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I, self-proclaimed writer of poetry, Read a bit of doggerel, Listen to a country song, Watch a stream skipping over rocks, A bird flying by on a way to somewhere, Assist the sun in rising, later, Putting him to bed, and, Welcoming my lady moon, Lay down my pen in darkness, Close my eyes, and, Let my poem write itself. • Donovan Baldwin

Warmth runs over me, pure joy As sunshine quickens Memories alive, vivid Sunbathing in serenity Eyes tight, unabashedly smiling Face glowing and flushed Skin tingling at sun’s touch Soul erupting in song  My chair and deck Morph into sandy shores Rejuvenating needed In the shortening days A sigh escapes me In blissful peace Wrapped in glowing rays Kissed by the sun Darkness and gloom May be threatening Coming to invade my peace Certainly soon Sunbathing serenity Lock it away Retrieve as needed On a cold winter day

I, with my cheap red wine, Toast the moon, the stars, The darkness of the night, Which turns the world into A place fit for drinking poets, For, the sun, the king of daylight, Does not activate the bardic soul As does the silver lady and her cohort, In their black velvet dress, Scattering silver over everything. • Donovan Baldwin

Outside the window, From the room where I sit, A bit unwell, I watch White herds of clouds, Move casually across The bright blue sky As nearly gale-force winds, Whip the limbe os mature trees, As if they were saplings. Tho' stuck inside today, I am reminded that the Earth, Is alive, always alive, As I remember from my childhood, When I roamed beach and woods, Climbing trees to ride the winds, Diving into the bay to explore, Following the tracks of animals, Listening to the calls or birds. Yes, the Earth was alive, And, still so much alive today, But, it's reminding me that My life is winding down. I didn't used to be so still, So sedentary, settled in my ways, Existence constrolled by pain, As outside the window, the Earth Reminds me that it is still alive. Still, I remember the Earth as it was, On other days when clouds galloped Across leaden skies, ahead of storms, As winds tore pieces of things apart, And scattered them about, Much more violently than today's winds. The Earth doesn't remember me, But, someday I will be part of the Earth, And, perhaps if no one remembers me, They will remember the Earth I am a part of. Who knows who I am watching Play around outside the window? I don't know who from the past I am watching today, but, I tip my hat as they blow past, Remembering that the Earth is us, And we are the Earth. It is good to remember one another, As I sit and watch out the window. • Donovan Baldwin

As often happens, I was thinking about things I have experienced, encountered, and, sometimes, learned (rightly or wrongly) in my 78 years on this planet. "Change" is the word that popped into my mind at first. I have seen so much change, in knowledge, customs, technology. Things which were only imagined when I was a child are real today. Things which WE, at that time, could NOT imagine happening, have occurred, become reality, and will continue to. We change. Societies change. Even the Earth changes. Still the thing that really struck me, was, despite 78 years on that changing Earth, despite a college education, work experience in many different fields at many different levels, despite life experiences (direct and indirect) of all kinds, despite having lived in a foreign country and learning to speak that language, despite an intense interest in everything around me, there is so much MORE I do NOT know. There is so much out there, still to be learned. Perhaps that's why I tend to take a step back from certain discussions where the intent seems to be to beat one's "opponent" into submission. like knights in armor, too heavy to be graceful, even about killing, who must be declared "winner" based on sheer weight and number of blows. While I DO have my personal beliefs, and take my stands based on what I feel is right, I still haven't learned enough to be ready to tell everybody else they're wrong. Not even in another 78 years.

They posted a recipe from the 1980’s saying to stuff a Thanksgiving Turkey with popcorn Punchline - you’ll know when it’s done When the popcorn blows the a#s off the bird. Crude or funny? Take your pick. But what this reminded me about is how we allowed ourselves to be more fun back then. Here are some things  that come to mind… We used to take a full hour off from work to go to lunch and we would have beer or wine with our lunch.  We used to play practical jokes in the workplace… I’ve never seen anyone get hurt. It was all in good fun. I never watched “The Office” and now I’ve been catching up with what most of you probably already know - it’s funny. But, it’s more than that. It’s sad. It’s sad because work life is NOT like this any longer. Work colleagues used to be like family, but not today. I know nothing about my colleagues and asking would be considered a violation of their privacy. Whatever… I’m not bitter. All this makes me glad to be at an age where I don’t have to please others.  Just some thoughts I felt like sharing.

The moon paints with a silver brush Strokes upon a canvas of black, Drawing at its brightest, The firmest lines, omitting only, The smallest features, and The daily colors, Creating argent silhouettes, Cut and pasted upon, The dark cloth of night, A landscape stark, Beautiful, And quiet. • Donovan Baldwin

In the 1980's an American fast food restaurant chain, A&W, offered a new product, a 1/3 lb (0.15 kg) hamburger at a price competitive to McDonald's 1/4 lb (0.11 kg) burger. It failed in the market, and, eventually pulled from distribution. Now, it was a tasty product, as such things go, and, as stated, competitively priced, offered by a lesser known, yet well established chain. Yet, in head-to-head sales, the A&W 1/3 lb. burger failed, and failed badly. Hence a focus group. Long story short, and skipping snide remarks, the focus group exposed the product's fatal flaw... it was a fraction. Oh, it was customary to sell fractions, 1/4 lb. burgers, 1/2 lb. burgers, but the 1/3 lb. burger failed. However, the buying public, the consumer making the optimum decision for return on investment, fractured the math and reached the conclusion that a 1/4 lb. burger (0.11 kg. of meat) was a better investment than a 1/3 lb. burger (0.15 kg. of meat) for the same price. The common reasoning seemed to be that "4" was greater than "3", therefore, ergo, and to wit, the McDonald's 1/4 lb. burger was more for the dollar than the A&W product. Keep that in mind the next time that weird guy who used to sit at the desk next to you at a job 20 years ago, the one with the foil hat, sends you a potentially questionable claim about the relative value of some politician or program. Just some early morning meanderings. • Donovan Baldwin

My pen draws awkward words. No true picture can it portray, Of the beauty of sky and sea, The awesome power of wind and wave Which stir the brain and breast, Poet's hand hovering above images Which only he can dream, But sadly, Not set down for other eyes. • Donovan Baldwin