Monday, September 26, 2016

The Land of Oz



When you’re in the Land of Oz
don’t forget to try the spas
The spas really are a work of art

you should go and take your part.

The spas are warm and full of wonder
but you rarely hear about the blunder
They keep it hushed they keep it low
They don’t want the world to know


The day they added the wrong stuff
that’s all I’ll say, you’ve heard enough
Seems the man, he couldn’t read
tis the reason for the deed


He dumped in a vat of…
I almost gave the name of
you almost got me
it was a chemical and we’ll let it be


The people hollered and cried
but don’t you worry, no one died.
Confusion there was to say the least
It was many hours before it ceased. 


Patrons were mad like a smelly old skunk
The owners knew they were sunk.
Tabloid articles filled their mind
til they met a Dr. kind


The burns weren’t bad and healed right away
Not much later they began to say
People looked younger, thinner and tanned
This was a miracle that wasn’t planned

The people raved and wanted more
Now they keep the acid in store
There I said it look what now?
I hope the owners don’t have a cow

They add a little at a time
Just enough to makes you fine
You’ll see the benefits outweigh the risk
If you don’t think so well....tsk tsk


So remember

When you’re in the Land of Oz
Don’t forget to try the spas.



 
(C) Duane Windell Phillips

Sunday, September 11, 2016

From Shore to Shore





Shore to Shore
 
Children play by the edge
A ribbon of water streaming between
Tadpoles flit about
Minnows dart from short to shore
A step across and they are joined
To enjoy their fun together
 
Across the lake they go
Motorboats, canoes and kayaks
Waterski and wakeboard
One starts here, the other there
From shore to shore
In the middle they enjoy
And share their lake together
 
I see the sunrise
You see the sunset
Both a vision to behold
Separated by oceans wide
We soak them in
From shore to shore
Separately we share
The connection of the beauty we see

Duane Windell Phillips
Copyright September 2016


Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Modern Technology


There are new advances occurring daily.  Medicine, computers, robotics, clothing, you name it and there is an improvement. So many of the improvements have made our lives easier or safer.

Still, some of these advances have made for some interesting moral dilemmas.  Because we have the technology to terminate a pregnancy, people hotly debate whether it should be done.  I once heard of an issue where a married couple froze some of the husband's sperm and after he died, she got pregnant using some of that sperm.  The Supreme Court then heard a case on whether the child should get survivor benefits.

Please know I am not trying to make a case for one side or the other on abortion or this child's benefits.  So much of what we do to improve our lives in one way complicates it in another way.  Each law seems to require another because we constantly have to refine and define what was meant by the original.

Take, for example, the automobile.  As cars became popular and more people began using them, laws were required for people to safely operate them and we needed penalties for those who don't.  Still, as time progressed, new situations came up that required new laws.  School zones, work zones, Interstates roads, emergency vehicles, and traffic lights all required rules to be followed.  Later, even these sub categories needed further definition.

Please don't misunderstand me.  We need laws.  However, will we ever learn, or live out the fact, if we would do unto others as we want them to do to us, we could eliminate (or at least make the redundant) many rules.  Also, there are many parts of modern technology that I love.  My Macbook and iPhone are among them. 

Technology is a tool.  We use tools to make life easier.  I am in awe that I can communicate in real time with someone on the other side of the world.  We can see deep into the cosmos.  Still, I fear some of our technologies are driving a wedge between us and those near us.  We spend more time with a device instead of someone next to us.  We mustn't let it happen.  We must remember for all the wonderful items that fill the shelves at the stores where we shop, (including online stores) not one of them will touch your life the way another human being can.

 

ARUNK


ARUNK

(Arunk is a term used in the commercial airline industry when an itinerary has a person traveling to a city on one flight but out of a different city on the next flight.  It means Arrival Unknown.)


ARUNK
Standing here
Since the day you left
I’m not asleep
Not awake
I was there
I am here
Out of body
Lost
I observe the world
I don’t participate
Disjointed
I am


ARUNK

Duane Windell Phillips
Copyright September 2016


Monday, September 5, 2016

Life


Open your eyes
What do you see?
A world with lies
What should you be?

The sun shines bright
And stars above
Living is right
When filled with love

Life is all mine
Also yours too
Miracle find
What will you do?

Open it up
Accept the gift
Drink deep the cup
Your days will shift

Oh join with me
Live out the gift
Love them for free
Give them a lift

Embers are fanned
Now they know why
So joyous the land
Bright is the sky

The sun shines bright
And stars above
Living is right
When filled with love

 
copyright September 2016
Duane Windell Phillips

Munich and Romania

This is the first of a multi-part series based on my observations from a recent Eastern European trip my wife and I took. In each I will sh...