Stopping at a dog park gate on a fall evening

 Whose dogs these are I think I know;

but they're unfamiliar to the ones in my tow,

as we start through the gate with growls

and doggy teeth in threatening show.

Good fences may make good neighbors, but

Dogs find them annoying as hell. So what

is a neighbor to do here? Tip a hat and tug

like mad until dogs pass by and gate is shut?

The doggies might think it queer

and mistake my hesitance for fear,

which as we know they easily sense;

so i avoid their rabid leer.

And say something soothing 

to my neighbor like "Nothing

to worry about, Eric!" which through tense 

muscles he acknowledges my untruthing.

But after grimaces and growls defuse

and a latching clank finally ensues;

a sense of post gate calm descends

as we bid our nervous adieus.

Happy Birthday, Gomez!

The Darwinism of Pooh

 "What in God's good name is he on about?"

I almost can hear you say.

"Tao of Pooh, Piglet's Te

sure, but survival of the Poohest?!" Well, hear me out.

Although no survival vests

are required in the Hundred Acre Wood,

still evolution happens there. I understood

the link 'tween entering school's test

and leaving imaginary friends for the real;

when at age 5, my Mom read me the final story

in which we leave CR and Pooh in their enchanted glory,

and a punch in the chest is what we feel.

I cried real tears for loss of imagination

in the name of  higher education.

Better not piss off Vikings

 It is Greenland not

Iceland. They will take umbrage.

Play nice with Vikings.

Why fight with allies

anyway? And why suggest non-    

sense, just to maintain

fame of one man who

cares only for himself? Better

not piss off Vikings.

Haikusannette 3 Appled Science

 "Take a Granny Smith

on your journey, you might need

something to chew on

as you consider

your way to the next pastor.

Green, though it is ripe

with meaning; it's sweet

enough to get you

there and back again.

It's not knowledge fruit,

so no worries there." she, smiling,

said kindly to me. 

I took the apple and felt its shelter

by planting the core further down the road.

What is the sound of no Trump tweeting (A Haikusanette/Koan)

 Imagine, if you will, 

calm: no conflict, just listening

and comprehending.

Then reality

cannot be far behind. This

is thoughtfulness forged.

Burning in the mind;

just before the idea is hammered;

our eyebrows get singed.

This is the future 

when Truth Social will post

only Haikus. Thus.

Happy Birthday, Gomez

 When i think back on days gone by

bright moments rise in my mind's eye:

sunny rays on a worn porch floor

warming us as we explored chords

to a new song while children played

ping pong and puppies chase

each other and woodchucks 

near the cairn with pluck. 

And while we strum our friend

walks in with some new chore

that becomes a game that builds

a pier, or shed, or oven fired

with fondest memories. Inspired

thus, we made them all; afterwards both proud and sore.

And at day's end, having made all these,

with instruments we gathered round and sung ourselves to peace.

Haikusanette 2

The hardware clerk said,

"Oh, i just sold the last roll!"

with mock dejection,

when asked for duct tape

that would prevent lips of power

from speaking lies and

stop ears of meek ones

from hearing them and children

from seeing them. No

amount of irony 

helps heal understanding's lack.

The project remains

sticky. So, i buy the monkey wrench

statue banning evil by ignorance instead.