In the west the sun was starting the set and the yellow moon was starting to rise.  Jack looked at moon intently and then faced Heart's attacker and told him that he'd like to trade Heart for his rifle.  The bandit was surprised and laughed louder and said that bandits do not trade and that he'd shoot old Heart, then Jack.  Jack then asked the bandit if he would want what is in Jack's pocket, in exchange for saving old Heart's life.  The bandit started getting agitated with Jack and cocked his rifle.  But the two other bandits then asked what Jack has in his pockets.

The bandits' eyes widened and their little minds started filling with greed, and they wondered if Jack might show them where the source of the yellow gold is.  Jack dug into his pocket and pulled out a handful of small rocks and dirt and said that they would all turn to yellow gold as soon as the moon reached it's highest point, which was only a few hours from now.  The bandits stared in disbelief and anger at Jack, then spat on him, and got off their horses.  One bandit kept his rifle on Heart, while the other two approached Jack with knives and pistols drawn.  They demanded to see those grey rocks.  But Jack said they were worthless right now, but repeated  that soon the moon would turn them into yellow gold.  

Meanwhile Heart was getting hungry again and started to whine and kick and make a frightful fuss.  The bandit with the rifle took aim and brought his finger to the trigger.  Just then Jack threw the grey rocks into the face of that bandit and ran behind one of the bandit's horses.  The blinded bandit shot off two rounds wildly, the first killed his pal and the other hit his horse.  The hit horse howled and ran amok among the other two horses, which stamped down the blinded bandit and grievously injured his second pal.  In the wild time Heart took off running down the road, while Jack hopped atop one of the bandit's horses and followed.  The two remaining bandits lay ailing and totally confounded as to what had happened.

Jack caught up to Heart and let the bandit's horse go, but not before grabbing his feedbag and feeding Heart.  They then walked as quickly as they could to the distant town.  A few hours later they finally arrived, just as the yellow moon rode high in the sky.  Jack told the townspeople what had happened and a search party was sent out to fetch the horses and see if the bandits could be brought to justice.  The townspeople could see that Jack and Heart were desperate and in need of food, water and shelter, which they obliged.  

A little boy soon showed Jack where to hitch up Heart and Jack noticed that it was a beautiful stall, with sweet hay grasses and a nice straw bed.  Then the little boy showed Jack where to wash up and where he could bed down for the remainder of the night.  He then told Jack to follow him and he would be given a nice meal.  Jack was ever thankful and said he would be right there after he washed.  The little boy was about to leave, but then noticed that Jack's pockets were full and asked Jack what he had in them.  Jack laughed and said it was just a pile of small rocks and dirt, from his old homestead in the hill country.  Jack pushed his hand in his pockets and pulled out two hands full to show the little boy.  And there in his hands were nuggets of yellow gold, which made Jack beam with a wide smile that to this day has never worn away.

Haiku Thoughts

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          Last breath of Winter
Warm rays challenge the snow piles.
            - Dandelion smiles.
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        Rushing through a field
          I turn to look, as I fall.
      - Hard edge of tombstone. 
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            As the day unravels
   Thoughts fly and fill each space.
         - Nearby boulder yawns.
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            Chickadee darts about,
         Ants evade all the droplets.
            Isn't Spring refreshing?
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            Body stretches Mind
            Mind stretches Body.
      - Steve is off to Orbis Farm !!!
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