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
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.
Her frame bent like the cane she trusts,
The weight of years then bows her head,
In shuffling shoes she creeps along,
The squinted eyes cast toward her bed.
No daughter’s touch guides shaky steps,
No children’s laughter cheers her face,
The silent roar of nothingness
Dwells with her in this dark place.
But count the keen lost memories,
The golden grace her soul must hide,
And never share the tales of loving
Life when she was once a bride.
No diamond crown or noble court
Reserved for woman such as this,
’till God’s bright welcoming embrace
Shall bring her home to glorious bliss.
Hal C Clark – March, 2010
I was in a grocery store one day when I noticed an elderly lady pushing a shopping cart who seemed to be alone. She was using the cart for support and moving slowly. The lines of this poem began forming in my mind.
When I got home I wrote down my ideas and began putting them together. I have no idea of this lady’s circumstances, but this is the image my mind produced. In our fast-paced society, we are not always aware of the needs of our seniors, who try to maintain some dignity in spite of their handicaps.
It isn’t pleasant to be forced to ask for favors from others. I try to remain aware of the people around me (as, I am sure, all writers do) and make myself available whenever it is called for. But I must remind myself to allow them their space so they can feel that sense of independence. It is an important balance.
Waiting
I wait and breathe cool mountain air
Listening to porch planks creak beneath oak rockers
Deep vermillion crawls away,
Inviting diamonds into
An indigo sky.
Your image flows through
Channels of my memory,
My fingers tangled in your hair,
Your warmth pressed against me.
A smile lights up your face,
Accenting crinkles long familiar.
I press my fingers to my lips,
Point my hand skyward,
And wait for
God’s consent to join you.
Hal C. Clark
November 2006
About Waiting
As my parents grew older and approached their seventieth anniversary, I thought about which one might go first and which would best deal with the loss. My mom was devoted to my dad and he depended on her for many things, most of all for companionship. I don’t know if he depended on her for her sake or his own.
My dad died when he was ninety and my mom went on for two more years, although she admitted to us kids that she was ready to go. She just had to wait around for the right time. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great grands and looked forward to seeing them. But she didn’t have much excitement for anything else.
It’s hard to think of that time between your very overactive life and that time when you leave this world, but most of us will have to face it. The happiest of our senior citizens seem to be those who are physically able to find some useful pastime such as some way to serve others. For some, that involves family, for others, a church, for some, maybe writing.
Take some time, a few minutes a day, to honor older relatives and make them feel worthwhile. It makes everyone feel better.
Feb 10, 2010
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