Larry Kilham Blog |
I awoke to the early birds singing
and to the morning glory’s petals opening to a stillness before the business storm for a glorious moment tranquility was the norm. Then The Cloud floated down and settled in town after town. and suddenly we were on the slippery slope grabbing for lost and elusive hope. Power and money and things lost meaning and dozens of oligarchs are fleeing while millions of hapless ones writhe in despair and waves of false promises electronically fill the air. Yet the early birds still are singing and the morning glory’s petals are opening and hope is rekindling a new search for meaning which will lead us to the promised land of yesteryear. (c) 2020 Larry Kilham Many winters have passed
but this was the worst. After the snow melted we found the lurking curse. There was a weird silence as the wayward spirit floated down. Microbes and crazy ideas spread from town to town. We used to know where we were going and now our view is often blocked. Real inventions and adventures are fading because our welcoming doors are locked. We have lost sight of meaning – something important for us all. Meaning would give us purpose when sacrifice does us call. After winter comes spring when we’ll see what fresh meaning and new ideas can bring. (c) 2020 Larry Kilham Someone on Instagram sent me this picture of my bilingual book about my adventures in Nicaragua in the 1960s. It is in a book store in Antigua, Guatemala along with some good company like Pablo Naruda and Ruben Dario. My book is in the lower left of the picture. Incidentally, it's also available on Amazon. Best of health to all!
We lie in the ICUs breathing through tubes
which the dinosaurs didn't have as they lay dying in the frigid blackness of the meteor extinction. (c) 2020 Larry Kilham Far, far away in the stellar night
we see mysterious clouds of galactic light. These distant fires warm our tired brains and help our dreams escape their earthly chains. Many have minds that crave to fly free but are caught in the grip of eternity they’re always rolling stones uphill killing their hopes for glorious free will. It’s time to let a million flowers bloom to give joy and dispel the chilling gloom! When there’s an end to exploitation and strife everyone can focus on a better life. (c) 2020 Larry Kilham From your pillow through your window
you travel to your land of dreams. Its special places only you know - their vistas bathed in sunny gleams. Flowers carpet the valley, birds chirp from the trees. From them you absorb energy while you float in the breeze. Now put structure in your vision to give your life new meaning, and you can do with what you’re given with a joyous and prideful feeling. @2020 Larry Kilham See the robots on yonder hill –
they’re not dining on chlorophyll. Their panels soak up the sun so from batteries they can run. They await our all-seeing guidance to apply their focused intelligence. Then the robots harvest the crop picking and packaging until they drop. Some say the robots will rebel and conspire to attack us with computer-driven ire but I think they will await our orders as their leaders, mechanics, and coders. (c) 2020 Larry Kilham There's been a lot of talk about human missions to Mars. I have a different perspective as you can see below. THE ROBOT AND THE UNICORN
The robot wandered our desert preparing for the exploration of Mars. The creatures chirped and yowled “Who is snooping in this paradise of ours?” They agreed that wily coyote should talk to this blinky thing. He asked, “Are you smoking peyote or are you under alien programming?” The chastened robot turned to go when a galloping creature with a spiral horn pulled up in a cloud of dust and proclaimed, “Yes, I am a unicorn!” The unicorn said to the robot, “Believe in me and I’ll believe in you.” The robot blinked and clinked and replied, “Fine, let me tell you what is new.” “I’ll search for ways to live on the barren plains of Mars and someday I will travel to the planets of the neighboring stars.” The unicorn spoke confidentially, “Everyone loves me so we should travel together, wouldn’t you agree?” “What will you do?” the robot asked. “We must stay alive. With no food on board, how will you survive?” The unicorn smiled and said, “I do PR, my man! I can report from the boring mission stories of mystery and charm. From you the logician and me the magician.” “We unicorns absorb energy from the sun or from whatever star is near like you do from your solar panels so come on, let’s get in gear.” Now outer space is a lonely place and a stranger sight you might never see - the robot and the unicorn exploring a dead Martian sea. They set up their antenna and broadcast to Mother Earth: “Your lights are glowing in deep dark space. The source of all hope and progress is Earth and the human race.” © 2019 Larry Kilham I wrote this for my friends Wendy and Bonsall Johnson, owners of the Parlor Car B&B in Chama, New Mexico, the southern terminus of the steam train line to Antonito, Colorado.
THE STRANGER IN THE PARLOR CAR Chugging through echoing tunnels and over the awesome trestles the proud old steam engine bound for Chama chugs and whistles. Hardy folk stand in the gondola happy families cluster in the coaches but today the parlor car has but one fare - the tall stranger from Nacogdoches. The stranger strides past the waiting crowd at Chama’s old-time station. He sports a perfectly cut suit and a ten-gallon hat but avoids casual conversation. The stranger saunters into the Boxcar saloon and he asks for the best place to stay. Everyone all agrees, “Go to the Parlor Car B&B, located just a stone’s throw away.” There’s a rap rap on the door as Wendy peers through the glass “Bonsall, dear, we have a visitor and he’s certainly a man of class.” The stranger doffs his hat and smoothly says, “Evening, Ma’am, what luck I’ve found your place! Do you have a room for a traveling man?” “We do. Please enjoy our finest suite.” The stranger notes the elegant interior with furnishings by cultured hosts. “Looks mighty fine. Sure wish I could stay longer.” The train whistle wakes Wendy and Bonsall announcing a glorious new dawn. They’re planning a fabulous breakfast but the mysterious stranger is gone! A letter arrived for Wendy and Bonsall signed by the governor of Texas saying in part, Your B&B is the best lil ol’ hotel west of the Pecos.” (c) 2019 Larry Kilham |