Time marches onward,

relentlessly toward post time

and I remain unprepared.

~

Nevertheless you

and I persist. We show up

and sometimes poetry comes.

When our leaders put

both reason and compassion 

aside, what is left?

~

Demagoguery,

knee-jerk ideology,

and “fairly unbalanced” news.

On returning home

I find, much to my chagrin,

reason’s still on holiday.

~

It’s been quite a trip

here at home since reason has

fled for parts unknown.

As the time draws near

for your return, what do you

hope to bring with you?

~

Broadened perspectives,

a deeper understanding,

and so many memories!

As we wing from one

adventure to another,

can we find time to reflect?

~

Time for reflection

will come soon enough; for now

just enjoy your adventures.

We really do care,

and we hope our leaders find

a way back to caring too.

~

And if they do not,

do we care sufficiently

to replace our leadership?

Change trains in Brussels:

an hour hardly seems time

for great poetry to sprout.

~

May small brussel sprouts

of poetry nourish you

 as you journey on.

When did outright lies

come to be preferred over

basic human rights?

~

Trump’s America:

Where the only human right

is to lie despite the cost.

In old Amsterdam

there’s a quality of light

that defies explanation

~

Appreciation

without explanation can

result in a deep delight.