My Morning Walk

I came upon this ancient oak
So striking and so tall
Not a branch along its girth
No greenery at all
Here and there were several holes
A woodpecker no doubt
I slowed to take the beauty in
And to see what was about
Farther up upon a perch
A regal hawk did rest
His eyes upon the forest floor
For breakfast is my guess
Not wanting to disturb him
Or to stir up his next meal
I stood my ground and looked around
To get the forest’s feel
Everything grew quiet
Then birds chirped here and there
There was movement in the clearing
And the hawk took to the air
I lost him in the treetops
So I went on my way
I love to take these morning walks
They brighten up my day


Mdailey - 07/06/09

A Pet Duck

I thought I’d get a cute pet duck
But don’t you know it, just my luck
They haven’t got a sphincter muscle
Having one would be a tussle
Once they eat, they just cut loose
I think maybe I’ll get a goose

Mdailey
10/06/08

A Woodsy Stream

Life is like a woodsy stream
That constantly is flowing
You’re just a bubble in that stream
Not knowing where you’re going
Twists and turns come suddenly
And catch you unaware
But you ride upon the current
The twists and turns your fare
When rocks and logs get in the way
You somehow flow around them
You don’t let yourself get bogged down
With the drama that surrounds them
The stream’s sometimes so quiet
You can almost hear things think
Then all at once it gets so loud
Your eyes begin to blink
And then it changes once again
For no un-Godly reason
And this goes on for years and years
And season after season
And there are bigger things my friend
That come upon the stream
Disrupting how the water flows
Disturbing all your dreams
Then in a fleeting moment
You look and they are gone
And just like that you realize
That you have too moved on
Sure you’ll come upon some rapids
And perhaps a waterfall
Just bask in the excitement
Don’t freeze in fear and stall
At times you’ll find a quiet pond
And stay right there awhile
But the winds will change and in a bit
You’ll have gone another mile
My stream’s down to a trickle
But I know it’s not the end
The winds will change and pretty soon
I’ll be off around the bend
I don’t know where it will take me
But I won’t be denied
I can’t wait to see what’s next
I’ve so enjoyed this ride

Mdailey - 7/3/09
Not my usual poem - no irony / no punch line / just the rambling of an old man's mind

Class Reunion

I got my invitation in the mail
Thought at first that I would bail
Would they still think of me as friend
Those classmates that I knew back then
Class reunions – I don’t know
Perhaps I just won’t go

After school, we parted ways
I’m not sure how we’d feel these days
These reunions come in five-year spurts
Bring back the joys - - - bring back the hurts
Would they be upset if I don’t show
Perhaps I just might go

I’ll see the girl first held my hand
And the guys that played in my first band
And all those places open late
Where you could take that special date
And that blond that I’d still like to know
On second thought – I’ll go

I wonder who I’ll get to see
I’ll bet some aged much more than me
After 40 years they may have changed
Body masses rearranged
It will be interesting and so
Yea – I’m sure I’ll go

I went and saw just old folks there
Either grey or no more hair
All movements were at snail pace
And wrinkles filled up every face
I know on me age didn’t show
Next time I just won’t go

Mdailey - 07/02/09

Billy Mays

Billy Mays
(1958 – 2009)

Billy Mays in glory days
Barked items on TV
But Billy Mays in recent days
Simply ceased to be
While in his sleep – a final beep
And then his heart gave out
With life complete, his lord he’ll meet
Then Billy Mays will shout
I’ll clean the clouds, and wow the crowds
And bark info of all kind
And when I’m done, there’ll be no one
Who’s halo does not shine
And pretty soon, he’ll use Kaboom
If need be - Oxi-Clean
Or clean a soul with new Orange Glow
And with delight they’ll scream
He’ll use Mighty Putty on anybody
Who’s wings just won’t stay on
In every case, he’ll clean the place
Long before the dawn

Sure Billy Mays is gone these days
But in heaven all is bright
He’s gone to rest; he was the best
He sold himself all right!


Mdailey - 07/01/09

Exploding Beer Kegs

With the holidays fast approaching, many of you will have thoughts that turn to beer. This is a story for all of you.

Exploding Beer Kegs Close Interstate
Driver Heard Noise, Saw Smoke, Pulled Over, Police Say
POSTED: 11:12 am EDT June 18, 2008

LAS VEGAS -- The Wednesday morning commute was delayed thanks to hundreds of exploding beer kegs. During the early-morning hours, a truck driver was carrying 278 kegs of beer on Interstate 15 southbound near the Flamingo Road exit when he started to hear noises from the bed of the truck, said Bob McKenzie with the state's Department of Transportation.
When he looked in his rearview mirror, McKenzie said he started to see smoke. The driver pulled over to the side of the freeway and exited the vehicle, just before the kegs started to explode, reported Fox 5 News in Las Vegas. Police closed the southbound onramps at Flamingo Road and Spring Mountain Road to clean up the spill. The carbon dioxide in the kegs caused the explosions, police said. No one was injured during the incident.


Bob and Doug McKenzie, of Second City fame
Are back out on the roads again (but they only gave Bob’s name)
Somewhere out near Vegas with a truck of their “Strange Brew”
These Canadian misfits were simply driving through
But the truck that they were driving shook the beer that they were tottin’
And all at once – explosions – which are everywhere verboten
Hundreds of the kegs were popping off their top
Bob pulled the big rig over and brought it to a stop
Motorists all around them stopped to volunteer
With containers that they had on hand, they tried to save the beer
But even out in Vegas, the house will always win
Bob and Doug were losing beer; they had to call it in
The cops closed up the interstate to clean up what was spilled
No mention of the cost was given or who in fact was billed
But Bob and Doug McKenzie made it safely through the fray
When interviewed on camera all they had to say was “eh”

Mdailey
06/19/08

A Goat

I was down in NC this past weekend and it reminded me of a story told of one of my future neighbors. It really happened this way from what I was told.


A GOAT


Going out for a while so I grabbed my coat
Opened the door – on my porch was a goat
A goat? Said my wife. A goat’s what I said
Like a big shaggy dog with horns on his head
So I called the cops – dialed up 911
I said to the cops, “you’d best come on the run
For out on my porch (here you’d best take a note)
Is a four-legged white thing I think is a goat
Has there been a bank robbery (come on you can tell)
This goat looks suspicious and guilty as hell”
When the cops stopped their laughing, they said with a wink
Had I been out in the sun, maybe too much to drink
Did I really expect them to drop what they’re doing
For a billy goat out on my porch just a chewing
But cops said they’d be there and they’d bring a rope
So I stood in the doorway feeling just like a dope
For out on my porch was a gentle old goat
And I stood just shaking still holding my coat
Afraid to go out with this Billy Goat Gruff
This story is true, you can’t make up this stuff
And where was my wife while I made the call
Laughing her head off just down the hall
Making fun of my posture, my stature, my stance
It’d just serve her right if she wet her pants.


Mdailey
06/07/08

Cookies in the News

N-E-S-T-L-E-S
Nestles has a deadly pest
Health officials all decry
Nestles’ bout with E-Coli
Product recalls have begun
Nestles’ name is on the tongue
But all the experts in the know
Say just don’t eat the Tollhouse dough
If you do and your tummy rumbles
That’s just the way the cookie crumbles

Mdailey - 6/21/09

Toad Stool

Hi! My name is Tipper
And I’m just a little pup
I don’t know what is going down
And I never know what’s up
But playing in the backyard
Of my own abode
I saw a brown and bumpy thing
They say it was a toad
I had never seen one
I did not know what to think
I crept up real close to it
To see if it would stink
I stared – he stared
I think we both were stumped
I twitched – he twitched
Then all at once he jumped
He lit upon my back – I yelped
I mean – what can I say
He turned off towards the bushes
And briskly hopped away
My master stood there laughing
I felt like such a fool
I left a little pile behind
She called that my toadstool

Mdailey - 6/18/09

I wrote this for Kristy (Glanton) McKeag and her dog Tipper following just such an instance.

Uncooked Tomatoes

With summer now on us and gardens greening up I thought it time to bring up this little song I wrote. I can't write music but the tune is in my head. I hope you all enjoy your tomatoes this year.
Mike

Uncooked Tomatoes

Uncooked Tomatoes, uncooked tomatoes
Gotta keep away from uncooked tomatoes

You get them in your salsa; you get them in your salad
With Salmonella poisoning we could write a ballad
About
Uncooked tomatoes, uncooked tomatoes
Gotta keep away from uncooked tomatoes

Hundreds have been stricken; two were in Virginia
Salmonella kills you if you get enough within ya
OF
Uncooked tomatoes, uncooked tomatoes
Gotta keep away from uncooked tomatoes

Gotta keep reminding folks to cook them babies down
‘Cause big and red and ripe one’s where Salmonella’s found
In
Uncooked tomatoes, uncooked tomatoes
Gotta keep away from uncooked tomatoes

But a burger’s not a burger without this bright red fella
And the E Coli will kill ya, before the Salmonella

Uncooked tomatoes and ground tainted meats
Gotta keep away from these culinary treats

MDailey

Salmonella in Tomatoes: An outbreak of salmonella initially linked to uncooked tomatoes has reached Virginia. US health officials say two people in Virginia are among the more than 100 in a dozen states that reportedly have been infected with the same strain of salmonella. That strain has been traced to 71 reports of the illness in Texas and New Mexico since April. Thirty-four people in 10 states have also been infected with the same strain. Nineteen people have been hospitalized by the food poisoning. There have been no deaths (to date). An investigation by health authorities tied those cases to uncooked, raw, large tomatoes. Tests are under way to determine if the Virginia cases are linked

Suspected E. coli Causes Burger Recall: USDA recalls 10-pound vacuum-packed plastic bags of ground beef and 10-pound boxes of patties sold by Dutch Meats of Trenton, NJ over suspect E Coli contamination.

Not A Bad Day for a Golden Retriver

The dog of a friend of ours sent us a note saying she had a run in with a skunk and a snake and was still getting cleaned up at 4 in the morning. I put her story to rhyme.

Not A Bad Day

What a day to remember
In just 12 short hours
I’ve been to the vet
And had numerous showers
I stepped over a snake
He reached up and bit me
I encountered a skunk
And then his spray hit me
I guess I was lucky
The snake’s fangs were too short
To get through my fur
For a poison transport
But my generous coat
Has it’s bad side as well
It can soak up skunk spray
And holds on to that smell
The smell of peroxide
And a vinegar bath
Might drive a mom crazy
And bring out her wrath
But mom’s not upset
I took one for the team
That snake could have bit her
In the woods by that stream

So it’s 4AM
And mom’s drying me off
And the smell of my coat
Is making her cough
But she’s willing to stay up
Out here in the dark
Cause I saved her butt
Today at the park
I may be slow
And an underachiever
But that’s not a bad day
For a Golden Retriever

Mdailey – 06/08/09

Commentary on Teachers & Scientific Research

Move Over Mickey

Move Over Mickey – the headlines read
There is a new mouse the Germans have bred
They’ve altered the brain in their little head
They may get them to talk just like Mr. Ed

In order to speak the way humans do
We must have a gene in our DNA goo
That alters our brain so the signals come through
That gene is now known as the FOXP2

So Wolfgang said “I must put this in mouses
The ones in our labs like the ones in your houses
And we’ll marry them up with like-altered spouses
And my mouse will be better than that dumbkoff Klause’s”

So researchers at the Max Planck Institute
Spliced a few genes into a gene soup
Put it into the mouse DNA goop
And are waiting to see what their efforts recoup

So far they admit they have not reached perfection
But see a bit stronger ganglia connection
In all of the mice they have now in their collection
But none of them speaking has been in detection

But it’s lowered the pitch in the baby mouse squeaking
And with each generation it seems to be peaking
So maybe with just a little more tweaking
A new Mickey Mouse will be actually speaking

Mdailey - 06/01/09
These were written for all of you that do not keep up with scientific research like I do!

================================

Reading, Writing & Robots

The three Rs never were three Rs
No matter what they say
They were reading, writing & arithmetic
From way back in my day
But the three Rs now are changing
From what I understand
They are reading, writing & Robots
At least now in Japan

They’ve automated teaching
Set a robot at the board
She walks and talks as teacher
Within her, data’s stored

She’s a walking, talking teaching tool
And not that bad a looker
She’ll keep the boys perked up at school
If the school boards will book her
She’ll save the school board money
A fact we can’t refute
She’ll shut down for the weekends
And on Monday’s she’ll reboot

They’ve automated teaching
And the cost’s not out of reach
She’s an expert at – well – everything
There ain’t nothing she can’t teach

But here’s the rub right from the start
The children won’t be loved
If they fall down and skin their knees
They won’t be simply hugged
They won’t feel the human kindness
That good teachers now impart
She’s just a walking, talking teaching tool
This teacher has no heart

They’ve automated teaching
And at first I thought it cool
But I don’t want an automated manikin
To teach my kids in school

Mdailey / 06-01-09

American Tragedy

American Tragedy


We had little girls in Blacksburg
Their brothers in Columbine
Sisters in the Amish school
Their spirits all divine
Our uncles fell in Austin
Near the Austin Tower Bell
Our mother – Oklahoma
In the building as it fell
We lost cousins in the jungle
When the Tet Offense came down
Our grandpa in Korea
His body never found
His father fought the Germans
Till he could fight no more
His daddy fought the Kaiser
In the war to end all war
We had family at Vicksburg
Gettysburg and Lexington
They were Yankees – they were rebels
They all fell by the gun

We’re foreign born or native son
We’re Americans right now
We’ve lived through this and what’s to come
We will muddle through somehow

Mdailey
10/04/07

On Being Green

In today's world, a lot of talk centers around whether or not something is "green". Here are my thoughts - - -

On Being Green

Long ago it was first noted
And Kermit once was quoted
You know that it’s not easy being green
Back then he meant it racial
About the color of your facial
Today that’s really not what it would mean

It means stopping our abusing
All the energy we’re using
And cutting back on all of our excess
It means windmills on the hill side
Driving hybrids when you must drive
And staying close to home and going less

It means veggies that are home grown
Clothing that is home sewn
And bicycles as gifts for lazy kids
It means using things till they’re used up
No paper plates – no paper cup
And living as our grandpas did

It means shutting off the lights
Open windows for cool nights
And getting cozy when the cold nights come
Walking – feet upon the ground
Not a treadmill to be found
And playing board games when the day is done

Turning off that old TV
Turning down that cold AC
And recycling everything that you can not use
No frills, no fancy labels
Eating home at your own tables
Going green is something you must choose

And thus I must attest
Kermit said it best
It’s really not that easy “Being Green”

Mdailey
07/24/08

Kindergarten Teacher

With the school year coming to an end soon, I want everyone who reads this to go thank a teacher. I never did when I was in school but in hindsight I really should have done so.

My Kindergarten Teacher

My kindergarten teacher and I’d guess probably yours
Taught me all I need to know to open all the doors
She taught me all my letters and how to write them out
She taught me about indoor voice and there is no need to shout
She read to me for hours; she taught me 2 + 2
She said “in learning there is power and I’m giving that to you”
She taught me how to make friends and how friends help friends get by
She taught me how to make amends when I made others cry
She taught me that in sharing I get more than I give
She taught me that in caring a better life I’d live
She taught me about teamwork and how to be discerning
But most of all she taught me a life-long love of learning

My kindergarten teacher passed away some time ago
I never got to thank her but I’d hope somehow she’d know
A kindergarten teacher is an angel in disguise
Leading – loving – learned - intelligent and wise

If not for kindergarten teachers who knows where we would be
Thank your kindergarten teacher, once for you and once for me

Mdailey
01/09/09

Retirement

This is my first day of retirement. Since it is Saturday, I feel little different. Let's see what Monday brings. My retirement party on Wed was great. Old friends came back to the event and said nice things about me. It felt funny. Thur and Fri were odd days at the office - I even worked 30 minutes past quiting time on Friday to help someone at the office. One sad note - none of my usual lunch bunch was available for lunch on Friday and I had to eat alone on my last day. That was not how I envisioned the last day to be. But I did write a couple of poems for the office before I left. I hope you enjoy them.

Who You Gonna Call

I’ll be leaving today
And I just had to say
I’ve had a good time with you all
But when I am home
I won’t answer the phone
So who are you gonna call?

Well, Loretta called Eddie up front
Said “Eddie we’ve ended the hunt
So just be a dear
And say I volunteer
And I’ll do anything that you want”

So no one should have any doubt
About who around here will help out
Eddie Ansell’s been named
(He’d say he’s been framed)
To be the man with all the clout

But Eddie can’t do it alone
He needs helpers as history has shown
So Loretta has said
That Cheryl and Deb
Will be alternates that you can phone

So if something needs fixin’ – call Ed
No answer? Call Debbie instead
If she can’t be found
Run Cheryl to ground
Your support around here won’t be dead
[More to follow this afternoon]

Mdailey / 05/01/09
=====================
Farewell

So long, farewell,
auf Wiedersehn, good night
I see the light
I think the time is right

So long, farewell,
Auf Wiedersehn, goodbye
We all must leave
This time I fear it’s I

So long, farewell,
auf 'voir , auf wiedersehn
I’ve had some fun
I hope you’ve had the same

So long, farewell,
Adios & toodleoo
It’s been a blast
There’s no more I can do

So long, farewell,
Auf Wiedersehn, adieu
I’ve done my best
The rest is up to you

So long, farewell
Adios’ & Cheerio
My day is done
And now it’s time to go

====================================
There once was a man from Chantilly
At 60 thought boy this is silly
I’ve done my share
So I’m out of there
This will be my last poem to you – really!

Mdailey 05/01/09

personal Summer

I wrote this following a conversation I had with someone very dear to me (not naming names). While I have not personally felt these flashes, I have had to deal with the consequences of the flashes daily.

My face is like a furnace
And so I start to fan
Then just when I am cooling off
The heat comes on again
I have buttons to unbutton
I want to take things off
Then I realize, I’m still at work
My co-workers all will scoff
So once again I fan myself
My arms now get so tired
I’ve explained this to my doctor
She said my warranty’s expired
As a woman’s age increases
The temperatures she’s getting
Fluctuates from hot to cold
And really is upsetting
So the covers I will kick off
And in private clothes are shed
To cool the raging furnace
That is not just in my head
We women bring life into the world
What does that privilege earn us
Hormones that with age break down
And a face just like a furnace


Mdailey
04/27/09

I Made the Paper Again

I just saw the Fort Belvoir Eagle weekly paper and my poem on the Holocaust - Days of Remembrance was published there on page A4 - just like the last one I sent them. I am now a 2-time published author.

Mike

You Are What You Eat

FBI thinks they will be able
To watch what you put on the table
Once they know what you had
They’ll know if you’re bad
Or if you are mentally stable

Did you see what he had on his plate?
Did you catch what he ordered and ate?
It was not US food
I’m not sure of this dude
Or what he’s been eating to date

Was it some Hispanic Fare?
Or from Asia somewhere
Or even perhaps Middle East
Did it smell really funny?
Did he use foreign money?
Was this to be his last feast?

Look how he glances
Let’s not take any chances
Cause we don’t know who, when or how
Though the thought just might chafe you
We all must be safe too
Let’s take him out right here and now!

Mdailey
04/24/09

FBI officials combed through sales records of Middle Eastern food at San Francisco-area restaurants in 2005 and 2006, hoping that the data, along with other information, would lead them to Iranian secret agents operating in the United States. Apparently, higher-ups put a stop to the effort before it got very far.

Swearing At Work

Son of a B- it’s been noted to me
That swearing at work is all right
There’s a study – a case - in a far away place
That brings it all up into sight
East Anglia U - a professor or two
Did a study on swearing at work
Anti-social’s now sociable and swearing negotiable
And the swearer no longer a jerk
I swear said the pair - this will get us to where
It boosts team spirit among the staff
To GD that here and F that there
Will raise morale up by half
So to all you prudes who think it is rude
To hear someone cussing you out
Just calm your jets – I’m taking bets
Your morale's what he’s worried about.

Mdailey
04/24/09

The Story:
Professors at the University of East Anglia have studies the use of profanity in the workplace and assessed its implications for managers. They said it helped foster solidarity among employees and expressed frustrations, stress and other feelings. They assessed that swearing would become more common as traditional taboos are broken down. “We hope that this study will serve not only to acknowledge the part that swearing plays in our work and our lives, but also to indicate that leaders sometimes need to “think differently” and be open to intriguing ideas. The study, “Swearing at Work and Permissive Leadership Culture: when anti-social becomes social and incivility is acceptable”, is published in the latest issue of the Leadership and Organizational Development Journal.

Army Van

Our Army van is in our lot
Cause Army license we ain’t got
Instead we drive our POVs
And pay for gas and toll road fees

For a simple test you take on-line
That doesn't take up too much time
You'll get to drive an Army van
And we'll keep the van as we had planned

So think about it when you can
It would be nice to keep this van
To use it for those trips up north
Or here on post and back and forth

It doesn't take a genius friend
To know this perk could someday end
And they could take this van away
If we don't use it more each day

So you need to take the license test
And give your POV a rest
Or else that van out in our lot
Will be a van that we ain't got


Mdailey
04/21/09

A Friend Indeed

A Friend Indeed

A friend in need is a friend indeed
But this friend in stud was a dud

In Stuttgart, Germany a court judge must decide
If a man’s intentions over outcome will ride
A man hired a neighbor to lie down beside
His wife in hopes of a baby

This Demetrius Soupolus and his beauty-queen wife
Wanted a child most all of their life
But alas all their efforts just led to strife
So they were thinking that maybe

This neighbor, this Frank Maus, could provide the seed
To impregnate the Mrs and fulfill their need
Frank – he had two kids, he was some kind of steed
And he was willing to lie with the lady

So for 25 hundred, three days each week
Into the old bedroom their good friend would sneak
His own wife objected but she didn’t speak
We now know that something was shady

Frank said I don’t like this any more than you do
But I’ve got a contract that I have to see through
If I don’t keep trying Demetrius will sue
I’ve got to come up with a baby

After six months of trying – 72 times in the sack
Demetrius was thinking something was off track
He sent Frank to the doctors and when he got back
He knew there would not be a baby

You see Frank was sterile and it shocked him no doubt
Frank’s wife had kept quiet cause she knew he’d find out
His two kids were fathered by some local lout
His wife was just that kind of lady

So Demetrius sued for breach of contract
And Frank said he ain’t giving his money back
He tried his best, 72 times in fact
There was no guarantee of a baby

So the judge in the courtroom, a decision he’ll reach
Deciding if maybe this contract’s in breach
No matter the outcome, the women will screech
This was no way to have your own baby

Mdailey 04/15/09

Dress for Success

We were just given a new dress code policy the other day. It was cold and unimaginative and poorly received by the workforce. It harkened back to the days of your fathers when dresses were in for ladies and three-piece suits were the norm for the man. We should have been given something a little more up to date and business casual in nature. AND maybe some hints as to what will look good in the office.

Here are some tips to help men look professional even when wearing business casual.

Follow your leadership, do they dress with care
A suit with no tie – a great look anywhere
Sports coats in earth tones or grays the experts all feel
Mixed and matched with all shirts; they’re ideal
If the jacket’s left on so your sleeves we can’t see
Turtle neck or a polo but never a tee
And speaking of shirts, long sleeves are the best
Leave the collar unbuttoned – you’ll still past the test
And if by some chance some “big guys” come by
You can dress this look up by just adding a tie
Trousers: go dark or a medium shade
Add a good leather shoe and you’ve got it make
Think about how you look; don’t close your eyes and just guess
Always remember to dress for success

As for the ladies, I’m not an expert
But follow these guidelines and I know it won’t hurt

Regular sandals and shoes (open toes)
Are OK for the office – don’t forget pantyhose
Bare legs don’t convey a professional look
And professional women should dress by the book
Flip-flops and toe-post sandals simply won’t do
You’ll look and feel better in a dressier shoe
And those of you that are taller and lean
Horizontal patterns in jackets we’ve seen
A windowpane jacket or maybe glen-plaid
With solid trousers or skirts won’t look all that bad
They break up that vertical line you convey
And makes you appear a bit shorter they say
Full figured: consider a trouser (side zip)
And a wide straight-leg will diminish that hip
Consider a jacket cut just at the waist
It will make you look longer if done in good taste
If you are petite, a chopped jacket’s for you
Your legs will appear to grow a whole inch or two
Be it a pants-suit, a skirt, or a dress
Always remember to dress for success

Every Day is Monday

I have only 2 more Mondays of work and then I will retire. Maybe I will write one that says every day is Saturday.

Every Day is Monday

Every day is Monday except Friday
Every day I feel this more and more
Every day is Monday except Friday
Friday is the day I’m longing for.

Every day I come to work with passion
Passion for a job that’s meaningful
Every day that passion loses fashion
Fashion that is feeling awfully dull

Every day is more confusing
Confusion caused by shaky leadership
Every day that feeling’s less amusing
Every day but Friday makes me sick

Every day is Monday – that’s depressing
Monday’s are the days that all folks dread
Calling every day Monday is expressing
Frustration that I’ve felt and not said

Fridays on the other hand are better
Friday’s signal that the week is through
Friday weekend plans can come together
Friday Monday feelings are taboo.

Getting Out for Good Behavior

I composed this on the drive in this morning - maybe I will read this at my retirement party.

Getting Out for Good Behavior

I’m getting out for good behavior
After twenty-nine plus years
They ruled in my favor
For all my sweat and tears
I’ve had my share of accolades
I’ve had my share of jeers
I’m getting out for good behavior
After 29 + years

A young man when I started
Didn’t know what lay in store
Never did a thing half-hearted
Always thought I knew the score
But soon I’ll be departed
They’re showing me the door
A young man when I started
Not a young man anymore

I walk out with my head up
My self respect in tact
No matter what the setup
I won’t be coming back
It’s not that I am fed up
It’s youthfulness I lack
Five o’clock’s too soon to get up
I’ll just stay there in the sack

Mdailey
04/07/09

Bears Do It

Bears Do It

The Mark Twain National Forest
Will be using the stimulus bill
To upgrade all its toilets
At the cost of a mere half a mil
They are buying a Single-Vault toilet
The Gunnison Sweet-Smelling Tech
And 350 pounds per square foot
Will not leave it a wreck
If you’re known for your big movements
It can take an earthquake – Zone 4
And a 120 mile wind
Will not blow down its door

So the next time you’re in the forest
And you feel the need to go
Just remember the bear, who always goes there
It’s a Gunnison built one you know

Mdailey
04/3/09

Sixteen Months

Here are two poems on the 16 month withdrawal from Iraq.

Sixteen Months is “doable”
Congress Daily.com / 24 February 2009: Marine Commander Says Iraq Pullout in 16 Months is “doable”

After spending a year in western Iraq
Major General John Kelly said let’s give it back
Like Obama said back in the campaign
16 months and we’re out; there’s no more we can gain
Kelly, commander of multi-national forces
Said he thinks the people have finally changed courses
Out in Anbar province, the big Sunni leaders
Said we’ll listen to voters, not to the bleeders
And these were the guys that thought violence the best
If they’ve change their mind, why not the rest
If violence is out and good governing in
We can leave Iraq and just say that we win
So let’s start withdrawing – 16 months if we can
Move out of Iraq to Afghanistan
There, maybe our tactics will be more divergent
Kindness to most not just death to insurgents
And eventually we can leave these folks alone
And bring all our soldiers finally back home

Mdailey
02/25/09


With apologies to Tennessee Ernie Ford and who ever wrote the song Sixteen Tons

16 Months

Some people say a man is made out of mud
Well a soldier’s made outta muscle and blood...
Muscle and blood and skin and bone...
It’s been six years and they want to come home.

You wait 16 months and what do you get??
Out of Iraq or still in there yet.
Now people don’t you quote me cause you all know...
It’s just my goal but it’s the Congress’s show

It was born one morning in the back of his mind
He picked up a pencil and he wrote down the lines
He wrote 16 months in the country that’s all
Out of Iraq if I get the call

You wait 16 months and what do you get??
Out of Iraq or still in there yet.
Now people don’t you quote me cause you all know...
It’s just my goal but it’s the Congress’s show

So if you hear the man talking…better step in line
A lot of men didn’t but someday they’ll find
He’s got one way of talking and another of doing
If you ain’t applauding then you’re probably booing

You wait 16 months and what do you get??
Out of Iraq or still in there yet.
Now people don’t you quote me cause you all know...
it’s just my goal but it’s the Congress’s show


Mdailey
12/16/08

Working the Tiara

Work That Tiara, Boy!
GMU's Choice of Homecoming Queen Sparks Campus Divide
Washington Post - Friday, February 20, 2009

The GMU crowd
Was vocal and loud
Last night at the Patriot Center
For the Homecoming Queen
Was like nothing they’d seen
For the Queen it turns out was a gent/her

My son is the Homecoming Queen
Yea – HE is the Homecoming Queen
It was not in our plan – not in our dream
But my son is the Homecoming Queen

The Tiara and Sash fit him fine
He’s been dressing like that for some time
He’d rather wear pumps and designer jeans
My son is the Homecoming Queen

Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of my boy
Since the day he was born, he’s been my pride and joy
He’s the greatest child that you’ve ever seen
My son is the Homecoming Queen

So what if he’s different, a little bit strange
He’s got a big heart that he’ll never change
If you knew my son, you’d know what I mean
My son is the Homecoming Queen

Mdailey
02/20/09

Bad Hair Day

Just to show you a more sensitive side of me. I wrote this to comfort my wife when she had a bad hair day. Plaster from a recent paint job dropped down on her sink. She cleaned it with Scrubbing Bubbles and then went on with her morning ritual. When it came time to use her hair spray, she accidentally grabbed the scrubbing bubbles and sprayed away.

For even more sensitive thoughts, check out my other blog (www.reflections-MD.blogspot.com)


BAD HAIR DAY

You know the day's nothing but trouble
As you clear the sink of plaster rubble
Then you grab the hair spray
And then spray away
With a can labeled as Scrubbing Bubble

So the day didn't start out all that great
Things will get better, just wait
You have scrub-bubbled hairs
And a husband who cares
Why worry the state of your pate

Mdailey
09/29/08

"When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always get worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better." Malcolm Forbes

The Belvoir Eagle newspaper came out today and on page A4 there is a 5 by 7 section that contains my poem on America's Greatness. This would have to be considered my first real publication. While it is only a weekly newspaper down here on Fort Belvoir, it makes me feel pretty good to see my name and composition in print. If you have forgotten the poem, here it is reprinted for you.

While driving through the Fort Belvoir gate to work yesterday, someone on the radio was talking about Washington and how America’s greatness was captured in marble and stone. About that time, I encountered a group of young soldiers jogging along the main road on post and thought to myself that America’s greatness was not in marble and stone. When I got to my desk I wrote down this poem.

America’s Greatness

America’s greatness is not marble or stone
But the soldier who’s willing to stand all alone
Out on their post with weapon in hand
Protecting the people of this great land

America’s greatness wears Army Green
Or the clothes of a sailor, Air Force or Marine
Their background is Asian, Hispanic or Black
Mixed or Caucasian they all have your back

And they’ll take their position and they’ll hold their ground
Protecting your life and all those around
For America’s greatness is not marble or stone
But the soldier who’s ready to lay down his own


Mdailey
02/17/09

Get Busy

According to the GovExec magazine or 18 Nov, Merit board links employee engagement and productivity

Get Busy

The Merit Systems Protection Board
Has developed – on their own accord
A theory that morale has soared
Where everyone was busy

The “call in sick” days dwindled down
Employees tend to stick around
And smiles replace the usual frown
When everyone is busy

Productivity seems to rise
When we’re engaged in enterprise
“Why nots” outnumber all the “Whys?”
Where everyone is busy

Air Force, Army, NASA, State
All have high engagement rates
But FDIC and Homeland folk
See engagement as a joke
And their morale was slipping fast
When the Merit System came to ask

The moral is you shouldn’t shirk
But get engaged in office work
Or you’ll be considered quite a jerk
When everyone is busy

Mdailey
11/19/08

The following five agencies have employees that on average feel the most involved in their jobs, as measured by a 2005 Merit Systems Protection Board survey of nearly 37,000 employees at 24 government entities:
1. NASA; 2. State Department; 3. Air Force; 4. Army (I work for the Army); 5. Environmental Protection Agency

The following agencies have the lowest levels of engagement:
1. Homeland Security Department 2. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 3. Transportation Department 4. Education Department 5. Energy Department

Brazilian Wax

According to the Trenton NJ newspaper dated 19 March 2009, NJ Considers Ban on Bare-it-all “Brazilian” Wax.

New Jersey is drawing the line when it comes to bikini waxing
It seems the Brazilian “bare-it-all” wax has gotten a bit - - - well - - taxing
You see this Brazilian “bare-it-all” wax
Is intended for fronts and not for the backs
To rid the old body of anything curly
And let yourself look a bit younger and girly
But women have gotten unhealthy infections
And are forced to take pills or costly injections
To counter the trauma they had to endure
Insuring their lines were clean and secure
But you see by law, that’s not even allowed
There are parts of the body that should be left proud
And if someone is waxing you back to your youth
It’s a little unseemly – a little uncouth
It is better to leave some parts unattended
Then to get Mother Nature upset and offended
So New Jersey will seal this Brazilian Wax fate
After all they are known as The Garden State

Mdailey
03/23/09

The Can-Can can’t go on!

The Folies Bergere in Las Vegas
A mainstay since late ‘59
The one with the fabulous dresses
They flip up to show their behind
Its’ the one with the towering headdresses
Where they kick up their legs so high
The stereotype of the showgirl
The one where men stare and sigh
They’re calling it quits in Las Vegas
After 29,000 shows
It’s a victim of the recession
And the cost of those fabulous clothes
The legs will no longer be lifted
The headdresses no longer stand proud
The current thing skimpy in Vegas
It seems is the size of the crowd
So for 50 years in Vegas
The Folies Bergere’s gone on strong
But come April 09 in Vegas
The Can-Can can’t go on!


Mdailey
03/23/09

Iowa Earmark

The 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that President Obama recently signed includes an earmark of $1.8 million for the Agriculture Department's Swine Odor and Manure Management Research Center in Ames, Iowa, whose "multidisciplinary research teams generate and integrate knowledge for evaluation and development of new management practices that minimize nutrient excretion, malodorous emissions, and the release of pathogens into the environment as well as have a positive impact on livestock health."


Something stinks in Iowa and it’s not just the cows and swine
It’s this earmark for Ames Iowa that quickly comes to mind
When the common man’s life savings are quickly losing ground
With banks and businesses failing and finally closing down
And unemployment statistics are surely on the rise
We are spending millions (1.8) to study some cow pies
Just to minimize excretions and malodorous emissions
And the release of pathogens in the air and the herds healthy conditions
With bail outs in the billions, millions ain’t that much
But to counter Mother Nature through research is out of touch
I’d rather spend the millions (and I guess it’s just my quirk)
Shoring up the businesses and getting folks back to work

You see, I grew up in the mid-west; grandpa worked at the Stockyard Bank
And when I’d go to visit, I’d complain about the ‘stank’
And Grandpa’d put his arm around me and said let tell you Sunny
That smell is what the farmers call the real smell of money
While the smell is still obnoxious I understood just what he meant
The smell was the smell of hard work, and hard work pays the rent
Let’s not worry about excretions and smells that hit our nose
That’s just the way God planned it; that’s just the way it goes
Let Mother Nature handle this as she has throughout our past
And cows and pigs and all livestock passively pass gas

Mdailey
03/23/09

Cowlick in My Eyebrow

I’ve a cowlick in my eyebrow that’s growing clockwise now
It starts out near the edges but extends along my brow
A central hair is growing – about 3 inches long
It isn’t really noticeable unless I comb it wrong
Then it corkscrews perpendicular, straight out for all to see
This cowlick in my eyebrow – till now, unknown to me!

You see I’m growing older and I notice how they stare
Now I know that’s it’s my eyebrow and that 3 inch hair
I feared it was my nostrils and the hair there growing out
Or maybe homegrown ear muffs – what’s that all about?
The hair on top is thinning but the hair on back is not
I guess I’m growing older and my hair has gone to pot.

So you see that new found cowlick is no surprise to me
It’s just another facet of what old age will be
With body parts rebelling, what was turned on now’s turned off
Where once I had some muscle has now turned fat and soft
I won’t let this thing bother me; it’s just a time clock click
To look into the mirror to find an eyebrow grown cowlick

Mdailey
4/29/08

Slut Buzzard

While the spring time makes me think of allergies as I said in my poem this morning, there are the more traditional going ons in this world. Here is a little story of what could be seen from our office windows. I called it Slut Buzzard. If I could write music, this would have been a song!


Slut Buzzard

She turned her back on him
He turned his back then too
They’re not speaking to each other
As lovers often do
“You’re taking me for granted”
“You should keep your big beak shut”
“You’re not the man I wanted”
“You’re just a Buzzard Slut”

Slut Buzzard – Slut Buzzard
They’re filthy and obscene
Doing things you shouldn’t do
Seen through my window screen

She’s big and black and ugly
He’s no handsome prince
They’re doing it on roof tops
My mind’s been bothered since
The crowd’s all standing dumbstruck
Not knowing what to do
It’s burned into my eyes I fear
Two vultures making woo

Slut Buzzard – Slut Buzzard
They’re filthy and obscene
Doing things you shouldn’t do
Seen through my window screen

They gathered all the office
To watch these vultures mate
Calling folks from down the hall
Come quick these guys won’t wait
And like a fool I looked up
It was just a passing glance
Now every time I close my eyes
I see this buzzard dance

Slut Buzzard – Slut Buzzard
They’re filthy and obscene
Doing things you shouldn’t do
Seen through my window screen

Mdailey
04/08/08

Allergies

Today it is the first of spring
The flowers bloom, the robins sing
The butterflies will soon take wing
But on my mind’s another thing
Allergies

Spring – when love is a la carte
And Cupid’s there to do his part
And most folk’s thoughts are of the heart
I know the sneezing soon will start
Allergies!

The flowers, the trees
You sneeze, you wheeze
Your coughing knocks you to your knees
There’s pollen in the slightest breeze
Allergies

Your head, eyes red
In bed, a med
Feeling like the walking dead
Wish that you could die instead
Allergies

Mdailey
03/20/09

Limericks

Growing up, my Mom would trade limericks with me and the style has always been one of my favorites. Some months ago, the Washington Post ran a contest asking for limerick that featured words starting with DA. I entered and actually won some recognition with one of them. You may have to look up some of the words if you do not know their true definition. If you just want to break up your day, these are a lot of fun.


I entered the contest quite gaily
I said to my self – “self don’t fail me”
I can use my own name
In this limerick game
Submitted to you from Mike Dailey

There once was a sheerer who’d gag
When sheering the sheep who would drag
Their rear ends through dung
Until it all clung
Dung matted wool’s know as a dag

There once was a French riot keen
To let royalty know what they mean
They just couldn't wait
To decapitate
The king, the queen and the dauphin

There once was a Roman who’d swagger
Whose enemies thought him a bragger
So they shortened his life
With a short little knife
Now known as the Et-Tu-Bru dagger

There once was a pervert named Randal
Whose problem he thought he could handle
The police had to nab
When he started to dab
While doing a quick little dandle

On TV a recurring theme
In a courtroom the jury will deem
The bad guy was there
By one strand of hair
Or the dactylogram found at the scene

She once had a motherly role
Of fixing my sock’s gaping hole
With a colorful yarn
And needle she’d darn
Until cataracts all took their toll

A ticket I can not afford
And so I have turned to the Lord
Only three inches tall
He watches it all
From his vantage point on my dashboard

There has to be some fire station
Somewhere to be found in this nation
That has a Dachshund
They got from the pound
Instead of the usual Dalmatian

There once was a girl I did court
But the wedding she chose to abort
When I thought myself dandy
She thought me too randy
And jumped up off our davenport

The dahlia’s a flower divine
The daisy a dainty design
They’re both in my dwelling
Because they’re great smelling
Unlike that lawn weed – Dandelion

There once was this fabulous dame
Whose origin made her a Dane
We shared a dance
And a quick dalliance
Now my Danish don’t taste quite the same

A brain freeze can sure make you scream
When eating too fast your ice-cream
I won’t let that faze me
Though the pain will sure daze me
Each time at the old Dairy Queen

It once was a virtual non-starter
And I fear we’ve gotten no smarter
We’re in a big jam
And we can’t build a dam
If they spy the elusive Snail Darter

This next one got honorable mention in the Washington Post Contest

Like a lamb being led to the slaughter
Or a clam in the hands of an otter
I haven’t a chance
When she gives me that glance
Yes, alas I’m a Dad with a daughter

As the sweet smell came into my nose
It tickled my fancy and toes
Reminds me of you
And the sweet morning dew
It’s the fragrance of sweet Damask Rose

I dabble on my windowsill
To grow a great daffodil
But the room is so dank
They all rotted and stank
The experience wasn’t a thrill

If you can’t drink your milk, its lactology
Caused by a problem bactology
But the winner hands down
For those lacking in sound
Are the flying fingers doing dactylology

It’s a receipt I often mangle
The ingredients all twist and tangle
Its my sandwich of choosing
Though the balance I’m losing
My Dagwood’s at such steep an angle

I once thought myself a mere pawn
Like an ornament out on the lawn
Should my entry win
I’d sport a big grin
As the new day started to dawn

My girlfriend’s a beauty – no bull
A sight to behold – an eye full
But to see her all nude
I’m telling you dude
This damsel will really dazzle

There once was a duck out of Disney
Donald’s his name should you quiz me
And that Warner cartoon
Daffy Duck - quite a loon
And both can be found down in Kissimmee

I once called this guy a Dago
His dander was ready to blow
His teeth – they did sparkle
His thoughts – they were darkle
So I quick ran away don’t you know

There once was a man with much dandruff
Whose skin simply shed all this stuff
Thought he’d be smart
Shave his head as a start
But even that wasn’t enough

The Webster’s I used was quite small
The challenge to me – use them all
Not all are PC
But they’re precious to me
It’s the dastardly Empress’ call

Mdailey
08/12/08

Who Wants to be Paul?

You can't legislate poor into freedom
By legislating wealthy to pay
What someone receives for not working
Another must work for all day
The government can't give away something
Without taking it from some other guys
You can't give to Peter without robbing Paul
No matter how hard Congress tries
And when half of the people are thinking
They don't have to work to survive
Because somebody else is out working
And the government always provides
Then the other half gets the idea
That working's not worth it these days
Because somebody else gets the paycheck
And not working is really what pays
And that my friend that is where we are heading
The end of the nation - that's all
You can't multiply wealth by dividing
And nobody wants to be Paul


MDailey
03/19/09

To paraphrase Dr. Adrian Rogers, past president of the Southern Baptist Convention …

ODE to the FLU

I was kneeling there at the porcelain thrown
With my head on the seat, I felt right at Home
When deep from within came a rumbling noise
From the top of my head to the tip of my “boys”
It came with a splash and a wee little voice
Said “to kneel or to sit – man you made the right choice!”

I was proud of myself and the choice I was makin’
Then 3 seconds later – I found I’d mistaken

We have a cold going around the house and it reminded me of this Ode to the Flu I wrote back in flu season. I am sure all of you can relate to the circumstances.

Cows - the New Energy Source

My daughter is taking a class in biology and her husband thought I ought to have something about the biology of animals. I searched through my backlog of poems and came up with these on cows.

Cow Gas

I’m putting my cows all on Beano
With the veggies they eat – oh the gas
Eight hundred plus liters of methane
Each day through each cow it does pass
Either that or get funnels and tubing
To capture the gas when it comes
And convert my gas guzzling auto
So on methane alone will it run

If cows can do it, why can’t I
A tube, a tank, and by and by
I’ll generate enough to fry
A burger on my grill
While it won’t get me very far
Were my gas used to run a car
The world would label me a star
For doing what I will
But if everyone would do their part
To capture each and every fart
That through your system did depart
Global Warming would be a chill

Mdailey
07/11/08

-------
California Cows Start Passing Gas to the Grid

Imagine a vast vat of liquid
Covering 5 football fields
33 feet deep in manure
Think of the energy yields

When big piles are seen
Of manure all green
Most people just see piles of crap
But if truth be told
It's a pile of pure gold
When you siphon off gasses you trap

On a dairy farm in Golden State
Experts on gas sit and wait
They push poop in a hole
Cover it like a bowl
And just let the gas ruminate

With nearly 2 million cows in this far western state
You have to admit the potential is great
Just getting these cows to be hole-potty trained
Will yield a great deal of cow-poop methane

And the methane gas gathered this way
Can be sold to the grid so they say
So the smell's not quite honey
It's the smell of good money
And we've finally made gas passing pay

So that's what this company did
With some cows and a hole with a lid
With a scoop and a scrub
And this gigantic tub
Cows are now passing gas to the Grid

Mdailey
03/05/08

AIG

I’m furious with AIG
Let them declare bankruptcy
I’m about as mad as I can be
I’m furious with AIG

We bailed them out to avoid
Thousands more new unemployed
But the way they spent it – I’m annoyed
I’m furious with AIG

They paid bonuses to CEOs
And other managers they chose
But the “little guy” – not a cent to those
I’m furious with AIG

I say let’s take back all that cash
And fire all their high-paid trash
I know I’m talking something rash
But I’m furious with AIG

Mdailey
03/17/09

all the newsmen today were talking about the bonuses that AIG was paying their high-priced management - the same guys that brought them to the bring of bankruptcy.

Tis Irish You Are Today

Let me be the first to say
Tis Irish you are today
No matter your background
Your forefather’s way
Tis Irish you are today

And as Irish you are entitled
A toast – so come what may
St. Paddy sure will bless thee
For tis Irish you are today

May your mountains all be hillsides
May your storms be gentle rain
May your days be filled with sunshine
Until we meet again

No matter what this day might bring
You will surely be OK
For you’ll have the luck of the Irish
Tis Irish you are today


Mdailey
03/17/09

Musings

Is anybody reading these? Drop me a line if you are.
Nothing new written today so I thought I would share some musings I have recorded over the last couple of months. The first is a recount of New Year's Eve spent with old friends. The second is a thought that occurred to me as we were on the road to North Carolina and noticed the birds along the way.

New Year’s Eve

It’s New Year’s Eve, the wind is blowing
It’s cold outside but it’s stopped snowing
We’re at the table making toasts
Thanks for the food; thanks to the host
When all at once the lights go out
A power outage, we’ve no doubt
This happened last time we were here
We carry on with New Year’s cheer
With candle light it’s just so charming
The glow of friendship so disarming
And playing cards with dear old friends
The conversation never ends
Stories told and facts leaked out
They’re TMI without a doubt
Like body parts – their names – their functions
Leaving little to assumptions
Cheeks turn red; a lady’s blushing
Hearing what her spouse is gushing
Protests spoken but defeated
Stories shared best not repeated
Like the time, well, you-know-who
Did you-know-what; that story’s true
And what’s-his-name and who’s-it there
Bare far more than they ought to share
With secrets safe; well, within reason
They’re fodder for some friendly teasing
No matter what is said or heard
We won’t repeat a single word
No “ands” or “OR” or thoughts “what ifs”
Friends like these are precious gifts
And friends like these are hard to find
I’m glad I found these friends of mine

Mdailey
01/01/09

New Year’s Side Note:

Our friends who in this house do dwell
Get their water from a well
And when power’s out, they tell us blushing
There can be no toilet flushing
And so we sat with legs crossed tight
In candle light through most the night
So with kidney’s filling by the minute
The guys held out – at cards we win it
And when the lights came on at last
We all hit the bathrooms fast
As visits go, this one I bet
Is one that we won’t soon forget.

Mdailey
01/03/09
=========================
Playfulness

It occurred to me the other day
I’ve never seen a bird at play
The mammals down there on the ground
When young will frolic all around
They tumble, wrestle on the run
Looking like they’re having fun
But little birdies chirp and eat
Always standing on two feet
Their only interest is the food
Nothing that says a playful mood
If birds were never meant to play
I’m sad that they were made that way

And I have yet to see reptiles
Running round with grins and smiles
And despite all my childish wishes
I never have seen playful fishes
So maybe only mammals play
I’m glad that I was made that way


Mdailey
10/18/08

Three Doves

OK - two for Sunday. This was written for my wife and her two sisters at the loss of thier mother. One of the cards at the funeral showed three doves and it inspired me to write this poem for them.

Three Doves

Three doves - the fourth has left them
Three doves fly on alone
Three doves with paths uncertain
The fourth dove has flown home

Home to see the Master who has called her to his door
Home to see her loved ones who have traveled on before
Home to live forever beside that heavenly shore
Home to bathe in His great love for ever more

Three doves will not forget her
Three doves – a family
Three doves will fly together
Until called home to thee

Home to see you Master when called to your front door
Home to be with loved ones who have traveled on before
Home to live forever beside that heavenly shore
Home to bathe in your great love for ever more.

Mdailey
2/10/08

Let the Angels Gather

Since today is Sunday, I thought I would post a more spiritual poem. This was written for the funeral of a good friend.

Let the Angels Gather

I’ve lived in the land of enchantment
With enchantment I’ve had my share
When Gabriel comes a calling
I’ll tell him I’m already there

Listen to the music that the choir sings
When angels gather with the souls they bring

Let the angels gather to welcome her back home
On that day when Gabriel’s horn has blown
Hear the choir singing out that she is not alone

Let the angels gather to bring her soul on through
Lord, when her final time on earth is due
Hear the choir singing out her praises Lord to you.

Let the angels gather to guide her on the way
Lord, when you see her on her final day
Hear the choir singing out the moment that we pray

I’ve lived in the land of enchantment
With enchantment I’ve had my share
When Gabriel comes a calling
I’ll tell him I’m already there

A Little Hill in Arlington

nothing new written today but I will post one I recently wrote on the way into work. it was one of those times when out of no where the thoughts started coming and I just had to write something.


A Little Hill in Arlington

There’s a little hill in Arlington
Where no bodies are interred
Yet crosses dot the hillside
And Taps are sometimes heard

Unlike the Unknown Soldier
With “unknowns” in the ground
This little hill in Arlington
Is for soldiers never found

I grew up without a father
He was gone when I was four
Flying for the Air Force
Back in the Korean War

His plane was ore’ the Azores
When communications ceased
The search went on for days and days
They never found a piece

My mother raised four children
Each day she learned to cope
She said until a body’s found
We’d never give up hope

The years went by just waiting
And my mother, bless her soul
Held on until her very end
To a grieving widow’s role

For fifty years we children
Had no resting place for Dad
No gravesite and no marker
No closure ever had

Then on little hill in Arlington
Where no bodies are interred
We raised a simple white cross
Dad’s Taps were finally heard

My big sister got the folded flag
And we all shed the tears
That had been bottled up inside us
For all those fifty years

Now Dad, he has a resting place
With other fallen sons
On a quiet little hillside
Right here in Arlington

Mdailey
01/27/09

I read a short article in NextGov.Com today titled -

What Does Transparency Look Like

Obama has made Transparency
A “touchstone” (his word) for his staff
But transparency is hard to envision
Try it yourself for a laugh

mdailey
03/13/09

I am a firm believer in optisim and this article in today's paper only confirms by conviction.

Optimism is key to longevity

Researchers at University of Pittsburgh found that optimists live longer, healthier lives than pessimists which only give pessimists one more reason to grumble. In a study that followed more than 100,000 women ages 50 and over since 1994. Women who were optimistic — those who expect good rather than bad things to happen — were 14 percent less likely to die from any cause than pessimists and 30 percent less likely to die from heart disease.

Optimism

A pessimist should always be happy
If wrong, then they think that things are alright
If right, they got what they expected
And with that, they can sleep well at night

My wife is in no way an optimist
She says she’s a realist at heart
And optimists are just Polly-Annas
With no value they can impart

But I look at the world through rose glasses
And I’m happy most of the time
And when bad things around me just passes
I am glad they were not on my mind

So maybe I am Polly Anna
And maybe rose glasses distort
But maybe I’ll live a bit longer
At least that’s what studies report

Mdailey
03/13/09

Robert A. Heinlein: “Don’t ever become a pessimist … a pessimist is correct oftener than an optimist, but an optimist has more fun, and neither can stop the march of events.”

President Barack Obama will issue regulations on March 13 detailing how states can spend their stimulus money, Vice President Joe Biden said at Thursday's Recovery and Reinvestment Act Implementation Conference in Washington. Biden told state officials at the event that not all legal spending will be acceptable under the stimulus rules.

Stimulus Rules

The president's stimulus package
Has caveats in it galore
Sure they want states to spend all their money
They just want to know what its for
It doesn't matter if spending is legal
This isn't about legalese
It's about the economy build-up
Not doing just what they please
Joe Biden is watching the spending
He says there'll be no swimming pools
And the Congressmen are all in agreement
They don't want to be taken for fools
In six months the states will be graded
On how they have spent all this dough
If they spent it on things not that needed
The next time they ask, they'll hear NO!

mdailey
03/13/09

We just got through with suicide training here at the office the other day and I jotted down a few lines.

Suicide Prevention

It no longer is debated
Its success is over rated
Its’ rewards are oft negated
By the pain it puts you through
If you’re thinking you might do it
When you really get down to it
If successful then you blew it
So it’s really up to you

Don’t keep it all inside you
The moment you decide to
There are those willing to guide you
Don’t give in to despair
Get a buddy, talk about it
You can’t get by without it
There’s ways out don’t you doubt it
The help is always there

Mdailey
02/18/09

Here is another one I wrote the other day that I have not shared with anyone yet. There was a TV movie they talked about on the radio that had to do with escorting fallen sholders back home and it made me think about the family on the other end. For some reason I wrote it from a small child's view.

Daddy’s Coming Home

My Daddy’s coming home, he promised Mom and me
He told us not to worry; he was safe as he could be
He’ll wear his vest and helmet and stay out of the crowd
My Daddy’s in the Army and he serves his country proud
It’s just another tour he said like the ones before
My Daddy’s coming home some day but today he is at war

We didn’t hear from Daddy, though he said he’d call each day
My Mommy said don’t worry but let’s kneel down and pray
We thank God for our Daddy and to keep him safe and warm
Like he did the last time and back in Desert Storm
We tell God that we love him and that all we’re praying for
Is Daddy coming someday but today he is at war

We haven’t heard from Daddy; it seems for quite a while
We still kneel down and pray for him but Mommy’s lost her smile
Friends keep coming over and they pray with her too
My Mommy looks so tired and sad; I don’t know what to do
Today my Mom was crying when she hung up the phone
She said that was the Army and their sending Daddy home

I said let’s pray for Daddy and knelt down by her side
She didn’t help me with the words; she just knelt down and cried
I knew something had happened but I was scared to ask
I asked God to take over; he handles all those tasks
Then I got this funny feeling, my Daddy’s not alone
He’s with some fallen soldiers and God’s bringing them back home

My Daddy’s going home today like he promised Mom and me
Home to be with Jesus for all eternity

Mdailey
02/23/09

I wrote two more poems today. One based on a story the Command Chaplin told and one based on Bernie Madoff's plea in court today. As you can see politics and religion are two things that usually catch my attention.

What Are YOU doing?

The other day out walking, I came upon this site
A building was just going up; workers left and right
I couldn’t see a drawing of what it was to be
I thought I’d ask a builder, I asked the same of three

What are you doing, I asked of builder one
“I’m carrying mortar, there’s so much to be done”
What are you doing, I asked builder two
“I’m earning 4 dollars and working all day through”
What are you doing, I asked builder three
He paused and he pointed and he said “Can’t you see
I’m building a cathedral that will reach up to the skys
It’s as plain as it can be if you look through my eyes”

And that got me to thinking, how do we define our worth
And what it is we’re doing on our time here on earth
Do we define our purpose by the burden on our back;
Or the money in our paycheck or our countless bric-a-brac?
Or do we define our purpose; the who’s, the what’s, the why’s
By the vision in our hearts and the way we live our lives?
Each one of them is valid but only one of them alas
Adds meaning to the future, the present and the past

Mdailey
03/12/09

I heard this story from our command chaplain and I thought I would put it down in rhyme.
==========================================================
Why I Copped A Plea

Hello, I Bernie Madoff and I’m in court you see
Not to explain just what I did, but just to cop a plea
I want to say that I am sorry for all the folks I fleeced
But it’s not like I fondled your daughter, or son – I am not a priest
I simply took advantage of folks with all their greed
Who wanted easy money and my plan to succeed
But just between the few of us, I think deep down they knew
That all that I was offering was too good to be true
They would give me thousands for millions in return
And tell themselves it’s all OK, it’s money that they earned
And me, yea I made money I wouldn’t lie to you
Billions? Maybe billions – I guess that part is true
But where is all that money – who helped me in my scheme
And will I pay back all that dough – oh yea, in your dream
That’s why I am in court today and copping to this plea
That way there is no trial, no more questions asked of me
Sure I’ll go to prison – I might be there all my life
But I’ll leave a wealthy family and a very wealthy wife
I’ll miss my penthouse dwellings and all my art collection
But I’ll be safe and warm inside this house of crime correction
For I heard through the grapevine that the word out on the street
Is that Bernie and his maker are going soon to meet
And someone with a brand new gun who once was fleeced by me
Wants to introduce us – and thus I copped this plea.

Mdailey
03/12/09

First Blog

This is my very first attempt at a blog. I am an amateur poet - the old school kind that uses rhythm and rhyme in my poetry. I write when something moves me; sometimes that means several poems a day or one or two poems in a week. I will publish a lot of my poems from this past year and those that I write from here on out on this site. If you like any thing you read, please share the website with friends. I love to get feedback on what I write.

Mike

Amateur Poet

I’m just an amateur poet
I write down things that I think
Some people think I’m insightful
Some people think that I stink
I’ve never had formal training
I’d probably flunk if I did
I just write what I see all around me
And I write to harass and to kid
I don’t take myself all that serious
And my poetry’s often uncouth
But in every poem that I write out
There is always a small grain of truth
It may not be from your perspective
It may not be just how you feel
But to see things from some other angle
Helps to determine what’s real
So I may be an amateur poet
And write with a tongue-in-cheek wink
But I hope that when you read my poems
It leads you to pause some and think

Mdailey
02/19/09