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"The things we want are really the times we share."

~ Rob Hueniken

From the category archives:

Nature

Waiting Long – a poem for moving on

by Rob Hueniken on Monday, August 23, 2010

waiting-long

I recently attended a party held outdoors in farming country. Near the road was an old piece of farm machinery, slowly rusting.

I wrote this poem for what is past and unchangeable:

Waiting long:
For men to bind me to their task.
For sun and wind and dirt and grass.
For purposed motion past that tree.
For harvests that are not for me.

waiting long - but we can change

As the sun set I was struck with the awareness that each of us has had times of achievements — of getting things done, of doing well — but feel now that time is passing without the arrival of new successes.

Looking at this rusting machine, I realized that I too have rusty parts — signs of wear, not quite as fit, and holding on to old ideas of how things should be done and said.

But looking at this rusting machine, I realized that I am changeable — that my rust is reversable, that I can be renewed.

There are truths of purpose and truths of things worth doing. They all involve people, helping each other to move forward, even if moving forward means to sit and share a smile.

We are not a rusty machine or a tree stuck in the ground. Shake off the rust. Shake off the dust.

Try hard. Be kind. Make more of today, together.

[Return to the home page of MakingMoreOfToday.com.]

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The Robin is calm

by Rob Hueniken on Tuesday, March 9, 2010

the-robin-is-calmEach of us have birds native to their area of the world. The two birds that I love the most are the North American Robin and the Red Tailed Hawk.

The robin is a gentle bird — happy to co-exist with people on the lawns of Eastern North America. This year, I saw my first robin in my own backyard, on March 9th, amidst the melting snow piles. It was sharing space with a black squirrel, with both of them probing the early Spring lawn for something to eat. At one point the robin and squirrel were within 2 feet of each other, and neither was troubled in the least. In fact, I have never seen a squirrel and robin interact, let alone quarrel.

By the time summer fully arrives there will be thousands of robins across our city, using their hopping motion to move around the yard in search of worms to pry up, either for themselves or their little ones. That robins also lay beautiful, light-blue eggs is another reason I like them.

Robins are independent. Unlike other "city" birds like pigeons and geese, they won’t badger you for a snack. They can get their own, thank you very much!

The robin will happily co-exist with humans. Cars don’t startle them (unless you drive onto the lawn) and walking by a robin gets you only a brief glance — you have to be closer than 10 feet to get what I would call a wary glance from a robin. This makes the robin a wonderful companion, and a great way for children to enjoy nature up close and at its most peaceful.

The joy of robins is that they are calm. In that way they are a role model for all of us.

They know there is food to be had. They know most people ignore them. They know they have few enemies, and rarely have to flee. They are good fliers, and can move to a fresh lawn any time they wish. They also have fun: flying like acrobats, standing on tree branches, and singing.

Robins are also unique in their community styles. They are often on their own, and seem quite content with that. When they find a mate they are dutiful in building a nest and finding food for the young ones. And they can also be seen in larger groups, particularly in the autumn when they are getting ready to migrate south to find warmer worms.

I love robins. They are calm, close, and beautiful singers.

Robins make me feel that nature loves me too.

Here is the first robin I saw this year, which was in my backyard, amidst the snow.

[Return to the home page of MakingMoreOfToday.com.]

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Winter Sky – a poem for Spring

by Rob Hueniken on Monday, February 15, 2010

winter-sky

Winter sky

The winter sky looks on and dreams
of warmer times of grass and streams.

It scowls along from here to there
and broods about the goods it bears.

A snowflake here, or sleeting rain:
its harvest leads us to complain.

But there’s a secret that it knows:
just past the edge of winter grows
a bright new face to give us joy
when spring does winter sky deploy.

By Rob Hueniken

[Return to the home page of MakingMoreOfToday.com.]

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A Poem for Raking Leaves

by Rob Hueniken on Thursday, November 12, 2009

My Twitter friend, Mike Todd (miketodd07), was out raking today, and sent this tweet:

Raking leaves in the sunshine, listening to Owl City on the iPod, thinking about poetry.

raking-leaves

So I wrote this poem on Twitter:

Leaves & sun, together,
sounding crisp & smelling soft,
like earth and summer memories,
fallen but still remaining and reminding.

[Return to the home page of MakingMoreOfToday.com.]

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Thumbnail image for Just a bit different – Cats and Dogs

Just a bit different – Cats and Dogs

October 8, 2009

While some people cannot tell the difference between cats and dogs, there are actually ways to tell them apart. Cats can be eaten by frogs. Unlike the more manic and fast-moving dog, sleepy-headed cats can find themselves gnawed on by a stealthy frog — particularly the Wide-mouthed Couch frog. Cat owners should be checking under their sofa seats to ensure that their favorite feline can catch a nap without fear of frog slobber. [Advertising opportunity: Does your company sell a safe and reliable frog slobber blob dauber, or kitty-sized jaws of life? Global warming will double, yes double, the need [...]

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The rabbit knows he’s delicious

September 16, 2009

We all have our weaknesses, and most of us know what they are.  We also have our strengths, and those are what we need to focus on sharing. Sitting in the backyard with my friend we saw a rabbit. It was doing what rabbits spend a lot of time doing — sitting very still and sniffing the air. “Do you think the rabbit knows it’s cute?” asked my friend.  “No,” I replied, “but the rabbit knows he’s delicious.” From the moment a rabbit is born he is told that he would be a very tasty meal. He won’t become less [...]

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Trees only get one channel

September 6, 2009

When we get out into nature one thing becomes clear: nature is a fantastic experience, in all its variations. Nature is reality TV in its purest form. A friend and I went walking yesterday in a hill-top park that holds our city’s water supply, suitably called Reservoir Park. It is an inspiring combination of urban function and natural environment. The sun was strong and the late-summer leaves were deep green and working hard.  There was lichen on the tree trunks — the bumpy, mottled blue-green combination of algae and fungus — working hard in its own slow way to pull [...]

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A Windy Day Fan

August 30, 2009

One of my favorite natural events is a windy day. Feeling the strong but invisible push against my face is a joy that I have felt since childhood. Barring flying grit, rain or the need to ride a bicycle, a windy day is a great way to have fun. I don’t need a kite or a reason — I just enjoy feeling the wind. On rare days when the wind is very strong, I find that I can jump up into the wind and feel it hold me up — just for a moment — as I body surf on [...]

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The wind beneath wasp wings

August 29, 2009

While having lunch outdoors yesterday my friend and I were visited by two wasps.  The wasps in our area rarely sting you if you let them be, but “letting them be” usually involves them hovering around or crawling on both your food and yourself. We kept hoping the wasps would go away but they persisted. It was too nice a day to eat inside and swatting the wasps with our forks was not going to be effective. While we coexisted with the wasps we noticed that they liked my friend’s Caesar salad more than my Greek salad, so my friend [...]

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