egghead

egghead May 2018

Carpet

I called the cleaners today.
They come with a guarantee.
Fresh scents
and a clean you can feel.

Three men traipsing through
Screaming rooms full of boxes of
denim and dirt and boots.

Machines that pull away
The salt of sweat and the
dust of wood shavings from the
carpet. And I still don’t forget.

When the first man takes away the box of denim,
I still remember

days that were lined by a blue
that refused to leave.

When the next takes away a box filled with dirt-riddled
boots,
I still remember
the places those boots walked.

Then the last,
who wraps up
that machine
and leaves.
He got fired. I can still remember
everything.

May 2018

Traveler

THE END OF DAYS

Once upon a midnight sky
the ice begin to melt
old and gray the end of days
I finally lost myself
I embraced a spark
of love and hope
a dream of you and I
a momentary lapse of reason
beneath a midnight sky

Traveler Tim

May 2018

Jeff Gaines

Stipulatio (The Contract)

Hello everyone,

  I'm so very sorry … I feel horrible doing this, but I have no choice. You see, I have published my first book on Amazon/Kindle! This piece (and many others) had to be taken down because they do not allow published material to be available online for free. (Go figure) I wanted to leave the shell of the posts because I felt compelled to leave all your helpful and loving comments. (Silly sentimental, I know), but I also didn't want to just have the pieces disappear without an explanation. I feel bad enough as it is!

  I owe ALL of you so, SO much for all of your reads, love, and support. It was YOU that gave me the gumption to FINALLY get off my **** and publish! Thank you all for the warm comments, camaraderie, and encouragement! I will still be here, reading, uploading and just being the Rascal that I am. How could I EVER leave you guys?

  The book is called “The Way I See It – FictionPhilosophySoul Food” and it will be FREE for the first few days on Kindle Select, so watch for it, if you are interested. I hope that you go and grab it. If you do, I would also hope that you find it worthy, you would leave me a good review. That will help me get in the public eye! Soon afterward (2-3 days or so), it will be available in paperback.

Find the book(s) here: www.amazon.com/author/jeff.gaines

Or find the book(s), and all about me, here: www.JeffGaines.world

  Soon after, I also hope to have my first novel (a supernatural thriller), called “Wanderer” available as well!

  Wish me luck!
Big, Biggest Love,
        Jeff Gaines

(BTW, of course, this word is Latin)

From Wikipedia:
Stipulatio was the basic form of a contract in Roman law. It was made in the format of question and answer.

#contract #agreement #promise #love #friendship

egghead May 2018

I used to play the piano

I used to play the piano
Not well.
Not by any technical standard.

But I used to love that my fingers
Could drift and thunder across the keys,
without heeding any advice or rule,
and make such divine,
Impossible sounds
And I could love the crashing biting chords
that my lonely fingers bore.

I used to play the piano.
Bravely.

In most people
Bravery is made to die.

I stopped playing the piano.
The world had begun to play me
Instead.

and soon
every rule I had ever neglected
every song I had sung off key
every bit of myself that was brave enough
to sacrifice the stress of imperfection
dissipated.

Evaporated.

Scorned out by the heat of the games
the world was playing me in.

I used to play the piano.
Fearlessly
Thoughtlessly
Blissfully

there was something so enchanting
about not understanding
and not caring that I did not understand.

I wish we did not waste so much time
worrying about those notes that ring so
out of tune and time
Why can’t we see?
not all imperfections are mistakes.
those wild, winding notes–
they are not always lost.

intention and perfection are not
one in the same

I used to play the piano.
I used to be brave enough
To live with that untamed,
unapologetic
kind of bravery.

I am trying
To learn to live like that
again.