Ghosts and Gremlins

Farewell all you ghosts who haunt my dreams.  

The echoes of your cries won't stir me at night.

You will not stop me.  

You will not break me.  

You no longer are a concern of mine.  

Be gone all you gremlins who clog the gears of my machine.

Your tinkering will fail to derail what works just fine.

You will not sway me.  

You will not shake me.  

You no longer are a concern of mine.  

Viral

Album: Dirt (1992)
Artist: Alice in Chains
Songs: "Them Bones," "Dam That River," "Rain When I Die"

written on 10-26-2017

I'm feeling pretty lousy,
like a cat without a mousy,
unafraid, but I'm pondering,
what's gonna happen next?

I'm sorry for the attention,
that you've suddenly been getting,
because of me and the tree that
I stopped to admire.

That fall day, my back was hurting,
and I thought, to ease the burden
by going up and lying flat
to soothe the pain away.

I meant no harm to you nor they
who were supervising that day.
If I knew then what I know now,
I would have stayed inside

To deal with the pain that I disguise
with smiles and jokes, but I realize
to be honest with you, only
helps me out of this mess.

Don't write me up - Oh, please!  Oh, please!
I'm too proud to be on my knees
for each day and each step, they grow
old, wrinkly, creaky, and tired.

Once again, I seem distracted
so I'll return to what the fact is
that this is the first and the last time
that I will go viral.

Us Versus Them

The saga continues
into the night, 
argue the fools
"I'm right! I'M RIGHT!!"
shouting so loud,
with cracked shards
of jagged vinyl
littering the floor.

Who can yell louder?
Who can type faster?
Who can be wittier?
Who can care more?

It all repeats 
into the next day
when light breaks
and darkness fades away
while the fat cats
of Wall Street
recline once again
to play the game 
of social division and decline,
just to get richer and richer...

And all the while,
unbeknownst to the masses,
as much as we try,
nothing advances,
the left and the right, 
the black and the white,
will scream at each other
until our ears and fingers bleed, but
nothing will change, friends,
nothing will change.

So quit *****ing.

Cynics rise!

It's 2017, and although I find myself in a familiar scene and setting, at O' Toole's Pub in Richmond, Virginia, it all seems so strangely different.  Once again, the buzz of a game one of the final in a sports game, louder advertisement s, and boozy laughs accompanied by busy conversations throughout is comforting, like a mother's embrace after a long, hard day.

However, the odd factor rests u easily upon the sight of this particular affair: new, tiny companions.  I'm sitting at the corner of a shiny, mahogany bar, and down one line sit eight men with different hair shades of reds, browns, and greys.  A majority of them have a blue glow on their faces due to their smartphones that are lying down seductively before them.  This has become a societal norm, to be confronted with loneliness when in a public setting and assuaged by miniature bits of technology; the smartphone is the America's new best portable buddy.

I suppose the image of that one guy writing on a cocktail napkin at a bar, as yours truly is known to do, is just as queer.  I'm no stranger to taking the path less traveled, but I'm still u easy with this phenomenon.  At the mature age of 33 (Ha! Revisit this in a few years!), I feel it's far easier to take a few steps outside of reality to become the chaperone of society and its trends of culture.  Man, in my 20s, I was all about being active in the scene, knowing what was up.  Now, in my 30s, I couldn't be bothered by it at all.  So, why the quandary about what occupies others' interests?  Could it be my concern of the depletion of social interaction and building human relationships? Eh, it's something to do.

I acknowledge this trend, I refuse to conform to the ways of Twitterverse and such, and I remain content with what's around me rather than what's digitally in front of me.  To each their own, of course, and I'll gleefully be grateful for the everlasting presence of cocktail napkins at taverns as others are with their portable pocket pals.

Oh, boy! I'm excited to be writing I can't wait to whip out my toy and blog about this on my smartphone!

The irony...

GRIT

Keep at it.  All of the obstacles are temporary mental blocks, but remember what you're fighting for and achieve success.  Nothing will stop you.  The only enemy that will prevent you from reaching your goal is yourself.  Continue on your path, and you shall succeed.

Your opponents, the stage bosses of the different levels of life, will do all they can to defeat you, but they will fail.  You may encounter a setback or two, but persist.  The American spirit is one of true perseverance.   Keep placing one foot in front of the other, and move on to your goal.

The Great Greyhound Adventure - Tennessee

Day 1
1-18-2017

9:55 p.m.
Greenville, TN Greyhound Station

Sleep has become elusive.  Stops every hour involve the lights being cast for all of us fishies to catch.  Life on the road is tricky. I feel that I'm gonna have a rough night...

11:45 p.m.
Knoxville, TN

The bus driver told us we had an hour, so I figured stretching my legs and whetting my thirst would be the best course of action.  After we disembarked and left the bus for a much-needed nightly service cleaning, someone couldn't hold it and pissed on the floor in the middle of the bus, thank the heavens I was lucky enough to sit in the back, I took a walk down the hill from the Greyhound station because I've heard that Knoxville is a cool city.  I found a cute downtown area, with a lively nightlife scene and bars peppered here and there.  I'll have to return with Annie when everything is open.

Also, good news, I was only propositioned by one working lady!  She was a young-ish brunette with wavy hair that was still air-drying, wearing loose blue jeans and a black t-shirt, hanging back by the door in the shadows of an apartment building's stoop, smoking on a cigarette that burned way too low, in fact, all I could see was its yellow filter that she was still sucking on.

"Hey, you need something?" she asked. 

"Sure, I need a drink," I said, smiling and trying to be cordial because I knew I was in the South, all the while the mental gears were working for what this lady wanted, you can take the boy out of Jersey...

"Oh, there's some bars down there," pointing down the street that was lit with the romantic glow of streetlights and dark nights.  "You got a smoke?"  

"Nah, I don't smoke."

She asked,"OK, well, where you going?" and she gave me the slightest grin, one that I bet had worked on hundreds of guys, from her father, siblings, teachers, and bosses all the way to her paramours, and then it all made sense.  

I bet she thought I was an easy mark, as I was walking down from the Greyhound station in a bright red Northface jacket and bookbag.  We were the only two souls in the world at that point, and I had been up past my bedtime, so I didn't realize she was looking for some work.

"Nah, I'm good.  Thanks."  At the time, I thanked her for wanting to help me out, I suppose, but more importantly, I thank her now for the experience and giving me something to write about.  I wish her good luck and much success!

Day 2

1-19-2017 

7:00 a.m.
Memphis, TN

We're all going somewhere, but the passengers and company you keep are vitally important.  

I'm sitting in the Greyhound Terminal after a night devoid of slumber and a lap around the station itself. People are starting their morning routines, brushing their teeth, drinking coffee, smoking their morning joints, and I'm looking out of the window at the clouds of pot smoke wafting from the occupants of parked cars and swirls of cigarette smoke dancing and spinning each other in the misty, rainy air.

The Great Greyhound Adventure - Virginia

Day 1

1-18-2017

7:15 a.m.
Norfolk Greyhound Station

     I grabbed my gear and left the house at 6:00 a.m because I was afraid of missing my bus at 8:00 a.m.  I munched on two strawberry frosted Pop-tarts. Before I crossed the bridge, I spotted a huge, black wolf-dog creature with bold laser points for eyes and was on edge when I approached its block.

     It turned out to be nothing.  I suspect this wolf-dog's presence was due to the overload of sugar at such an early hour, but I'm not ruling out the possibility of it being a protective spirit.  After the bridge, I followed the curve of the road until I approached Church Street.  I checked the map last night and had a vague idea of where Monticello Avenue is, northwest of Church, but wasn't 100% sure.  I crossed Church Street, slightly cursing under my breath because I saw no street sign or any indication of my geographic location, but turned around and saw the large green sign with white lettering behind me.  Crisis averted...as I write this, I realize that I panicked for no reason, and a positive outcome will always present itself.  I proceeded to the terminal with no incident.

     With neon letters glowing, a pawn shop illuminated the way to the Greyhound bus station.  I arrived here in approximately fifty minutes; I've still got the mailman's pace.  I've been expecting some type of domestic adventure with this trip across the country to Aptos, a small city 90 minutes southeast of San Francisco, California, to see my buddy, James.  As usual whenever I travel, a premonition appears of some cataclysmic event that never occurs, which leads me to overpack.  This occasion is no exception.  I stuffed my gunmetal gray Jansport daypack with clothes and snacks, clearly in anticipation of the coming zombie apocalypse, or worse, sudden dawning that I hadn't packed my favorite white bandana.  I wonder when my worrisome spirit will rest...

(Man, I need to get tissues for my butt...)

8:00 a.m.
Leaving Norfolk Greyhound Station

     As the bus pulled out, I felt a true rush of adrenaline course through my body with a brief stop at my heart for Happy Hour where there was a quick frenzy of dance fever.  We're on the way!

(I have to get out at Richmond, VA and go to gate D by 11:30 a.m.)

11:30 a.m.
Richmond, Virginia

     Beware of
the bearded giggle monster,
     whom dwells in
the Richmond Greyhound Station.

     Dressed in a
blue hood, pj's, and slippers,
     for he throws
his Cheerios everywhere...

   One look and
he will sit right beside you
   and strike a
meaningless conversation.

   He once was
such a promising, young lad
     but, seduced
by rocks, he fell off the path.

     There he sits,
wheels of oats on the floor,
     unaware,
ignoring all of our mores.

     He chuckles
and lies down on the steel bench;
     He snores, then
pops upright and looks around.

    So restless,
the imp, in his own world, laughs
    at trav'lers
passing by, just like life had.

     Is he free,
or is he trapped, in the space
     of time lost,
the bus station in Richmond?

12:05 p.m.
Richmond, Virginia

     It turns out that I survived another one.  While we were boarding, I noticed two young ladies, one with an eight-month old, and what seemed like a huge duffel bag or rolling suitcase for each hand and foot.  I didn't want to be some creeper, so I helped the with the biggest ones.  It's crucial to assist others as it demonstrates hope in society, whether for the self or others.  We're on our way to Memphis!

(Open some of that trail mix.)

1:30 p.m.
Charlottesville, Virginia

     A lot of passengers bring plenty of bags and pieces of luggage onto Greyhound Buses...I'm sure there's a joke somewhere there about people who take Greyhound have a lot of baggage...It makes me wonder about this being the only option for travel for a silent majority of Americans.  We're all feeling the financial hurt somehow.

(Be grateful for what you've got.)

4:00 p.m.
Roanoke, Virginia

     Roanoke is a cute, little city!  I'm grateful for my experience traveling in South Korea and Peru on buses because, sometimes, there's nothing better than a rest stop.  The bus driver told us it was better to get out here for lunch/dinner because the next rest stop only had a McDonald's.  We had an hour to kill, and I know how much ground I can cover in 10 minutes, so I decided to walk around and find a bar...and find a bar I did!  An Irish country bar, not even around the block, was open.  They had a lovely Happy Hour special where shots of whiskey were $4.  Sometimes, a little nip here and there takes the edge off!

     I didn't want to be late for the next bus, so I headed back to the waiting room.  I entered and felt a wall of silence as everyone looked at me, sizing me up.  Kinda like being late as the new kid on the very first day of high school, I rushed and found a seat, any seat, where I would be inconspicuous.  It just so happened to be by the water fountain.  Inside the room, I found about twenty of my fellow riders, and we were all shifting in our seats or on our feet, antsy to get back on the road again.  I've learned that, whenever you get the chance, it's best to take a sip of water or grab a bite to eat, so I saw this liminal moment as the best opportunity for nourishment.  Looking around, I found my oasis, and also the realization that I ought to be more careful with what I wish for.

     I don't know how I did it, but I was guilty.  From my seated position, I leaned over and drank five seconds of water.  It seems like I either pushed a little too hard, or I don't what, but I had somehow managed to break the only water fountain, too.  Of course, I didn't mean to break it, and no one ever does.  However, it's what I did, and I'm owning it.

   

     There was some definite Bellagio action going on...in the middle of a waiting room...at the bus terminal.  A parabola of cold water was endlessly streaming for the world to see.  The beautiful arch of agua rose to defy gravity, but respectfully conceded to its power and sank into the fountain's drain. The best thing about this awkward scene, is that about twenty people saw me push the level, take a sip, sit down...and struggle to fix this silly water fountain.  I pushed the lever a few more times, thinking that it would engage whatever mechanism of salvation, but alas, I was foiled in my attempt to not make a scene.

(What a fascinating business my life is.)