It Rolls 'til It Don't

 

Doing good should just come naturally, right? Far as I know, little boys continue pulling the wings off flies. Hey, kid- good luck if you're absolutely sure that you're gonna live long enough to make up for all your meanness.

Snake oil dealers came up with heaven as a concept just before car salesmen originated the extended warranty. Everybody wants to kick karma down the road.

No matter which of those books you pick up, love is always the answer.

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

What Ever Became of Bebop?

Whatever have I done to deserve this? In all my dreams as a kid, everybody got all the things that I had. Every seagull got his share of bread crumbs and every stray in the pound went home with a loving kid.

Oh, I worry about this old world and I'm well aware of how little I've done to make it any better. It occurred to me a long time ago that I wasn't going to improve the lot of the planet with government work or demonstrating in the street. Now, I've done some of both and I have great respect for the folks who have chosen those paths. Ms. Thunberg is the hero of a generation.

War and climate change and hunger and hate haunt us all. If you miss the magic, however, fretting about the tragedy, you've missed it all.

Do what you can. Love hard, play fair and share what you have. Stand up for the ones who can't and speak for those without voices. Enjoy the whole trip, though, while you're at it. It's beautiful.

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

 

Go Now!

Funny, truth and grammar are dispensable, it seems. War never goes out of fashion. Who put these bozos in charge? Oh, yeah- we did.

If you can ignore the buzzing around you, there's still a beautiful world to rejoice in. Poetry doesn't have to rhyme and you can combine any colors that you want. No need to wear your skirt the length of the fashion model's. No need to wear your skirt. 

I'll drive the speed limit because I should and I'll pay taxes because I use the infrastructure. 

Kindness brings happiness and love brings peace. It surely ain't rocket science.

 

Castles and Mushy Peas

 

Nobody's shooting schoolchildren. "Sorry," is on every tongue. Road rage doesn't seem to exist and government scandals are like soap opera plots. Honestly, hooligans don't seem particularly threatening when they sound like your favorite Beatle.

There's a gigantic palm tree right in the middle of Easton Park, right down the road. Makes it hard to feel homesick. Dogs are in almost every cafe and pub. I can see the English Channel out the back window and I'm about to walk down the lane out back to see the pigs, who just moved in, and their neighbors, the goats and the llamas.

Oh, yeah- Kate has added cornbread to the menu.

A bloke could get used to this. 

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

Will There Always Be An England?

 

Guilt is so overrated. I know that. Nevertheless, nobody should have the life that I have. Oh, I suppose that a better way to put it would be to say that everybody should have the life that I have.

Who knew that paradise would be here, tucked under the mainland of Great Britain. I remember old timers always telling me that I should have seen Key West before it was "discovered." I look forward to telling whippersnappers about Portland, before it was discovered.

Oh, and love- I preached about love for so long that I had pretty well decided that the stuff I went on about was the creation of some Walt Disney or the material of some young girl's dreams. Nope. It's right here. In abundance. It's way too late for bad luck. When this plays out, and we know that nothing is permanent, I will have had everything. Great goodness!

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

Peepin' and Hidin'

Can't go over it, gotta go 'round it. Life comes but once, at least in my belief system. Today. Eat the good stuff and read the good stuff and listen to the good stuff. Pet every dog. If he bites you, you will have learned not to listen to the likes of me. 

Every morsel is a feast with the right table setting. I've dyed all our napkins fuchsia and the whole world got better. I haven't solved any climate change problem or ended any war, but I feel like I've done my little part. 

I've forgotten most of everything I ever learned except Elvis' army serial number, my phone number from 1962 and the ending for my nightly prayer. Oh, it's no big deal and it hardly qualifies as dementia. I just never learned much. A great deal of it is not really forgotten so much as I've just changed my mind.

Give us peace on earth and end this dreadful, dreadful war.

 

Scenic Routes To Paradise

 

Great gifts seem to arrive when expectations fade. Miracles are everywhere when you're not looking for anything special. The magic in the world is like floaters in your eye. Don't look at it if you want to see it.

All those hokey things you ever read about love are true. Every cornball "moon, June, spoon" rhyme in all of the mediocre pop songs ever written nailed it perfectly.

Of course loss is the other side of this lovely coin. Nothing lasts forever. Don't miss a moment. Don't just tell somebody that you love them. Tell everybody.