I Watch TV

 

 I watch people on TV,

movies, commercials, news, interviews,

comedy, dramas, etc. etc. etc. and so on.

Lovelier, homelier, uglier people than I

appear to be currently.

I watch people on TV,

to determine whether they are younger

or older than I happen to be. Of course

mostly it turns out to be a guessing game,

for most folks don’t reveal publicly

exactly how old they are. By accident

or intentionally, some reveal their year

of birth. Then on my fingers, I do the

math and determine how old they are.

I watch people on TV.

Why do I care? Why do I try to figure

out their ages? Looks can be deceptive,

you know. Some age well and appear to

be younger than they are; some have

been ridden hard in life, and have been

put away wet.

I watch people on TV,

the young, the old, and with some frequency,

the deceased. It’s a mind game of mine trying

to determine my own appearance versus theirs

comparatively. It’s a vanity game I play with

myself, you see.

I watch people on TV,

and I’m glad to report that I look younger

than some who are younger than I; I look

older than some who are older than I; and

presently better than the deceased, like it

or not, I am older than I used to be, and

thank God that I’m still alive.

                          -30-

Chris Hanch 6-14-2022

Inevitability

Inevitability

One day sunshine

One day rain

Inevitability

a complex pattern

sometimes plain

Inevitability

feelings of pleasure

feelings of pain

Inevitability

calm emotions

feelings of rage

Inevitability

something old

something to replace

Inevitability

One door opens

another door is closed

Inevitability

another breath taken

until the last

Vulnerability

shit happens inevitably

to you and me

                -30-

Chris Hanch 6-13-2022

 

One Man's Advice

Thinking about infants again

after watching them on Facebook

postings. I have discussed them

before flailing about, arms and

legs, fingers and toes exercising

for the birthright to know.

To know what? How to function

in order to grow into life and do

what they need to do to survive.

They smile and cry not knowing

why. They have no vocabulary

to describe happiness and pain.

It will take months for them

to grasp the reality of their

precarious situation. It will

take years of learning to

negotiate on their own

the long and arduous road

life offers to the living.

Many, including myself, who

have managed to plow through

the obstacles along the way

to arrive at the Season of

Ripe Old Age look back

amazed and wonder how

we came to make it through

by-and-large unscathed.

I watch the videos of you,

little ones, and say, it is hard

for me to believe I too was in

your tenuous place of vulner-

ability.

I grew, nonetheless, to learn

from those who through profes-

sion and example taught me

right and wrong. I was molded

and impressed by the best and

worst of our kind.

The cat taught me cunning and

guile; the dog taught me un-

questioned loyalty. I learned

kindness and love from those

who are kind and who love;

I learned anger and hate from

the angry and hateful.

I amassed a vocabulary of

words along the way to describe

on my own what it means to

be alive. You can have free

of charge or pay dearly from

me and others about the facts

of life.

Some advice I will pass along

which may help when life gets

to be burdensome and over-

whelming—get yourself a dog,

take good care of it, and it will

teach you how to love uncon-

ditionally. Cook your poultry

well; salmonella and unsavory

dinner guests can be unhealthy if not

fatal. Take it from me, life is not easy,

but can be rewarding if you take care

of yourself, respect others and help

those in need. (Of course, a measure

of good luck always helps.)

I was once helpless like you. And to

my surprise, even to spite myself at

times, I somehow managed to make

it to age seventy-five. So, relax, take

a deep breath and continue to breathe!

Even screaming can sometimes be healthy.

                                -30-

Chris Hanch 6-12-2022

 

Thoughts of Me, Thoughts of You

I knew you were thinking of me

because you told me so. Had you

been making a grocery list or

thinking about a project at home,

I can’t read minds and wouldn’t

have known. And too, there are

just some things we would not

share. Because you thought of

me and told me so, I began to

think about you. How have you

been these days, anyway? Hope

all is well and you’re okay.

Just thought I’d let you know,

I too have been thinking about

you. I’m about the same only

older along with growing

lapses of memory and pain,

but I’m generally okay.

Thanks for thinking about me

and prompting me to think about

you. It’s a good sign that we’re

basically fine and still alive and

able to respond. You know, had

we not the thought, it could be

worse or otherwise.

                         -30-

Chris Hanch 6-11-2022 

Just Deserts

 

Just deserts.

Some get what they deserve.

Mainly they

do not arrive with sweetness

to follow, my friends.

Who would enjoy

or be pleasantly satisfied

with the bitterness

of four and twenty blackbirds

baked in a pie?

                  -30-

Chris Hanch 6-10-2022

A Fervent Plea

 

You, young woman, young man,

stand down or take a stand. It is

up to you to ignore or take re-

sponsibility—freedom or cap-

tivity. Many are not afforded

the opportunity. Act or deny.

Ours is to reason why. There

are choices to be made. Live

free or die. The sanctity and

viability of our democracy,

indeed our very humanity is

perilously on the line. Speak

out, vote and act, young woman,

young man. Now is the time!

                      -30-

Chris Hanch 6-9-2022

Some Days

 

Some days are accountable,

meant to make a difference;

some days fall of the ledge

of time and no one knows.

Will it matter if the rent

was paid late one day after

you’re gone? Is one wave

in the ocean wasted?

Does one discordant note

compose a song? Life is

a riddle to be answered

over and over again. Who

is right, who is wrong?

Is history bound to be

repeated by those who

know it or those who

don’t? Did learning

that touching a hot

stove prevents anyone

from getting burned?

Did the Battle of Hastings

in 1066 prevent all wars

which were to follow?

Then why did the nuns

who drummed it into

the skulls of 8^th graders

bother to require it on

the final exam? It is in

mankind’s nature to

repeat the sacred or the

profane to our collective

loss or gain. Some will

choose to say “Screw it,”

and either live off the grid

or do absolutely nothing.

It is my opinion that

the future for our Mankind

Saga of indifference and

complacency will not bode

well for us all.

The wolf is hungry;

winter is coming.

               -30-

Chris Hanch 6-7-2022