What are things coming

to when so many things seem

to be going bad?

~

When “from bad to worse” 

seem to be the rule du jour, 

we must keep our spirits pure.

Temperatures rise.

But why does this correlate

to a falling, moody, state?

~

I don’t know, but could

it be a reluctance to

return to ordinary?

Caught between post snow

and pre, what advice do you

have for me and thee?

~

When life bends you low,

like an over burdened tree,

shedding snow will set us free.

Weather patterns shift

How can we prepare ourselves

whether patterns shift or not?

~

What is it they say?

For best results prepare for

the worst and hope for the best.

Sweet togetherness –

how long before we long for

solitude amidst the snow?

~

There’s no solitude

for all these drifted snowflakes

frozen here, all together.

When silent, falling

flakes begin to pile high,

do our restless spirits fly?

~

Our restless spirits

fly the coop and find refuge

in the silent fall of snow.

Wintry weeks can be

blah and bleak. How can we find

the dash and color we seek? 

~

Perhaps a scarlet

flash dashing from limb to limb

will flush this bleak winter slush.

Golden Carp cares naught

for national politics.

Is he wrong to swim at peace?

~

If we didn’t carp

about politics, perhaps

we’d be at peace too.

How can we believe

negativity doesn’t 

pay when money’s raised on it?

~

If it bleeds, it leads:

journalistic truism.

Politics is just the same.

Do you have to be

“antisocial” in order

to be “anti socialist”?

~

This is a question

well worth pondering which means

the media won’t.

If Polyanna

and Trump walked into a bar,

what would they each drink?

~

It’s less a matter

of “what”, than whether it can

quench the unquenchable thirst.

How many times do

we turn the other cheek when

we only have two?

~

It’s not the number

of cheeks that count, but rather,

all the turnings that matter.

What do you expect

from life’s giant chocolate box

ever since we lost the lid?

~

I guess there’ll be no

cover-up so at least we’ll

have transparency.

How can we reclaim

misplaced dreams and gently bring

them into reality?

~

Manifestation

of our many dreams, misplaced,

takes all Shiva’s strength and grace.

As days grow longer

And night, increasingly brief,

how can we escape from grief?

~

Be it day or be

it night, there’s no escaping

grief. Give up the flight.

Why is schadenfreude

so much more satisfying

than the kinder mudita?

~

When we are deeply

satisfied ourselves, we grieve

for and rejoice with others.

If we keep singing

do you think the rain will fall

 fast asleep at last?

~

If the tune is right,

falling rain will harmonize

lulling all in blissful sleep.

When vultures circle

patiently above  the maimed,

do we label them evil?

~

A certain Martin

is aptly labeled evil

and is also charged with fraud.

Do you really think

it’s a sign of weakness to

be the first to blink?

~

Some may perceive strength

in those who are slow to blink…

or… it might be Parkinson’s.

How do you assist

those in need of assistance

when they won’t assist themselves?

~

We can offer but

not insist, allowing them

freedom to resist.

Am I daft or not

to hope that mind and heart may

come together and bring peace?

~

Hope is never daft

 but faith won’t guarantee

peaceful unification

Why does sudden snow,

unexpectedly falling,

buoy my spirits upward?

~

Perhaps it takes you

back to times when things were more

simple and a lot more fun.

How can we condone

active acts of violence

and follow the Prince of Peace?

~

Perhaps “free will” means

hypocrisy is a choice

unwise folk are free to make

Can teenage mortals

 ever learn that there’s a vast

realm beyond cell phones?

~

There are realms beyond,

but so many realms within.

With luck they’ll find a balance.

Weekend once again

and yet, will there be a chance

for true rest from our labors?

~

 The solution rests

 on whether we can give our

  accustomed doing a rest.

Now that the new year

is here, what should we do with

the old year just past?

~

Maybe best to wrap

it up in swaddling clothes 

and leave it in a manger.

At Janus’ gateway,

we find ourselves once again:

but what shall we leave behind?

~

Year after year we

resolve to leave things behind 

then  just snatch them up again.

As this year slowly

fades, what causes your poet’s

heart to skip a beat?

~

Diversity breeds

an asynchronous rhythm

when we welcome it inside.

Is it a sad truth

that just the presence of pain

provides us with fresh perspective?

~

Sometimes pain can be

a crowbar that loosens the

old and makes way for the new.

Are we completely

daft to hope that before long

snow will fall and fires warm?

~ 

When hearthfires burn

and winter snows return, 

we will daftly hope for spring.