On A long Night's Activity
When, in the wake of dreams unfulfilled,
Looking back, reaching for mind's set then,
Stirring hidden hollows, hiding strong willed
Thoughts usually left for deep night's, amen :
Then, with tossing and turning, sweat arrives
From body heat captured by layers of covers,
Deepened sleep slacks as the mind's eye drives
Piercing nerve endings toward thoughts of others :
And then, over and over we relive day's events,
Real or are they derived of fiction or of facts ?
A deep night's sleep would have provided vents
For the escape from rewind or rewrite of acts.
Into this netherworld of super active long days
Take deep breaths, relax, mellow, chill out plays.
Ronald C. Downie
A Sonnet
Monday, November 7, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
The occupying 99%errs sorely need a modern day Mark Twain to vocalize their message in a way Twain did in his time which ignited the complacent masses into action. The United States in the late eighteen hundreds was in a financial debacle not unlike ours of today. Writer, lecturer, humorist, and the Common Man's philosopher, Mark Twain, delivered a universal message still on target for today's time.
He remarked rhetorically about the ethos of the age people were then living through, " What is the chief end of Man ? It was to get rich. In what way ? Dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must."
Mark Twain saw through the frailties of us human beings in a time what was then called "The Gilded Age". Periods of time get tagged by descriptive names, the actors of the times fade and die off, but the theater of life stages only so many themes the human animal will experience which gets expressed in the plays it produces.
I'd love to be a 1%err but I wasn't dealt the proper hand just as about anyone reading this did not catch a Royal Flush either. As a society we owe those activists among us, the 99%errs of "Occupy Wall Street", who bring attention to the inequalities of how money is distributed in, not only in our country, but in the whole World. These "Occupiers" do for me what I'm incapable of doing for myself at this stage of my life. Whether you like it or not, neither of us are Mark Twain's; but both Twain and the 99%errs will be subjects of history, again neither you nor I will be so honored.
Ronald C. Downie
The occupying 99%errs sorely need a modern day Mark Twain to vocalize their message in a way Twain did in his time which ignited the complacent masses into action. The United States in the late eighteen hundreds was in a financial debacle not unlike ours of today. Writer, lecturer, humorist, and the Common Man's philosopher, Mark Twain, delivered a universal message still on target for today's time.
He remarked rhetorically about the ethos of the age people were then living through, " What is the chief end of Man ? It was to get rich. In what way ? Dishonestly if we can; honestly if we must."
Mark Twain saw through the frailties of us human beings in a time what was then called "The Gilded Age". Periods of time get tagged by descriptive names, the actors of the times fade and die off, but the theater of life stages only so many themes the human animal will experience which gets expressed in the plays it produces.
I'd love to be a 1%err but I wasn't dealt the proper hand just as about anyone reading this did not catch a Royal Flush either. As a society we owe those activists among us, the 99%errs of "Occupy Wall Street", who bring attention to the inequalities of how money is distributed in, not only in our country, but in the whole World. These "Occupiers" do for me what I'm incapable of doing for myself at this stage of my life. Whether you like it or not, neither of us are Mark Twain's; but both Twain and the 99%errs will be subjects of history, again neither you nor I will be so honored.
Ronald C. Downie
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Haiku 59
Haiku 59
David and Charles Koch,
Cain's brothers - other mother -
Herman sings clearly.
Herman be Herman,
Cain mutiny resurrects -
Iowa not sea.
Herman be Herman,
Self inflicted wounds no sweat -
Strange dude, a quick draw.
Drip, drip, drip, no stop,
Each day Herman swings in wind -
Blood letting goes slow.
Money writes music,
Big bucks grab batons and lead -
Tune often sour.
Disgust comes slowly,
Congress despised by many,
Old bulls must go home !
Ronald C. Downie
David and Charles Koch,
Cain's brothers - other mother -
Herman sings clearly.
Herman be Herman,
Cain mutiny resurrects -
Iowa not sea.
Herman be Herman,
Self inflicted wounds no sweat -
Strange dude, a quick draw.
Drip, drip, drip, no stop,
Each day Herman swings in wind -
Blood letting goes slow.
Money writes music,
Big bucks grab batons and lead -
Tune often sour.
Disgust comes slowly,
Congress despised by many,
Old bulls must go home !
Ronald C. Downie
Friday, November 4, 2011
History Is Always With Us
History Is Always With Us
Having lately become enamored with World History, I am amazed on how life's themes remain essentially the same, even though, the characters change just as their generations faded away. What is that saying often quoted ? Something like, if we refuse to learn from the past, we are prone to repeat it.
The sad irony of the worst characters who governed huge portions of the ancient world is that we can imagine many debaters on today's stages are just as inept as those fallen characters of old. Can you imagine some of these debaters being "The Leader Of The Free World" or giving a coherent policy speech to the nation which has whole world implications. I shutter !
Having lately become enamored with World History, I am amazed on how life's themes remain essentially the same, even though, the characters change just as their generations faded away. What is that saying often quoted ? Something like, if we refuse to learn from the past, we are prone to repeat it.
The sad irony of the worst characters who governed huge portions of the ancient world is that we can imagine many debaters on today's stages are just as inept as those fallen characters of old. Can you imagine some of these debaters being "The Leader Of The Free World" or giving a coherent policy speech to the nation which has whole world implications. I shutter !
Thursday, November 3, 2011
What We Don't Know, Yes, Can Hurt Us
What we don't know, yes, can hurt us.
If we picture a country that has : universal health care for its citizens, many paid holidays for workers, many paid weeks of vacation for those workers, and, above all that, the average worker's hourly rate of pay was $49.00 an hour, where on the World's scale of fiscal responsibility would you expect this country to fall ?
Most likely you, like me, would be wrong if we thought a country so described would be a basket case.
Germany, that dynamic industrial and financial engine powering The European Union, is the country pictured above. Yes, Germany, is the country being asked to bale out the economic wasteland which surrounds her and is a country which continues to build a middle class of upwardly mobile happy citizens.
Many of our Nation's Legislators fall into the abyss carved deep by those to the right and, especially, the far right who claim that beating down labor while enriching the effluent is in our country's best interest. To these, ignorance is bliss. The World needs more Germany's rather than, say, Greece or Italy or Spain's.
Put that stake, once and for all, through the heart of "trickle down economics" that worn out doctrine discredited by real examples of fiscal sanity. Learn to understand that the vastly increasing disparity between average worker's pay and CEO's pay can not continue to broaden.
We can only capture tomorrow by understanding yesterday and working today with the knowledge we have acquired which allows wisdom to surface. It is through the use of wisdom that ordinary people can make extraordinary advances.
Ronald C. Downie
If we picture a country that has : universal health care for its citizens, many paid holidays for workers, many paid weeks of vacation for those workers, and, above all that, the average worker's hourly rate of pay was $49.00 an hour, where on the World's scale of fiscal responsibility would you expect this country to fall ?
Most likely you, like me, would be wrong if we thought a country so described would be a basket case.
Germany, that dynamic industrial and financial engine powering The European Union, is the country pictured above. Yes, Germany, is the country being asked to bale out the economic wasteland which surrounds her and is a country which continues to build a middle class of upwardly mobile happy citizens.
Many of our Nation's Legislators fall into the abyss carved deep by those to the right and, especially, the far right who claim that beating down labor while enriching the effluent is in our country's best interest. To these, ignorance is bliss. The World needs more Germany's rather than, say, Greece or Italy or Spain's.
Put that stake, once and for all, through the heart of "trickle down economics" that worn out doctrine discredited by real examples of fiscal sanity. Learn to understand that the vastly increasing disparity between average worker's pay and CEO's pay can not continue to broaden.
We can only capture tomorrow by understanding yesterday and working today with the knowledge we have acquired which allows wisdom to surface. It is through the use of wisdom that ordinary people can make extraordinary advances.
Ronald C. Downie
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Eyes To Heaven
Eyes To Heaven
Long an observer of Berks County skies
From west wondered what ruckus implies .
Could children's chatter, playground's gleeful cries,
Be so close to hear though not seen by my eyes ?
Goose and gander, Canadians, across the pond
Shallow water succulent greens they are fond.
Muskrats pull grasses in spring as they respond.
These ponds come alive as my private neutron.
Quickly I turned to the sounds from the west,
An angled V gaggle with song from their chest.
Lost count at thirty, do they circle for rest ?
No, not today, they won't land here to nest.
But why do they sound so different from norm ?
Snow Geese who were off course by a storm.
Surely I've seen a lone Snow Goose forlorn,
But a pure white gaggle's sharp V was their form.
That surprised me in both sight and sounds.
Around us - Nature - in awe she abounds.
Gone are the Snow Geese, still Blue Birds around.
My eyes to the heavens, my heart's in the ground.
Ronald C .Downie
Long an observer of Berks County skies
From west wondered what ruckus implies .
Could children's chatter, playground's gleeful cries,
Be so close to hear though not seen by my eyes ?
Goose and gander, Canadians, across the pond
Shallow water succulent greens they are fond.
Muskrats pull grasses in spring as they respond.
These ponds come alive as my private neutron.
Quickly I turned to the sounds from the west,
An angled V gaggle with song from their chest.
Lost count at thirty, do they circle for rest ?
No, not today, they won't land here to nest.
But why do they sound so different from norm ?
Snow Geese who were off course by a storm.
Surely I've seen a lone Snow Goose forlorn,
But a pure white gaggle's sharp V was their form.
That surprised me in both sight and sounds.
Around us - Nature - in awe she abounds.
Gone are the Snow Geese, still Blue Birds around.
My eyes to the heavens, my heart's in the ground.
Ronald C .Downie
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Hippocratic Oath
Hippocratic Oath
"First do no harm", as I understand it, is an oath administered to graduating medical school students to guide them forever in their profession. We all hope they follow this oath.
Legislators, both state and federal, take an oath to uphold the Constitution of their State, if a state official, and The Constitution of The United States if federal. We all hope that they follow this oath also.
I wish legislators had to take the Hippocratic Oath too since their decisions can really cause wholesale harm to a society. Much of this harm seems to come about when a legislator legislates in a way to keep themselves in office. A vote on a bill not to upset the voters may seem prudent at the time and for future reelection, but in the long run may be the worst thing for the future and generations yet to follow.
Our Country's Framers had little idea legislators would become full-time professionals at their occupations. Most envisioned farmers or millers would serve a term or two then go back home to live out their lives there. Times have changed and the minds of legislators have changed along with time. Eating from the public trough must be enticing. The easy move from legislating to lobbing must be so very inviting too.
Today, our Country needs a redirecting of basic priorities starting with the limiting of terms of service for legislators. We always hear," lame duck session "and how much progress is to be made during that session. Why ? Because legislators including presidents are not running for reelection; therefore, they can vote their conscious instead of pandering for votes.
Churchill said of The United States, " You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else." Maybe that's where we are now, having tried everything else and now we 'll do the right thing. The impending World financial crises with us as a prime player makes Congress look like babbling fools in there pre-positioning stance about the debt ceiling and cuts to entitlements and raising revenues. All these talking heads blathering talking points only to gather in potential votes can't have you and me in their heart of hearts.
We are better than this I was always taught.
"Of the people, by the people, for the people", that is us : when young sent to War, when healthy asked to build a nation for the future, now when old asked to sacrifice gains worked for so the effluent few can get more. This, my friends, is not a representative democracy but it is a plutocracy. The rule over us by the rich is one of the harshest governments of them all. To them : money is power and power is money. We are merely pawns, numbers to be crunched, throwaways.
My time is running out so someone has to pick up the baton and run with it. I only hope one of you who reads this bends over, picks up the baton, and runs like "hell".
Ronald C. Downie
"First do no harm", as I understand it, is an oath administered to graduating medical school students to guide them forever in their profession. We all hope they follow this oath.
Legislators, both state and federal, take an oath to uphold the Constitution of their State, if a state official, and The Constitution of The United States if federal. We all hope that they follow this oath also.
I wish legislators had to take the Hippocratic Oath too since their decisions can really cause wholesale harm to a society. Much of this harm seems to come about when a legislator legislates in a way to keep themselves in office. A vote on a bill not to upset the voters may seem prudent at the time and for future reelection, but in the long run may be the worst thing for the future and generations yet to follow.
Our Country's Framers had little idea legislators would become full-time professionals at their occupations. Most envisioned farmers or millers would serve a term or two then go back home to live out their lives there. Times have changed and the minds of legislators have changed along with time. Eating from the public trough must be enticing. The easy move from legislating to lobbing must be so very inviting too.
Today, our Country needs a redirecting of basic priorities starting with the limiting of terms of service for legislators. We always hear," lame duck session "and how much progress is to be made during that session. Why ? Because legislators including presidents are not running for reelection; therefore, they can vote their conscious instead of pandering for votes.
Churchill said of The United States, " You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else." Maybe that's where we are now, having tried everything else and now we 'll do the right thing. The impending World financial crises with us as a prime player makes Congress look like babbling fools in there pre-positioning stance about the debt ceiling and cuts to entitlements and raising revenues. All these talking heads blathering talking points only to gather in potential votes can't have you and me in their heart of hearts.
We are better than this I was always taught.
"Of the people, by the people, for the people", that is us : when young sent to War, when healthy asked to build a nation for the future, now when old asked to sacrifice gains worked for so the effluent few can get more. This, my friends, is not a representative democracy but it is a plutocracy. The rule over us by the rich is one of the harshest governments of them all. To them : money is power and power is money. We are merely pawns, numbers to be crunched, throwaways.
My time is running out so someone has to pick up the baton and run with it. I only hope one of you who reads this bends over, picks up the baton, and runs like "hell".
Ronald C. Downie
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