the castle

The castle is waiting for me;
Its spires touch the sky,
and my soul,
in ways I cannot say -
it waits.

The castle is calling me;
Its voice real to my ear,
though no one near
claims to hear -
it calls.

The castle is listening to me;
I know it listens,
though it never answers -
it haunts me
and taunts me.

The castle is reaching for me;
It has no arms or hands,
it is not living,
or breathing -
it just is.

The castle is waiting for me;
Its spires pierce me,
and my blood flows,
from the hole
in my heart.

©2008 Bobby Barnhart

this old tree

The gnarled branches of this old tree
Reach out to touch and encircle me
Like fingers of steel they grasp and tear
And asunder my soul without thought or care

The face in the scrabbled skin of this old tree
Stares straight ahead and looks right through me
For of importance not is insignificant ken
When matters of world course and spin

Yet in the deepest reaches of this old tree
There is hope abundant in spite of me
For eons its roots have scrambled and sought
For the elusive phantom of purest draught.

And though I raise my axe to this old tree
It fears not and laughs soundly at me
Since my puny tool no threat does make
To the timeless path this old tree must take.


©2008 Bobby Barnhart

a perfect document

The most perfect document written in humankind’s long history is the Constitution of the United States. Sure it has its flaws, mostly concomitant with the times (e.g. slavery and women’s rights), but it allowed for such in its built in provisions for change and growth. And through the decades and centuries since it was written, it has grown and matured (through amendments and decisions of the Supreme Court [a creation of the Constitution]) and yet remains a work in progress.

The genius of the original authors is under appreciated. Morris, Mason, Madison, Dickinson, Franklin, et al. [along with the influences of Jefferson, John Adams, and Thomas Paine (which three, while not involved in the actual drafting of the Constitution, are generally considered to have been greatly influential in the ideas set forth at the convention)] put together this formidable document which has endured and flourished since its original drafting in 1787.

At this time, when we are witnessing a particularly divisive presidential campaign, keep in mind that regardless of who is elected, our country will survive just fine as long as we leave the Constitution alone. Be especially suspicious of any politicians who talk about redrafting the Constitution or calling for a new constitutional convention - they are not your friends!

Just my opinion, for what it’s worth.....

congress, get back to doing your real job!

Why the Hell is our government wasting its time (and our money) grilling athletes about drug use? Aside from the fact that the drug in question only harms the doer, why should congress (small case "c" since they deserve no respect here) care? Shouldn’t it be left up to the sport in question to police its own players?

Could it possibly be that congress is trying to divert our attention from the fact that its "players" are failing to perform their real job, i.e. running our government in a fiscally responsible, rational, and efficient manner?

I could care less whether a baseball player is on steroids, smoking dope, or getting drunk and chasing women all night (whoops, that last one might define some of our so-called leaders better than our sports figures).

Congress: take care of business - balance a budget, fund programs to solve the energy crisis, protect our environment, pass fair and just laws to keep our citizens safe, happy and healthy - and keep your nose out of places it does not belong!

racists, sexists and bigots

Racism is just not acceptable in any form. There is absolutely no rationale for discriminating against a person because their skin is a different color (or shade) than yours. You are no better (or worse) than anyone else based on skin tone. You have to look deeper to know who is trash, who is treasure and who is just an ordinary schmuck like me.

The same goes for gender, religion, or sexual orientation.

If you want to slam someone, find the fanatics out there whose mindset makes them better than everyone else. You know who I am talking about: Chauvinists, misogynists, perverts, pedofiles (don’t get me started there), political fanatics (right or left), and anyone who thinks that their religion gives them the right to kill, enslave, degrade, or demean anyone whose beliefs are different.

We are all guilty to some degree of discriminatory acts. I routinely slam persons who fit into the categories above. I just do not like nazis (and other white supremacists), the Taliban, Stalinists, inter-city gangs, rap or other music which advocates violence or sexism, druggies, criminals, bullies, etc. etc. etc.

So call me a hypocrite. Aspire to be better.

things that suck

Domestic violence and abuse (especially when children are the victims)

Women who defend their abusers (especially when children are amongst the victims)

Men who treat women like chattel

Women who like to be treated like chattel

Loud mouth jerks (especially if they are drinking)

Inconsiderate smokers

Bigots, racists and bullies

Proselytizing religious fanatics (of any religion or sect)

Proselytizing political fanatics (of any party)

Know-it-alls [myself not included]