Why so many? Because some are squibs too small to stand alone.

And the draft list is getting too long and I need to thin the herd.

And some things are timely and can’t wait, need to be said now.

And and and…

So, in somewhat chronological order:

Potato

Potahto

***

                The Staff at the Berkeley Trader Joe’s

The staff at the Berkeley Trader Joe’s

are amazed

that I know

Trader Joe.

I remind them

that I’m from way back when

and Pasadena

Pronto Market

and Arroyo Parkway

gave birth to

a family of locations

and I add

having established my own

status/credentials/credibility

that my wife Shirley

knew him even better

through his wife

two women chatting

with whom she became

neighbor friendly

I have stories of the when

And reiterate that

I know people

some people

 and I know people

who do

***

The Washington dominators

don’t realize that

though they control the news,

people go to the store

and see what’s up.

***

I haven’t yet

reached critical mass

where the chain reaction

continues on its own.

Like feet to the fire,

should I  be

more critical?

***

Like a scavenger crow

I pick apart the entrails

separating flesh from bone

***

The Prince of Peace

is trumped

 by the King of War

We need Democracy Now

***

Fewer people

can afford to live.

We get less

than we give.

***

                Six of One

How do you say Oregon?

Is it Oregun,

Oreghan,

or Oregone?

***

Sign says: Buy a Boat!

Who’s selling,

what and why?

 I had a friend

who had a boat.

He sailed us around.

Me, I couldn’t afford

to even think about it,

and knowing clumsy me,

I’d probably sink it.

A lawyer says

I’ll take your case

if you can afford me

upfront.

You can mortgage your house.

Do you own a boat?

And the famous

choir director

had to sell his boat

to afford a divorce.

Life isn’t fair

even for the rich.

But I wouldn’t know about that.

***

                Through the Tears

I write too much

that makes me cry

If you and I

could cry together

we could wipe away

each other’s tears

and see a better world

a brighter future

***

                the circle cycle

the wind moves the air

the air moves the tree

the tree shakes the ground

the ground quakes the land

the land is where I stand

the foundation

of every nation

is related to

the everywhere air

the air moves the tree

***

                Like a necklace

Ah, the memories!

Years ago

Shirley and I were

driving down the freeway

past Cal State Hayward

we saw the sign

Pow Wow and

Indian Jewelry

we took the off-ramp

drove back

the quest for turquoise and silver

and bought too much

Memories, memories

The jewelry is still upstairs

in the empty room

***

I realized that every time

things don’t have to rhyme,

so I went home in hope

and registered my vote.

***

Rhyme is a crutch

and doesn’t help much

if the mean

choice is between

to think

or to drink.

I’m on the brink.

***

                Which way, which way?

The easy way

or the hard way?

You don’t have the right

to force me to choose.

If you use

your might,

you might lose.

***

                Departmental

I went to the Department Store.

The Department of War

has its own corner and counter.

Some wonders never cease.

I still remember when it was Peace.

The Peace Counter wasn’t there

except for empty air.

There used to be Education

in the Nation.

I went to the Department of Maybe

where they throw out the bath

with the baby.

It’s a National Disgrace

when every Department

is in the wrong place.

***

Song: Turn Turn Turn

I hear they outlawed windmills.

***

Passing an empty

dump truck with

nothing to dump.

Just another metaphor

for life.

***

                Some people don’t

Truck stops suddenly on the freeway

right ahead of us

in our lane

stalled can’t

get started again.

We wave out the window

on our right

to tell the passing cars

we’re trying to get over

suddenly an opening

we maneuver in

keep going

the driver behind

honks viciously

some people

just refuse

to get the big picture

to know what is

and isn’t going on

***

Big Flag

still hanging

They never take it down

It looks bedraggled

***

Sign: International Parkway

Where’s the border?

***

Disgusting sign: God Made Trump!

This proves there is no God.

***

Barren hills.

Modern agriculture.

***

His greedy little paws

are dinosaur hands

as he robs the rich and poor alike,

equal disopportunity

***

                If only

It’s so obvious

I shouldn’t have to say it.

But people just don’t see it.

If and when they do,

I could shut up.

***

As the mileage goes up,

the miles remaining go down.

That’s simple math.

***

                Traffic Jam Alert

The slow unmoving

finger of time

is like the cars

on the freeway

***

                Adult Huggies

Squeeze it in!

We don’t want an accident

in the car.

Flex those muscles,

squeeze those buttocks,

develop self-control.

***

All roads lead

to the destination

but some

take longer

to get there

***

Construction Ahead

jams the traffic.

Why don’t they

construct at night?

We can deconstruct

in the morning.

***

How heavy is your metal?

The classical critic

questions the new sound.

***

                Little isolated house

A person could live there.

I’m glad it’s not me.

***

Soft ripe produce is harder to transport.

Truck just dropped an agri-tomato on the road.

It bounced like a baseball.

***

Sign: Fink Road

We’re here!

No, I was wrong.

Los Angeles 294 miles.

***

I’m starting to sound cynical

like someone I don’t like.

Well…

If the shoe fits…

***

                Ambiguous

Hegseth says

No Women!

All soldiers must

take testosterone

so the military

will be

hard as nails

and then JD

paints his nails

***

Don’t you know

when satire

is satiric?

Look in the mirror.

***

“Dad,

Give it a rest!”

I dropped my head

and pretended to snore.

Maybe it would help

if you took away my pen.

***

Don’t make me no never mind.

Words to live by.

***

Too much at once?

Probably.

***

Los Angeles

is my town

and I only know

parts of it.

It’s like marriage.

***

We’ll never tell

each other

another lie,

 we say,

lying.

***

Just because I write something

in first person singular voice,

don’t assume it’s me.

You’re only partly right.

***

If I don’t know

what I mean,

why should you?

Or vice versa.

***

I love the canals.

***

Converging road

over there

the cars and trucks

look like beetles and bugs.

Some are.

***

Chaz and Kristina

are such dependable drivers

they permit me

in the back seat

to drift into

safe comfortable sleep.

Then I wake up,

glad I’m not driving.

***

My chances for survival

in the back seat

in a head-on collision

are greater unless

we’re rear-ended.

Then all bets are off.

***

I don’t know

what I don’t know.

Apparently you

do too.

*****

***

*