Generally Speaking

 

I am phased

engaged

glazed

exalted

outraged

saturated

infatuated

frustrated

infused

confused

bemused

emaciated

emancipated

sometimes

disrupted

constipated

confounded

impounded

resounded

by the image

and likeness

of the

one and

only you

reality is

with all

sincerity

literally

occasionally

superfluously

at times

metaphorically

speaking

that’s

only me

ridiculous

magnanimous

outrageous

hypothetically

cynically

dysfunctional

and preposterous

saving punctuation

for the end

wouldn’t

you say?

               -30-

Chris Hanch 7-30-2023

Mantle of Memories

Old and alone at 76 feels

just like home. I have been

fortunate enough to grow

into my present state of

being.

Sure, the losses over

time are greater than the

gains, but I have managed

to have left many of my

the burdens of responsibility

behind.

Most of all, I no

longer have the need to plan

for the future. How will I

afford to do this and that

is no longer a factor.

Each

day of breathing free and

easy is a stressful relief

for me. Win or lose, gen-

erally, I get to pick and

choose.

I was who I was

in the past; I am who I am

today, old and gray and set

in my ways. I’ve earned

everything I deserve today

including the disabling

stiffness, aches and pain.

It took years in the making

to turn this old bastard into

a fine relic of antiquity.

And when I’m gone, put

me up on Life’s Mantle

of Memories, and dust me

off occasionally.

                   -30-

Chris Hanch 7-29-2023

 

Pride Before the Fall

 

It’s part of human nature to

sometimes boast and brag,

to let the egos shine. Even

if not personally involved,

many will take pride, attach

themselves to the famous or

fantastical mankind achieve-

ments from their particular

culture, country, home

town, state or region, group,

family or clan.

The Egyptians, for instance,

love their millennia-old

pyramids. The French extol

the stature and magnificence

of their Eiffel Tower, San Fran-

ciscans boast over the broad

expanse of their Golden Gate

Bridge.

And of course, New Yorkers

have their Yankees. And once

they had the tallest man-made

structure on the planet, The

Empire State building. “Why,

do you know we completed

that magnificent structure in

1931, a mere year and a half

under construction,” the

boisterous businessman from

Manhattan told the St. Louis cab

driver who was taking him from

the airport to his downtown hotel.

“Nothing like good old New York,”

his “Better than Thou” passenger

went on.

The cabbie snickered to himself

thinking, this guy was thirty years

away from even being born back

then. What irked him most was

the boasting that “his Yankees”

were far and away the best team

in Major League Baseball.

Cabbie stewed quietly, knowing

his Cardinals beat the Yanks 3

times out of 5 in head-on World

Series competition. But this was

his customer, and if he wanted a

good tip, he would keep to himself

on that issue.

As they made their way into the

downtown area, the New Yorker

noticed a gleaming, sky-rocketing,

stainless steel, arch structure on the

Mississippi Riverfront. “My God,”

he gasped with amazement as they

passed, “What in world is that?

The cabbie with his nonchalant

cool and calm, St. Louis attitude

replied, “ Huh, beats the hell out

of me. That wasn’t there yesterday.”

                        -30-

Chris Hanch 7-28-2023

A Wonderment Indeed

 

Much like you,

without our parents

we would not be here,

you and I.

Biologically, a certain

and select sociology,

it took a unique paring

to bring us into being.

I’m talking specifically

about you and me.

I would not be me

consciously speaking

to the you who

likewise came to be.

Had mom been some

other, or dad the

unmatched guy

next door, no you,

no me throughout

eternity. Pretty

amazing,

wouldn’t you say?

My mom and dad

divorced after

17-years together.

Turned out, they

never were

meant for one another.

Had they never met

or split before I came

to be, these eyes of

mine today might

be seeing life

in an entirely

different way.

Had the same been

true with you,

we would have

never been born

to speak of

this once in a

lifetime thing.

A unique and

one of a kind

wonderment,

who we came

to be,

wouldn’t you say?

                 -30-

Chris Hanch 7-24-2023

Tony Bennett Songfest Sunday

 

Replaced the concept of a god

with Tony Bennett this Sunday.

Replaced the concept of a god

and put my faith in science, art

and music years ago.

In my lifetime, I have known

heaven and hell, nowadays believe

only in the tangible as real.

Like every other human,

I have my imaginings, my feelings

my hopes and dreams.

Life is a biological, psychological,

an esoteric, a mystical and

hypothetical wonder.

You have your opinion and the right

to do what you need to get you

through, within legal and ethical

limits that is.

For me today, Sunday, I proclaim

Tony Bennett Songfest Sunday.

Next Sunday should I still be

present of mind, body and soul,

we’ll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, Tony and I

we’ll be keeping it real.

                 -30-

Chris Hanch 7-23-2023

Passing Time

 

Many men and women work

every day just to survive.

Many have mundane jobs,

few have exciting work which

keep them alive.

I myself have had both, mostly

boring as hell though. Never

made lots of money at either.

Retired now having made it

to an age where it really no

longer matters.

A good deal of the time I

entertain myself reading and

writing, watch a few stupid

movies on TV. Nap off and on

all day long.

I must say, I don’t mind my

boring routine most days.

At least I don’t have to waste

my days working for “the man”

at low wages anymore.

I never liked working for bosses

anyway. They were as boring

as I was doing what they do,

working their asses off for bosses

of their own.

Many of those died of boredom

before they could retire. I’ll write

about them some of the times

now that I have the time. Poor

sons-of-bitches.

                 -30-

Chris Hanch 7-22-2023

Another New Season

Thinking about Andy Ried, head coach

of the Super Bowl winning Kansas

City Chiefs. Thinking of MVP, Patrick

Mahomes, quarter back of that same

team. Thinking about all those players

and their 2023 summer training which

began earlier this week.

Happy are they, I am sure, opening

a new season again, hopeful of another

winning NFL championship.

Now, you take me, a seasoned player in

life. Never could manage being on a pro

team of any kind. Never signed a multi

million dollar contract. Never asked to

autograph a fan roster. Will never be

eligible for any type of hall of fame,

but a lifetime player all the same.

Now given my advanced and retired

stage in life with fewer and fewer years

left to play, hobbled and restricted as I

may be, I still get excited for each new

season I awaken to each and every day.

I can still coach and quarterback myself

in the lifetime game I have learned to play.

Hut, hut, ready set, 1, 2, 3, gotta go pee...

                         -30-

Chris Hanch 7-21-2023 

My Dog and Me

My dog doesn’t lie around and worry.

She doesn’t ponder life and death,

couldn’t give a hoot about Putin or

Trump, never considers why, what if?

She couldn’t care less about tomorrow

or plans for the future. She is basically

an instinctual critter who responds to

the here and now, and reacts naturally,

immediately and accordingly. You have

an itch scratch it. You are disturbed, bark,

bite, run or chase, tail wagging or tucked

between the hind legs. She can be taught

and is willing to learn without concern.

Generally, if treated well, she is loyal

to her master and is willing to follow

and obey, sit, stay, fetch, sic em…

good girl! My dog is a true and faithful

companion to the end, even though she

has no concept of a beginning or an end.

She responds to attention, good or bad, in

the moment, my best friend with the given

that she and I are not physically, mentally

or physiologically alike. I am merely human

with all these concerns and stressful shit on

my mind which at times worries me

considerably. Needless to say, I am

supposed to be responsible for the

care and feeding in this family.

                        -30-

Chris Hanch 7-20-2023

Chances Are

 

Waiting for some forecast

rain today.

Waiting on the right words

of enlightenment to say.

Waiting for this and that,

great and simple expectations

to come into play.

In many ways, I am no different

from you and a multitude

of other folks all the same.

After months of waiting to

here from a publisher on some

poetry and photos I submitted,

I got a rejection notification

by email today.

Acceptance and rejection are a

part of life and living every day.

Millions of folks have their hopes

on winning the 900-million dollar

Power-ball Lottery at stake today.

I’m betting on the forecast 40%

chance of rain.

And as for my poetry today,

profound or inane, accepted

or rejected, won’t make a bit

of difference. Odds be damned.

100% chance, I’m going to write

it anyway.

                -30-

Chris Hanch 7-18-2023

In Between

 

Before and after,

mountains, sky and sea,

who knows?

Something or nothing,

perhaps you and I.

Who or what to become,

reality or but a dream?

In time we shall see.

Time, the brevity of life

and light in between.

The before and after,

darkness...

the forever of eternity.

                -30-

Chris Hanch 7-16-2023

Something About Being Okay

 

The problem with me

is not you. I have my

own issues to deal

with. Those are mine

alone, mine to own,

problems I can solve,

problems to fix or to

leave alone.

At my age I can either

accept the way things

are or change that which

I can. (I learned that in

the AA, 12-Step Plan

years ago.)

And now, given my

advanced age and

waning physical

acuities, I see and

accept my limited

capabilities.

And I have come to

realize that life and

mankind are not here

to please and satisfy

me.

Stupid and obnoxious

as you may be, if I can’t

either vote you out of

office or say my mind

and walk away, I shall

still be perfectly okay.

The hell with you anyway.

I’m not capable of much

these days of my old age,

but I’ve been around this

here Rodeo long enough

to know the foul stench

of bullshit when I smell it.

                 -30-

Chris Hanch 7-15-2023

Good Lord, Another Day

 

The silky smooth styling

of saxophone jazz is what

I choose as a lead in to the

opening of my day today

as Mood Indigo plays.

Some days I crave the full-

some symphonic sounds

of Beethoven’s classical

orchestrations.

Could be I fully awaken

to the soulful sounds of

R & B or perhaps country

western tunes to move me.

Even a born and bred citified

guy such as I can relate to

some good old Brad Paisley

down home, shit-kickin’

country.

Mornings these days with

all the bad news TV leaves

me anxious and deranged.

Got to have black coffee,

a cigarette or two and

choose the music of my

changing mood to awaken

and see me through.

Another day they say,

one more one of a kind.

I’m not the religious

type per se, but Good

Lord, I pray—Let the

music play on.

                -30-

Chris Hanch 7-13-2023