The Obedient Child and Raisin Bread Pudding

Half asleep, I walked to the baker’s next block.
Not the one you know now for it was not
Bright or colorful, of glass and steel
With modern ovens, display, cash register…
It was of brick or stone masonry you could
Reach blindfolded like a police dog would
For the scent of pan de sal or salt bread
Wafted in the early misty morning air.

Inside the dim cavernous building,
Gently lit by the sleepy sun rising,
Turtle rays crawling through the opposite door,
The sweaty baker by the oven made of stone,
In cotton undershirt, a towel on shoulder,
Between his lips a trembling cigarette
His wooden peel he slid to and fro, in and out.
He knew when the dough had had enough.

I paid his aide, or wife. Pieces of steamy bread
Were counted as they were dropped into a paper bag.
I hugged my prized possession, warming my chest,
Wallowing in its cozy aroma, bringing a vision bright
Of Papa’s breakfast. Buttered bread and coffee.
Reading the morning papers. Smoking his Chesterfield.

And when all was done, a piece of bread or two
Went into a bag. When filled with everything stale,
Mama would ask me to cut into cubes,
Any growth on the outside? Scrape!
Soak in milk. Mash with sugar and eggs.
Add raisins and steam. Voila! A rare treat
For my siblings and me. And we’re all living still!
MLJ03102026TheUnquestioningChild

Didn’t Disappoint

Saved from dreadful death

Among the skeletal remains
Of fellow Mandevillas
One late summer day,
With six weeping buds,
A new pot and trellis and
Hours of southeast sunlight,
The dying brought delight.
Didn’t disappoint. Adorned
My drab and barren abode.
MLJ03102026FirstMandevillas

Save the Sumatran tigers

 

What are we giving our children?

 

Who can do the world's "most impossible job"?

 

Get What’s on Sale

As one financial guru said,
“Get what’s on sale,”
So today here’s what I gathered:
A pack of red apples from BC,
Frozen mussels from Chile,
And frozen okra from India.
Apple shake it is for dessert,
And sauteed mussels with okra
A cure for my war-torn heart.
MLJ20092026StopTheWar

Increase in Gambling Disorders: Who started it?

 Who's protecting the youth?

All I Ever Needed

A portable typewriter.
A canopy of trees. Benches
To sit on and type. Type. Type.
A safe campus. A quiet library
With staff that hushed the loud.

No electronics. No internet.
No scrolling. No swiping.
There was no need for speed
Just pondering. Contemplating.
Endless debating. Questioning...
MLJ20092026LetHumansThink

Who's in charge?

 

Why? Why? Why?

 

What's in a name?

Just give it! Give it!
T for the T Center
T for the T House
T for the T Land
T for the T Country
T for planet T.

The whole universe
The sun, moon and stars
May have the new name “T”
And no one's objecting
No one's raising his ire
We're just going to comply
Not marching to the gallows
Just wallowing in sheer lunacy!

Deadliest year on the roads

 Speeding, driving under the influence, distracted driving... Any other way to die? I'd love to have a peaceful one in my sleep. Not on the road, please. Zzz...

Zucchini: Anyone?

Our lovely principal shared her zucchini harvest some weeks back. Everyone got a small piece, so I was left with the largest one. And I’d never even bought or cooked any zucchini dish prior. So what was I to do with it? Thanks to the internet: zucchini with ground beef, zucchini-raisin pancakes, and zucchini-pear or zucchini-banana shake. And half of it is still in the freezer! Enjoy zucchini!

 

Sour pears were on sale... 

Into the blender they went.

AI & Education

 

Danger of First Frost Tonight

Danger of first frost tonight,

But our mandevilla and jade beans are still blooming,
And someone has just started his tomato garden!
Oh, dear!

Anyone still wondering why there's no AI oversight?

 

What have we done to Johnny and Susie?

They inherited a smart home,
Not a muscle to move.
They inherited AI and humanoids,
Not a neuron to use.

Until there’s a glitch.
Until the system is down.
Until there’s service outage.

Now Johnny can’t unlock the doors.
Now Susie has to hold in her pee.
Without gadgets, children are cranky.

Now Susie can’t order meals.
Or get cash. Or shop for groceries.
And Johnny can’t start a fire.
O put up a tent. Or dig for an outhouse.
Unused brain cells are dead.

Out there, no farms. Just data centers.
Out there, no water. No lake. No river.
It’s 2050. Trillionaires live on the moon.
Johnny and Susie with no brains or brawn
Blaming their parents for something
They don’t even know…
MLJ07092026MankindEnslavedByTech

When will they raise the minimum wage?

When workers go on strike? 

Wages should be increased every year to keep up with inflation. 

Who disagrees? The billionaires and trillionaires who need to buy engineers and scientists who will start their settlements on the moon and Mars? Peace! 

Gloria Steinem