Eight Legged Creatures (day 1442)

I cannot shake cobwebs of memories woven
Like the nest of an eight legged creature
Singing along to its tiny violin.
For whether I am last or first becomes
A brown bottle of almost never cared,
Sitting lifelessly on a stained cedar windowsill
Collecting dust and losing its eyes to tears,
Losing its words to years.

Somehow daughters never returned,
Sisters forgot the street number
Even though the sign sat twisted like a unicorn
Whose mane flowed so thickly in powerful gusts of wind
A rooster turned right around watching.

One cobweb strand reminds me of twin fawns
Who would wander by searching for blackberries,
Rich and prime and staining my fingers
Like thick lines trailing after a slug
Crossing a cement pathway.

I’ve grown used to the cobwebs,
Adjusted to being wrapped so delicately
Subtle changes in atmosphere
Cause reverberating sensations to flicker around
Along a one way street on the holy train.
It’s reached a point where I no longer feel
The sweet perspiration of an ice cold Coke bottle;
Instead, the roar of a monotonous dial-tone
Eager to tell me it’s all right,
And I’ve been here before.

Timothy Solik-Starkenhauser (day 759)

It is my duty
As I stand here before you
On all four of my legs
To alert you
Of the chance
That there might be
If it were to come to that
A certain plan
In existence
That has a chance to formulate
If the stars align right
A dangerous misgiving
And I being the cautious type
Which we all know I am
For I’ve never mislead you
In all my years as 1st Watch
Strong as my shell
I’m honest like it’s strength
Believe that as a pod
If you take to calling us that
We should cautiously eye
The discusser of plans
Who weaves his vicious web
Amongst and between
This pods close knit peas
And even if it be deemed so
Amongst this pod of such strength
This pod of honest courage
We should seek to cast out
This weaver of plans
This curse of the time
This abominable creature
That has already done
So much damage to our pod
Our once strong pod of grace
And it happens that such
In this honest turtle’s mind
Of the 1st Watch command
Far too much stress
Put upon us by his mess
Has rooted it’s evil
In all our good deeds
Pitted our conscience
Up against our own existence
And now as we gather here
All peas in a pod
We must beware of this evil
We’re slowly realizing
But slow is not the problem
It’s actions that are needed
I know it’s around us
Since I’ve seen it in your eyes

Great, so we understand then?

a Turtle

Timothy can be purchased here.

Search for Peace (day 100)

I gaze upon this open lake
Gleaming as if shear glass
A log drifting nearer
From some distant bank
Moving, yet not at all that fast
Jumping, randomly, in unannounced grace
The fish seem to be feeding
While my eyes keep focusing
On the mountains that face me
For their touched by the setting sun
A mother, and two kids
Test the cold water
Asking many questions in the patter
I sit here cross legged
On two washed up logs
Behind me a squirrel does a dance
Three feet away, we look at each other
And share this moment in time
However I put it
He knows that I’m here
And the kids keep wandering nearer
The squirrel has got scared
The sun falls further
And I now hear distant trucks traveling
The beach is covered
With various sized rocks
Some one might call boulders
Others they are ground
Into a size
Fairly similar to the size of sand
Driftwood is here
Remains of human is here
And oddly enough, in this lake far away
From any sea, ocean, or salt
I find flying low
Along the banks
Dozens of white and gray seagulls
Gathered
In close knit quarters
Around the base of an emptying river
Perhaps they hold claim
To the butchered remains
Of the feast of some giant grizzly
Only one thing remains
And that is his name
For I have yet to witness
This beast of an animal
I’ve seen overturned rocks
Ideal fishing spots
Still, one shy ol’ bear
Now on to my side
The side left unburnt
Sit three long and slender rocks
They sit on the log
The same log that I’ve chosen
All laid out in a row
I can’t help but wonder
Which marvelous creature
Has decided to leave them hither
For me, I am beaten
A child of teen years perhaps?
Whoever it be, they’re safe with me
As I sit here and spy a lone albatross
The mountains over yonder
I’ve noticed as of now
Have in them a slight tinge of red
I think to myself
That it must be that beetle
That swept through this province
And further to the East (Oh Alberta)
Was it spruce?
Was it Pine?
Was it all those combined?
I wonder what shall come of these cliffs
My squirrel I do miss
I can see jumping fish
Smell burning wood
A golden array
A loon too has joined me
In my search here for peace

[alternate ending: This is the end to a marvelous day!]