Thanks to Jordan Peterson and the YouTube format I have been informed that the Nobel Prize Winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn said in his acceptance speech for his literary prize:

“A single person who stops lying can bring down a tyranny.”

Quite a statement…

The following was overhead at my Coffee Shop today…

“Why the long face?”

“Just dealing with ‘bad neighbors.’

“Sorry to hear that.”

“You ever had bad neighbors?”

“I have bad neighbors.”

“How do you deal with them?”

“I just get in their face and tell them that if they’re looking for trouble… Congratulations, you’ve arrived.”

Our Monster, she has green eyes. Her hair is bloodshot red.

I thought I couldn’t get more tired. But I got her instead.

There are mysteries in the heavens. But here it’s bought and sold.

Our Monster she’s been spinning tales into silver, gems and gold.

But the shelf life has expired. All her power spent and gone.

Our Monster had her visit here. Our Monster she moved on.

Dennis Mantin

Woke up in the morning.

The sunshine was turned on.

Somewhere the pain all vanished.

All bad memories they were gone.

Along with some good ones.

That left me kinda sad.

All in all, just one day in.

This Alzheimer’s not so bad.

When every hour is spoke for…

Except the one that I’m in now.

And haven’t a clue about what to do.

Or where or who or how.

So I’m sitting in the sunshine.

And think mainly about the past.

There is nothing much to change there.

We just knew it couldn’t last.

What started out as rumors.

Whispers, spit and little more.

There was whiskey in the water.

And those rumors were of war.

There are fears and there are sorrows.

Some resentments and that stain.

There was nothing to be said or done.

That loose tongues could not explain.

What started out as reason.

Explanations keeping score…

Another log upon the fire.

Like those rumors of a war.

The lights cut through the darkness.

The stars shone in the sky.

I was driving at horizon.

At the edge of me oh my!

I was looking for the signpost.

That said, ‘There might be more.’

In water salt and cool.

I missed it at the crack of dawn.

I was dreaming of the shore.

I was wading in the shallows.

The smell of baking filled the air.

Where they taught the ‘golden rule.’

Heard them in the dark… Moving.

They had so much to say.

Singing like a lark, grooving.

Happy with nothing but today.

So happy in the warm. Choosing.

Avoiding all work and no play.

Behind the eight ball. Losing.

Everything though nothing but today.

Watched them in my mind. Soothing.

There they fade out, go away.

She sent me a letter. Hadn’t heard from her in awhile.

She isn’t any better. Though she said I made her smile.

She said I was offensive. All I really Said to her was no.

She sounded so defensive. Then she said she had to go.

There is no more to the story except I think this was goodbye.

In all the pain and all the glory, still no tears were in my eye.

She Said that she loved me. Said I made her smile.

She Said a lot of things. Spoke no truths now, for awhile.

I don’t know what happened. It happened before me.

Now I just smile and wave. From the safety of this tree.

I am here with my baby and oh my how she has grown.

We had to leave ‘She Said‘ behind, She Said is on her own.

She is talking with the doctors. They looking for the ways.

To get She Said to tell the truth. She believes in what she says.

It wasn’t what was wanted.

It wasn’t what was planned.

There’s no way to find a winner.

When you have a losing hand.