Something About Obedience

Today, I shall obey…

gravity. It’s pull on me from the

beginning was meant to be.

Today, I shall obey…

the rule of law, both natural and

man-made, mostly.

Today, I shall obey…

The dictates of body and mind,

hoping they continue to function

acceptably.

Today, I shall obey…

the laws of physics even though

the calculated math never made

sense to me.

(I have had inertia explained to me

using X, Y, and Z a thousand times,

and I still don’t understand.)

Today, I shall rely upon common

sense to get me safely and securely

through yet another day.

There shall always be laws to bend,

to break, or to obey. And if no one is

looking I may just j-walk across the

street knowing the quickest way to

get from point A to B is in a straight

line.

Obedience aside, and unless I am

run over or given a citation, I see it

as the most convenient way for me

to get across the damned street.

If it works for the chicken, it’s

good enough for me.

Chris Hanch 4-17-19

The Resurrection

I could write about the fire at Notre Dame yesterday

while the images of that terrible blaze are freshly

seared into my memory.

I could write about the drunken days which consumed

me in the fires of my own hell. By good graces or fate

I am here to relate my own resurrection.

I could write about Ramon, Devin, Jimmy and so many

others I have known who were not as fortunate as I to

have survived.

For the many who celebrate Holy Week and Passover,

new life is a theme pervasive in our humanity. Each day

and over time, the old and mortal die. In memory of they

who remain, from ashes the Spirit Everlasting shall rise.

Chris Hanch 4-16-19

Today, the One and Only

Brown grass yesterday, it seems, green

grass today. Lavender buds on the Dog-

wood out back beside the patio.

Birds of course, cheerful and singing their

morning song. A slight briskness yet

to the air.

Sun rising, sky deep blue and fair. Come

to think of it, had I not been paying attention,

I may have missed the point of all this.

For me at least, it took some 72-years for

this day to get here, one of a kind, I figure.

It’s about time.

Chris Hanch 4-15-19

Verbiage

Run, dance, jump,

dump, cry, carry, bury,

live, die, flutter, fly,

pound, drum, play,

hesitate, denigrate,

wish, think, wink,

smile, write, recite,

comply, complete,

compete, flee, surmise,

defeat, repeat, rhyme,

scheme, dream, placate,

eat, delay, pray, defray,

infect, dissect, protect,

allay, unite, divide,

give, take, shake,

bake, lie, cheat,

dig, swig, parade,

spring, deflate, create,

steal, delete, abide.

Our world today has

so many verbs from

which to choose, win

or lose, here are just

a few. Try one or two

on for size. See where

it gets you.

Chris Hanch 4-14-19

Chances Are

The tiger stalks its prey as the wolf

does elsewhere. The boulder waits

patiently ready in time to roll down

the mountainside and crush the un-

suspecting. The freeway shall cause

mayhem somewhere along the way

today. Severe weather is forecast

in the Southern Tier of States. Tor-

nados are likely to spawn a wide

swath of carnage to life, limb and

structures in their way. A victim is

said to have been an innocent by-

stander who happened to be in the

wrong place at the wrong time.

You never give a second thought

to the chances taken in your rou-

tine comings and goings each day.

The mountaineers were lost in a

sudden storm on Everest one

fateful day. Just because you never

plan to visit Nepal doesn’t make

you safe. Who could have imagined

the tiger escaping from its cage on

such a sunny day in the Midwest

during the month of May? Take

an umbrella with you to work, there

is a 60% chance of inclement weather

forecast today.

The key here is to remember, one day,

someday, chances are perhaps even today.
I was a damned fool to believe a cane
would prevent me from falling.

Chris Hanch 4-13-19

A Final Request

When I die

Please don’t

mummify me.

No need for a

granite headstone

and floral bouquets.

Such folderol would

be a frivolous waste

of time and money.

Should I pass in the

proximity of the sea,

a linen shroud would

suffice. Dump my

remains overboard

and let the fish

finish off what is

left of me. A pyre

of blazing fire

would be a sanitary

way to go, or a

dumping of my

remains on the

high plains to

feed the maggots,

buzzards and crows.

Then, there is always

that aged and double

bonded Irish whiskey

you’ve been saving

for a special

occasion such

as this. It’s okay

by me if you pass

it through your

kidneys first.

Then pickle me

with a steady stream

and ample dowsing

of pee. The alcohol

content should

still be at a

level to do the

job sufficiently.

Just remember to

have a designated

driver on site

to get you home

legally.

Chris Hanch 4-12-19

A Travelogue

I am fortunate indeed to have seen

many faces and myriad places in

this world I occupy. There remains

so much more I shall never see. I

rely on National Geographic and

travelogues on PBS to carry me

far and away vicariously. Have

you ever been to…? Have you had

the opportunity to see..? Perhaps

one day many will answer hope-

fully. Last week I went to North

Vietnam with Anthony Bourdain

on TV. He’s gone now and my

travels to wondrous places must

rely upon reruns broadcast period-

ically. Life is so tenuous, each day

could be our last. It is then I am

reminded that there are stones on

the surface of Mars which will for-

ever remain unturned. And some-

where in the ever-shifting sands of

the Sahara, a nomadic Bedouin, who

shall remain nameless to me, leads

a caravan to exotic places I shall

never see.

Chris Hanch 4-11-19