Sometimes it’s best to

act; other times it’s best to

wait.  What will help us decide?

~

Never act before

you have gathered ample facts;

also, don’t procrastinate.

When is it easy

to ferret out self interest

in politicians policies?

~

There’s always a bit

of self interest. What’s harder

to ferret out is how much.

After several

days of much welcomed sun, can

we warm to new visitors?

~

Sorry I’m so late;

I was enjoying the sun

with unwelcome vistors!

When the silence grows,

filled only by cricket chirps,

do we dread the next great noise?

~

Whether the great noise

comes from without or within,

cricket chirps are much preferred.

If consistency

is the hobgoblin of small

minds, is Trump’s a bigly mind?

~

Inconsistency

is not always a virtue

but neither is discipline. 

So, to be or not

faithful to our ideals

even unto death?

~

When the time comes, each

will answer such a question

for themselves alone.

What if Ghandi or

Martin Luther King had

given up on hopes and dreams?

~

Perhaps they would have

lived to see their grandkids grown

and living under boot heels?

Hopes and dreams be damned,

when food, shelter, and safety

are at risk for so many!

~

We must not lose hope

or forget our dreams as we

work for the well-being of all.

How can we find peace

when violence has taken up

residence in our hearts?

~

Tending a garden

requires uprooting weeds

as does finding peace.

Back, when we were five,

we knew if we stuck to lies,

all our whims, we could contrive.

~

And by six we learned

our many lies did not keep

us from getting schooled.

What steps can we take

to turn his military

march into a dance?

~

Already we dance

to his frenzied dervish tune;

Postmodern Danse Macabre.

When, from the shadows,

an unlikely hero comes,

will we recognize his face?

~

Turn on the light. Look

into the mirror. Do you

recognize your hero’s face?

Whenever will we

see that we are only small

specks in vast infinity?

~

When we realize

that size is unimportant

in this fractal universe.

If he abuses

late night cell phone privileges,

will daddy take it away?

~

With baited breath we

wait, wondering why he would

delay ’til another day.

If compassion filled

our hearts and reason

filled our minds, then what?

~

“It’s the dawning of

the Age of Aquarius”…

or , at least, satiation.

Whether the weather

displeases or appeases

will its change bring diseases?

~

On Capital Hill

they plan to cure disease by

repealing climate and weather.

If you have all the

answers, perhaps you didn’t

ask the right questions.

~

And, of course, we must

question your ready answers

trusting not in platitudes.

Creativity

is vital to survival;

otherwise you just exist.

~

Just existing can

sometimes take almost all the

creativity you’ve got. 

Why is it that what’s

  quite obvious is often

very hard to see?

~

Have we not become

all conditioned to distrust

obvious easy answers?

Lazy Saturdays

filled with glorious sunlight;

what better way to recharge?

~

Space, time, and sunlight – 

restorative indeed when

received with a grateful heart.

Beneath the many

layers that separate us

don’t we share a common core?

~

Even common cores

hardly seem universal

when pursuing selfish goals.

You can’t “Wag the Dog”

without a war to trumpet!

Is there not a better way?

~

If it’s distraction

you want, there is no trumpet

stronger than the threat of war.

When we can see that

what we’re doing doesn’t work

 why do we persist?

~

When compassion fails

and intellect is absent,

grit’s the only thing you’ve got.

Harshest hardened hearts

can not even compromise.

How can healthcare be improved?

~

It’s often only

when we feel the burn that we’re

driven to put out the fire.

When we back ourselves

into a corner, should we

learn or just angrily tweet?

~

Roy Cohn has taught us

there is no corner too big

to escape with bigger lies!

When one finds oneself

lost at sea without a chart,

who’s to blame except oneself?

~

There’s always someone

else to blame – just ask our new

president. It’s Obama’s fault.

Shouldn’t we pause to

celebrate the many small

acts of kindness done each day?

~

Kindness isn’t cause

for joyous celebration.

It is a more simple joy.

When plans go awry,

and we scramble to regroup,

must we trooper through and why?

~

Sometimes what we do

next is even better than

our initial plan.

When I’m sure I’m right,

how can I avoid a fight

when they are so clearly wrong?

~

Sometime you must fight

your impulse to prove them wrong,

especially when you’re right.

How can we keep cool

when the noise drives us to blow,

leaving us to look the fool?

~

Grace under pressure

is no easy feat. Mindful

practice helps us lose our heat.