February 11, 2011

Gimmie Some Truth Friday

by jhon baker

I woke up late,
I need a shower, badly.
I spent a few hours in a mall where the people observation was all the out of work and didn’t shower today crowd.
I’ve considered learning how to juggle running chainsaws but decided on sporks.
My son asked me if you could stab someone with a fork, and in saying yes I had to relay when I did so in High School. The guy stole my fries. I was provoked. We weren’t friends and I haven’t heard from him except for once when he saw me in a restaurant and ran out the door. I don’t know why.
I am not a violent person but do suffer from various mental aberrations which leave me unable to predict behavior when provoked. I always feel at least a little bad.
I once went in to sign up for the Marines. When I spoke with the recruiter I asked if they were hiring Generals, he said that I shouldn’t think that I couldn’t…., cutting him off I said that I wanted to apply for the job of General and if they weren’t hiring for that I would try the Navy. He was less than enthused by my joke.
Years later I almost joined the reserves with a friend of mine, who is a transvestite, he was x-military and wanted the bonus. I wanted the bonus too and felt that I could get kicked out or just put up with it for four years. K wouldn’t allow it and I was very happy about that.
Yesterday I started a letter to a pen pal, two pages in I felt it wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t smart enough, I crumpled it and tossed it. A similar thing happened to yesterdays post – on the same topic as today’s.

If I am the sum of all my experiences, decisions, mistakes, loves, triumphs, showers, deformities, delusions, et cetera, then at present I am perfect.

 – or – as I put in on another blog…

if we are, indeed, the sum of our experiences and actions to date – then we are, in a word, perfect.

I don’t need a gun to defend myself, I am capable of being a reflection of my size – a monster. I need a gun to prevent me from killing an offender. Often the display of force is enough of an equalizer to prevent a further confrontation.
I am a Buddhist who has let go of the materialism of being a Buddhist. Many people see this as me not being a Buddhist – I have no alter, I have to shrine, I do not sit on my Zafu and zabuton (I can no longer sit in lotus anyway) – they are long gone, I do not carry my beads anymore, I make no physical declarations of my philosophy, I do not claim to be transcendentant, I do not claim to be enlightened – I claim no thing.

okay, now I must shower.

February 9, 2011

Poems not by Jhon Baker, poems by one of my favorites –

by jhon baker

Did I ever tell you that my son writes poetry? I think I have  (this post)- I love his efforts, such as:

Stars beneath

Stars are beneath
the clouds
in the sun and rain

 – or –

o, dear, O
dear
what shall we do
in the horror

 – or –

Rain

Rain falling
from the sky
really, the clouds

 – or –

wow
wow
wow
how many candies
are there?

All by Jackson Grey

His favorite poets are Shel Silverstein, William Blake, his Daddy, Bob Dylan, Sylvia Plath, Bukowski, Langston Hughes, Jack Prelutsky, Carl Sandburg, Garcia Lorca, Emily Dickinson, Ogden Nash, WCW, Paul Simon, and so many others
when asked he says – “mostly it’s you, daddy.”

“My poetry is great, but I still need to write poetry in my poetry book that I’m making. I make poetry because my Dad, he makes poetry.” – Jackson

He want’s to add –
“Jhon is a great poet, everyone should read it and tell your friends and they should tell their friends, and everybody should read the poetry, tell everyone is the whole wide world.” – Jackson

February 7, 2011

Magpie #52

by jhon baker

 from across the street

we’ve sat across one another for years;
you, always green
me, always gray.

I sit and wonder about
the trimming of your lawn
about the condition of your bath.

how we’ve stood through better times.
but it is not proper to discuss these things
until we’ve grown at least this old.

 – Hoc Scripsi

image courtesy of Magpie tales #52
follow the link and discover others –

a few earlier Magpie efforts…

Magpie #51
Magpie #50
Magpie #47
Magpie #46
Magpie #44
Magpie #43
Magpie #42
Magpie #41
Magpie #41 a different one
Magpie #37
Magpie #36

February 7, 2011

Monday, in the gloaming.

by jhon baker

My last cup of coffee for the day and it is burnt. The smell coming off the mug is too much for me to have my head around.
such a shame.

I need a cigarette and an off button for my brain.

yes, both are for my brain – because smoking does nothing positive for the lungs and I hate the way it stinks up the joint.

I’ve been creating and writing lately but have nothing to offer here as of yet. soon, soon.