Success

I can think of 3 people
Who seem contained,
With ambitions that do not exceed
Their capacity to deliver.

It would be a mistake to find them unwilling to fail,
For their internal well runs deep,
Making them capable of accepting failure
With just a modicum of rationalization.

As to the rest of us?
One way or another
We are stuck in our childhood dreams,
Reaching for illusory parental approval.

It is not in failure
That the contained person
Shows his greatest advantage.
Rather, it’s in understanding success.

Knowing how the cards can lie
And how small the difference
Between success and failure may be,
And believing both are absurd.

Nice and Easy

As the pier traffic
Of departing afternoon fishermen
Releases its hold on the days mood
Bobby and I settle to our evenings work.

No rods or hooks,
No weights for the bottom feeders
Ours is a more subtle game,
Our prey can choose to let go of the bait.

A line of heavy string,
Run through the empty dead eye-sockets,
Secures the fish head
As I play out 14 feet of cord.

North Ocean Street pier
Had been getting plenty of action
These last 2 weeks of August.
Time to test our skills.

Our crabbing is an art.
No cage, no trap.
If the crab on the line sent the message
I had to ease the crab to the surface.

Gently, slowly, with the string taut,
Outsmarting the crab,
So that it assumed
Bay currents were moving the fish-head.

Bobby, who handles the net, will blame any loss
On my line handling.
I will point at him...
And the splashing of the net.

Not unlike the fishermen,
We usually leave a little grumpy,
Having allowed the humungous
Blue claw to escape.

It’s Not Part of the Plan

Religion has always been part of Abe’s life.
Practicing Christian for years,
Including a stint as Dr of Theology,
Leading a new age Christian congregation.

Spiritually he has moved to a more ethereal place,
Where wheels turn and this life
Is just a way-station.
But when cut he still bleeds.

Eight years into retirement, with limited savings
He has been notified that
His pension plan is bankrupt.
Abe is concerned..

He does not suffer massive ego needs.
And parceling blame does not excite him.
He is not ready to pull the cover over his head
And await assignment.

Today he plans to scale back.
Live within his means,
Sell his trailer and hitch,
And enjoy his mountain hamlet home.

Throwing Stones

A large rock will disturb the water,
Send ripples in all directions.
Some arrive at destinations unprepared
For the assault.

A small pebble,
Thrown with greater force
Might accomplish as much.
If so, it will suffice.

How often have I tossed
A clever verbal condemnation,
Thinking it a small thing,
Discovering later it was large and wrong.

It’s possible that the stone size
Or its speed, are not as important
As recognizing that there may be
An alternative to stones.

I recall smashing windows:
In a church by accident,
And through a school window
By design.

Perhaps it is the intent that matters.
Though the damage might be as extensive,
And the cost as great,
My initial responses were quite different.

I had avenged myself for the sins
Of the school, and was satisfied.
It was not my church and it had not offended.
I needed to be more careful.