King for a Day

Posted on February 22, 2025 by sputterpub

There lives a sock monkey with me,
handmade once to aid charity.
I bought him myself
and he rules from my shelf.
He’s now paper-crowned regally.

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Benchmarks

Posted on February 21, 2025 by sputterpub

They correlate the numbers, and assign
a risk of heart attack with mindless screen.
Cholesterol (read “LDL”) looks fine
to me, consistent with the numbers seen
in tests as far back as Two Thousand Nine.
And if we input better values, clean
and low, the threat remains, because their gauge
is weighted heavily by patient age.

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Current Events

Posted on February 20, 2025 by sputterpub

At least for now, I’m done with feeling old.
I slipped two months ago, and tried to bow
to age advice as daily ache unrolled,
at least for now.

Improvement stalled, increasing creasing brow.
And signs of weakened eyes and ears foretold
diminished sense, but I had voiced a vow,

and rested on. Impatience took its hold
at last. I’m dancing and I’ll not allow
decrepit point of view. I’m gently bold,
at least for now.

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Syncope

Posted on February 19, 2025 by sputterpub

A bit adult at 5, when I was 8
and he was born, he seemed so young to me,
that 6 and 60 years don’t decimate
a first impression that’s especially
enhanced by his abiding friendly trait,
that kind and playful personality.
So his collapse last week, though passing brief,
has knocked us both to geriatric grief.

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Effective Praise

Posted on February 18, 2025 by sputterpub

I seldom value compliments as much
as others seem to do, or you advise.
Perhaps I’m skeptical, or not in touch
with graciousness, or maybe I would prize
cooperation more than words. My tries
at humble gratitude seem too reserved
to please. But I’m consumed with sweet surprise
when kids express the praise I’ve well-deserved.

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Side B

Posted on February 17, 2025 by sputterpub

The flip side of anxiety appears
to be imagination. What so leaps
to fret, before a threat or peril nears,
can be engaged to spin an anecdote,
a narrative produced in hemispheres
that generate unchecked uneasiness.
A harness might be woven that adheres,
and overwrites the nervousness that keeps
you up at night. Make art with proto-fears.

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Mid Job

Posted on February 16, 2025 by sputterpub

The window job is not complete, and won’t
be finished for a half a month or more.
My guy is taking off a week I don’t
begrudge, and then he’ll start on every door
with soggy threshold (sadly, there are four),
while staining, trimming, making windows right.
For now, I’m pleased and able to ignore
disturbance, as I welcome back the light.

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Solace

Posted on February 15, 2025 by sputterpub

Most public servants aren’t competent;
effective doesn’t seem to be a goal.
So I don’t think we’ll call it accident
when red team fails to carry out its goal.
Their players don’t appear intelligent.
Their leader lacks sufficient self-control.
Such comforts me, renewing hope and nerve.
If wrong, their vision’s what I might deserve.

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Comic Speech

Posted on February 14, 2025 by sputterpub

In screening sets of standup comedy,
I’m struck with how they regulate their speech.
They take good time that doesn’t seem to be
a pause for the applause or laughs. They teach
a slow enunciation I could try,
who most my life have spurted words so fast,
my brothers mocked while I felt pride in my
ability to make them feel outclassed.

But really, why’d I hurry so each word?
A little fear of interruption, sure,
that now seems somewhat desperate and absurd,
the more so for I never aimed to cure
another’s argument, or shed clear light
on any path but what for me seemed right.

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Yoga for Stress Reduction

Posted on February 13, 2025 by sputterpub

They’re plus and minus 70 years old.
He made a silly error. She was miffed.
He could have asked. He knows she would have told

him gently how (she has a teaching gift).
But he was insecure, and careless too.
The error cost her time – she had to shift

direction for correction (nothing new),
and thought he might at least apologize.
But just as she was simmering to stew,

she also started yoga. Her surprise
was how without a paragraph she caught
an insight – what a wasteful exercise –

requesting an apology is fraught
with empty words, resentment, falsity.
Addressing stress, she entertained the thought

that rather than chastise, her mind could be
directed to what might be self-controlled,
and trim her expectation, honestly.

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