Obsolete networks

require painful updates…

that, or simple replacement.

~

Upon reflection,

we discover the same is

also true for us.

Tell me, wise son, if

he doesn’t have a leg to

stand on, how can he still run?

~

One without standing

is barred from filing suits!

Well… that’s how it used to be…

Perhaps insurance

companies, too, should be bound

by the hippocratic oath?

~

True, but they are bound

by a previous oath to

remain hypocritical.

In and out they go,

these cats and dogs, and when I’ll

sleep nobody knows.

~

Freedom of movement

are chief among dogs’ and cats’

inalienable rights.

Lord, help us be kind

when we are the least inclined

for the sake of unity.

~

Help us accept this

challenge to open our hearts

even to those who’ve caused pain.

It’s possible to

admire a man and still

question his choices.

~

There are differences

between admiring men

and trusting them with blind faith.

Stanley Kowalski,

at first glance, seems the hero.

Not unlike some other guy.

~

Not unlike someone

we know who much desires

to make himself great again.

Sometimes we want time

to slow, sometimes to speed up,

and sometimes to stop.

~

Like the great river,

time rushes, eddies, or stills

all at the moment’s mercy.

Here we go again;

allowing life’s distractions

to derail creation’s train.

~

Ii’s not long before

we’re back on track and ready

to begin chugging along.

Surveying the land,

that red fox sat patiently

in the morning sun,

~

Keeping watchful eye

for any who might approach

with less than benevolence.

Despite differences,

people of goodwill agree

all deserve civility.

~

Civilization

is based on civility,

but some prefer anarchy.

So far this summer

is filled with heated moments.

Cool reason has departed.

~

Heated rhetoric

is designed to blind the mind

thus freezing our reasoning.

As the heat rises,

one might reach the conclusion

that it’s an election year.

~

All the lies simply

fan the flames, maximize our

chance of dying from heat stroke.

Should we be surprised

that the Grand Old Party chose

Bloody Red to stand behind?

~

When their primary

strategy involves wounding

not dialogue? No surprise.

The United States

of America…was it

all just a pipe dream?

~

In Flint Michigan,

the pipes spew toxic nightmares.

Are these American Dreams?

Old familiar pains

turning up in new places?

Is this same old something new?

~

Recurring questions

such as these can become more

frequent as we age.

Time and time again,

we humans get it wrong. Will

AI do any better?

~

AI is designed

by us fallible humans,

so, garbage in, garbage out?

In the brief respite

between one storm and the next

this dog clamours for a drag.

~

To be dogged by storms

in sweltering heat can be

something pretty neat.

We’re slogging our way

through summer’s swelter and it’s

not even July.

~

Preparing ourselves

for the inevitable

five months of August heat.

If you don’t maintain

your history and legacy,

what good are more possessions?

~

Some things that money

can’t buy last much longer than

all our purchases.

What is not open

to debate is that much is

at stake in this election.

~

When SCOTUS decides

it’s fine to fine the homeless,

this election’s just the start!

A poetic voice

may take time to cultivate,

or it may just be innate.

~

In either case, such

a voice needs attention and

space to flourish and to grow.

Knox seemed puzzled when

that turtle didn’t run from

him like the squirrels he’s chased.

~

Within his fortress,

that turtle was safe as gold

stockpiled within Fort Knox.

Nothing can compare

to the ribald mirth within

simple misunderstanding.

~

Shared laughter over

misunderstandings rights what

we once got so wrong.

Caution, hotter days

ahead. Climate deniers

move to the right lane.

~

Only when the poles

are completely free of ice

dare they let up on the gas.

Living in contempt

of everyone all the time

must be unbearably hard.

~

The inferior

have to feel superior

and thus the contempt.

According to dogs,

cats, and visiting birds, there’s

no such thing as a day off.

~

Dependent beings

demand our intervention;

it beats fending for themselves.

Adventures abound

when you’re young and on the road

following the Kerouac.

~

Adventures abound

too when you’re old and can’t roam

on foot, but can in your mind.

As these summer days

grow warmer, I find myself

feeling a bit cold toward them.

~

Arizona heat

left your grandson by the roadside

when his tires melted down.

That Coyote’s howl

serves as a sonic challenge

my dogs are keen to answer.

~

All it takes for ours

to rise to the bait are steps

moving up the long house ramp.