Come Casual

Although on Friday Night Live, I don’t believe Al Franken has humor.  He has sarcasm and derision which some consider humorous if the comments fit their political views.

                                                  rlkilgore@chartertn.net

rlkilgore@chartertn.net

The Republicans are not the party of “No”.  The party out of power is the party of “No”.

                                        rlkilgore

Inconvenient downpour interrupts
Play of the little fellow sitting
On the floor, pouting because
The swing outside hangs slack.
He sees through eyes of the moment,
Not knowing somewhere sits
Another boy whose father works
In the store where the handy man
Buys groceries with money
He earns mowing our lawn
Nourished by the rain.

                                   rlkilgore

      Freedom of religion was envisioned by our forefathers to be the allowance of worship of God as presented in the Bible by whatever means a person wished.  When they said “separation of church and state” they wanted to ensure the government did not dictate the manner in which that God was worshipped.  However, it is obvious they wanted the inclusion of a “Biblical God” in government by their frequent references to God in the founding documents.  Other religions in America and Europe at that time were of such small measure to be of little consequence.  I doubt any of those men dreamed of what was to come.

     First, the atheists.  Atheism is a sort of religion.  As in Christianity and Judaism where there is a belief by faith that there is a God, the atheists believe by faith that there is no God.  Both beliefs are by faith because neither can be proved.  Atheists were not new to our forefathers but the voice they have today, aided by a liberal judicial system, would astound George Washington and his colleagues.  The strict interpretation of the separation of church and state being applied to our institutions and lives today will serve to weaken the core “Judeo-Christian” values on which our country was built.  References to God are being stricken from our government buildings and public schools, and the traditional institution of marriage between a man and woman is being assaulted (it would be simple enough for gays to have a civil union recognized by law to serve their needs).  These changes are being pressed by vocal minorities with special self-interests not in keeping with the welfare of our nation.

     However, the main threat to our doctrine (and Law) of freedom of religion is the growing presence of the Islamic religion in the United States (and the world).  This is a religion centered around the God of the Koran which has its own laws and dictates.  The problem comes when Islamic peoples place their religious laws above those of our government.  Their allegiances are to Islam and not America.

     Our free society allows Muslims to live in America and some openly express their contempt for us and their desire to destroy our country.  We cannot know what is in the mind of one so that brings into question the thoughts of all.  These Muslims are protected by our laws now, but how long will the American people allow the protection to continue?  Herein lies the coming breech in our beloved Freedom of Religion.

                                                                                           rlkilgore@chartertn.net          2009

1.  A famous philosopher, Immanuel Kant, as an aside said, “Poetry without rhyme is prose gone mad”.  I think poetry without rhyme is cheating, taking the easy way out.  I cheat more than I would like.  Maybe this form of writing should have its own name, something like “Prosery”.

2.  The chance of an original thought in writing, one which has not been voiced before, is remote.  About the best we can hope to do is phrase it in a different way.

3.  I believe rhyme in poetry is like sugar in coffee which leaves a sweetness lingering on the tongue.

4.  A poem is the mood and feeling of a moment, not of a life.

5.  There is a difference between seeking critical reviews and fishing for compliments.  Your writings should be found and appreciated, or not, as the reader is inclined.  The other option is that they never be found at all.

6.  Writing allows you to discuss with yourself, uninterrupted, matters which are difficult to discuss with others.

                                                      rlkilgore@chartertn.net

Those who play golf will understand these items.  If you don’t  play you need to start so you will be in the loop.

1.  A bad read cannot be overcome with a good putt.  Only a bad putt can overcome a bad read.

2.  Most golfers think they are a good putter having a bad day.  How many times do you hear someone say, “I can’t make anything today!”?  The fact is they couldn’t make anything yesterday or the day before or last year. 

3.  When a good shot occurs for us we think it is well deserved good fortune.
When it occurs for our opponent we think it is blind dumb luck.

4.  Giving golf lessons all day must be the equivalent of a psychiatrist’s listening to people’s problems all day.

5.  I have never understood, on the first tee, the hypocrisy of wishing your opponent good luck.

6.  I don’t understand how someone can derive pleasure from winning with strokes from his handicap.  If Carl Lewis gives you enough headstart you can beat him in the 100 meter dash.  What does that prove?

7.  Other golfers truly care that you four-putted the third green.  They are glad you did.

8.  Making excuses for the way you are playing doesn’t make anyone think you are a better golfer.

        rlkilgore@chartertn.net

Talking about oneself rivals baseball as the nation’s pastime. Much of poetry is a prime example. If “I” and “me” were removed from vocabulary, many would have difficulty speaking. 

 A child is given birth by the parents and has nothing to give in return except love. An obedient, loving child is a joy. A disobedient, disrespectful child to the obliging parents ranges from disappointment to burden to curse.

 Perhaps life on earth is Heaven and Hell, the reward or punishment side by side. Perhaps life on earth is only Heaven (or only Hell). Most likely it is neither.

 Jesus told his disciples,”………..do this in remembrance of me.” because he understood that was the ultimate they could do for him after his death. Remembrance of those we love after they are gone, and perpetuating that memory in future generations, is the ultimate gift we can give them.

 Life is a chess match and time is our opponent.

 I have observed, with a few exceptions, the less hair a man has on the top of his head the more he wants in other places.

 The savior of religions is that they are able to take any thought or event and twist it to their own ends.

 The main difference between standing in the shower and the rain is that rain doesn’t come in the right temperature.

 Each man has more than one life, some he lived before and one where he straddles the line between then and to be.

 I always wanted to be recognized for my looks. I didn’t know it would come in the form of a senior citizen’s discount.

 I discovered today mayonnaise doesn’t readily spread on a slice of tomato.

 Have you noticed how dogs like to smell of each others rear ends but they don’t like for us to blow in their faces?

If we truly believe Heaven is as we say then why do we take medicines and treatments to avoid it and why do we punish murderers for sending us there?

I wonder who started the rumor Barack Obama is smart.

Capitalism is built on the backs of laborers and the laborers are better off for it.

The flaw of socialism - if the pie is divided equally no one will bake the pie.

The rich man may have more idle time but his air conditioner isn’t any cooler or his bed any softer.

The Republicans are not the party of “No”.  The party out of power is the party of “No”.

Prayer seems akin to having an imaginary friend.  There is nothing wrong with having someone to talk to, someone who will listen without interrupting. The veracity of the deity is not as important as the strength of faith.  Faith is the reality.

                                                                          rlkilgore@chartertn.net

For some tomorrow is a distant thunder
Whose storm they cannot see,
For some tomorrow is a candy store
Whose shelves may be empty.

Some in a life will never know
The taste of a lingering kiss,
The brush of fingers across their cheek,
A moment such as this.

                            rlkilgore

rlkilgore@chartertn.net

They say love is sweeter

The second time around,

But that can’t be, you see.

Cause my ex-wife’s husband now knows why

He’s not a happier man than I.

                            rlkilgore

A small, dusty Texas town where no trees grow
Without being watered was OK for a sixth grade boy
Who did not know any better. There was no link
To the outside world with television so I
Didn’t know much anyway.

Barracks type buildings from the closed, World War II
Army base had been moved and converted
Into class rooms on the grounds of the junior
High school - and that was OK too.

We six graders started band in one of those barracks
And I played the clarinet. I played clarinet
Because my mother had found a used one cheap.
The problem was mine was shiny metal and the other
Clarinet players had black ones.

A boy named Gene Brewer sat next to me
In the clarinet section. He sat one seat closer
To the front row because he played a little better
Than I did. Gene was not corpulent
But he was somewhat overweight, I would
Call him soft. He was not athletic
And walked with a shuffling, pigeon-toed gait. His hair
Was a lighter shade than blond but I don’t believe
It was white. However, his most remarkable
Feature was a silver metal cap on one of his front
Teeth. I now know caps like that are the most
Inexpensive way of fixing a broken tooth.
He smiled frequently and pushed his glasses up
With the backside of his index finger. He
Was not one of the in-crowd and I was.

Gene and I had a conflict, the cause
Of which I don’t recall - nor what happened
Afterward. Regardless, I was trying to prove
To him I was somehow better off
Than he was.

In our town movies changed three times a week,
One on Saturday, one on Sunday and one
(only your mother would go to) in between.
I told Gene I went to all three movies
Every week. (This was a lie - I only
Went on weekends). He told me he did too.
Desperate for something to one-up him with I
Said at least I did not live on the north
Side of the tracks. He probably had never thought
About where he lived. He just stood looking with a wide-eyed
Stare like someone who had been stabbed in the heart with a knife
And was still alive to feel It. I had won.

The memory of his face burns in my mind
And haunts my heart so I cannot forget.
Gene, I am sorry.

rlkilgore

Growing up in Texas.  I’m on the right and my amigo is now mayor of Rockport, Texas.

As far back as history records
there seems to be,
Even with skeptics,
A universal craving for life
To continue after death.
Religions are a means
Of organizing the afterlife
Into a form the mind
Is able to manage.
But, is the notion
of life prior to birth,
Which human senses lack
The capacity to recall,
Any greater reach?
Perhaps we are a cosmic existence
Of which life on earth
Is an interlude,
A sojourn, a vacation -
For some a pleasant week
At the beach and for others
A nightmare
Where all the flights get cancelled.

                                rlkilgore