young man with an employee badge sits in chair next to me
we are not two feet away from each other
I try to make eye contact, but he never looks up from his phone
There would have been a time when we would have made eye contact
Said “hi”
maybe smiled
those days are gone
Hospitality has been thrown into a ditch and buried
There would have been a time when we would have said “hi”
Gotten to know a bit about each other.
Discussed possible common neighbors, friends and relatives.
This is small town Iowa.
It used to be what small town Iowans did.
It was expected.
Not anymore.
People can be lovely and delightful
nasty and pretty damn right spiteful ...
Remember to catch your tongue because not everyone understands where your coming from
You see , I know you, my beautiful daughter
You have a wonderful moral conpass too
You light up a delightful face even though they may seem the few
Please stop biting at those that treat you bad , its their disgrace and not worth your job , try to be happy try to be glad
Next time it happens and it will , its the nature of the public to be rude , their ill
Walk away my love
Walk away, bite your lip , dont say a word
Its not worth it
East world. Asia.
I met. With Chinese people
In London.
I love them
I worked with them
At their companies
Yes. Good jobs
Beautiful feelings
Chinese friendship
I never forget
The chinese
Hospitality
Amazing
East foods
Purple pauses peach pleasantries
Offering hot coffee or sweet tea
Warm welcomes with charming smile
Sitting on the porch in southern style
Saying hey to everyone of y’all
Thickest accent in the way you talk
Appreciative of nature that silver sings
In eyes and hearts of soul that dreams
Backhanded compliments are meant to disturb
Yet on surface pretend to be a polite white bird
Giving fake hazel humor or slighted cranberry concern
When the person pretending to teach needs to learn
Learn the lessons of southern hospitality amber and
If you’re guessing know you can catch these hands
I saw a man standing by the road
He was bedraggled and beaten down,
I passed him by, afraid to share my empty seat
And thought how sad we have come to this
In our self-satisfied want for nothing,
Afraid, because we hear horror stories
About those who have helped strangers,
Denying ourselves the opportunity to bless.
And, thinking of him, I must confess
Our modern age is filled with many dangers,
But we need to take stock of our inventories
Of good deeds, what to the table we bring
Wrapped in our cloaks of not-my-business,
My life is so pleasing, well-ordered, and neat
Why put myself out for some lowdown?
When I realized many helped me with my load.
written March 28, 2022
[Verso-Rhyme]
McConnell says blacks are not whites
So there's no need for voting rights
They all have the perk
Of going to work
Though a few may need to work nights!
What I have noticed here
and there
on campuses
in medical service centers
within hospitality sanctuaries
in sane asylums
Most of the language
in exterior marketing
and interior messaging cultures
Has gently moved from internment
and imprisonment
and confinement
and isolation
and punishment,
Whether voluntarily elected
selected
invited
or imposed
sentenced
medicinal
sterile
purgative,
Whether mental
or physical,
spiritual
or natural,
Has moved on to a more engaging
empowering
enlightening reconnection
of multiculturally intelligent hospitality
Inviting universal health care
for reconnecting all,
regardless of how irritating
and silent
and/or vocally strident.
Caring spaces
with not quite enough time yet
to grow a WholeEarth health-wealth spa
for co-invested nature Spirits
of nonviolent communion
But heading in that multi-regenerational election,
engaging our preferred healthy
interdependently wealthy
direction.
EcoPolyPaths:
Avenues for restoring stressed
traumatized PolyVillage EcoCulture
and
marginalized Regenerative EarthJustice
Usually inter-religiously inspired by asking
What would I/We look
sound
green taste
smell
touch
feel like
making win/win healthy and safe co-passion
with this
sacred holistic room
yard
forest
desert
body of water
state of trans-national soil
mountain
river
home
family
tribe
species
relationship?
Within this severed win/lose,
yet potential win/win,
integral
inviting
next situation.
Fake sugar fake taste
Fake flavor fake aroma
Fake People fake hospitality
Fake love fake encounter
Fake knowledge fake brady
Bye Keerthi bye Reddy.
Gods of our land, this is Kola!
Food by your very own hands baked,
Which breathes life into us.
He who brings Kola brings life,
Here in my hands is Kola.
May hospitality never leave us,
May peace forever in our abode reside.
May our brothers never betray us
and let our sisters in cordiality bask.
May the osùn on our sisters' faces
always delight us.
Let there be man and woman, boys and girls,
Affront your altar may we stand in holy matrimony,
And may Òsun bless our wombs
with great children.
May there be life here
and in our neighbour's obi,
May our own òbí never mourn us.
Olódùmarè, may your eyes shine on us always,
Let Ògún's iron shield cover us,
?bálúayé on us breathes health,
And Sàngó's thunder pour rainfall.
He who brings Kola brings life,
In my hands here is Kola.
May it always keep our souls alive,
Now and when we breathe away life.
Graciousness comes with smile and laughter
The perfect gesture to dismiss the gentle gaffe
And permits the guest be assured that after
Graciousness comes with smile and laughter
Welcome all who enter in, hereafter
To grace our homes with peace and joy
Graciousness comes with smile and laughter
The perfect gesture to dismiss the gentle gaffe.
Written on November 23, 2020
For Mohan Chutani’s Triolet contest
Three little deer with no where to go
showed up last night and
slept on my livingroom floor.
I had forgotten to latch
the sliding glass door. The
storm outside promised to be very cold.
When I saw their little faces
what else could I say... but,
“You're welcome for the night,
but tomorrow – back on your way.”
In a harsh often lonely land, a warm heart is a treasured haven of hospitality.
beyond boundaries
across miles and time
~ open arms
Published in my photo/haibun anthology ~PRIMITIVE~ 2019
AP: Honorable Mention 2020
Inspired by Ms. Toni Vasser
One early morn upon awake I quickly came to find.
The cobwebs of shadowy ghosts died within my mind.
Those slinky burdens of the dark that boo us from time to time.
‘Tis they the ones who keep our lives to forever twist and twine.
‘Twas relieved to finally think of a memory, one simply divine.
To bring to light a soul that ages as well and fine as wine.
Whenever one is in her presence, she is dutifully inclined.
To extend her hospitality to come to drink and dine.
It may be you to bring the salt, but she will bring the thyme.
Whenever one needs a helping hand, she is the first to chime.
We wish to appreciate the life of her while we are in our prime.
For, not to see the worth of her will surely be a crime.
w07-07-19
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