CHOCOLATE DAY

In the past year I’ve written poems about many items we drink and eat

I’ve posted them to Facebook, they’ve even shown up in my Tweets.

Whatever I’ve said about other foods, today all seems so lame

Because today is reserved for chocolate--which puts all other foods to shame.

Did you know chocolate is considered a vegetable? It comes from the Cacao tree,

And vegetables, as everyone knows, are as healthy as can be.

So let me suggest a menu to start you on your way

And help you celebrate, as best you can, this year’s Chocolate Day.

Start off your day with a chocolate cereal, Count Chocoula may be enough

You might try Cocoa Krispies, Cocoa Pebbles or how about Cocoa Puffs.

A nice tall glass of chocolate milk will keep your taste buds satisfied

And for those with an extra sweet tooth, a chocolate donut on the side.

About midmorning you’ll feel like a snack--a chocolate candy bar will do

A Snickers or some Hershey’s kiss will help to see you through.

For lunch a chocolate bagel as to chocolate you once again revert

Another glass of chocolate milk and chocolate pie makes a great dessert.

For a healthy mid-afternoon snack--chocolate covered raisins, there’s no dispute

For the chocolate is your vegetable and the raisins are your fruit.

At dinner sip a chocolate liqueur or a chocolate martini and for heaven’s sake

You’ve got to finish off your meal with a piece of chocolate cake.

Before you go to bed at night what shall be your late night chocolate source?

Why a bowl of chocolate ice cream covered with chocolate sauce, of course!

You’ll smile through your chocolate dreams...Can there be a better way

To celebrate from start to finish this year’s Chocolate Day?

I understand there may be people out there who find chocolate unappealing

Although for the life of me I cannot understand this strange and awful feeling.

If that’s the case, if you hate chocolate, if you’ve never been Hershey Kissed

I suggest you immediately see a doctor who will recommend a therapist.

Therapy will help alleviate your symptoms, your craziness and your fear

And you’ll be ready to celebrate with the rest of us, Chocolate Day next year.

ONE QUICK QUESTION

As I watch the protesters in California shouting to the immigrants, “Go Back To Mexico.”

I must admit as an American to feeling a little low.

How would our ancestors have felt when they came to America looking for a new day

If the Indians, who were already here, met the Mayflower and turned it away.

Has it really been that long a time? Have we come so far only to lose our way?

At one time we were all illegal immigrants...America was founded that way.

When we forget this little detail in the America we now seem to be shaping

Aren’t we becoming exactly the same people we were initially escaping?

BIKINI DAY

Today we celebrate Louis Reard, a French designer par excellence

He created, as far as men are concerned, a fashion renaissance.

The year was 1946 when Mr. Reard this day unfurled

What he would happily advertise as the smallest bathing suit in the world.

He took 30 square inches of cloth which he deftly fabricated

Into a bra and panties for the beach and voila, the bikini was created.

Since the Atomic bomb test on Bikini Atoll the year before garnered such acclaim

He chose the name bikini thinking people’s reaction would be the same

He was right, women immediately bought the bikini and he knew he had a hit when...

He received 50,000 fan letters right away--all of them from men.

So today we celebrate the bikini, we celebrate it’s design, it’s simplicity, it’s reach

And the only reason any man has for going to the beach.

WE THE PEOPLE

If Gouverneur Morris, one of the framers of our Constitution, were still alive today

I wonder what message he would text to us this Independence Day......

We declared our Independence...had an Independence Day

But we needed a set of guidelines to help us on our way.

The Articles of Confederation were not working and it was causing so much tension

That we went to Philadelphia and had us a convention.

73 delegates were chosen from all across the land

With only 55 showing up to lend a helping hand.

But those who did attend the meeting had quite a lot to say

Back in 1787 on that 25th of May.

Hamilton and Madison were there and many other famous men

Like Robert Morris, George Washington and Dr. Franklin...we called him Ben.

We talked, debated, argued and if I can remember

We didn’t adjourn that meeting till the 17th of September.

We wanted a document short and sweet, we didn’t want it to ramble

So we started with one paragraph and called it the Preamble.

Seven Articles later we were finished, after 85 days of work and pain

The only thing left for us to do was gladly sign our names.

42 delegates were there at the end a little bit battered and bruised

And as we lined up to give it our John Hancock’s only three refused.

We were proud of our Constitution and were equally satisfied

After the 13 original colonies voted and it was ratified.

A little while later we realized some mistakes and quickly had to write

10 amendments to that Constitution, which we called the the Bill of Rights.

Yes, the colonies had a problem so we gave up our summer vacation

To meet in Philadelphia and build the framework of our nation.

We the people got together to solve that mystery

We wrote our Constitution and the rest is history.

That was over 200 years ago, we did our part, and were proud when we were through

And as July 4th 2014 rolls around...the rest is up to you.

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GM

THE CLOAK OF ANGER

I once knew a person who seemed angry all the time.

I did not know the reason--couldn’t figure out the rhyme.

I never knew why she allowed her anger to surround her

Why she was unable to escape the jungle anger built around her.

I imagine she thought she was in control of the feelings she attained

She did not understand that her anger held the reins.

She was engulfed in anger every day, it was like a cloak upon her back

It weighed her down, it darkened her mood--it transformed her world to black.

I wanted to express my wish for her but I knew that she would scoff

I wanted to tell her how life would be better if she took that cloak of anger off.

I wanted to tell her she could start tomorrow--with the coming of the dawn

To remove that cloak of anger and never again put it on.

But I didn’t, I never said those words, never found a way into her heart

And I haven’t seen her in many years as lives sometimes drift apart.

I hope she finally found the reason, I hope she figured out the rhyme

That life’s too short and too wonderful to be angry all the time.

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies when we build jungles that surround us

If we only took the time to change--the evolution would astound us.

SYNCHRONICITY

Carl Jung was the founder of analytical psychology

He’s also the man who coined the term synchronicity.

You’re thinking about a person and they phone, or they appear.

You’re humming a song then turn on the radio and it’s the next song that you hear.

Synchronicity is the wonderful word Mr. Jung elucidated

To explain coincidences we experience in life that somehow seem related.

Deborah and I were searching for a friend’s new house it was after the break of dawn

When a detour forced us down the very street the house we were looking for was on.

I’ve always liked the way the word synchronicity flows; there’s a beauty in its inflection

And as far as those coincidence go...sweet perplexity in their connection.

Years ago in an empty parking lot I was provided the biggest thrill

When on the ground before me lay a hundred dollar bill.

My van broke down on my way home that day, a fact I still lament

But the bill for that repair was ninety-seven dollars and ninety cents.

We don’t know how it happens, it seems improbable that it can

Is it possible the universe is watching us...that we’re part of some huge plan?

Deborah’s sister died suddenly--after her funeral we went to our cabin in NC.

While there our sadness was interrupted by some synchronicity.

That evening a luna moth perched herself upon our door

In all our years together we never saw one there before.

Synchronicity shows us our lives are not as predictable as they seem

It encourages us to believe in miracles, to wonder, hope, and dream.

It shows us as we live each day, as we dance our daily dance

That there are portions of our life left to the mystery of chance.

The mystery of chance...I think even Mr. Jung would enthusiastically agree 

What a great way to explain his concept of synchronicity.

HAPPY 2ND HALF OF THE YEAR DAY!

In case you hadn’t noticed today is the first day of July

This is an important day of the year...allow me to tell you why.

You see as days of every year go by, July 1st is opportune

Because half the year just ended on the 30th of June.

If yesterday, to the first half of the year we unwittingly said goodbye

It stands to reason the second half starts the first day of July.

It’s a day to take a step back, now that half the year is through

And assess how those new year’s resolutions are working out for you.

Have you lost that weight, quit smoking, stopped living like a slob?

Are you drinking less, did you take that trip, do you have a better job? 

Have you begun your volunteering, are you finally downsizing?

Are you eating healthier, saving money--have you been exercising?

For those of us who think about such things July 1st is an important date

Because we know the year is only half over--which means it’s not too late.

Sure we understand this year is already halfway through

But we also know we still have half a year to make our dreams come true.

And to those who’ve given up on their resolutions--all you women; all you men

You still have half a year to enjoy your vices...before you resolute again.