Reorientation

The process by which the brain makes the world seem sharp and steady is a complex one- and easily disrupted. A couple crystals shift in the inner ear, and everything becomes a tilted blur.

                                                       Reorientation

                                            Vertigo lets us know
                                             what’s really going on:
                                             stability is an illusion,
                                             certainty masks confusion
                                             as the whole world spins
                                             spins, spins one man’s dusk
                                             into another’s dawn.                             

Hearing Tests

Yes, I had a hearing test in a soundproof room the other day.  I passed, but it got me thinking.

         Hearing Tests

            1.

First the head phones
and the test tones
like electric bats
in my brain’s cave
locating themselves
by listening to
their own voice.

            2.

Then the random words,
for me to recognize,
sharp and clear
then soft and low
as forgotten secrets
ice cream
book
doorknob
sidewalk
love.

                    3.

Finally, the voice commands
me to repeat after him.

Say life.
Say wife
Say rife.
Say strife.
                        Say loud.
                        Say proud.
                        Say crowd.
                        Say shroud.
                                                Say deaf.
                                                Say depth.
                                                Say breath.
                                                Say  death.

Christmas

A seasonal poem.  If you like it, please pass it on.  (Just give me credit and tell your friends about this blog.  Thanks.)

  Christmas

celebrates the miracle of all
our births into this manger earth
we share because there is never
enough room at the inn
and only our fellow creatures
can keep us from the cold.

welcomes the way the light grows
just when it seems the darkness
has won, making each day
a present we unwrap to see
how we can make it fit
since it cannot be returned.

marks the journey we all make,
bearing whatever gifts we have,
following whichever star
we choose, trying to be wise
enough to realize each step
is worth our wonder.

Wrinkle Shield

Here's something that occurred to me while emptying the dryer.  For those who do not use clothes dryers, you should know that Wrinkle Shield (some brands call it Wrinkle Guard or something else similar), tries to prevent wrinkles by turning the clothes over periodically until someone unloads the dryer. You should also know that the part of the dryer that rotates is called the drum and that Whirlpool is a popular brand of appliances in the U.S. 

                                                          Wrinkle Shield

                                                Since even permanent press

                                                does not last a lifetime,

                                                the trick is to take a tumble

                                                each time wrinkles start to set:
                                               
                                                a few moments of headlong free

                                                fall keep things feeling fresher yet.

                                                 And in those sunny countries

                                                where our Whirlpools are unknown,

                                                people and laundry turn together

                                                on this daily dryer drum,

                                                savoring the scented breezes

                                                since no buzzer says they're done.

The Wisdom of Wheaties

For foreign readers- Wheaties is the name of a breakfast cereal.  The epigraph is the disclaimer printed on the side of the box to keep the consumer from being diappointed when the box is less than full.

               

                          The Wisdom of Wheaties

                                                          ...some settling normally occur

                                                           during shipment and handling.

                        A box is always bigger than what it holds,
                        especially since some settling normally occurs
                        on any journey. What does not grow larger
                        grows little, shrinking as it shifts. And what is
                        not sold by volume is sold by weight so what
                        seems half-empty may now be declared mostly full –
                        as if content were a mere measurement and
                        satisfaction were simply something to survey.
                        While our bowls are not as brimming as we hoped,
                        they still give us something solid to chew upon.