If You Knew a Man Who...

If you knew a man who

filed for bankruptcy 7 times...

who married 3 times and cheated on his spouses...

who had 5 deferments from the military during

the Vietnam war…

who blatantly and consistently displays racial tendencies...

who openly admires dictators and murderers around

the world...

a man who refused to pay contractors for their work...

who bragged of sexually abusing woman...

who has been accused by more than a dozen women

of unwanted sexual advances..

a man who has paid off women for non-disclosures

of extramarital affairs...

who belittles and demeans his opponents, the disabled

and those who dare disagree with him…

a man who has scammed the general public time and

time again with his bogus ventures, sub-standard

products and fraudulent services...

who has used his office in government to advance his

personal agenda and wealth...

a man who lies every time his filthy mouth moves...

who brags about his intelligence, his personal looks

his prowess and demeanor...

a man who undermines the Constitution, questions the law,

constantly denigrates the honor of his office.

Would you invite such a man to sit down and have

a beer with you, invite such an obnoxious narcissist

and despicable person into your home and introduce

him to your spouse and children?

Would you have anything to do with such a loathsome

human being?

Have you wondered who in hell in good conscience,

claiming a modicum of moral and ethical values would

ever cast a vote for such a slimy slug to be President

of these United States?

There is really no need to name who, is there?

You and I know who, and the world knows too.

Chris Hanch 3-14-18

Murder

You don’t condone murder,

although you know it happens.

Sometimes the need outweighs

what you believe. And suicide

is not an option, That kind of

murdering oneself you have

been told will send you straight

to hell. This is not the way you

wish to spend eternity. Some

folks, the really bad ones, say

those who kill indiscriminately

deserve to die. You have known

some of these loathsome folks

in your life, but murder? Perhaps

killing, just a little or only one

time would be justified. All of us

have a particular someone in mind.

But wait, heaven for you seems a

far better place to spend your time.

Killing in war doesn’t really count,

does it?

Chris Hanch 3-14-18

Prognostication

Nothing profound for me to say today.

And so it goes with many days seen

in my lifetime. Sunrise opens the eyes.

and here I am again. It all ads up,

you know, for many of us anyway—
Day after day with nothing profound
to say. It is the way, after seventy-some
years, my formula for how not to become

rich and famous. No inductions today
into the Rock-and-Roll, NFL or Baseball
Halls of fame, no attributions for contri-
butions to mankind to be recorded in the

annuls of history for me. Just a line or
two to scribble across the page today, a
Like or emoji on Facebook to place. I did
Google myself to see if anyone else was

made aware of me. Nada, my friends.
I even use the term, friends, loosely. I
never really got to know you up close
and personally. I’m assuming, that for

the most part holds true for you. In all
likelihood neither of us will be signing
anyone’s autograph book today. (Do
folks even bother with that sort of thing

anymore?) Anyway, nothing profound for
me to say. I’m relatively sure, however,
according to my irrelevant prognostication,
tomorrow will break pretty much the same.

I’ll Tweet you immediately should there
happen to be any change.

Chris Hanch 3-13-18

Fear of Flying

I must admit,

I do have a fear

of flying.

It’s the combination

of height and speed

which scare

the piss out of me.

I’ve always admired

the hawk and eagle,

though, majestically

soaring on the wing.

What a glorious thing

to see. But no, not

a dizzying prospect

for the acrophobic

likes of me.

To be a chipmunk

is more my speed,

situated securely

on terra firma,

taking my chances,

looking skyward

occasionally and

making a run for it

when necessary

is a far more acceptable

place for me to be...

I much prefer skipping
over the rocks,

geologically speaking

Chris Hanch 3-10-18

It Came to This (1/3 x 4/5)

And they said it wouldn't last. 

Looking back in fractions, I am truly amazed
That I made it past 5^th grade math.

Chris Hanch 3-10-18

Aunt Molly

Aunt Molly had polio as a child,

and forcibly struggled to get around

on crutches the rest of her life. She

married, Edward, a good natured-man

who gave her three children; who

while driving their youngest boy to

school one day soured and decided

to keep on going. Her eldest son died

of pneumonia in his early twenties

while serving in the armed forces.

Her daughter ran away from home

as a teenager, and was never heard

from again. She once told me as a

child that we kids had no reason or

right to worry and complain for we

have no idea what real trouble is.

A few years before her death, I paid

Aunt Molly a visit at her home in

Arizona. She received me with the

cool brand of cordiality I remembered

so well—heart still hardened as stone,

face frozen stoic, bereft of even the

slightest offering of a smile. I took her

picture, respectfully aware of leaving

out the ludicrous reminder for her to

say “cheese.”

Chris Hanch 3-9-18

Today I Write

This computer remembers me,

accounts for every word I say.

This computer has replaced the

pencil and pen, and remembers

me by name. I have something

to say today, and this computer

listens to me, feel my words

through my fingers and by the

touch of every key from A to Z.

Pen and pencil forget, fail to

recognize who I am each time

I pick them up in my hand. I

can rely upon them, however,

should the password for computer

slips my mind. Pen’s ink may run

dry; pencil may need sharpening

until it is worn to a useless nub.

Ah, but computer relies basically

on the charge of its battery. I’m

running low, it warns me. Feed

me electricity! And for as long as

that lasts, I’ll promise to remember

you by name. Forget your password

and for that I’ll accept no blame.

Pen and pencil lie on the end table

waiting patiently for another chance

no matter who I am even should I

neglect to pay the ransom threatened

monthly by Power and Light. For

today, the choice is in my hands.

Either or, this or that...whatever,
today I write.

Chris Hanch 3-7-18