Author: whodeanny

Turkeys in the Straw (Poll)

Isn’t it interesting how the straw poll results are being parsed? Mike Huckabee is the big winner with 2nd place while Mitt Romney’s win is perceived as unconvincing. Huckabee is a protestant minister from Arkansas. He only won 2nd by a small margin of about 400 votes. No one has decided that 3rd place Sam Brownback was a big winner. Peculiar.

Also consider that Romney is a clear outsider in Iowa in multiple dimensions. He’s a Mormon, he’s from MA, he’s perceived as a slick elitist and he’s the flippiest of floppers on issues critically important to conservatives. I wonder how his team can re-write the conventional wisdom and impress upon the national public (and Iowans) that his victory really was substantial and meaningful. If he can’t, he’ll have a massive struggle regaining momentum.

Sure Romney spent lots of money in Iowa. Suddenly people are acting as though the use of money renders his victory invalid. Uh, let’s be honest, anyone who wins a nomination from either the GOP or Democratic parties is going to spend huge money. Pretending that spending money is a problem seems ridiculous.

TP

Land of Confusion

At lunch today I heard a 50 something talking to his family about the problem of high school students no longer being able to find jobs because of all the immigrants in the area. The comment was particularly galling to me because we were in an Indian restaurant! And unless this restaurant has a totally different personnel structure than it did two years ago, nearly everyone who works there is an immigrant. He did not seem to notice the peculiarity in his comments. My goodness.

TP

Bush and Islam

Bush Still Doesn’t Get It


This article describes some of the many reasons for the continued increase of suspicion of the US in the Muslim world. It also provides some specific, simple steps that the Bush administration could take to help change that perception. One of the major challenges to this possibility is simply that President Bush (still) doesn’t care enough to make understanding Islam a priority. It is much more than the religious foundation of the Middle East but also the prism through which many countries in the region and their populations view the world.

Bush should be able to relate to a theocentric perspective on the world, after all, Jesus is his favorite political philosopher.

TP

Potato Chips and Pills

This was a hard poem to write and a harder one to share.

FDO

Potato Chips and Pills

 

Potato chips and pills share grease

Trade color and occupy the same space

In the little wooden bucket

Perched in Gerri’s kitchen

Her anchoring protection from the world

 

These two disparate, precious fixations

Keeping her from drifting

Too far into either the ether

Of her madness

Or newly opened earth

 

I watch sickness and pain

Turmoil and sadness reaching around

Her infantile waist

With taut, tender embraces

Crushing and comforting simultaneously

 

So we buy more chips

Lauding the sodium, laughing at the colors

Then look away when the pills are popped

Ignoring the wooden bucket

As much as we can

 

© Gayle
Force Press 2007

Suns/Wolves

Here I was, ready to write tomorrow about what an important game the Suns/Spurs matchup in a couple days might be. Well, sure enough, the Suns fall in their trap game against the Wolves. It makes some sense I suppose. Phoenix had to travel after an afternoon TV game and was certainly looking forward to making hay against the Spurs. The Wolves score well enough to play with Phoenix and play enough D to force Phoenix to work. I hope Dwane Casey is enjoying this somewhere.

TP

rev.

Cable vs. Networks

Yet another recognition that I’m older than I should be: I still think cable and network TV are different. Not like HBO or Showtime, that stuff still seems like, whoa, you’re really spending money on TV.

Okay, but I do still feel sometimes like, hey, why are you deciding to show that commercial, you’re a network? Other times it’s why did you bleep that word, isn’t this a cable show?

How long ago did I establish my TV parameters? Wow.

TP

Iraqi Vacation


Last Sunday, Defense Secretary Gates admitted that he told the Iraqi legislature that it was unacceptable for them to have an adjournment while Americans were fighting, killing and dying for their country. They went anyway. This means something pretty devastating, doesn’t it?

Our army says you can’t take a break but they do. Who pulls the strings here? Do the Iraqis know that we’ll continue to attempt to protect them (or at least our interests) regardless of what they do? We are in way too deep.

TP

Starving 4 Art

Starving 4 art

Easier isn’t always better. That’s been one of my personal mottoes for the last decade or so. And yes, I’ve had several through the years. I’m a creature of habit and I enjoy recycling the same phrases for various purposes. It occurred to me at a certain point that I should adopt a new motto each term of college. My Old School had a trimester calendar and I spent nearly seven years there in total (not all as a student) so I had lots of mottoes.

I’m thinking of this particular motto because of how hard it is for me to write poetry sometimes. I can admit it freely; I’m an exceptionally lucky person. I have a beautiful, amazing wife. I have a beautiful, amazing son. I have a beautiful, amazing family of origin. (I really do like phrase recycling.) My job is fun and challenging. I have enough time to write, read, exercise and screw off. It’s a good life. My frustration is with myself because although I have time to do all these things, I don’t. At least, not enough.

Writing poetry is, for me, a powerful experience that moves and shapes in ways nothing else does. I don’t sing, dance, (I know, surprise, surprise.) play music, draw, none of it. Okay, I do sing George Michael in the car- loudly. Sorry, Lovely. Otherwise, writing is my outlet for personal expression and I love it. Doing it well, though, takes more time and energy that I can sometimes generate. Part of the problem is that I’m too happy. We all know that great artists are supposed to be starving, right? Well, I don’t think it’s starving necessarily that generates great work, but the suffering that goes along with starvation that’s the key. PLEASE don’t get me wrong; I don’t wanna suffer anymore than I already have. What I’d like is to find ways to connect more deeply with those who do suffer. I want to translate their pain into my writing. I want to provide a voice for the silent. I want to tell the story of those society refuses to hear. (Thanks for those words, Sarah.) I’m working on it.

In the meantime, I remain grateful. And happy. (No longer Almost Happy.) Yep, I know that it’s easier to write when I’m experiencing emotional turmoil or distress but I’m still convinced that easier isn’t always better.

© Gayle Force Press 2007

1302

A poem for my family.

1302

The big old house
Is gone now
Just like the neighborhood
It helped anchor

The first place I knew
How to call home
Now just dust, cinder
Smoke charred ash
And the memories made in it

But shouldn’t that be enough
Since walls don’t hear
Floors can’t talk
And you and I always
Always will

When we think about
The house on the corner
Of yesterday
And tomorrow

© Gayle Force Press 2003