Slaves to the machine,

its digital cancer grows,

gulping power, water, souls.

~

Is there such a thing

as slavery by choice or

are we powerless?

Softly the breeze blows

gently teasing the ocean

and nearby palm trees.

~

Still and stifling,

dripping under rising sun,

nary a breath moves. Waiting.

Sometimes tough choices

leave a bad taste in our mouths.

Why is adulting so hard?

~

Being an adult

can be hard, especially

if we forget how to play.

Reminiscing brings

to light differing takes on

a past shared with each other.

~

Memory filters

through the layers of our lives

absorbing trace elements.

Details fall aside

as we focus on big things

creating shadows of doubt.

~

Doubtlessly those big

things override the small as

they certainly should.

Driving in driving

rain around crazy drivers

challenges a saint’s patience.

~

Even in the best

weather, crazy drivers drive

everyone insane.

Time stops for no one,

I know, but sometimes it seems

to go way too fast.

~

Those fleeting moments

are, most often, filled with joy

leaving sorrow to dawdle.

About the doldrums;

becalmed winds and heavy rains

describes both weather and mood.

~

Sometimes the gentle

breeze of contentment wafts

through and dispels the doldrums.

I’m sure our pets talk

among themselves about how

difficult humans can be.

~

Cats plot our demise

but dogs, seeing the downside,

advocate for some restraint.

Two sips of coffee

brewed in coal-town tap water

disrupted my gut for days.

~

Perhaps that darkened

brew was designed to give you

a sense of local flavor.

His tirades and rants

remind me of a spoiled,

self-centered seventh grader.

~

You’re too generous!

Seventh graders rant and rave

but they’re far more erudite.

Pointless turf battles

seem to be the stock and trade

of uncivil civic groups.

~

When power becomes

more important than service

pointless battles thrive.

The temperature dropped

and our air conditioner

chose to go on strike.

~

With luck it will have

all it’s grievances redressed

before the heat gets turned up.

After all the fun,

punctuated by hard work,

we prepare to hit the road.

~

And when you’re back home

the dogs will rejoice.

Life without you is no fun.

Enjoying the last

few hours of sunniness

before rainy days and nights.

~

From the other side…

Hotels A/C is broken…

One more day in formalwear!

How can one disturb

a sleepy airline pilot

with a vespers lullaby?

~

Something a bit more

rousing would probably be

a more appropriate choice.

Wanting to be king,

he’s now the bigly king of

Republican La La Land.

~

Like Midas of old,

he is soon to discover

some blessings can be a curse.

Where does the time go

when we are so busy we

fail to note it’s passing by?

~

Time disappears when

we’re kidnapped by busyness

and tied up with tasks.

We can’t see around

the corner and we often

don’t see what’s right here.

~

Some circumspection,

essential to modern life,

can’t eclipse the here and now.

As I drive westward

endless meaningless missives

Flash past my heads-up display.

~

The scenery provides

wordless wonder and needed

information when we look.

Yesterday I searched 

everywhere, but my fellow

poet had dropped out of sight.

~

Yesterday I searched

everywhere, for things to pack

leaving me no time to write.

Packing for travel

breeds exceptional discord

even in the most caring.

~

It can be tempting

to pack it all in but it’s

best to think again.

A small bird nibbles

on the seed the larger birds

chose to leave behind.

~

Seems Reaganomics

ain’t just for Republicans

but applies to all bird brains.

Language barriers

quite summarily sundered.

Cudo’s to translation apps.

~

Would that we had apps

simple enough to sunder

our divisive speech.

The flowers, bushes,

trees, (and sadly the weeds), all

perked up after all the rain.

~

Rain and CO2

Along with ample sunshine

perk up all our floral friends.

Kicking hornets’ nests

surely riles those guys up.

After that, expect the sting.

~

We all know a guy

in Washington who could learn

from this example.

I can’t say I danced

in the rain, but I can say

I didn’t complain.

~

Dancing in the rain

may not be in vogue just now

but it beats swimming in sweat.

What is this I’ve done:

volunteered to lend a hand

or set myself up to fail?

~

Heart’s in the right place

and that’s what matters the most.

Hands will do the best they can.

He’s sleepwalking through

his days and is turning ours

into a nightmare.

~

A gift of a sword

yields either dreams or nightmares

depending on your intent.

How can we show them

when their eyes are screwed tight shut

out there in the “Show Me” State?

~

When they can’t afford

food or medical care, they

might see how they have been screwed.