Shrouded Shore: The Many Musings of Thom Singleton

  Memories of Grandma “Well, that’s over. Everything comes and goes.” That’s what my Grandma used to say While we drove her home from the holidays. She was right, of course. She had a lot of experience. Things came and went for her well into her 90’s. She had another saying, this time after dinner. In answer to an offer of dessert, she’d say, “Yes, I’d like a little sweet with my sour.” She knew the sweet and sour of life. For her. the sweet won out, for that’s what she was.  

  Haiku - December 31, 2023 Twenty twenty three A haiku each day this year Think I’ll take a break

  Haiku - December 30, 2023 I’m down but not out Wheeling my walker around A healing hippie

  Haiku - December 29, 2023 Seven deer last night Sunflower seed brought them in Birds share with “big birds”

  Haiku - December 28, 2023 Moved four years ago Four years ago to the day Deer share it with us

  Haiku - December 27, 2023 Had hip surgery Now I am a new hippie I was an old one

  Haiku - December 26, 2023 Met a new person Physical therapy day Good exercises

  Haiku - December 25, 2023 Made it out today Great party at Aaron’s house Read some poetry

  Haiku - December 24, 2023 A surprise visit A visitor from the South My grandson Christophe

  Haiku - December 23, 2023 Visited my docs They were in holiday mood GP and surgeon

  Haiku - December 22, 2023 Walking with six legs My two and the walkers’s four Do you want to dance?

  Haiku - December 21, 2023 We have visitors They’re physical therapists With exercises

  Haiku - December 20, 2023 Home now with Patti She sure takes good care of me I’m a lucky guy

  Haiku - December 19, 2023 Woke up in a dream Didn’t know where I was or why I slept a long time

  Haiku - December 18, 2023 Wheeled me to OR Arthroplasty, sounds nasty But they put me out

  Haiku - December 17, 2023 ‘Twas a painful crunch Called for right hip replacement Next day surgery

  Haiku - December 16, 2023 Landed in the ditch I tried to rise, couldn’t move Called the ambulance

  Haiku - December 15, 2023 I walked the bridge walk Four miles, across the Fox twice Fell and broke a hip

  Haiku - December 14, 2023 Seven, maybe eight Deer roam the dark woods out back A very small herd

  Planetary Pool The cue ball Earth collided with me again, For the planet not a dent. On the mend from this latest rend, I’ll spend time figuring how to fend Off these collisions, the kind which tend Lately to send me to the corner pocket of the hospital With pain at least a 10. So really I fell and broke it, kind of nasty, Had hip replacement, arthroplasty, Walk with a walker, a catastrophe. Think I’ll sit and have a pasty.

  Haiku - December 13, 2023 Good men’s group last night Support for speaking one’s truth For thirty years now

  Haiku - December 12, 2023 Sweet just like honey The family Ramponi I’m a lucky guy

  Haiku - December 11, 2023 It’s Jeannie’s birthday How many, seventy-one? The New Twenty-One

  Haiku - December 10, 2023 “Big birds” in the yard They say you are what you eat But these have antlers

  The Hand of Love A perilous path He’s walked it himself He knows the pitfalls He’s fallen himself He’s picked himself up  He’s continued on Close to the edge The edge of the cliff He knows the way He understands what befalls He can lead Lead others The young, the challenged The inexperienced Surrounded on the path by naysayers Jeering, sneering, Threatening to push them off He leads with understanding He leads with compassion He offers a hand Through the crowd of naysayers The hand of hope His hand is grasped Grasped firmly Grasped with new confidence For the hand is love Nothing can defeat it The hand of love

  Haiku - December 9, 2023 Rain, in the 40’s Come on, it’s now December Climate is changing

  Love for All This Christmas Put others down to feel “up” yourself? No. Be compassionate. Help them up. You will soar. Deny someone equality because they look different from you? No. This is their surface appearance. Get to know them. They are human like you. Hate someone for their politics? Heal the divisions in this world. Understand their viewpoint. Talk out why you differ. Maybe there isn’t such a great divide that some politicians try-for to get votes. What is this all about? It’s love for all. 

  Haiku - December 8, 2023 Walked the trestle bridge. A mile walk across the Fox. Ducks and humans fished.

  They Tried      You can take the Wisconsinites out of Wisconsin, but you can’t take Wisconsin out of the      Wisconsinites, aina?                                                                                                                                                             An anonymous, very wise man On the return of Donna and Steve to Wisconsin, December, 2023. They left several decades ago Yah so, yah so, yah so For the country west a da one called Chicago En so, en so, en so Wha’ did jeet dere sout’ a der border Taco, taco, taco? Surprised, they replied… No, no, no, no. no Cheese and milk and cheese and milk And in the winter, some snow Fer y’are wha’ yeat, y’are wha’ yeat That’s fer shur, we know Fer in Wisconsin we sew things called cows, and, boy, do they grow Up Nort we know ya allus reap, ya allus reap what ya sew

  Haiku - December 7, 2023 It’s December 7th. Time to think positively Resolution day

  Haiku - December 6, 2023 Motion lights turn on I look out windows: rabbits Seeking food in snow

  The Woods Outback In summer days it’s a wall of green, impenetrable to the eye. Then a fall patchwork of colors appears and leaves begin to fly. Leaves down, the winter woods reveals itself, a filigree of branches and sky. We know spring green will reappear, in response to the sun on-high. It’s so nice to live here on Heritage Woods with such visual potpourri..

  An Acclumsid Daeg I had an acclumsid daeg, for sure, not one of adlubescence. I was turngiddy on the step, and, before I could barlafumble, I took a tumble, a very widdershins event. I was bespanked on my hatrack, and when I came to, I quetched. I glopped, somewhat agruwed, and ribbled my brow, as several men carried me off to the hospital. They let me beek my sore back on a hot compress, until the doctor could see me. They were quite xenodochial. Translation from the Olde English I had a clumsy day, for sure, not one of pleasure. I was dizzy on the step, and, before I could call for a break, I fell, a very unfortunate event. I hit my head, and when I came to, I moaned and twitched in pain. I stared out in wonder, somewhat anxious, and wrinkled my brow, as several men carried me off to the hospital. They let me bask on a hot compress, until the doctor could see me. They were quite hospitable. 

  Winter Morning Decision Of wind, not a whisper Just a bright, white lustre More than a duster  Not really a bluster Just a flakey fluster A cluster of snow Driving question to answer: Will I be a slider, and swerver On streets covered over Like the white cliffs of Dover? Should I get dressed and shovel The driveway with my Wovel My Wovel a shovel on wheels? Or choose another pile to uncover Blanketing a wonder A berth of dreams, current abode of my lover That is, crawl back into bed  

  Haiku - December 5, 2023 Hello there Blank Page This page is staring at me Wanting me to write

  Haiku - December 4, 2023 What’s before my eyes? It is falling from the skies It is white and wet

  Haiku - December 3, 2023 Snow Snow Snow Snow Snow This is what we have today Just a few inches

  Haiku - December 2, 2023 What to do today? Definitely take a walk Forecast says 40

  Haiku - December 1, 2023 We have a deer herd Six to eight come to find food Hard to find in snow