Anne Frank Quote

One of my favorite quotes on nature and peace of mind is from the young Anne Frank. She says, “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy, is to go outside, somewhere they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be.” After hiding in a concealed attic for two years as a young teen, she knew what she was talking about. And standing here today, in the fresh spring air, overlooking this leaf-lined lazy river, I feel like I too know what she was talking about.

Another quote she used was, “Paper is more patient than man.” I get that one, too.

 

–Photo by me

free will in chains

I know it seems

our hopes and dreams

arising in our brains

are written free

by you and me

and yet the fact remains

we cannot know

where thoughts will go

and so the mind refrains

from seeing it’s true–

we have no clue

free will is wrapped in chains

untitled III

slowly, silently

the cumulus popcorn clouds

of blossoms explode

–Photo by me

stump

this old stump was

a magnificent tree

and has more than

a little in common

with me–we both

have the structure

of better days seen

and the young swaying

saplings make us turn a bit green

–Photo by me

oops! (a true story)

into the iron

depths of hell

the mighty brute I rode

and so appeased

the metal beast

with yet another load

 

at four AM

I hardly felt

the many bumps and jolts

but nothing quite

will wake you like

a hundred thousand volts

 

my truck box hit

a power line

I should’ve stayed in bed

and had my boss

just send to me

the million bucks instead

perspective

in the vast abyss of the cosmos

men and their endeavors

are as insignificant

as the dust from

which they

arose

but

atoms

form bonds

and molecules

can form an entire

living universe unto itself

it’s all about our perspective

when jesus came to sturgis

when jesus came to sturgis on a harley

we knew that everything would turn out fine

and when it started raining on our party

jesus turned the water into wine

 

and then he grabbed a bible from his harley

and from it read how on the second day

that god made grass and saw that it was gnarly

so jesus used the page to roll a jay

 

he took a hit and washed it down with soda

and ’round and ’round we passed that blessed jay

and somewhere in the hills of south dakota

they’re passing that same joint around today

dust devils of mars

in the shadow

of olympus mons

there lurks

an old romance–

the wind and sand

become as one

when arm-in-arm

they dance

 

under the pale

light of earth

their silent

vows are sworn

and every time

they bump and grind

another devil’s

borne

untitled II

the jilted lover

walks a solitary path

through the land and pines

–photo by me

Alcohol Avenue

You suddenly find yourself barreling down Alcohol Avenue toward the hospital dead ahead. It’s all green lights, pedal-to-the-metal, full tilt. With other cars boxing you in, you can’t turn back, even if you want to, and you say to yourself, how did I get here again?

You remember driving down Sobriety Lane away from the hospital. You had crossed Denial Street and even Anxiety Way successfully and with great expectations. Then you suddenly hung a left on Just One Street, only to find it led right back to the noisy, teeming traffic of Alcohol Avenue, and here you are once again about to turn your pleasant afternoon cruise into an ambulance ride.