#tools
The pencil in my hand
Belongs to a stranger
My fingers curl around it
Trying to remember the pressure
But the signal cuts off somewhere
Between wrist and paper
And I'm left holding something that
Used to resemble a language
I spoke frequently
Before I forgot how to speak
I press the graphite down
Expecting a line
But nothing happens
The page is clinical and bare
As it stares back at me
Waiting for something
I can't give anymore
Yet my hand still reaches
For the tools
Muscle memory refusing to accept
That the person who knew
What to do with it is gone
Art block is merciful compared
To this unlearning
I can feel it happening
From the inside out
My own mind erasing the person
I spent my whole life becoming
The giref is so loud that it's
Ringing in my teeth
I try to remember the first time
I drew something that
Truly felt like mine
The years of practice
The late nights
The progress and setbacks
The way that art was
The only thing listening
And all I can find is blank space
Where the memory should be
As though my brain decided
That part of me didn't need to
Exist anymore
I mourn a childhood companion
Who left without saying goodbye
I have to live in the house it fled
Surrounded by the tools of a trade
I can no longer practice
The loss is so specific that it has
It's own temperature
It's own weight and way of
Making it hard to breathe
Jan 18
Jan 18, 2026 at 2:45 PM UTC
peeress: a woman holding the rank of a peer in her own right.
what tools fo you require?
a microscope, binoculars, perhaps an observatory telescope...
you ask to peer into my soul,
the heart of the matter,
and I object
not,
asking only for a workman's wages,
of honest preparation,
have you the tools to see me properly,
and when you love what you see,
will you have them by your side
to see the future close by,
and so far ahead?
do you possess within thy
secret places,
an archeological brush
to wipe gently away my ancient earths,
or a toy red shovel to remove fossilized
10,000 year old grains of old hearts,
or fresh, damp from this morning,
of words and sand from my inner
beach, even then, the tonnage may
require an industrial excavator
to clear, hold and perhaps contain
all that poetry, all that love that it contains,
so I ask, you, myself:
*Do you have the proper tools,
the necessaries and the necessities,
to find to store to relish and to delight
in what you may find?*
be an explorer,
and write of all your discoveries,
hurry, for the word
time
means in soul terms & the heart's specialized verbiage,
never enough
so girl scout/ mademoiselle peeress
you s t i l l
have much to assay/essay/uncover
re the meanings of love...
for there is as much to learn from the
quietus of love,
as there is, from the vibrant tumbling of
climbing to new heights
peer carefully...
5:44am
Wed Sep 10
Twenty Twenty Five
Sep 11, 2025
Sep 11, 2025 at 9:28 AM UTC
We shared kisses like tools at a workshop.
Pecks were thrown around like nuts and bolts.
A small smooch was passed back and forth
like a screwdriver whenever it was needed.
A large kiss was given like a rotary saw.
It was handed over with caution and care.
The sloppy, makeout kisses sat as unused
As an oddly sized wooden board, one that sat
Along the wall with no purpose or project.
Excuses to not hold hands littered our home
like small screws and nails litter a garage.
Love sat in the back corner of our lives,
And work took its place as our purpose.
Our love dwindled. As did the number
of tools and supplies we used to maintain it.
Mar 7, 2025
Mar 7, 2025 at 9:25 PM UTC
I can do anything,
I have the most powerful tool,
If the black sea won't budge,
I'll make it move,
I could shape the world,
With the implement of destruction,
Hidden in my back pocket.
Feb 22, 2025
Feb 22, 2025 at 9:19 PM UTC
“you should watch for what’s good and say so, watch for what’s bad and say that,
and be afraid of neither observation.
If you lose your temper, lose it; if you find yourself unexpectedly moved, admit it.
Keep your tools, compass and gyroscope,
clean, dry and level.”
Peggy Noonan,
columnist, author
<•>
good
Christmas Eve advice
getting harder to find,
wheat from chaff, and all that,
what’s sensible,
what’s defensible,
and what actually feels
A~ok!
as in
perhaps, it actually could be,
pause to think,
correct?
and:or:heck,
even right
so if you read the above ,
take it from a couple of senior geezers,
you just got a holiday freebie!
yeah, yeah, keep your powder dry,
just ain’t the same, sorry…
we talking tools and fools here,
them that keep you
on a course
of your owned free choice,
with an assist,
to know your position & to
never to lose your balance
when everybody is
instantly
telling you what to think,
take that long pause,
use your tools,
to pick the problem up,
Rubik’s cube it,
twist and shout,
when the
solution emerges
‘tis the season for
preaching and overreaching,
but use this quietime pause,
look internal,
and keep your instinct and
inside tools oiled,
and mind open, clarified
wish you then, clear eyes, open ears & love;
wisdom, that’s up to you,
but, you’re a billionaire for sure,
use the grey cells you were given
thoughtfully & well,
and keep on looking for
‘what’s a good way,’
which is always an
everlasting work
nat lipstadt
Dec 23, 2024
Dec 23, 2024 at 11:24 AM UTC
Three days in - three days of school - and it’s like I never left.
In school, you can get oversaturated with screens. I like books.
They have a sense of permanence, they don’t glare back at you,
and I want something physical I can grip, markup and push off
the bed onto the floor when I get over it.
After three days of class, I’m asking (no one in particular), "Are we there yet?"
I can speed-read if I have a pointer - I use cocktail picks (swizzle sticks?) - you know, the little olive skewers you get in a martini? I have a collection from all over the world.
If I go to a bar and they have nice swizzle sticks, I’ll gather a few up. “What are you DOing,” Karen, (Lisa’s mom) asked me as I scarfed up several from patron’s empty glasses at the elegant, Refinery Rooftop bar in Manhattan.
“I have a TON of reading to do,” I explained, helpfully.
“Don’t even ask,” Lisa shrugged, rolling her eyes, when her mom looked confused.
The trick to speed reading is your eyes (and brain) pickup more than you realize and people tend to pronounce things, in their minds, as they read, which REALLY slows you down. So, you swivel the pointer down the page, following the pointer with your eyes, and Walla!
You can’t do THAT with a computer screen. You need a book, and when you have 2 or 3 hundred pages (or more) a night to read, you can’t just hold your breath and refuse - like a seven-year-old - can you? Seriously, I mean, can we? I’m asking - though it’s probably a little late (senior year).
Now, of course, not just any appetizer toothpick or fruit pick will do - the selection process can be rather byzantine. They must be a certain length, about 2 inches longer than my finger, so my hand doesn’t block the text, and square ones are the easiest to grip. Finally, if they have a little arrow-point on the tip? Well, that’s true love.
The problem is, I can get a little intense when reading and they tend to break. When my roommates hear me exclaim, “God **** it!” At 2am. They usually know why.
.
.
A song for this:
Easier Said Than Done by Thee Sacred Souls
Sep 1, 2024
Sep 1, 2024 at 5:09 PM UTC
Books to the library
photos to family.
Paint cans and lumber
from renovations years ago.
Most of the furniture
including the piano.
Fastest way to do this
is rent a dumpster.
On the internet
nothing’s permanent.
I like that.
Photosynthesis, evaporation
as if your spirit disappears
when the sun appears.
It’s a burden lifted
not to have to persevere.
Edits
for clarity
and brevity.
One owes the reader
a respite from
the tonnage of
fructifying English.
To drown one’s book is devoutly to be wished.
Coupla trumpets,
big comfy couch,
four beds and dressers
and the contents of closets.
Tools we don’t use,
surge protectors and chargers,
lawn and patio accoutrements,
table settings for ten.
Lamplit underground,
the stray branch,
synchronized chaos,
a red fez.
One canary,
map of Antarctica,
three deaf little otoliths,
six or seven sybils.
Extra salt and pepper shakers,
sharpies and crayons,
a printer and a scanner,
the Bible and Koran.
Kaput calculators and computers,
subscriptions and prescriptions,
a host of vitamins
and the ghosts of ancestors.
Time itself
but not nature.
Wealth
and most of culture
but not my health.
That I’ll keep,
and sleep—practice
for perfect rest.
Mar 19, 2024
Mar 19, 2024 at 6:54 AM UTC
I must've skipped that day in school,
when we were taught how to manage pain.
Nov 24, 2021
Nov 24, 2021 at 2:45 PM UTC
I am pleased, might finally speak about my witch friend
share with you some of her wits and trends
Masters today desecrate the truth,
meditation and visualization are nothing but outdated tools
Culturally, relatively free i write fearless,
Contemplation overcomes meditation,
Spirituality conqueres religion ,
I formless, will not abide to your anticipations
I renounce my knowledge and education
Transparency , revolution,
Love works,
It has been scientifically proven
We are what we think
Thoughts procure reality
it has been confirmed quantum physically
So what's your excuse?
take control and imagine the best version of YOU
Imagination is the key to reaching everything and beyond
Words Of Harfouchism
Jan 26, 2021
Jan 26, 2021 at 7:27 AM UTC
It was the best day!
Now, this euphoric moment.
A day spent with You.
Jul 31, 2020
Jul 31, 2020 at 3:48 PM UTC
There's a nail half in the wood.. Someone is trying to get you to hit it in for there amusement
It's quite a easy answer! No! Because I don't have a hammer...
But what happens when you do have a hammer do you knock it in to find out what happens or do you stick to your original plan.. There are to many unwanted tools in the world now and if you don't have them you wont use them x
May 26, 2020
May 26, 2020 at 10:44 AM UTC
Thumb
Express gratitude
With one another
Or offend
In a distant land
Index
Accuse someone
Of stealing a fortune
Combine with the thumb
To showcase another’s misfortune
Or greet
With a fleshy gun sign
Middle
Offend quickly
Minimal effort required
Showcase your anger
While hurting another
Who’s gonna stop you?
Ring
Useless alone
Practical with others
Only has value
When combined with jewels
Use to start new life
Or end one
Pinky
Hospitality and courtesy
Aside from those
Small in stature
Still like all the others
Use to show commitment
Accompanied by a promise
Broken like bones
But…
Who came up with this?
Jan 20, 2020
Jan 20, 2020 at 12:02 AM UTC
I’m giving you just the tools to break me
Do it
I Dare You
Aug 23, 2019
Aug 23, 2019 at 1:17 AM UTC
Reflections can be seen in our everyday lives
They stare, they ingnore, they reflect
They appear to be in the opposite world
Reflections are looking back at you
Reflections are creating another balance of what is there
Is the reflection you see real
The mirror, the lake, the mist, the camera, your eyes
These are the tools of reflection capture
Are they to be trusted...
Brian Hill - 2019 # 187
Jul 27, 2019
Jul 27, 2019 at 8:37 AM UTC
it's hard
when you have all the tools and knowledge to improve your life but the only missing ingredients are motivation and consistency.
D.L.
Jan 4, 2019
Jan 4, 2019 at 8:50 PM UTC
He used me like a tool.
A hammer to slam,
And when his nail was in,
I was once again another tool in his toolbox.
Until he had a second nail to put in
and took me out to begin.
Nov 27, 2018
Nov 27, 2018 at 3:19 PM UTC
you got a new idea
you want to start a new project
what's holding you back?
you have all the resources you need
you don't know how to use it
what's the point?
you need to learn your tools
you need to know the potentials of it
the more you know, the better you will get
Oct 24, 2018
Oct 24, 2018 at 10:16 PM UTC
I was told today
by a troll
I've been hacked
and compromised
I was told today
by this troll
pay up or there'll
be a surprise
I was told get
me some bitcoins
you're at the mercy
of our wishes and commands
Get a couple dozen
or we'll release
everything to everyone
pay heed to our demands
They're clueless stupid fools
I've no secrets in email
just another trollish tool
used against a woman, or a man
I casually hit delete
emptied all the trash
the hacker with no clue
a troll from somewhere in Sudan
Oct 4, 2018
Oct 4, 2018 at 3:55 PM UTC
#
September 16th 2018 1:34 pm
The war started between the illegible instructions and chunks of wood. I decided to enlist, well, more like volunteered. I arrived at the camp today and met a few loose screws. They don’t have time to train us, we are being shipped out as I write this in my journal.
I hope to god I survive this thing so I can see her face at the end. She will be ecstatic to see me alive, I know she has her doubts. We can not let the engrish win.
September 16th 2018 3:17 pm
We have arrived to our camp. It’s a pigsty. Styrofoam specks cover the yard like snow and cardboard chunks are blown to bits just over the trenches. No time to settle in. Just enough to down a cup of dirt coffee before we charge in. It’s been storming all day, everything is covered in mud.
September 16th 2018 3:56 pm
Stage one has been complete. We have a wall up. This should help stabilize anything that comes after us. It was no easy task and we have been told this was the easiest part.
September 16th 2018 4:32 pm
The foundation has been completed. There were casualties. Henry, a brave man, lost a hand and had to be evacuated. We can hold them back if our aim is true. I hope there are angels watching above.
September 16th 2018 4:33 pm
There are no angels watching, only devils in the disguise of pictures with the number on the wrong side and the finished side flipped around. The foundation had to come down. Back at square one.
September 16th 2018 5:56 pm
The foundation has been rebuilt. Correctly, I hope. More men have been lost. I know this is dark, but one had a flask on his body that hasn’t been emptied. It is now emptied.
September 16th 2018 6:29 pm
The wheels have finally been installed. We are now mobile! Thank god. We can now trek over anything that gets in our way. It’s still pouring rain. I wish I could find another flask.
September 16th 2018 6:53 pm
Hooks and roll and top have all been fitted and examined over. We may have done something right for once. There’s hope that we will win this thing after all.
September 16th 2018 8:48 pm
We stumbled onto a cache of cold ones. We lost sight of our goal for a while. We are back on track marching forward.
September 16th 2018 9:17 pm
The last wooden peg has been hammered in, the last ***** has been ******* and locked. This is it, it’s finally over. We won!
September 16th 2018 9:18 pm
“It’s about time” was my only reward.
It’s ok, I came out stronger than what I was. I have scars I can tell my kids about. The blisters from using hand tools and the knowledge on how to decipher Chinese disguised as English. Useful talents I’m sure.
September 16th 2018 9:20 pm
Finishing off that cache.
#
Sep 16, 2018
Sep 16, 2018 at 7:39 PM UTC
The tools that created you
are capable of destroying you.
Aug 24, 2018
Aug 24, 2018 at 3:27 PM UTC
I’ve always found it odd when people avoid eye contact
What exactly is it that they are hiding?
Or is it fear?
The all-consuming Mr. Walker going around breaking through windows and damning souls!
There are numerous platforms for people to interact with one another
But somewhere down the line the connection was lost, forgotten
I sometimes wonder how our species will continue to flourish
The young men of tomorrow
will rather rub one out to a hologram e-slut on their iPhone XXVI than pursue a ripe Jenny up the street
Her organs must be aching to be rearranged
The poor ********
Yeah, sometimes I wonder
Then I swipe right
Right
Left and
Right
I’m going to find someone in my area to get my **** wet
Aug 20, 2018
Aug 20, 2018 at 9:11 AM UTC
A troll is a troll is a troll
pain is their guidance their goal
no heart and really no soul
A troll is a troll, is a troll
Trolling for trolls is a sport
they've no ***** or need for a court
sparring with slow sad retorts
A troll is trolling, for sport
A troll is a troll, is a troll
that's just how they slither and roll
mind and heart with large holes
A troll, is a troll, is a troll
No pity that I can surrender
on this simple poetry ******
never I'll be, a defender
A troll, is a troll
is a troll
May 17, 2018
May 17, 2018 at 8:55 PM UTC
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 afterwards (2-3 days or so), it will be available in paperback. I will be building my Author page tonight (12/21/2018) and my website finished first thing Monday!
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
May 3, 2018
May 3, 2018 at 7:00 AM UTC