Nights Alone

Then, there were nights spent alone.

And now, there are nights spent alone.

When I was a younger man, those

lonely nights of wanting were a curse.

Now as an older man having lived

the good and bad of my dreams,

I love and own my nights alone.,

no more tears for me, no more fears

for me. I know who I am and where

I’m going. No more wanting, no

more guessing for me, having grown

into my own and those glorious nights

alone. Today, I’m okay and in good

company with the me I came to be.

                 -30-

Chris Hanch 11-0-2023

Q & A for Today

 

Alexa, what is the population

of New York City? Immediately

she answers, 8.8 million people.

How about the largest city in

the world, population-wise?

Tokyo, Japan with 37.8 million

people is her reply. Okay then,

what about Camp Point,

Illinois? How many folks live

there? And her response, located

in Adams County, Camp Point,

Illinois has a population of

1,120 people. Now is it rare,

my chances, that I can name

3 people I know from Camp

Point, Illinois? Now in my

lifetime, I am sure I have

met some folks from NYC

and likely from Tokyo, Japan

as well. But I’ll be damned

if I can recall any of their

names. Here and now,

I pose the same question to

you? Yes you. No need to

tell me your name and from

where you come. I’ve never

been any good at recalling

names. Alexa, where is

actor John Goodman from?

John Goodman was born

in St. Louis, Missouri in

1962, population, 302,000.

There you go. You and I

are now on the same page.

You’re welcome!

                 -30-

Chris Hanch 11-8-2023

A Thanksgiving Memorial

 

Veteran’s Day is five days away

on November 11^th. I enlisted in the

Army on November 25, the day

before Thanksgiving in 1964,

nearly 59-years ago. I was 17

and uncertain and apprehensive

as to my future back then.

Vietnam was brewing at the time

and the Cold War with the Soviet

Union was in full swing. I knew

very little about life, only that I

must move along to wherever it

would lead me.

I could no longer stay at home

and be left behind. I had to get

out to see what life had in store

for me.

I survived my 3-active years of

service, and later on, 2 and a half

marriages.

I now have two grown, sturdy and

capable children and four lovely

adult grandchildren.

Despite my years of inherent

depression and self-inflicted

hardships with alcohol, I gave

up drinking some fifteen years

ago.

I now find myself living alone

approaching my 77^th year, and

fortunate to have thus far sur-

vived the pitfalls of life.

I am, however, grateful, for this

Facebook Platform allowing me

to reminisce with some of you

out there in the Great Beyond.

I am glad to know so many of

you have made it too.

Let us fondly remember the

best of times, and be thankful

for one another and for those

beloved too who have passed

before us.

                -30-

Chris Hanch 11-6-2023

The Early Bird

 

A word or two for today—

psychosomatic

and cataclysmic,

words whose definition

I hope don’t come into play.

Maneuverability

and versatility.

There, that’s much better,

wouldn’t you say?

Don’t forget to set your

clock back an hour

before bedtime today

unless you plan

on staying awake.

Either way, early birds

and worms do not apply.

                   -30-

Chris Hanch 11-4-2023

In Passing, These Days

There were the lovely days

I would draw and paint, those

meandering days in thought

I would write away.

There were those sunny days

in the park, and rainy days

spent in contemplation at

home with music to entertain.

I’ve had those smoking and

brandy days I chose to blow

off and waste alone. I spent

days recuperating from the

drunken days before, days I

would not answer either the

door or the phone.

Each and every day is lived

in memorial of the days which

came before. I record and share

these with you and select others

on Facebook most days.

And what of today, another in

passing before the grave? I can

rightly say, I shall remember

you and others I have met

along the way.

There are no better ways to spend

the remainder of my days. No need

to mention names here. Should

you see this, you and I alone know

who you are.

                        -30-

Chris Hanch 11-3-2023 

Here I Stand Today

 

Something profound

or profane to say today.

For me temperamentally,

it could go either way.

With sound reasoning,

suppose I have only

myself and society

to blame.

In any case, life has

proven to be revelatory

as the best teacher.

And I stand here with

a mixed bag of pleasure

and dismay, a mis-

informed believer.

I suppose if this is

profound, then the

profane, suffice it

to say, will have to

remain unexplained.

                 -30-

Chris Hanch 11-2-2023

Prognosticate

 

War and peace,

life and death,

love and hate,

highs and lows

hellfire and

brimstone,

Golden and

Pearly Gates,

local news

and interstate.

I’m tired

of the bullshit,

man.

All I care to know

these days is

the forecast—

Tell me please,

when is

the next

chance of rain?

                -30-

Chris Hanch 11-1-2023