[Marlo]
Johnathan was delighted
to accommodate the flight
to investigate
youthful insight into acts
that just might, in fact,
alter, in some small way, new
procedures to secure more
of humanity
to embrace alternatives
graced with more kindness.
Arrangements were quickly made
and conveyed for a four day
stay at Johnathan’s:
Thursday through Sunday, then back
to school on Monday.
Cole’s hunch of “early to bed;
early to rise,” surprised none
but brunch was new to
the bunch of city-dwellers
who slumbered til six
to arrive to school by eight
to abate the shameful fate
of habitual,
rude lateness that interrupts
the cognitive mood
of in-progress tough lessons
distressed by the office pass
and the verbal plea,
“Sorry, it will not happen,
for sure, any more.”
Cole, paired with Yolanda, drew
the milk-cow crew and so rose
after three, not quite
composed, for the throes of work
and thus strong coffee
would be the remedy sought
to boost energy’s octane
to gain needed strength
achieving fatigue’s reprieve
until consumption
of Crystal’s delicious brunch
munched in earnest by workers
who missed their breakfast
to begin fast to bask in
the work-day challenge.
Not all chores are physical
requiring central strength
of firm, core muscles
to sway stubborn obstacles
to obey the course
thought to endorse one’s success.
Diane and Sarah will test
their best brain prowess
to digest the vast numbers
of the communal,
shared investment in progress.
The Numbers Guild will fulfill
the obligation
to improve education
while furthering
the everyday prospering
of life throughout the whole group.
They worked at the branch
of Secured Earnings and Trust,
known only as SET
with the advertised slogan:
“Everyone can bet on SET.”
Johnathan reserved
Saturday to be observed
as a holiday
in which only critical
chores bore only skeletal
crews of a few hands
well rehearsed and versed in swift,
efficient commands
that made quick work of routines
seen as supremely easy.
Saturday’s festive
events would be spent with fun
and joyful frolic,
yet an ample, special place
was adorned to encase space
for Cole and Sarah
to embrace the perceptions
of their new found friends
and friends of those new found friends
who will share their convictions
unashamedly,
freely, if not concisely,
and honestly keen
to be seen as open to
counterpositions spoken
as thoughtful queries
into possibilities
not fully pursued.
The adornments used to fuse
clarity to certainty
that this space was safe
for serious endeavors
were the four banners
that anchor participants
to the great seriousness
of actions taken
by high chancellors of state.
Thus an oasis
needed to be formed to warn
lighthearted folks not to stray
where the agenda
was certainly not to play,
but all were welcomed.
[Johnathan]
Yolanda with Diane’s help
has honored us with young guests
curious enough
to request time to digest
more experience
regarding the consequence
of coping with the expense
of some families
living under accepted
demands of being.
[Marlo]
An octagon gazebo
of neutrally stained hardwood
centrally stood tall
and large containing ample,
likewise stained, benches,
all with removable, plush
seat cushions. Two navy blue
robust beanbag chairs
framed the entrance atop stairs,
four granite slabs high.
Johnathan and Crystal sat
due north facing the entrance
offering their smiles
greeting all those who arrived
at the time prescribed.
Behind but between Crystal
and husband stood a good sized
mahogany pole
substantially strong to hold
aloft the banner
that graces all gatherings
happening in the interest
of providing trust
in openness to discuss
beliefs closely held
to dispel unfortunate
errors of honest judgements.
Six feet from the stairs
rose a pole slightly rounder
and fairly stronger
to hold the banner that greets
all souls merging to meet friends
who may wish to speak
while others seek to listen
then to consider
what transpired as they pass
the greeting pole’s farewell side
and the last banner
facing due north that reminds
all of what binds all.
[Johnathan]
We have with us this fine day
an array of those who chose
to walk, work and talk
together for a better
way of being well
to quell the disturbances,
and naïveté’s dismay,
at the harsh display
of ignorant behavior
and deceitfulness
from brutes who savor mayhem
and bedlam to feed their greed.
So, Sarah and Cole,
I’m told you may have questions.
Speak and seek freely.
We have our scientists,
mathematicians, lawyers,
farmers, contractors,
economists, and teachers.
We have policemen,
healers, and many others
to cope with your scope to know.
[Sarah]
How did all this start?
Whose heart perceived these core truths?
Whose smart brain explained
the coordinated plan
to expand thoughts into acts?
[Johnathan]
Well, that is a lot
for your first shot to shout out
our history’s
need for clear transparency
regarding one’s origin.
Your story is mine
and everyone’s over time.
Joe’s Honor Coin is
always and forever more
never purchased in a store
but must be obtained
as an unrestrained gift gained
from some other hand
holding that very same coin
that joins us to each other
to help discover
what you seek to uncover
with aid and guidance:
a fully functional life
solving reality’s strife.
[Hastings]
Many years ago
Johnathan wanted to know
about Compton’s show
explaining his simple view
to cope with hope sorely strained
in a world of blame
deranged by smart narcissists
spewing venomous
half-truths and uncouth actions
to gain sanctions against health
that they may gain wealth
and power to shower their
friends and relatives
with status and positions
to make laws for conditions
to keep life styles
to exile critical
needs of the whole group.
Robert and I went along
and spent that day wondering
which way we could take
to make our life force strong
to better belong
to a more efficient path
minimizing useless wrath
to dispel the spell
of competition over
cooperation.
[Bob (Robert)]
A stranger, named Tom, bequeathed
Johnathan his coin who then
unsheathed his money
from his old, scuffed-up wallet
to give his treasure,
newly acquired, to me.
Once you hold the coin and you
decide to gift it,
you can purchase another
to cover your loss.
I did likewise for William.
We, three, have thus continued.
[Hastings]
Cooperation
is our aspiration
as is all other
prescriptions contained within
the banner before us all.
What you need to know
if you continue to view
how we skew theory
into handy, practical,
crafty, proactive, legal
choices discovered
and anchored via large group
coordination
is that no one person rules,
rather all school each to reach
the best consensus
through large group, honest, discourse
as our best source
to determine the next course
for the communal mission.
[Diane]
My parents gave mine
and I gave Yolanda her’s.
Word of mouth works fine
when the need is to define
who will work to bind themselves
to values they might
choose to pursue based upon
past acts and words said.
Abstracts are not the issue,
instead the heart, not the brain,
will best explain gains
of insight of core beliefs
overtly displayed.
[Cole]
Am I understanding this
apparent banding has no
one grand architect
nor leadership to effect
change or to inspect
outcomes of which choices worked?
[Yolanda]
We have groups of folks working
in targeted ways
to gain and convey data
to navigate through
Life’s organic, shifting maze,
portraying nonlinear
patterns evolving
in unpredictable ways
that frustrate our
desired consistency
making creativity,
ingenuity,
and adaptability,
necessity’s creed.
[Crystal]
Thus education for each
and every single person
is no luxury
and is mandatorily
imposed to expose
children, teens and all adults
to consult with books and folks
that will coax their souls
with bold considerations
and new strategies
that will harmonize nature’s
exaggerations with calm
thoughtful solutions.
Existence is eternal,
true education.
[Sarah]
So no one here really knows
who chose to initiate
this slate of beliefs
that punctuate desired
cooperation
that dampens competition
and reveres community
much more than worshiped
individualism
that could breed deep greed.
[Bob]
Origins aren’t critical.
The beginnings of major
thoroughfare rivers
are banal when compared to
the fanfare hustle
of river ports sporting large
ocean going vessels full
of beautiful things
that bring joy to consumers,
wealth to importers,
and opportunity for
supporting stores to score cash
from warehouse and dock
workers and sailors seeking
noonday refreshments
and evening entertainments
for all other land lovers
who cover the needs
of the teeming life waiting
in empty harbors
for more ships heavy loaded
with economic recourse.
The first trickling
from the slow oozing water
of tiny sources
of tributaries that feed
rivers that grow full and wide
from the continued
downward, expanding, fast flow
to bestow the glow
of robust trade and commerce
is just too tame to discuss.
[Cole]
But, of course, without
the oozing of the tame source —
no river harbor.
[Bob]
Yes, of course, all well and good,
but we should be understood
by what moved each soul
to embrace the whole control
of the banner’s heart
that starts with Joe’s Honor coin.
Like the trickling of words,
the mantra was fueled
and schooled with compounding rules
that lead to coin two.
Further reflection about
freedom stirred contemplations
that clearly perceived
responsibility’s creed
about the degree
of direct correlation
of the participation
of each of our
need to agree to pursue
impeccably for
one’s self imposed discipline.
The greater one’s freedom reigns,
the greater the need
for responsibility.
Thus coin three swelled more
to explore the new contours
for our guiding banner’s
verbal banks that flank
the flow of what we all know
to be critical
to our communal life
to form better rules of trade.