Ghost Ship
(Oakland, California)
Emptied of her passengers,
Investigators and skeletal crew remain
Fun with fire, it’s been said of Nero
No entertainment here
No longer
What issues matter to a burning ship?
The dead who ride no longer care
The living must mourn first
C L Couch
Old Poodle Takes a Turn
Don’t disturb me
I have my way
Let me sleep
I’ll wake me when it’s time
Then I’ll need you to
Open the door
And keep treats in hand
For me—when I
Return—don’t worry,
I’ll let you know
It’s time
I have my way
You’ll wait for me,
I know
Don’t disturb me
I have my way
Let me sleep
I’ll wake me when it’s time
Then I’ll need you to
Open the door
And keep treats in hand
For me—when I
Return—don’t worry,
I’ll let you know
It’s time
I have my way
You’ll wait for me,
I know
Old Dachshund Likes a Belly Rub
To my blogger friends and other friends—
I’m sorry I’ve been out of contact for a little while. A number of things came together to drain my energy and health and time. I traveled to my sister’s to care for her old dogs while she and her husband went out of the country for a while. I’ve been suffering with a physical challenge that is painful and making it too hard to sleep (meaning often I don’t). And the national election (my nation’s) has been greatly troubling and dis-spiriting, too.
Anyway, my sister and brother-in-law are returning soon. I will visit with them for a time and simply pet the dogs. And go to urgent care, if need be.
I should return to blogging daily shortly. I have much reading and corresponding to catch up with (which with to up the catch). Of course, our past (static) posts can still speak, can’t they?
Happy World Philosophy Day. And in the USA at least it’s also Fast Food day. I wonder how my country might be inflicted with fast food philosophy.
Well, I wish for happier days for all.
Thank you,
C L (Christopher) Couch
Old Dachshund Likes a Belly Rub
On his back because
I rolled him there
All the bumps with age
(No cosmetic surgery, dear),
The little legs are
Shaking
I rub your chest minus
The Vapo-Rub
You seem pleased, if
Sussing grunts and moans is
In my ken—nearly
A hundred of my years,
Though you age
In the same way
These are the clues:
Bright, wet eyes and nose
To amend my terror that
You’ll die this day
While in my care
epilogue
He sleeps (a daily,
Mortal sleep)
Under a blanket
The edge of
Which he likes to
Toss over the
Head, a ritual still
All his own
C L Couch
Still (and Superior) Life in Berlin
for the cats of Kathleen D
American ex-pat cats
They look out windows five floors
Up
They overhear airy conversation
Inherently translating,
Since (and to answer the question)
German cats meow in German
C L Couch
German Rex (naturally)
Praxis
Something good happens
Something bad,
Something horrible
We move on
In our lives, good news
Or bad, sometimes horrible
We move on
Where are we going
That requires constant
Moving minds,
Restless spirits always
Leaving, never resting
In places of crisis?
No time taken to repair
To sit still and know
That we have talents
To make better
So many we encounter
Training missed in
Intuition, empathy
Things that rarely pay
Victories without profit
Save soothing, maybe saving
Souls
Next time, we might say,
As we meet
Then walk around
Needs on the street
Or next door
Or so much closer
Truly
C L Couch
Peace, Prevail
(for the USA and all)
Red leaves on trees
Against the season’s
Bright blue sky,
Branches lightened in
Late-afternoon, autumn
Sun
Vision of nature
Hope for a nation
C L Couch
Let’s Look for a Reason
(commending her candidacy)
So
She’s flighty as we
Think women are—
No, that’s not right
She’s not serious-minded—
No, again not right
How about
She doesn’t convey authority
As our commander should—
Nope, can’t make that
Argument, either
But she does write e-mails,
Good!—there’s reason
For the pillory
Those things we usually
Use to keep them
Down just weren’t working
Out this time
Because she is a person
For all seasons?
No, she’s still a woman—
Can’t have that
C L Couch
My favorite thing is not to think or write in a partisan way. I’m registered to vote though not a member of any political party (though I’ve always favored the New Year’s Eve, should it be formed, and think the Pirates Party in Iceland holds promise). I do believe that the final prejudice to overcome in the current election for President will be in fact the problem over gender. Hence this verse about that.
For All Souls
(2 November)
Rosemary for remembrance
But it will be in Spain and Mexico
USA and other places, as
Candy shaped into skulls,
Bright-color picnics set out at night
With our dead—and many
Kindred flames of candlelight
Yesterday the living church
Today the predeceased who will
Stay a little closer
Families gather ‘round the stones
De abuelos, tíos, quizás los niños
All whose loss is lessened for a
Time as an altogether family
For the feast
C L Couch
Imagine
I heard the song last night
And now read the story in the morning:
Forty percent of vertebrates gone
From planet Earth,
Sixty-six (the number of books
In the Protestant Bible) by
The middle of our new century
Why do these die?
In part, because they do
And in part because we kill them
There are two ways to feel convicted,
Each way requiring a life
Will we let our world live? Will
We let our charges thrive
Or maybe better yet
Simply leave them be?
We have pushed living
Over the cusp of extinction
Pulling back destructive practices
Under the edge again
Might hurt
But it’s pain we’ve earned,
The cost of killing kingdoms
And the genus
Try feeding creature kinds
More like kindred we respect;
Tend if only for a while
Then we might inspire
Conclusions for a future
Place
And process
C L Couch
“Imagine a world without animals. You’ll soon see how much we need them”
clcouch123 
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