Category: Penman Lounge

I no longer avoid foods that are fat free
I wear a helmet on my bicycle or rollerblades. (Yes I still rollerblade.)
I enjoy yoga and actually believe that meditation can be helpful
I can honestly say I use a luffa to clean myself
I can’t take shots of hard alcohol anymore, but do enjoy a fruity mixed drink
I have female friends that I actually don’t want to have sex with
(some might be in this room)
I have used lotion and Chap Stick to keep my skin moisturized
If I don’t stretch after exercise I get sore
I don’t always want my penis touched by myself or others
Not only do I have hair in strange places, but I manscape that hair
I realize the importance of tact and because of that
I have stopped making insecure women cry
Diversity is not just a concept but a way of life
I actually admit to the fact that I cannot and will never fit into a large shirt
I can hug my male friends regardless of the homophobia within New England
I condition my hair
I spend time with my good friends, not just acquaintances.
I can entertain myself
I exercise for health benefits
I realize that I am a role model to some
I no longer eat to the point of throwing up
Or crap my pants for fun
I wear sunscreen
Women actually enjoy organisms as much as men do
I actually stopped writing this to listen to the President speak about healthcare reform.

Father was certain
Discovery channel and
The success of a boy
Went hand in hand

The theoretical theories
The time on the clock
A devastating combination
Even for the best intentioned
Fourth grader

Head hits the couch
Dreaming of the pillow it longs for

Eventually,
A firm handshake Goodnight
I love you
A school boy
Desperate for rest
Shuffles away

The traction from the footy pajamas
Never seemed to get moving fast enough
Towards the security of the twin bed awaiting

Tongue tastes toothpaste
Sleeping soundly soon

The night consumes…
A few gin and tonics later
GET THE FUCK UP!
The chest
(Of drawers)
Is ripped opened
Its contents bleeding on the floor
CLEAN THIS SHIT UP!
The boy picks up the causalities
From the attack on his sanctuary

He is left wondering
For the next 10 years
What did he do wrong?

Ever since we were young
We were told to act certain ways, during certain times
Like children in church

Parents tried desperately to keep us entertained with silly putty and coloring books
They knew it was grueling, because we told them it was
As kids we had the power of speaking our minds openly.
Not only that, it was encouraged, listened to, and sometimes even agreed with

“Moooooooooooom I am bored! I know sweetie I am too, but you are doing great it’s almost over.”

Our collective voices had so much influence that our desires were catered to
Churches created Sunday school programs, tot corners, and even got snacks
But … when we get older…………….Our power began to fade.

It seems like when you’re older your opinions don’t matter as much any more
Parents say, “Tough luck” “That’s life” or “Deal with it kiddo”
Statements like these make it easy for children to assume that silence is golden.
Discussion of feelings and dreams is now considered awkward and inappropriate

No wonder why everyone hates puberty
We were forced into a role of quiet acceptance
That no one openly discusses let alone understands.

Your parents expect that you’ll learn it in school
The teachers expect that you’ll learn it at home
And you know what ends up happening

You only talk about it with your friends because
They are the only ones seem to understand how crazy everything is.

We should admire the audacity of young children
Support their voice and show them how to use it effectively

So next time someone tells a child, “You should know better.”
Proudly tell them that you appreciate the child’s unique point of view and how
Courageous it must have been for a child to speak up in a harsh adult world.

How old does a child need to be before you can look them in the eye and tell them to shut up without feeling like a jerk? ……

Doesn’t everyone deserve the respect of a curious 3 year old?

As we incessantly look outward
Our judgmental eyes wander

The chameleon and I

Waiting for social clues
Finding out what’s taboo
Culture illustrates what to do

Green, red, brown or blue
Always changing
Depending on you

Camouflage is our skill
Second nature
Not a thrill

Bodies never
Show inner will

After all
We are just lizards

With guts to spill

Everyone knows how it is going to end
And yet…
People fear it

People keep it afar
In nursing homes and hospitals
To make it less real

Conversations about it
Are uncomfortable
Deemed morbid and inappropriate

I find it interesting that people respond differently
To the questions:
1.) What do you live for?
2.) What would you die for?
They seem pretty similar to me
Hopefully I have lived my life accordingly

Death is only negative if you look at it that way
I am not sure about what happens after death, but
I am sure that it ends life
Death is actually a reminder to the living of how precious life really is

Death should be as celebrated
Just as much as the other end of the spectrum

That is why I would like to have a clown
Host my death shower

I love the way you…
Express yourself authentically
Stand up for what you believe in
Want the best for yourself and others
Always want to cuddle

I love the way you make me feel…
Loved
Supported
Listened to
Safe

I hope this love poem…
Brings your lips into a smile
Blushes your cheeks with passion
Fills your body with warmth
Makes your eyes water

I am in love with you Sammy
You are my best friend.

Scale
1. Strongly disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neither agree or disagree
4. Agree
5. Strongly Agree

Relax 1 2 3 4 5

Listen 1 2 3 4 5

Smile 1 2 3 4 5

Push yourself 1 2 3 4 5

Go for walks 1 2 3 4 5

Appreciate life 1 2 3 4 5

Call a friend 1 2 3 4 5

Smell flowers 1 2 3 4 5

Give back 1 2 3 4 5

Question 1 2 3 4 5

Get lost 1 2 3 4 5

Make love 1 2 3 4 5

Create your own list
Get feedback from others
Honestly rate yourself

Use this as a base standard
Set attainable goals
Take sometime to work on yourself

My brother and I
Spent a great deal of our youth
At Eric’s and Ashley’s house

Eric
Being my best friend at the time and
Ashley
His tattle tail younger sister

Oh the fun we would have!

Playing games with our imagination
With fake rifles with orange tips
Booby traps made of string in the basement
Trap doors leading to hidden treasure

One day Ashley brought a friend home with her
To share in our adventures
Walking from our elementary school
Discussing what the day might look like

The nameless girl froze dead
In her tracks

Being so aware of what she was looking at
She even noticed it from behind

Staring at the garrison style house
That was tan with blue shudders

“What’s the matter?” we asked
She said, “A crazy woman lived in that house”
“The woman just went insane one day
And killed herself”

I was shocked!
It was a story that I had never heard before because

I lived in the house next door

It was the story of my mother

During a beautiful spring day
I sit down to ponder if
We as a society are correct

About the concept of time

Think about it
We use time everywhere
It is one of the few concepts
Accepted on a world wide level

But what if we had it all wrong!

Ironically
I set my alarm on my watch
So I am not late to work.

Is time a distraction from the present?
Why do we have hours, days, or years?
What if time never existed?

If humans created the concept of time
Then could we destroy it?
Maybe fear, expectations, and anxiety would disappear with it.

Our society runs
On hours and for some
“Productive” people it runs faster
On 15 minute increments
I wonder if people will ever run on seconds.

I looked at my watch
Anticipated my alarm going off
But my smoothie is only half done

Imagine if work started after your smoothie
And not exactly at 2:00PM PST
Maybe I would not be concerned with the future
And could fully enjoy my Kona Sunset

Internal chatter begins
Awareness fades

Eye lids spring open
Light drenches retinas
Vision shakes
Focuses on everything

Chatter becomes a train of thought
Without a track
Lead by a sadistic conductor

Nature and the shower call simultaneously
With promises of release and warmth
The sheets are pulled back
Like the banana that gets eaten later

Brain waves are frequent … prominent
Foolishly saturating the body and lungs with salt water
Drowning in expectations, assumptions, and intentions

The race against the clock has begun
Routines and social customs take over

The day is on autopilot, the destination is known

Coordinates read
A daily checklist scribbled in a notebook
That is bound
To be repeated

Now is when
The rest
Of the day
Becomes an oxymoron

Night is
Preparation for rest
Everything has been overworked
Eyelids sag to the gentile force of gravity

The mind slows
Embrace this peaceful time
For the cycle begins a new tomorrow.