Scenes from Center High School Production of Once on This Island, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Good Day/ Bad Day

Today, many Syrians will have a bad day; some

Muslims will have a good day; as for the Mexi-

cans, depending upon which region they are

From, it could go either way. Chief Joseph and

Thomas Edison, well for them and all who have

Departed, every day is the same. As for me, I

have arisen a bit weaker than yesterday. It’s

Nothing major, mind you, just another inch or

Two closer to the yardstick’s end. But who is

Taking measurements of such things, anyway?

For now, as I begin another day of my non-rigor-

ous routine, I shall choose the “good day” category

To ease my way through. And hopefully, a good

Day it shall be, should nothing fail mechanically,

Electronically or biologically upon which I depend.

I am neither Syrian, Muslim nor Mexican, so in that

Regard I’m good to go. As for the Chief Joseph and

Thomas Edison predicament, well, like any other day

On the unbiased, non-prejudicial planet, I’ll just have

To muddle through with the rest of you and take my
Chances.

Chris Hanch  12-18-15  

A Valued Lesson Learned

A valued lesson I have learned from the Earth—must

keep moving. And I’ve been taught something of worth

from the moon—must keep moving. The sagacious sun

has assigned—must keep moving most of the time.

Even on a galactic level, Milky Way spirals round as if

to say—must keep moving every minute of every day.

I do, however, nap from time to time, and I tend to

pause and rest more frequently as I age.

My orbit has been reduced by gravitational forces ap-

plied, and I must admit, although my axial spin is a bit

wobbly as of late, I have managed to remain in motion

(albeit slow and sluggish) most of my days.

Chris Hanch  12-17-15

  

The Gift

At birth there was a package with your name on it waiting for you.

Not to be alarmed or surprised, everybody gets one, rich and poor

man alike. After you’ve made it through the shock of the birth canal

And that terrifying plunge into the atmosphere of life, after you’ve

Completed your infant routine, now knowing your fingers and toes,

And having become aware that soiled diapers are a messy and un-

comfortable thing, you begin to slowly unwrap that mysterious pack-

age which has been waiting for you. You are now ready for that long

And arduous journey into conscious thought and remembering. Fully,

Half of the contents given you is sprinkled with truth and wisdom, and

The other half contains a fabricated passel of falsehood fantasy and lies.

Now, it is your life’s work to find out which is which. You may begin.

Chris Hanch  12-16-15 

Scenes from Center High School Production of Once on This Island

For the Love of the Game

The years gone by are memorable indeed,

not unlike those baseball cards I collected

when I was a boy.

Oh, I have been around for a while, but never

quite made it to the Big Show. Most of us live

out the best and worst of our days in the Minors.

And that’s okay, I suppose. We do what we do

for the love of the game. Here’s a good one of

me when I was about your age—

So young, so determined, standing at

home plate, gripping the bat for all I’m worth,

and swinging for the fences.

Chris Hanch  12-14-15

Birds of Paradise

It goes beyond the original sin of Adam and Eve,
That hunger for knowledge which was cast upon all

Of us who followed out of Eden. The birds may feast
Freely upon any fruit they desire. It has always been

The case. They sail through the skies at will un-
bound with no god or serpent to restrict them,

Those unblemished souls feather light in flight. 

Chris Hanch  12-8-15