FALLEN HORSE

What do you do
When you see
A horse on the ground,
Anguished and in pain?

Do you get down on bent knee,
Wipe his tears and pray?

Do you bandage his wounds?
Pet his handsome brown mane?

Are you able, are you willing
To bring him to his feet,
Hop aboard,
And feel the wind in your face
As he runs like he never has before?

Do you do that when you see
A fallen horse…

Or do you beat him?

Weather Man

Weather Man tells you
To pack an umbrella.
But can you trust a man
With a clashing suit and tie?

Weather Man is confident
That the sun will shine
As he snaps his suspenders.

But why should I
Believe a guy
Who can’t trust his own
Pants?

Weather Man wants you
To break out the shovel
And dig out of the snow.
Weather Man lives
In a penthouse.

Weather Man’s got the
Seal of Approval of the
American Meterological Society.
Weather Man’s seal
Peels pretty easily.

Weather Man’s got radar,
Sonar, buzzers and bells.
But what does Weather Man’s
Heart tell him?

Weather Man should go outside
Once in a while.
Weather Man needs to step
Into the sun
And smile.

This is what I'm like at home, folks. All I really need is the night cap, the nightshirt and the fire to crackle. Choo-Choo, my kitty, will back me up on this.

MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND

You keep my soul
Healthy and strong
My whole life long.

You keep my mind sharp,
Tuned like an angel’s harp.

You keep my heart beating
Through everything
I’m needing.

You keep my spirt high
Even when
I need your help to fly.

You’re more than a friend
To me.
You’re family.
I wanted you
To be.

I can no longer
Imagine life
Without you…

My beautiful friend.

Soapbox Time!

Today I heard something that nauseated me so much...

About an hour ago, I heard Governor Emeritus Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Ref.-MN) speaking to Leonard Lopate on WNYC-FM guess where. Ventura was prattling on about the taxes he paid during his governorship of the Land of 10,000 Lakes. He earned $120,000 a year--before meals his family ate and trips in his governor's limo. That brings it to about $60,000 that Ventura saw. At that point James George Janos (1951-?) said something I will never forget: "I live a certain lifestyle. $60,000 a year doesn't cut it for me." With that, every upper-class twit from Park Avenue to Park Slope within earshot of a radio must have had an orgasm. And every construction worker from the Bowery to the Bronx within earshot of a radio must need medical attention because they kicked the nearest steel girder with such force.

Mind you, I don't listen to WNYC with any degree of regularity. But I will say that Gov. Ventura must have had a perfect audience. Leonard Lopate anyway strikes me as effete, timid, and solicitous. I didn't stay long enough with WNYC to hear Lopate's response to so odious a statement because I was mad enough to write about this. But I can only think that Lopate's response must have been nonexistent.

In the meanwhile, it almost goes without saying that all the power Jesse Ventura used to have has gone to his head. Now he's just the sort of guy you wish politicians never were--hungry for more power, more money, looking for someone and something to argue to and complain about. It is not a lawmaker's job to complain, any more than it is a governor, a senator or a president. The complaints of the rich and powerful are lost on the people who have no money or power.

And now, if you'll excuse me, the soapbox is getting somewhat wobbly.

Another Dose of Practical Destiny

Somewhere in this favored land--Memphis, Tennessee, to be exact-- there is lady by the name of Leigh Anne Tuohy. You may or may not know her, but you may have heard of her. About six or seven years ago, Mrs. Tuohy adopted a young man named Michael Oher. Big dude; 6'4", 310. Oher attended eleven different schools in nine years and repeated both first and second grades, to say nothing of being in and out of foster homes.

Had Mrs. Tuohy never met or adopted Michael Oher, he'd never have gone out for football at Briarcrest Christian in Memphis, nor would he have been recruited at Ole Miss, Mrs. Tuohy's alma mater. Oher would not have been able to distinguish himself on the football field with Ole Miss or with the Baltimore Ravens.

And had Michael Oher never met or accepted the love of Leigh Anne Tuohy and her family, their story would never be told in the 2006 book The Blind Side, the story would never be the subject of a film, and quite possibly, Sandra Bullock would not be finding a suitable place for her first Academy Award.

As I drifted off to sleep last night, with that knowledge, I asked myself: "Can you imagine the ramifications of a single act of love?" Think how one person's love for another, whether familial or otherwise, affects the lives of so many others. Think how the love a white Christian woman for a black man affected you, if you've read the book or seen the film (I hope to soon.). Did you cry? Did your heart open? Were you moved to love another person you weren't expected to? That's the thing about love. It just is. Love opens hearts, loosens and frees souls and destroys preconceptions and prejudices. Because Mrs. Tuohy adopted and cared for Michael Oher, all around them are improved.

Love...gotta play in order to win, you know.

VERSUS

Two souls lock eyes.

On a court.

In a ring.

On a field.

You watch.

Smiling.

Eyes alight.

They joust.

They spar.

They compete.

They fight.

You cheer.

You boo.

You pray.

They play.

Who raises his arms

Skyward to the sun?

Who hangs his head

And slinks into the night?

Does it matter?

To many, yes.

To others, no.

But when it’s done

They’ll shake hands

And embrace.

And your applause

Will shower them

With the angels’ grace.

Odd Thought...

Let's say a filmmaker wins an Oscar. Doesn't really matter if it's an actor or a filmmaker. But what if that man or woman won an Oscar, made the speech, thanked the Academy, the whole nine yards...then walked away, bypassed the press room, left the Kodak Theatre and headed, for example, to Yev's Jewelry and Loan on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. I just think it'd be hilarious for a guy to take a Steadicam crew with him after he's won the Oscar and watch him pawn it. It's a tough, tough economy, folks. I'm willing to bet there are people who'll do anything for a little extra cash.

Lady in Violet

The Lady in Violet waters the garden
Spreading love and light across the dirt.

The Eternal love spreads across
Her soft and careworn face.

She watches as the roses blossom.
All so different, yet so much alike.
The roses bloom and grow
Upon her watchful eye.

When it comes time to cut the
Stems,
The Lady in Violet does not.
She wants the rain and sun
To feed them
And bring them eternal life.

So every now and again,
The Lady in Violet
Plants new seeds.
And those seeds grow into
Immortal Roses.

We all grow
Because we are loved.

We florurish
Because she loves us.