Sunday, March 12, 2023

In My Image (Haiku)

 

God, collective noun

Earth is a collective noun

I am one as well


The collective noun has a tendency to over-simplify the real meaning of what is.


Friday, March 10, 2023

Maxim for Social Media (Haiku)

 

Advice is wasted

Unless it is requested

Opinions are worse


Stoicism is sometimes the source of some personal philosophy, even if we aren't intentionally using it.  Another way of saying that Stoicism is pragmatic advice.

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Patterns

 

My wife and I married; we began a life together that has lasted a long, long time.  On all of our major adventures, whenever there was a major change in the offing, I would go and she would follow, usually after taking care of lots of details.

There were the three children, all of which I began, and she followed through.  

 There was the move to Newport News VA, our first location after college, I left, and she followed after about 6 weeks.

Then the move to our second location in Houston TX, she followed through with the movers and came ahead.  

Then the move to Europe, she followed after the house was sold and the contents were stored.  

Then the move back to Wisconsin, I left her in Europe, and she supervised the move.  

Then the move to Louisville, I went, and she followed.  

Then the sale of our business, I went to Europe, she stayed and took care of the sale.

And so it has been.

Now we are very old.  She is in the best of physical health, albeit demented, and I may have heart problems.  So, will the past be prologue; will I go first, and she follow?


Saturday, January 28, 2023

A Rose by Any Other Name (Haiku)

 

A white man named Black

And then a black man named White

A name means nothing 


A different way of looking at racial differences.  It seems interesting that there is rarely a reference made to the surname Yellow, or the surname Red, 

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Character Sketch of Charles Waring for Mystery by the Sea (The Dark Veil Mystery)

 

As told by an all-knowing acquaintance, who intimately knows him and the family.

Charles was born into a family of moderate means in Newport, Rhode Island on December 24, 1840.  Raised and schooled there in the Presbyterian faith, he was a normal boy who enjoyed sowing his wild oats even beyond the age usually associated with same.  A favorite of the girls but not taken seriously by any except Alys Asquith. 

He was a frequent visitor to the Asquith home, she always denying him what other girls gave freely.  This, perhaps, was the allure.  

The Asquith household consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Asquith, Alys, and her younger, by six years sister, Agnes (b. 1860).   At the time of their wedding in 1872, Alys was (b. 1850) 22, Charles (b.1840) 32.  It was common knowledge that Charles married into "money" and brought little besides his personality, which was extremely extroverted and egocentric, to the family. 

Younger sister Agnes was an impressionable adolescent when Charles came into the picture.  It was commonly known, but of not spoken, that she had a "thing" for Charles. It was evident by the facts that she was always near him, and she had to get away, to India, for a year, from where she returned only recently with an infant.  Charles may be the father, but it isn’t an established fact.     

  Charles and Alys had two daughters, Chesney (b. 1874) and Melinda (b.1880).  Charles was a good husband, faithful and true, for duration of the marriage which ended with Alys' death, in 1892, from a sickness.  He was then 52 and continued to be a proper father to the two girls.  

After mourning the death of his wife, he was known to make his way into the bedrooms of some of the nicer homes in Providence and New Hartford.  Yet he was discrete and so were his partners in amour. 

During their time together, Alys and Charles were given charge of a young nephew who was orphaned after his parents were accidentally killed.  The boy was not manageable and went missing; unfortunately, no one seriously sought after him and he was, more or less, forgotten. 

More currently, Melinda is engaged to Lance Blair and the wedding date is tomorrow.  Unfortunately, Melinda has been having some difficulty sleeping due to bad dreams.  She called Dr. MacCrimmon and invited him to the house because he "specializes in finding answers to difficult questions." He has had conversations with Melinda and Chesney at the time Charles enters the room. Agnes has already entered the room.


Thursday, December 1, 2022

Personal Evolution (Haiku)

 

To where did they go?

Finished, or not, they move on.

A present is passed.


Life's situations

Are presents, with which we deal.

They overlap.


They are Boolean

Worked simultaneously.

Complete, we move on.


Haiku leaves room for the imagination and interpretation of the reader.  This makes it most interesting.


Thursday, November 10, 2022

What's in Your Pocket? (Haiku)

 

This is the new thing.

The old thing is outdated.

This is the new thing.


The product cycle.

The challenge of marketing.

How long will it take?


The churn is required

Or the ho hum would win.

Commodities rule.


Passe' is no fun.

A message from marketers,

Must have the latest.