One Lonely Knight

 

Blue hair and afghanis are now what I see

old men with Band Aids all surround me

dotting the landscape, the ones not in bed

try to recall what tattoos once said

 

Smells from the lunchroom, scents from the hall

every day’s Sunday – no weekdays at all

checkers abandoned, there’s one lonely knight

the game is still playing with no players in sight.

 

Television flickers, the volume’s insane

those not at breakfast – circle the drain

no one dare comment - the size of the crowd

bad luck will visit if you say it out loud.

        ZC

 

 

Behind the Canvas

 

Not Yet - Better Wait...

 

I have noticed within the observable universe that at some point in their wisdom they saw fit to add lights to my coffee maker.  In fact, there are four lights all together.  One small light shows that the power is on.  Then there is a row of three different size lights, a small, medium and a large, indicating which size cup you are using.  I believe it also affects the strongness of the beverage.  If I push the small light, there would be less water, making the mixture of the coffee stronger and darker. 

I know the system is ready when the lights are lit, but just a few moments ago, when I was waiting for the lights to come on, I thought, what if there were no lights to tell me all systems were go?  How long would I stand there and wait?  I’m sure everyone has a different level of patience.  Some people might still be waiting.  Are there more than three levels of patience?   There has to be way too many external factors involved to calculate patience.  Personal schedules, fluctuating annoyance levels and the agitation factor of others in line.

Anyway, the lights came on, I pushed the large button and now I’m here writing about it.  In the time it has taken to write the above two paragraphs, my coffee has grown cold.  Maybe I shouldn’t drink and type.  Bad things happen.

 

 

 

 

 ZC

Take a Penny - Leave a Penny

 

Every now and then I find myself sitting across from someone at a desk.  It might be an office in a business, at my local bank or at a school discussing something my child has done.  But no matter what the circumstances, I see a small candy dish full of great looking treats.  I’m never sure what the proper etiquette is.  Is it OK to take one?  Can I just reach out and help myself, or is that their personal stash?

Part of me thinks it would be rude to just take one.  They are not mine and so far, no one has offered.  But on the other hand, they have set them out there for all the world to see…  That would seem mean and cruel.  Why taunt your guest?  Is this an experiment?  Am I part of the control group?  Is there a camera somewhere? 

I think that if the candy dish has a lid then it’s off limits.  That seems really bold to lift the lid and help yourself to a candy.  But without a lid, hey – fair game.  And unlike the penny thing, it would be really creepy to reach out and leave a candy.  Yuck!

 

 

 ZC

 

 

 

The Magic Had Disappeared

 

I know what I just saw is impossible.  The magician showed us an empty box, then he waved his cape over it and a girl popped out of the box.  

Then something none of us were expecting, the magician instructed the girl to once again get into the box, but this time she refused.  She shook her head no and told him to do it.

He indicated that he was the magician and he had the magic cape, at which point she snatched the cape away from him and again pointed for him to get into the box.

He looked very confused.  He looked around at the audience for a little sympathy but got none.  Then he reluctantly stepped into the box and crouched down. 

The girl waved the cape over the box, then lifted one side of the box up so we could all see that it was again empty.  The girl smiled, tossed the cape down onto the stage and said very loudly into the box, “I want a divorce, Larry.” and she walked off. 

Nobody knew if we were supposed to clap or what.  We all just sat there stunned, until someone finally started clapping.  Then we all did, but neither the magician or the girl ever came back.

 

 

 

 ZC

Slow down when grading on a curve

 

Clumping 23 completely different children into the same classroom and exposing them all to the same teaching method may not be the smartest approach to learning.

Talking about square roots may cause one student to envision a tree having roots in the shape of wooden blocks.

Explaining Sea Biscuit might conjure images of horse shaped muffins cooling on a windowsill. 

While there is one student who sits mesmerized by what has been carved into his desktop.

Meanwhile the instructor has already moved on to the reclassification of Pluto.

 

 

 ZC

Law 101

 

“What say you?”

 

You’d think with that much education and experience, a judge would learn to speak correctly.  “What did you guys finally decide?”

 

I’m thinking we should scrape away all the hype and pretense and just use the rock, paper, scissors deal.

 

“We find for the Rock, your honor.”

 

 "Cool, we're outta here."

 

 ZC