The Doors - Summer's Almost Gone

This song comes to mind every year at this time. Sounds a bit melancholy, but personally, I love the fall of year, and I listen to this song, not as a regretful tune, but a welcoming tune to my most favorite season of the year.

The Search Continues

A certain sadness lies within me as I search to find within me that one great poem, that one great story, that one great piece of writing that will release me from the shackles that imprison me as a writer.

Silent Shroud

Moments forgotten
Words unspoken
the
Majestic wizard
Casts the spell
Bringing the harpie
To her knees
and
With one wide and silent
Swoop of the emotional
Sword
Disembowels
the
Remnants of a tattered
Soul.

Band

The choir director's silver baton
High stuffed hat
Droplets of spittle
Flying from the puckered lips
Arms beating drums in three quarter time
The sweet high pitched tones
Created by the vibrating reeds
In glorious
Unison
With
Marching feet.

Stout appreciates his years of service, friends

Stout appreciates his years of service, friends

Direction

Sometimes during the trials of life
You work at something
Only to discover
You are working
Alone.
T'is best to move on
Stand alone
And direct your
Energy
Into new directions
Which in reality
Are the old ones.
Moving forward
Is actually moving backward
To those things that are stable.

White Rose

He wanted so much to just let her know
How she had taken such a place in his heart
He needed a token to show her that love
Yet he hadn't figured out how to start.

His letters told her of the love that he had
And the depth of the love that he felt.
Yet he needed to show her in a small special way
How deep within his heart she now dwelt.

Through her words he discovered the things that she loved
And carefully he searched and he chose
To send her a gift that she held close to her heart
And that gift was a single white rose.

The day it arrived she knew in her heart
That the love that he felt was so true
That she let herself feel for the first time in years
Deepening love for the man she barely knew.

Though the promises they made to each other weren't kept
Their love for each other stayed strong
Across all the miles that divided the two
Their love was forever lifelong.

And years down the road as time fleeted by
And their separate lives went on by
The man who was older than the woman by ten years
Eventually lay down to die.

At the graveyard the day the man was laid to his rest
A gift was found lying on his coffin which shows
That an undying love is a true special thing,
On his coffin lay a single white rose.

Autumn 2011

This year as my favorite season enters the end of its first third, I am amazed at how different I view it as I don't have to return to work after a two week vacation like I normally do.

This year, I continue to have no schedule and am able to enjoy more of the autumn cooler temperatures and fall colors. This year I feel more alive than I normally do, and that's just the beginning, hopefully.

Bloodwork this past week revealed that my blood sugar is in the danger catergory, signaling that I could be possibly becoming diabetic. So, for the past several days I have carefully watched my sugar intake, cut back on calories and exercised. I prepare now for additional bloodwork this Tuesday morning. If the the blood sugar is down, things are good. If the blood sugar remains elevated, I've been warned oral insulin is a real possibility.

I remain hopeful that things will be much better for me when I get the results of my bloodwork this week. Hopefully my life can resume, with a new awareness about what I can allow myself to eat and drink regularly.

Time will tell.

Afterworld

A lead bullet
Three buckeyes
Nail clippers
Car keys
Red bandana handkerchief
Assorted change
Broken mirrored brush
Balls of lint
A leather wallet.
All that was left
Was in the dead man's pockets,.
His life picked clean
His identity
Anonymous
The love in his heart
Emptied
Along with his blood.
Glasses at his side
Body left abandoned
As the spirit
Whisked away
On the currents of the
Wind.

Handing Over The Reins

Another task that I undertook on September 30th was handing the reins and tasks of my job over to three of my co-workers, Larry, Jane and Brittney. The picture of us together is kind of heartwarming to me because it shows me with a great group of clerks who will be taking over for me, as I will probably be the last full time window clerk our office ever has.

I like the picture of me standing there alone, simply because it was indeed the LAST time I stood at the service counter. This was my work station full time since 1984, and I had stood there off and on since 1979 while I was part time.

I have made so many friends at this counter over all those decades and some of them have become very close and personal friends as well. My emotions on leaving have been tumultous, but I leave the job with my head held high, always striving to give the best of myself to each person that came into the office.

This job has been my life for over half my life and I leave it smiling, knowing I did the best I could do most days.

September 30th, October 1, 2011

Two recent, very emotional days for me, as I worked my last day at the Rushville Post Office and my co-workers celebrated with me as I received my retirement certificate and was presented with a very nice gift of a gift certificate to Amazon.com that my co-workers chipped in and got for me. Hard as I tried, I couldn't keep my emotions in check as I tried to make a short speech about my years at the post office.

In essence, the average span of days a human being spends on this earth number approximately 22,000. My career at the post office spanned a total of 11,954 days. Hard to imagine, but over half my life was spent in this position of employment. Clocking out that day brought on more emotions as I realized I had done my last work for United States Postal Service, over a span of years I am so proud to have served.

On the next night, over 80 people came to a surprise retirement party my wonderful sister and her husband threw for me. More gifts, cards and just general good fellowship greeted me this evening. I was more than blessed with this party and this turnout, I was truly humbled.

What more can I say about these two days?

Mere words are not enough.

I hope these four pictures, two from each day, speak for themselves.

George Burns - I Wish I Was Eighteen Again

There's so much truth in the lyrics to this song, not to mention a really good performance by George himself.

喜多郎 Kitaro - Koi from Best Of Kitaro DVD 2001

Be sure to turn off the jukebox on the right and listen to this wondrous music. Kitaro will be remembered centuries from now as a total musical genius.

Justice?

Guilty as charged
Tried without a jury
Found guilty
And sentenced
Without so much as
A word of defense.
Judgement decided,
Banished and branded
No questions
Guilty by interpretation
Of the judge.

Fair enough!

It's A New Dawn

The sun rose again this morning,
Casting shadows
But leaving no doubts behind
As the morning dew began its process
Of drying out,
A rooster crowed off in the distance
Signaling the start
Of a new day
A new dawn
And promises
Of less complications
Ahead.

Charlie Stout calls it a day

Charlie Stout calls it a day