The Turn

The turn of the year.
Just another day.
Time moving away.

And that's the point.
Like sticking a hand out a car window.
We realize how fast we're moving now.

Time Moves ...

The end of the affair.
And so it goes.
Time moves ahead.

And things feel new again.
Time moves on.
Another chance.

To make some sense.
Human sense, we hope.
Time bids us journey.

All along the way.
Brief for some.
Long for others.

Hard it can be.
Tears it demands, at times.
Laughter it brings.

The end of 2017.
A year of surprises.
Politically, ugly.

Personally terrific.
A move to a new home.
A new town.

Time moves, quicker these days.
2018.
Can it bring some political relief?

A Morning Funeral

A funeral this morning for an unusually gifted man.
Who rode freight trains,
And invented new toys for his kids.
And reinvented and improved just about everything.


A video of stills and music ... from his parents to him as a babe in arms.


And then a kid ... and then the adolescent ... and then a young man.


And then a husband, and then a father, and then a grandfather and then a man getting up in years ... and then just shy of 90 turns around the sun, time to tuck things away and say goodbye.


Others now, to take up the tasks.
The fun, the work, the play and the love.


He managed to be more than a father, a husband and an uncle ... more than a friend and a co-worker ... what it was that he was, best summed up, I suppose in his:


Never-going-away kind of smile.


I saw his life unfold in all of those delightful pics.
Like a flower - from seed to bud to unfolding.
And then wilting in the heat of time.
Petals dropping away.
Life getting lived ... lived quite well ... and then ...


A Mighty Fortress Is Our God was a favorite.
So was Amazing Grace.
And lots of other music.


So, I wonder ... about this thing called life.
We're so unconscious of it when we're in the throes of it.
And, then, one day, it hits us.
We hear the clock ticking.
Incessantly.


It's okay.
Though I don't like it.
Times, I hate time.
And not a dern thing to do about it.


And so it goes.
Live while we can.
If we can.
As best we can.


Know nothing but love.
And love covers a multitude of sins.


What is love?
Oh, I don't know.
But I know it when I see it.


And I suppose you do, too.

A Morning Funeral

A funeral this morning for an unusually gifted man.
Who rode freight trains,
And invented new toys for his kids.
And reinvented and improved just about everything.

A video of stills and music ... from his parents to him as a babe in arms.
And then a kid ... and then the adolescent ... and then a young man.
And then a husband, and then a father, and then a grandfather and then a man getting up in years ... and then just shy of 90 turns around the sun, time to tuck things away and say goodbye.

Others now, to take up the tasks.
The fun, the work, the play and the love.

He managed to be more than a father, a husband and an uncle ... more than a friend and a co-worker ... what it was that he was, best summed up, I suppose in his:
Never-going-away kind of smile.

I saw his life unfold in all of those delightful pics.
Like a flower - from seed to bud to unfolding.
And then wilting in the heat of time.
Petals dropping away.

Life getting lived ... lived quite well ... and then ...

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God was a favorite.
So was Amazing Grace.
And lots of other music.

So, I wonder ... about this thing called life.
We're so unconscious of it when we're in the throes of it.
And, then, one day, it hits us.
We hear the clock ticking.

Incessantly.

It's okay.
Though I don't like it.
Times I hate time.

And not a dern thing to do about it.

And so it goes.
Live while we can.
If we can.
As best we can.

Know nothing but love.
And love covers a multitude of sins.

What is love?
Oh, I don't know.
But I know it when I see it.
And I suppose you do, too.

Tyranny of Time

Time, you dastardly thief ... You take everything from me: Time, friends, family, life.

Time, you dastardly thief ... who are you? What are you?

History, Time, movement, ticks of the clock, turns of the calendar.

The enemy of all that’s me.

But what can I do?

Crap.

One of these days, the last breath.

For me, okay.

But I don’t like it.

Death is a pisser.

Time, the thief.

I wish it were different.

But what would that mean?

So it is.

Time, takes away everything.

Everything.

Shit.

And shit stinks.

But who knows for sure.

If I lived more than a lifetime.

Then what?

And so it goes.

To God be the glory.

And I mean it ... if there is a god, and to this god I belong.

Then, so what?

I’m flesh.

I’m mortal.

I’m dust.

It can’t be any other way.

Can it?

Oh well.

Ho well.

Ho.

Onward.

To the end.

The last.

No more.

Amen!

A Flurry of Thoughts

A flurry of thoughts
Life
Death
Damn

Time is so short.
Young, time is forever.
Older, time hastens.
Old, time is nothing.

Death is the final.
Realty.
Life ends.
Life is done.

Can we hope?
Religions offer it.
Is it true?
Truth counts.

For a Christian:
Will we be with Jesus?
It's a good idea.
Maybe it's true.

Could be.
Maybe not.
Resurrection?
A promise?

Do I need this?
Does anyone?
What if this
Is enough?

For many
Maybe not enough.
Others?
Maybe enough.

Hard to say.
Some religious folk
are greedy for eternity.
Some, not so.

Who knows.
I love God.
God is life.
For sure.

I'm content!
Who knows?
Maybe.
Okay.

The Past

The Past ...

Is always present.
Always there.
Though perhaps forgotten.

But easily recalled.
Sometimes too easily.
Sometimes wantonly.

Pays to visit the past.
Now and then.
Things to be learned there.

But it makes no sense
To live there.
It's but a dream.

A scattering of:
hurt
pain
joy
old friends
dear friends
enemies, or so we think,
and maybe they were.
really
enemies.

And they wounded us.
Maybe because we were stupid.
Maybe because they were mean.

Maybe we needed a good
pants-kicking.
Maybe they had an angry leg.

Whatever ...
Pays to remember
now and then.

But it pays to
keep the visit
short.

Goodbye.
God be with ya'.
Take care.

So long, it's been good to know ya'
Or maybe not.
Good riddance.

And off we go.
To the present.
To what's good and what ain't.

And even the future.
In bits and pieces.
A move here or there.

And time moves along.
And it's good thing
To tag along for the ride.

Early Easter

Not since 1913 have we had an Easter as early as March 23 and that is before most of us were paying attention. Easter can happen as early as March 22, but that hasn't happened that early since 1818 and won't again until March 22, 2285. Even this year's date of March 23 won't happen again until March 23, 2160.

Pay attention to time ... it's precious and full of grace. "Time is money" someone once said, but I'd rather say:

Time is love.
Time is hope.
Time is peace.
Time is service.
Time is sacrifice.
Time is Christ our Lord!
Time is Life with one another!