Dennis S. Martin's Blog, page 270
July 17, 2018
A Glass Half Full
Are you an eternal optimist?
Do you always see the glass half full?
Do you constantly look for that
Silver lining? Live with a hope that
Springs eternal?
Liar!
Or misguided fool.
Either way you miss the mark.
Setting yourself up for disappointment
At every little twist and turn.
Nothing wrong with wanting better.
Nothing evil achieving goals,
Courting hope until we see that
All will be as it should be.
But,
And you knew there was a but,
Keeping a base in reality,
Towing a line of logical measure
Helps to define the finite line,
Keeps us on course,
Uncovering treasure.
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Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Do you always see the glass half full?
Do you constantly look for that
Silver lining? Live with a hope that
Springs eternal?
Liar!
Or misguided fool.
Either way you miss the mark.
Setting yourself up for disappointment
At every little twist and turn.
Nothing wrong with wanting better.
Nothing evil achieving goals,
Courting hope until we see that
All will be as it should be.
But,
And you knew there was a but,
Keeping a base in reality,
Towing a line of logical measure
Helps to define the finite line,
Keeps us on course,
Uncovering treasure.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 16, 2018
Brace Yourself
Uncle Billy’s been hauled off to jail.
Sheriff said he hadn’t paid support
For almost half a year.
Brace yourself. There’s more.
Cousin Tommy turned seven today,
Precious little wart.
They caught him getting drunk off beer.
Brace yourself. There’s more.
Sister Sally’s getting married.
Such a grand surprise.
They said she’s in the family way
Like her sister was before.
She’s marrying that biker dude,
Everybody’s prize.
He’s going to take her far away.
Brace yourself. There’s more.
Poppa fell and broke his leg.
Can’t work for seven weeks.
We could likely starve by then
Since we’re already poor.
Momma’s sick and took to bed
So we are on our own.
Cupboard’s bare and we don’t care.
Brace yourself….
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Sheriff said he hadn’t paid support
For almost half a year.
Brace yourself. There’s more.
Cousin Tommy turned seven today,
Precious little wart.
They caught him getting drunk off beer.
Brace yourself. There’s more.
Sister Sally’s getting married.
Such a grand surprise.
They said she’s in the family way
Like her sister was before.
She’s marrying that biker dude,
Everybody’s prize.
He’s going to take her far away.
Brace yourself. There’s more.
Poppa fell and broke his leg.
Can’t work for seven weeks.
We could likely starve by then
Since we’re already poor.
Momma’s sick and took to bed
So we are on our own.
Cupboard’s bare and we don’t care.
Brace yourself….
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 15, 2018
Carpets of Hardwood
I love the feel of carpet soft and
Plush between my toes,
Cushioning and cradling my bare feet
In its tender arms.
Smoother than a feline’s fur to
Soothe my weary bones.
More welcome than the distant shores
Of South Seas island charms.
But you seem to want to give me
Hardwood carpets, nothing more.
Plagued by nail heads, warped
Uneven, tripping shards of oak.
Why do I deserve such mental anguish?
Silent torture? This
Harsh hardscrabble treatment
Is a cruel uneven joke.
You need to lighten up your act,
Need to take a break.
This vile pathetic treatment
Would cause any heart to ache.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Plush between my toes,
Cushioning and cradling my bare feet
In its tender arms.
Smoother than a feline’s fur to
Soothe my weary bones.
More welcome than the distant shores
Of South Seas island charms.
But you seem to want to give me
Hardwood carpets, nothing more.
Plagued by nail heads, warped
Uneven, tripping shards of oak.
Why do I deserve such mental anguish?
Silent torture? This
Harsh hardscrabble treatment
Is a cruel uneven joke.
You need to lighten up your act,
Need to take a break.
This vile pathetic treatment
Would cause any heart to ache.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 14, 2018
Forward to the Rear
Sometimes, no matter how hard the effort,
In spite of every best intention,
I only seem to be moving backward
Into a state of futility.
Just can’t seem to catch a break,
Smitten with the curse of Job
Whose patience here was challenged
More than humans need to be.
Progress is a fragile flower
Sore in need of tender care.
Fertilized with vigilance,
Nourished by a single tear.
Dogged by persistence,
Determined to endure.
I’ll carry you on weary legs
Forward to the rear.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
In spite of every best intention,
I only seem to be moving backward
Into a state of futility.
Just can’t seem to catch a break,
Smitten with the curse of Job
Whose patience here was challenged
More than humans need to be.
Progress is a fragile flower
Sore in need of tender care.
Fertilized with vigilance,
Nourished by a single tear.
Dogged by persistence,
Determined to endure.
I’ll carry you on weary legs
Forward to the rear.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 13, 2018
Piecemeal
Patchwork is for making quilts
Or for plugging holes in inner tubes.
Pieces are for picking up when
Shattered lives break all apart.
One carries on,
Finds the glue,
Works the mending, healing plight of
Grieving sailors lost at sea, of
Helpless, hopeless, hurting hearts.
Wise men make a vain attempt to
Put the puzzle back together,
Tiny flakes so miniscule that
They escape the naked eye.
Running out of patience as the
Shadows stretch to lengths unknown,
Making nervous witness of
Unintended passers-by.
All the pieces.
So little time.
Much too soon to
Say goodbye.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Or for plugging holes in inner tubes.
Pieces are for picking up when
Shattered lives break all apart.
One carries on,
Finds the glue,
Works the mending, healing plight of
Grieving sailors lost at sea, of
Helpless, hopeless, hurting hearts.
Wise men make a vain attempt to
Put the puzzle back together,
Tiny flakes so miniscule that
They escape the naked eye.
Running out of patience as the
Shadows stretch to lengths unknown,
Making nervous witness of
Unintended passers-by.
All the pieces.
So little time.
Much too soon to
Say goodbye.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 12, 2018
Sounding Board, Sounding Bored
Please, don’t turn your back on me at
A time like this when I need you most.
Don’t turn into a lump of coal, or yawning
Flesh with your eyes half closed.
I need you for validity, or vilification
Should the need arise.
Keep me in check, eyes pointed level
So that I may see clearly when truth is exposed.
Don’t let me whine. I
Hate people who whine and moan and lament
Over miniscule matters.
If I obsess, say enough is enough.
Once said is said. The rest is just prattle.
Keep my mind sharp like a finely honed razor.
Keep my thoughts flowing like streams to the sea.
Blessings abound for the seeker of knowledge.
All are welcome
And passage is free.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
A time like this when I need you most.
Don’t turn into a lump of coal, or yawning
Flesh with your eyes half closed.
I need you for validity, or vilification
Should the need arise.
Keep me in check, eyes pointed level
So that I may see clearly when truth is exposed.
Don’t let me whine. I
Hate people who whine and moan and lament
Over miniscule matters.
If I obsess, say enough is enough.
Once said is said. The rest is just prattle.
Keep my mind sharp like a finely honed razor.
Keep my thoughts flowing like streams to the sea.
Blessings abound for the seeker of knowledge.
All are welcome
And passage is free.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 11, 2018
Aggravate My Tush
You really know how to scorch my shorts,
Rag my rotors, fray my flaps.
Such muddle-headed mutterings
Should bring a child to shame.
Your beastly, bonehead brandishings
Are biting at my heels until I
Feel the strongest urge for
Bashing bones, to slash and maim.
Were I not born to know restraint
You may have fallen hard already,
Punished with a caning stick
For crimes as yet unknown.
But you keep harping, grinding,
Grating, pummeling my patience with
A finely tuned persistence that
Can dig right to the bone.
Oh, please Lord, let my ears fall deaf.
Allow a blessed hush.
This mindless addle prattle
Only aggravates my tush.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Rag my rotors, fray my flaps.
Such muddle-headed mutterings
Should bring a child to shame.
Your beastly, bonehead brandishings
Are biting at my heels until I
Feel the strongest urge for
Bashing bones, to slash and maim.
Were I not born to know restraint
You may have fallen hard already,
Punished with a caning stick
For crimes as yet unknown.
But you keep harping, grinding,
Grating, pummeling my patience with
A finely tuned persistence that
Can dig right to the bone.
Oh, please Lord, let my ears fall deaf.
Allow a blessed hush.
This mindless addle prattle
Only aggravates my tush.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 10, 2018
Running With the Bulls
Now, let’s talk about something really nuts.
Let’s beat our heads against the wall
To find the logic, make some sense of
Running with Pamplona’s bulls.
How does such insane tradition
Find its’ feet? Much less a home.
How did this get started? What sad fiendish fluke
Has done us in?
Humans are of poor design to
Challenge nature’s noble beast,
A snorting, snarling mass of muscle,
Power-packed on cloven hoof.
But no one ever said that every person
Is of genius born,
And ego plus stupidity is
Just enough to do us ill.
Oh, Dear God, please have pity.
Show mercy on these fools,
These addle-minded idiots
Running with the bulls.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Let’s beat our heads against the wall
To find the logic, make some sense of
Running with Pamplona’s bulls.
How does such insane tradition
Find its’ feet? Much less a home.
How did this get started? What sad fiendish fluke
Has done us in?
Humans are of poor design to
Challenge nature’s noble beast,
A snorting, snarling mass of muscle,
Power-packed on cloven hoof.
But no one ever said that every person
Is of genius born,
And ego plus stupidity is
Just enough to do us ill.
Oh, Dear God, please have pity.
Show mercy on these fools,
These addle-minded idiots
Running with the bulls.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 9, 2018
Please, Put That Cigarette Out
Aren’t the rings so lovely as
They float above your head?
Cuddling the rafters, filling
Every little nook.
Didn’t the aroma of the shop
With all its’ blends fill you head
With silent notions as it set
Its fatal hook?
Pity. There, I said it.
I feel pity for your soul.
That one of your intelligence
Could be so far misled
By the sirens of Virginiawho
Seek no earthly good,
Who manipulate and procreate
With anyone they bed.
And I mean not to be unkind,
Do not want to scream or shout.
I’ll ask you once, then once again,
Please, put that cigarette out.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
They float above your head?
Cuddling the rafters, filling
Every little nook.
Didn’t the aroma of the shop
With all its’ blends fill you head
With silent notions as it set
Its fatal hook?
Pity. There, I said it.
I feel pity for your soul.
That one of your intelligence
Could be so far misled
By the sirens of Virginiawho
Seek no earthly good,
Who manipulate and procreate
With anyone they bed.
And I mean not to be unkind,
Do not want to scream or shout.
I’ll ask you once, then once again,
Please, put that cigarette out.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
July 8, 2018
Fussy Fussy
Holy crap! Must I endure this
Never-ending fussy, whiney caterwauling?
Bleating sheep-calls,
Snorting gruffs of Billy goats, grating slowly.
Pouty pouty feline folly,
Picking every nit or gnat
Til every nerve of my endurance
Has been stepped on at least once.
Can’t you just accept a little
Imperfection now and then?
Don’t you know mistakes are human?
Can’t you learn to start again?
Must you be so fussy fussy?
Give a little.
Lighten up.
All too soon it will be over.
Details only interrupt.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
Never-ending fussy, whiney caterwauling?
Bleating sheep-calls,
Snorting gruffs of Billy goats, grating slowly.
Pouty pouty feline folly,
Picking every nit or gnat
Til every nerve of my endurance
Has been stepped on at least once.
Can’t you just accept a little
Imperfection now and then?
Don’t you know mistakes are human?
Can’t you learn to start again?
Must you be so fussy fussy?
Give a little.
Lighten up.
All too soon it will be over.
Details only interrupt.
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin...
