My literary musings and creations
I am far behind
on my opportunities to use
those three words
so often thought, infrequently heard
I find myself wishing
for one more hour
with my parents
wishing I could go back with
my kids back to a younger age
to make up the deficit there
to listen a few moments to a friend
when I didn’t have the time
and my wife to whom
I can never say enough
I love you
The yard looked stunning yesterday.
When I finished mowing,
I trimmed round the roses,
headed the geraniums,
and walked to the street to look back on my work.
The house, as grey as
springtime fog,
with sage green shutters
was trimmed in gold by the brush of afternoon sun;
all now just a memory.
My yard is there, somewhere
beneath a pile of
cars, shingles, fence posts,
the house an open dance floor,
no orchestra in sight.
Perched like a giant bird
in the stub of a tree,
my refrigerator still holds yesterday’s leftovers
and eggs for today’s breakfast,
forever scrambled.
From a shredded branch of a magnolia tree
a mockingbird sings his joy:
for the bright sunshine,
for living another day.
I nod and sigh,
and a hesitant smile swells from deep within me
as I must,
in spite of everything,
join his celebration.
O, let America be America again –
The land that never has been yet –
And yet must be— Langston Hughes
Children are foolish
to be born of parents
with no parenting skills
or the temerity
to be sick or malnourished
or to have nothing
and come to a land of plenty
or commit the crime
of darker skin, different tongue
as a nation proclaiming God
and rejecting His will
can we provide
for the least of these?
As morning brightness
sparkles on water far below,
a tiny silver bird turns toward me,
grows into a screaming vulture
and shakes the tower
beneath my feet.
Orange fingers reach through
cracks and holes,
seeking me,
hot breath against my back,
urging me along.
A young woman stands,
head pressed against the outside wall.
dread and pleading in her eyes.
She comes to me,
her fingers searching for mine.
I open them to her.
Seared by the inferno,
we spend a silent moment memorizing each other,
as dark tendrils search between us.
She swipes a fist at smudged tear trails.
Together,
we step to the window ledge.
Sharing one last glance,
our hands grip tightly.
We escape into cool, blue air.
There was a time generations ago
when the frail held a special place
at the family table
we wanted to love
There was a time generations ago
when we sat at Grandma Mary’s feet
and heard her stories
we wanted to know
Now is a time of
bleach bland food walkers
blaring Fox News
stored like teacups in a cupboard
O, let America be America again –
The land that never has been yet –
And yet must be— Langston Hughes
Children are foolish
to be born of parents
with no parenting skills
or the temerity
to be sick or malnourished
or to have nothing
and come to a land of plenty
or commit the crime
of darker skin, different tongue
as a nation proclaiming God
and rejecting His will
can we provide
for the least of these?
“I’ll be everywhere…. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there.” John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
each new day kills plans
to earn his way,
in all this land there is no place to go
his daughter wears
a tearful, crooked smile
her hunger a spear run through his soul
his promises come flat
and meaningless
his shame floods every corner of each breath
until he hops a freight
and goes away
to try and send a dime to take his place
For Gabrielle
a madman
left a silver trail through your brain
mandating you give up your life
stubborn you stood against
the gun that does not kill
refused to go
you battle through each day
wet with frustration’s tears
cheers for each small victory
Now you fight a new battle
you stand with raised fist
whisper your battle cry
“enough”
and I
stand with you
If world leaders had ears
they could hear people crying
not for want of treasure
but for their hunger
for need of care
for desire of equality
and for the children
If world leaders had eyes
they could see their people hurting
not for opulent mansions
but for freedom from oppression
for freedom from brutality
for freedom from humiliation
for freedom from ignorance
for freedom to find a better life
for their children
If world leaders had arms
they could reach out to their people
not for purpose of boast or brag
but for want of bringing comfort
for want of aiding the aged
for want of embracing the sick
for want of lifting the fallen
especially the children
If world leaders had hearts
they could feel their people’s need
not turn their backs and glance away
but be filled with compassion and grace
be filled with knowledge of what is right
be filled with love for people, not wealth
and have the wisdom of children.
Hal C Clark – June 5, 2011 rev
Our world is still filled with violence, terrorism, hatred, and other maladies. I wish it wasn’t so, but this is where we are. In spite of what we have, I still like to imagine a better world and solutions to our problems. Saying they don’t exist doesn’t solve anything. For me, a major problem is in what there is too little of.
We are here, on this earth
In this life,
for one purpose:
to love and be loved.
Any activity which does not
promote this purpose
is wrong.
We all differ in our opinions, and that is as it should be. I see no constructive purpose in attacking the person who doesn’t agree with our opinion. Discuss the differences, yes. Try to work out a solution, yes. Attack the person as if he is the enemy, no
We have enough enemies in our lives, among our nations, without recruiting new ones. In my dream world, I imagine living life with peace in my soul. There are others in the world who believe as I do. It is time to stand for our beliefs and speak out.
This is a strange land,
A tumbled, upside-down land
Where our economic woes are caused by
the elderly and the poor,
the sick and weak
and the children.
Where the elite on Wall Street,
proclaiming total innocence,
harvest great wealth and power
from our financial losses.
Where we demonstrate our peacefulness by
spending our resources waging war on other nations
and killing more civilians
than soldiers.
Where we boast of equal rights for all
while denying rights
to the impoverished
or those of certain
races, cultures, religions.
Where speaking freely of your dreams or opinions
can brand you as
a traitor.
Where we can dream a dream
of the Constitution’s America,
the United States of America,
and hope someday we can all
make it real.
Hal C Clark – April 21, 2011
I get very tired of hearing how the lower and middle class are the reason we are having economic problems in the United States. According to members of congress, if we could just eliminate spending on education for our children and let the elderly die off instead of taking care of them, our nation would create more wealth. I, for one, am ready to move away from more wealth for the wealthy and set our sights on prosperity for the nation.
The poorest Americans pay the highest percent of their income on taxes. I realize they often don’t pay Federal income taxes. I have heard it said that half of all Americans pay no Federal income taxes, but that is because their earnings put them below the poverty level. But they do pay the property taxes on the apartments they rent, sales taxes on purchases, and any overhead and taxes from the services they use (utilities, transportation, etc.) These Americans tend to spend almost all of their income each month at the retail level.
The middle class pays most of the income taxes in America. My tax rate, all considered, is about ten percent higher than that of the Koch brothers because they can afford the tax attorneys to hide income and defraud the system. The business expenses in this “small” business include several private jets, numerous houses and vacation lodges, and any cars they might want.
Cerrtainly, we need to increase revenue and reduce spending in order to catch up with our debt, but why put all the burden on the lower and middle class whose splending carries our economy. The top three percent, who control seventy percent of the wealth in this country, spend less than one percent of their income at the retail level, whereas middle income families spend most of their income at the retail level. Ninety-seven percent of americans are working with 30 percent of American wealth, which is why the income of lower and middle income families continues to drop while the income of the wealthiest climbs at an exponential rate.
My frustration at seeing some of the wealthiest Americans being able to buy power to control the government of this country is apparent. I can’t change the direction we are headed by myself. Some corrections must be made. As I said earlier, I think it is time to move away from more wealth for the wealthy and toward prosperity for the Nation.
It is time to speak out about how we feel. A silent majority has no power. Be bold.
Hal C Clark's Blog 