POEMs, Essays & Inspirational stuff
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Personal Quote
One guys approach to Rock Climbing
If At the End of a Day of Climbing,
My mouth isn’t as Tired from Laughing
As my Arms are from Climbing,
Then no matter how well I’ve Climbed,
I’ve had a Bad Day.
- Spring, 1983 is when I heard him say this.
The older climber from the Climbing Club of the Boston Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). He had been one of top climbers in the area. I one struggling up the “Prow” one day, and he just casually cruised past, soloing. He was always nice to us beginners.
He used to sell Yvon Chouinard gear out of his house, back before Yvon started Patagonia. I’ve still got and use the crag pack I bought from him for 50 bucks, with the “Chouinard” label.
I have liberally applied this to every outdoor activity I do.
Personal Quote
One Guy’s philosophy of Life
Do Not Take What is Not Given
Embrace What is Given with Grace
Ask for What you Need & Want
While Respecting the Right of the Other to Say No
Embrace a No with as much Grace
As you would a Yes
- Sometime between 1990 and 1996 is when I got him to write it down, because I kept forgetting how it went exactly. It’s held a place on my refrigerator ever since.
Jeremy Mc something (Curu? I can’t read his signature after the Mc)
He ran the small little theater on Greenwood, just north of Devon Avenue, right next to Frank’s Auto repair.
Nice guy.
Made a habit of keeping five singles in his wallet each week, to give to the panhandler’s.
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- St. Patrick’s Day, 2009, Bob Oehmen
Polluting the Environment
Includes Me
WithIn & WithOut
Why Protect the Environment?
If I let you destroy a forest
it sets a Pattern of What Is Acceptable.
In legal jargon, it sets precedence.
which is then used to Justify Future Destruction.
The forest includes me.
WithIn & WithOut.
You
could be
Mega Corporation XYZ
my Supplier
every Store
where I Buy Anything & Everything
clothes, food, housing, electronics, Dvd’s, Cd’s
my Doctor
my Church
my School
the President of the United States
our Government
Why
could be
because It’s Cost Effective
because I’ll Get a Better ROI
because It’s Just the Price We Pay for Progress
because If I Don’t I’ll Go Out of Business
because If I Don’t Our Stock Will Drop
because If I Don’t I’ll Get Fired
because It’s Easier
because I Don’t Care About Anyone But Me & Mine
because Who Cares?
because What’s the Harm?
because It’s Just a Stupid Animal, fer ‘Christ Sake
because It’s Just a Plant
because It’s Just a Rock
because It’s Just the Way Things Are
because Everyone Else Does
because I Never Thought to Do it Any Other Way
because It’s Legal
because We Can, and Ain’t Nobody Can Stop Us.
You
could be
my Brother
my Father
my Mother
my Sister
a Relative
a Priest
my Friend
my Neighbor
anyone I Trust
someone I Love
someone I Hate
Me
Why
could be
because We Gotta Make Money
because We Gotta Eat
because We Just Gotta
because I Love You
because it’s For Your Own Good
because I was Abused
because I was Drunk
because It’s just Reality
because It’s just the Way It Is,
and We Can’t Change It
because It Felt Good
because I Want To
because You Let Me
because You Wanted Me To
because I Can, and You Can’t Stop Me
What
could be
as Small as a Bug
as Big as a Whale
as Boring as a Darter Snail
as Cool as Polar Bear
as Magnificent as a Mountain
Fresh Water
Healthy Food
Any Food
Me
You
the Enemy
the Other
my Veins and my Blood
my Hopes and my Dreams
my Life’s Work
my Job
my Friends & Family
all our Ancestors – Past, Present & Future
my Relationship to Relationships
my Relationship to Romance & Friendship
my Relationship to Spirit & Soul
my Relationship to You
My Relationship to My Self & my Best Parts
my Relationship to Life
the Different You’s, Why’s & What’s
are just details.
it’s all
Justifying
the Pattern of Destruction.
it’s all
Accepting
the Precedence of Abuse.
it’s all
Internalizing
the Insane.
Why Protect Mother Earth?
Because, well,
Mother Earth includes
Me, You & Us
All Things
Any Time
Every Where
and I Tend to Take Such Things Personally.
Got It?
Good.
Come ‘On,
Let’s Go
Rock ‘n Roll,
Forever….
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March 1, 2009
Nature & Wilderness
OutSide & InSide
Chicago.
9 in the morning on a Sunday at the end of February
I’m on the way to the Polar Bear Jump at North Avenue Beach,
Fundraiser for the Special Olympics.
My favorite niece is jumping in.
I’m not.
But, like lots of the others who are, I’m wearing a get-up.
Flesh colored full body suit,
Super fat belly, super huge butt
and a fig leaf
Where a fig leaf should be.
Walking along the lakefront,
near blinding snow and bitter wind whipping from the North,
Only a few people out.
The shoreline is frozen over for way far out.
Out,
Out south past the BoatHouse,
Rises tall the mountain of metal Chicago skyline
Which on days like to day,
I’m able to
just about, almost completely
to ignore.
Just like I’ve learned to not be totally bummed out
at the trash here and there,
beer cans and such
when I am further out in Nature places.
This,
on any regular basis.
This is the nearest I come to Being out
in the Serene and Mystical Wilderness,
Colorado Rocky Mountain High, John Denver
&
Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau
&
All Those Other Places
Not exactly the stuff of my high school and college
…….Living Within In Nature……….
Hopes & Dreams.
Dreams & Hopes.
But it’s a Bit of All Right.
All things considered,
It Is Decently
Good Enough.
Charletta said
Like you, I have a sense of solidarity with those crazy enough to jump in the water, but I just can’t imagine going in myself! Check out these photos Tim took of the lake frozen over. http://www.themennonite.org/bloggers/timjn/posts/Last_night_of_winter_ice_on_the_lake
Rebecca said
I like your poems- be sure to post some more. On a side note, my sister jumped in the lake and said it was fun but that she wouldn’t do it again!