On Independence Day

June 7, '76
in Independence Hall.
Richard Henry Lee

made the audacious
call: "Resolved, [we] ought to be,
free and independent States.”

“It is rebellion”
The King of England said
“Take all the ships.”

Ties were severed
one by one, as war began
to brew. Common Sense

is what they called, the
fall from grace, of George and his
belligerent states.

But politics takes
time, and some had thoughts of peace.
Recess Congress called.

While five began to write.
Adams, Sherman, Franklin,
Livingston, each played

a role, but Thomas
dipped the quill, and it is this
that he began to write:

“When in the course of
human events, it becomes
necessary...”

to break the bonds that tie.

Then that immortal
line, “All men are created  equal.”
With Rights, and  Life and Liberty

And the pursuit of happiness.

Hot Dog Haiku

Hot dog on grill.
Sizzle and pop. We know what
they made of. Who cares.

Not gourmet, not
organic. Not hip like your
delicatessens.

Who cares!

Heat from above,
heat from the grill.
Throw on a dog. Who cares!

Beer.

A Blue Collar Kid

The last few months I have really enjoyed learning to write poetry, haikus specifically, so here's to that.  It was my proff, Mark Osler that introduced them to me and many others on his blog, Osler's Razor, so thank you Mark!

A blue collar kid
with a spotty education.
Whats a haiku?

And whats a haiku
to do with a prof like this?
O’ That does make sense.

(He had us looking up artwork for our first day of Crim Law)

Had to google it
the first time, still do to spell.
First attempts? So so.

Repeat and try again.
Read, listen hard, catch on to
what is really said.

Rhyme and punctuate. (as you see fit)
Close the law books and enjoy,
a brief reprieve, joy.

Thank you, all of you,
for giving me, something new.
Appreciation.

By the Side of the Sea

by the side of the
sea she stood, broken, leafless,
surviving what had come.

while to her left lay
what was left, the house failed to
survive--junk--garbage.

her trunk, her arm, both
pointed to the north not a
leaf or branch in sight.

she alone had stood
katrina's awesome might
mississippi shore.

Book Untouched

Book prostrate but un-
touched, study does not come.
Work.  Procrastinate.

Beautifully Undone

Space. Freedom. Moving
at the speed of light, like a
freight train flying home,

he left earth unstop-
able. Glanced back, and saw this
earth, whole, unbroken,

knit together, cloud
and sea, land and tree, regal.
Beautifully undone.

On Criticism

Misunderstand. Talk
past. Denigrate and malign.
In criticizing

others, ourselves
we damn—to exhaustion
repetition, and vice.

“But we must stand up,
for what is right.” Ready, fire, aim.

Madness onward march.