Fast Lane

A few weeks ago, I purchased two (2) cases of tea from Celestial Seasonings. Specifically, I purchased two (2) cases of their Fast Lane black tea. It’s delicious. It’s caffeinated. It packs a punch greater than coffee. It has nutmeg. It has eleuthero. It also has cinnamon. Did I mention it was delicious? It’s also gluten free – I mention this because people seem to care these days; don’t know why though… not much has changed since 5 years ago when seemingly no one was on the gluten-free bandwagon.

Anyway. This Fast Lane black tea is a limited-time-only product, which I understand used to be around, went away, and is now back again, only to be lost to the annals of tea in the near future (once they run out). The problem? I love this tea. I’d rather drink it than coffee in the morning, every morning. And I don’t want to see it go! So I beg you to purchase a case, or two, or more if you’d like. I really think you’ll like it. I really do. Maybe if they see enough interest they’ll keep it around for a while longer. Even though I have a four (4) month stockpile at present…

As for Eleuthero, an excerpt from the Celestial Seasoning website: “Legend has it that reindeer, for centuries the symbols of endurance in Russian and Asian cultures, like to munch on eleuthero root in the wild. If these mythical beasts of burden seek out eleuthero to keep them going, it will almost certainly help you get through that upcoming three-hour productivity meeting you’re dreading so much.”

And also, from the box: “Eleuthero was used to increase stamina and endurance in Soviet Olympic athletes.”

If this post doesn’t give you enough reason to make the switch from coffee to Fast Lane, I don’t know what will.

You’re probably missing out. FYI.

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Current State, Lately

It’s been a while since I’ve seen Rooster Man. In fact, it’s been a while since I’ve been to the establishment where I would see him, so it’s no surprise. Probably because of winter, and a lack of interest, and the holidays, and/or who knows what else.

I’ve struggled lately to get good-quality content up on the site. Poetry & prose have been a staple, but lately it seems I’ve lost cause to post. That, or I’ve simply been in a rut, or in a spell of a lack of inspiration or creativity. If you recall, I set out to post once a day to force myself into writing, not in a forcible sense, but in a good-practice sense; force myself to explore and hone my skills at writing.

And here I am. Struggling with interest, struggling with what to put out, struggling to get beyond a one-liner thought. Development of a picture, of theme, is not the easiest thing to do when you’re uninterested, lack creativity at the moment, or just don’t want to write.

Subsequently, as mentioned previously, there hasn’t been other topics to write on, again, probably because of winter, a lack of interest, the holidays, and who knows what else. Usually if there isn’t something in the poetry & prose department, there is something in the other departments to write on, typically with a slight of humor. But even that has been lacking. I’ll attribute that to my slowing lifestyle. And winter.

I need to get back on the wagon. Simple as that. Is there a twelve-step program available?

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To keep us in sleep

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The day’s have grown short
And I don’t even know what day it is
And I don’t want to look
At a calendar to find out

What’s it worth
Why even bother anymore
Nothing matters much
It seems, anymore

So long ago the sky
Would’ve been full
Today, the sky’s grey
No sense in going outside

I don’t know about you
But I’m tired of this
God forsaken place
Wisk me away, soon please

We can’t think
We can’t dream
We can barely speak
Without them listening

Why then
Do we waste
Our time
These days

Hold me, for I
Cannot be bought
Shy from me
For I’m the one who’s lost

Take me away
With you, please
Take us somewhere
Blue, green, and bright too

Won’t you please
Wake me up
Wake me up
From this dream

Or can you not wake me
And this is what
They have piped
In to our dreams

…To prevent our wake

…And to keep us in sleep

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Old friends

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It seems we have met before;
old friends found, yet new.
Away for a lifetime, if feels,
now together once again.

Though, we’ve never been apart;
our souls are connected, through and through.
We’ve been gently reminded by passing vibe:
we’re intertwined, hidden and true.

There’s a connection that binds us.
It is a longing that finds us.
We’re really all just old friends, you see,
though sometimes it’s simply hard to perceive.

So I welcome you in, dear friend of mine.
Come sit, let’s celebrate with fate;
it may be a long time
before we have another chance.

And when we’re done,
I’ll look forward to meeting you again.
On some distant day, once more
when we reminisce the past.

And again, the same as now,
with no words or contact.
Just simple, hidden feelings,
and subconscious breath

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Items of note

Sweet. The following are hits to my blog from Google, verbatim:

1) “mountain dew” actors eagle tattoo
2) “my shoes off at work”
3) Jesus hula hoop shirt
4) Jesus ponies
5) Mountain dew eagle tattoo commercial actress

I have some questions:

1) Why are there quotations around Mountain dew?
2) Why are there quotations around “my shoes off at work”
3) What is the jesus hula hoop shirt, because I want one
4) I’m glad to see that jesus ponies are still bringing home the bacon
5) And why would anyone want to know who that actress is from the commercial

Additionally to note: New Art Review has been good to me for at least one day. If you’re unfamiliar, apparently I’ve been published, or going to be published, sometime this month, in a poetry book. Neat. And I purchased a copy, then forgot I purchased a copy, then purchased a copy again, only to find that I already purchased one at discount. Yay.

Spread the word.

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Forgiveness

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I would ask forgiveness
But it will not come

Wrap up feelings
And return to shadows

Place them on a shelf
Dusty and full

Hope for better
Another day

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A Struggle Unending

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I write that I’m okay
Though my mind
Does not think the same

I say that I’m alright
Although my tongue sings
What my heart does not know

My feelings reel
Turn purple and green
Angst and calm struggle again

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Grasshopper

So apparently the word ‘grasshopper’ is racially discriminatory, so says Big Brother on my workplace instant messenger:

“The instant message that you are trying to send matches the "Racial discrimination" rule. IM Security took the "Replace all" action.”

Great. Thank you for replacing the word ‘grasshopper’ with who-knows-what. I wouldn’t want anyone thinking I’m into racial discrimination or up on the newest fads for racially discriminatory words in today’s society. Good, …good.

And to make sure that the system was crazy, in addition to sending the word ‘grasshopper’ by itself (thinking that perhaps the system thinks a one-word use of ‘grasshopper’ could be a derogatory statement), I typed the following statement: I saw a grasshopper on the trail today during my walk.

Sure enough, that’s racial discrimination… somehow.

Yet, the word ‘retarded’ is allowed… … …

So I conducted highly scientific research on the internet to to the bottom of this. What did I find? Racial discrimination causes breast cancer, something about an ant and a grasshopper in India, and a grasshopper has its own tale. Here are my search results.

What? Nothing about ‘grasshopper’ being racially discriminatory? Oh. Okay then.

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My Goodbye

My goodbye
Is sorrow and shame
Listless and dull
Forever and pain

I walk the tide
Pulling my side
The rage consumes me
Goodbye is lonely

My goodbye
Is today and for good
Tomorrow and never
Eternal and tender

With honest pride
I do subside
And begin anew
With patient blooms

My goodbye
Is sorrow and shame
Listless and dull
Eleventh and Main

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Eleventh and Main

_________________

Half past noon…
Quarter to nine…
Fifteen to four…
Something’s not right…
_________________

Can’t stop running
While spinning in bed
Heart is jumping
Thoughts spur in my head

I ran to the corner
And briefly stood
Half past noon
Then sat on a hood

Quarter to nine
It slowly turned
I waited and bated
Though never deterred

Fifteen to forever
As I waited in haste
I sat there and stared
So impatient, a waste

Waiting and waiting
At Eleventh and Main
The moment kept coming
But never came

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