The forlorn dawn

Monday morning

constant yawning

long stretch

toothbrush fetch

showering quick

dressing slick

looking outside

hollow pride

boo hoo

no view

sunrise stolen

anxieties swollen

dense fog

mind agog

talking aloud

low cloud

forecasters fools

humidity rules

opening door

moisture galore

everything soaking

no joking

fog disdain

invisible rain

cushions wet

clouds sweat

foggy pollution

seeking solution

sunshine prayer

over there

orange glowing

fog going

sunshine winning

start grinning

fog disappearing

horizon reappearing

stolen dawn

returns forlorn 

Dinner is always the winner

Breakfast is an anomaly 

Despite being the first meal of the day

It always comes in last

The innocent victim for guilt ridden calorie counters

Ignored and neglected by many

Mostly consumed under severe duress

The main target for distraction hijackers

Breakfast TV keeps your eyes off the plate

Checking emails makes it hard to taste anything

Morphs into lunch when taken late and leisurely

Lunch is always second best

Usually taken against the clock

Sometimes taken on the run

Frequently skipped on busy workdays

Rarely taken with alcohol

Gatecrashed by breakfast on brunch weekends

Bored housewives time for gossip

No such thing as a free lunch

The favorite meal for speed dating

Its just lunch

Everybody looks forward to a nice dinner

Savored at a slow pace

The best food is reserved for dinner menus

Good company is often invited

Mixed with alcohol and lively conversation

No equal opportunity commission for mealtimes

Dinner always gets the best deal hands down

Being at the end of the day

With no fixed time limit

Dinner is always the winner

Always clean and protect your windows

windows are wonderful

always letting you see through

providing they are clean

protecting you from the rain and cold

waiting patiently at night

allowing the early morning sun to greet you

providing a viewing platform for sunsets

opening for fresh air 

obediently sleeping when you close the blinds

always there when you want them

brutally honest giving you the view as it is

no filters or distortions

never changing with age

windows never lie

totally non-discriminatory

allowing anybody to look through

regardless of age, gender, race or political persuasion

windows are better than many people

much better than most politicians

somebody votes windows into office

windows begin to govern

an entire administration of windows is formed

nothing could be more transparent

never anything hidden, always in view

impossible to corrupt or subvert

windows rule

windows are cool

windows are kings

until somebody revolts

throws a stone

windows shatter

windows progressively collapse

an entire government is broken

society becomes windowless

invaders climb through broken windows

prisoners escape through broken windows

anarchy ensues

windows have failed us

an anti-window movement is formed

windows are hunted down and smashed

windows are boarded up

illegal transactions go unseen

everything is hidden from view

fear and uncertainty abound

news media stops broadcasting truth

nobody knows what is really happening

honest people are persecuted and abused

justice is nowhere to be seen

there is no more hope

until somebody installs a single window

a crowd gathers to admire the window

a bully is sent in to smash it

the crowd refuses to move

the bully does not like resistance

he runs away crying

more windows appear

spreading like wildfire

the bad guys move on

peace and love return

windows rule

always clean and protect your windows

A piece of colored fabric on a pole*

imagine a piece of colored fabric on a pole

not very powerful objects you might think

but if they are of a certain shape and color they can

instill patriotism to an entire nation

be a symbol of pride freedom

announce a pending attack by pirates

declare a total surrender in battle

signal an infringement in a soccer match

locate the position of underwater scuba divers

stop an American football game for a penalty

strike fear over those conquered in battle

show a supporter’s allegiance to his favorite sporting team

mark the hole on a golf course

signal the end of a motor sports race

declare a beach unsafe for swimmers

inspire men to lay down their lives in war

be the focus of a remembrance ceremony

honor the passing of somebody

advertise a product or service

communicate by semaphore

a flag is so powerful yet its only a piece of colored fabric on a pole

Appliance reliance

we are surrounded by gadgets and machines in the modern world

gone are the days of wind up alarm clocks with clanging bells

today you can be gently roused from slumber by soft music from your Alexa device

or your smartphone will play an infinite array of sleep interrupting sounds

are we just too lazy to clean our teeth with a traditional brush

or does that electronic vibrating toothbrush do a better job

if you have no time to floss use a water jet flossing device

ditch the shaving cream and turn on your electric razor

throw your dirty laundry into the washing machine

it does all the hard work at the press of a button

if your shirt looks wrinkled the dryer will freshen it up

nobody bothers to iron anything anymore

cooking breakfast used to be an activity in itself

today you can do it all with one finger

press a button to start the coffee machine

drop your bread in the toaster and heat your oatmeal the microwave

do you remember morning newspapers delivered to your door

breakfast time silence was so sweet while you read the newspaper

today Alexa will read you the news by voice command

maybe you prefer to hit the TV remote while you wait for the toast to pop up

don’t expect anybody to write you a letter with their news

your laptop keyboard buttons obediently bring you email instagram and facebook 

text your spouse that shopping list rather than writing a note on paper

don’t be late by washing those dishes its much faster to press the dishwasher on button

if its cold outside you can press a button to warm up your car remotely

did you remember to lock the front door today

your smart lock app on your phone will confirm all is secure

do you miss that dial to scan the airwaves on your car radio

the worried elderly wife paced the hospital waiting room

a doctor came in with bad news written all over his face

I am sorry but there is nothing more we can do for your husband

his fingers are all worn out from a lifetime of pressing buttons

The sculptor

The sculptor picked out a large log

People gathered to watch him work

He sat the log up vertical on a stand

Clamping it then walking around staring at it intensely

He picked up a chainsaw

It was soon buzzing loudly

Wood chips started to fly

Rough shapes appeared under the bark

He stood back and studied the wood some more

The crowd started guessing what the final shape would be

He picked out a large chisel and a hammer

Slicing slivers from every part of the rough raw timber

Pausing occasionally to examine the wood

Running his hands over the surface with closed eyes

Then taking a smaller chisel to work more

The pile of wood chips on the floor grew bigger

Somebody in the crowd shouted out

I can see two people emerging

Locked in a loving embrace

The sculptor was unmoved and stone faced

He worked with smaller chisels 

Revealing every detail of their arms hands and fingers

Two faces appeared locked together in a kiss

More cutting and sanding revealed their smooth skin

He stood back to admire the finished work

The lifelike figures were perfect from every angle

He asked the crowd what feelings they had now

Love-peace-serenity-togetherness were shouted out

Somebody asked him to explain his technique

Transforming a rough sawn log into a beautiful statue

He rubbed his chin while considering the question

They were always inside that log he said – all I do is cut away the excess 

Why men hate shopping with their partner*

Men like to shop fast  

Planning their attack 

Like a hunting expedition

Identifying the prey in advance 

A quick territorial raid

Then a swift kill before a rapid retreat

Women prefer to shop slowly

Making long lists in advance

But stopping to browse at everything

Picking things up to feel, smell and shake them

Often changing their minds

Buying groceries is akin to picking berries in a field

How long will a man stay calm

When shopping with his partner

Usually half an hour at most

Boredom is replaced by frustration

He will typically seek an escape

I’ll wait for you in the car honey

Most couples shop individually

Wives left to browse the aisles alone

Husbands at home shop on line

Thats the beauty of Amazon

Its available whenever a man wants

Watching football and killing a shirt at half time

The wife lugs bulging bags back home

While he watches the end of the game

She expects praise for her thrifty gatherings

Holding up each item with reverence

Look at this great shirt I got for you honey

He stabs his phone and secretly cancels the Amazon shirt  

first responders and nurses

its 3.45am and my mind is racing

too early to get up

too hard to go back to sleep

nobody should be awake at this hour

except first responders and nurses

my eyes will not stay closed

I slowly get accustomed to the dark

normally my hearing is not that great

but the darkness amplifies all sounds

heartbeats are a welcome reminder that I am still living

my breathing sounds like a roaring wind

the clock ticks a slow jazz drummer rhythm 

now its too bright and too noisy for sleep

I creep downstairs and make tea

hot tea tastes good but my body is awake now

my mind has stopped racing, its just numb

I look outside at the dark night

blackness is the king of this hour

heavy cloud masks the moonlight and stars

my mind slowly empties of thoughts

allowing me to talk to myself

I question who I am

why am I me and not somebody else

who put me inside this body

where will I go after my body stops working

I do not have any answers for me

I decide to stop talking to myself

leaving space for my emotions to rush in

who wants to be first

Mr. Frustration perhaps or will Mr. Angry rush in

they both hang back surprisingly

Mr. Calm enters stage left and the spotlight is on him

I take a front row seat

he tells me everything is going to be fine

just wait a while and the dawn light will come

he smiles reassuringly and then exits stage right

the curtain comes down and it all goes black again

well that show was too short and not at all enlightening

nobody should be awake at this hour

except first responders and nurses

thankfully I do not need either of them right now

I decide to go back to bed

Put some travel in your belly*

I have been so fortunate to travel extensively

exploring many places and seeing spectacular sights

tasting some incredible food along the way

the pandemic put a big damper on all travel

I had to find other ways to satisfy my travel urges

travel documentaries are fun but its not the same as being there

I seem to gravitate toward travel shows with a culinary theme

then the penny dropped

I can still travel around the world while staying at home

I just have to eat my way to different places

some nice fresh sushi sends me to Japan

moussaka magically has me mingling in Greece

nasi goreng has me noodling around Indonesia

swedish meatballs send me to Sweden

a rice and beans dish races me to Mexico

pho floats me all the way to Vietnam

pizza and ice cream puts me firmly in Italy

Irish stew with a Guinness has me shipped to Ireland 

kibbeh kicks me over to Lebanon

ceviche has me salivating in Peru

I can sip a fine port and be pondering in Portugal

a spicy chicken vindaloo curry whisks me off to India

magret de canard with a glass of Bordeaux makes me go to France

tapas takes me straight to Spain

moules frites has me mulling around Belgium

doner kebab delivers me to Turkey

poutine has me plodding around Canada

hot dogs heroically have me habitating in USA

Peking duck propels me to China

roast beef dinners religiously deliver me to England

haggis and a fine single malt heave me all the way to Scotland

pad Thai puts me perfectly into Thailand

dim sums deliberately drive me to Hong Kong

when my travel belly gets really big and pendulous

I check myself into solitary confinement for some dreary travel free dieting

Gerry the crow*

my name is Gerry and I am a crow 

we are members of the corvid family

my cousins are ravens jays and magpies 

us crows are very intelligent birds

smarter than some primates

probably smarter than a lot of humans

if you see us all falling about laughing

its probably over the dumb antics of a human 

we do get a bad rap from other birds

I admit that we occasionally steal their eggs 

but they always lay plenty more

to be sure their own species survives

crows are despised by humans

they use our name to insult women

we crows are much more civilized

I married Dahlia three years ago

I would never stoop so low to call her an old human

we are a devoted couple and will stay together for life

unlike other birds who are polygamous

you will never see a crow at a bird swapping party

why do so many humans cheat on their partners

no wonder almost half human marriages end in divorce

we crows are civilized and live together in a family group

our sentries keep a lookout for owls and hawks

humans call a group of crows a murder

another example of how rude they can be

we crows use tools to get food

dropping hard shells onto rocks for example

some humans cannot even open a can of beans

humans are so wasteful with their food

we know how to open trashcans to get their leftovers

our ancestors were persecuted by humans

they tried to shoot us all to extinction

crows would never participate in such ethnic cleansing

we got smart and moved to the cities and suburbs

nobody shoots crows in urban areas

we often witness humans shooting each other though