To speak,

even to speak clearly,

is to

add to the noise.

When the ears of the speakers do not even hear

the words of their own voices.

There is a frenzy

to increase the clamor.

To fuel the fire.

The agents of destruction

are furious to precipitate.

a fall

which they know, or care, not

will encompass their own

and all.

To be silent,

is this to yield,

or worse,

to consent?

Hmmm.

The human agent craves action.

This is something bigger than a human agency can create

although human agency acts upon it.

Whether you speak

or remain silent,

stand.

(More to come. Maybe.)

The post The Medium is Chaos- first added content appeared first on listenviewreview.

(More to come. Maybe.)

The post The Medium is Chaos appeared first on listenviewreview.

“Well, I’ll tell you all about it later Mrs. Springyton. Right now, I
have to go, because I promised Paul Bunyan and Curly here that I
would help them go look for Moe and Larry.”
“Oh, I get it, it’s a game. You wanted me to keep an eye out for
Moe and Larry. I have time for just one round. Do you mind if I
make this one up for here in the house?”
“Well you see Mrs. Springyton, we don’t really have time–”
“Don’t worry Ocer Carson, I won’t keep you long. I still have
all this baking to do. As soon as we’ve finished, you boys can go
and look for Moe and Larry. Let me see. I have it, oh this is wonderful, I’ll pretend to be Alice Faye, and you can help me go and
Tyrone Power and Don Ameche, then, after we and them, we’ll all
gather by the piano and sing Alexander’s Ragtime Band. I hope
one of you gentlemen can play the piano, because I don’t know
Alexander’s Ragtime Band.”
Aside to Phil, Frankie said, “You hear that? Don Ameche’s in
again.”
“Yeah, I know,” Phil whispered back, “Seems like our Christmas
Eve is being visited by the spirit of Hedda Hopper present.”
“Mrs. Springyton, don’t you understand?” Officer Carson
pleaded, “This isn’t a game, I have to, that is we have to –.”
“Ocer Carson is right Mrs. Springyton,” Phil chimed in “We
don’t have time to help you look for Tyrone Power and Don
Ameche. It is very important that we take Officer Carson down
to the station to look for Moe and Larry, isn’t that right Ocer
Carson?”
“Yes-I mean no! It’s very important that I get you down to the
station to look for Moe and Larry, Curly. Or am I talking to Babe
now?”

“Babe? What Babe?” Phil looked around. “I don’t see any Babe.”
“Now, now, Curly don’t get excited. You know Babe is never very
far from Paul Bunyan.”
“Oh, that Babe. You’re right Officer Carson, I mustn’t get excited. None of us must get excited. If you want to talk to Babe,
you go right ahead. Paul Bunyan is right here, so Babe must be
nearby.” Phil turned aside to Mrs. Springyton. “It’s very important that we don’t do or say anything to excite anybody. Mrs.
Springyton. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to send
Mary Elizabeth to her room?”
“Why has she done something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. Mary Elizabeth has been a perfectly
charming and brave little girl. I just thought that maybe it
might be best that no children were present. just in case.”
“Grandmother, do I have to go?” Mary Elizabeth asked.
“No dear, I don’t see why you should.”
“Mrs. Springyton, I agree with Paul.”Officer Carson stated, “I
think it would be best if you’d take Mary Elizabeth up to her
room for a little while, just until I get these two out of here.”
“Until who gets who?” Frankie protested. “Curly, would you listen to him?”
“Now, now Paul, no need to get excited.” Officer Carson tried to
sound soothing. “Just a slip of the tongue. What I should have
said is ‘Until we all leave together.’ ”
“That’s right,” Phil said, “Then we can all go together and search
for Babe and Moe and Larry at the same time.”
“You gentlemen all seem a little confused.” Observed Mrs.Springyton.
“No, Mrs. Springyton,” said Ocer Carson, “I’m not the one
who’s confused. If I could only make you understand without
exciting anybody–”
“You’re not? We’re not confused either Mrs. Springyton.” Phil
said “It’s Officer Carson here, I’m sure he’s been working very
hard lately, and he probably just needs a rest, and we want to
make sure, that is we–”
The sound of the telephone ringing interrupted Phil.
“Excuse me gentlemen, while I answer the telephone. See if
you can sort this out….Hello… Oh, hello Mr. Gordon… Merry
Christmas to you too…Officer Carson. Yes, he’s here, just a moment…Ocer Carson, Mr. Gordon is on the telephone, he wishes
to speak to you.”
“Thanks Mrs. Springyton.” He gave a look to Phil and Frankie
as he took the receiver, “Now we’ll see who’s confused. Hello,
Carson here…Yes, you got a hold of them, all right. What did
they say?…Yes, yes, What? No patients from the state hospital? Said they would check that no one was missing
just to make sure…head count…What!…they couldn’t find anyone missing?…all accounted for! Ask them to check again…you
did?…Still all accounted for …All right Thank you Mr. Gordon…” Officer Carson hung up from the call. He turned to Phil
and Frankie. “I’m afraid I owe you two an apology.”
“An apology?” Phil asked, “What for?”
“That was Mr. Gordon on the phone, and he just told me that
Morning Rise Rest Home is not missing any patients.”
“Did you think we stole some of them?” Frankie asked.
“No, nothing like that. You see, Mr. Bunyan,I thought that you two were, say, what is your real name anyway?”
“Me? You mean you know I’m not really Paul Bunyan?”
“Of course I know that. What do you think I am, a dope?”
“Well, not to put it too bluntly we did think that you thought
that we really were Paul Bunyan and Curly Howard.”
“You did ? No kidding? That’s kind of funny.”
“It is?” Phil asked, “Yeah, I suppose when you think about it, it is
kind of funny.”
“Yeah, well wait to you hear something else and see if you
think this is funny, ‘cause I thought that you two thought that
you really were Paul Bunyan, and Curly Howard. Except I also
thought that you sometimes thought you were Babe the blue
ox.”
“Curly Howard and Babe the blue ox?”
“Yeah, sort of a split split personality. You’ve no idea what a relief this is. I kept worrying if I was gonna be able to get you guys
to the station without any trouble. I could tell you didn’t mean
any harm, and I really didn’t like the idea of having to konk one
of you on the head with this nightstick if you got out of hand.”
“That’s some relief to me too.” Said Frankie, rubbing the back of
his head.
“Yeah, same goes for me.” said Phil. “We were worried what to
do if you snapped all of a sudden just like that and started going
after people with that thing.”
“Oh no, that would be strictly against regulations.”
“Yes, but you have to remember, at the time, we thought youwere crazy.” Phil replied.

“Oh, well that’s different.”
“Yeah, so we decided we would have to knock you down, and
then I was gonna go for help, while Curly here sat on your chest
to keep you from getting away.” said Frankie.
“No Frankie, I was going to go for help and you were to stay and
sit on his chest.”
“That’s what you said at first, but then I pointed out that you
wouldn’t know where to run for help, this being your first day
in town, and besides you’re bigger than I am and would make
a better weight, so we agreed I was gonna run for help and you
were gonna sit on his chest. Remember?”
“That’s right, so we did. Ocer Carson, Frankie was going to run
for help while I sat on your chest.”
“And shoveling snowball sandwiches down your throat if you
tried to get away.”
“Yes, that too; and shoveling snowball sandwiches down your
throat if you tried to get away.”
“I’m sure glad you guys didn’t try anything like that. Striking
an officer and impeding him in the performance of his duty,
those are serious matters. You could have gotten into a lot of
trouble.”
“Really?” Asked Frankie, “About how much trouble?”
“Oh, I don’t know, let’s see, probably ninety days, maybe six
months.”
“Don’t forget about the snowball sandwiches.” Frankie added,
like a parent helping a child figure a story problem in math.
“Hmm, yeah, snowball sandwiches. I don’t know if there’s anything in the penal code about snowball sandwiches. How many
sandwiches are we talking about?”
Frankie shrugged. “Depends on how hard you struggled.”
“I don’t give up easily.”
“No? Better make it a dozen.”
“A dozen eh? “Officer Carson cleared his throat and thought for
a moment, “I’d say to be on the safe side, we’d better make it six
months to a year.”
“You sure? A dozen is twelve. Twelve months in a year. Doesn’t
that kind of just go together?”
“You’re right. Better make it a solid year, with time off for good
behavior.”
“You hear that Curly? What a close call you almost had. I sure
would have missed you brother.”
“Missed me? What are you talking about? You would be right
there with me.”
Frankie shook his head, “Uh-uh. I only helped knock him down.
You were the one who sat on his chest and stuffed him full of
snow. They’d probably let me off with about thirty days. What
do you say Officer Carson, does thirty days sound about right?”
“Well, let’s see, subtract the time for sitting on the chest and the
snowball sandwiches, taking into account for a first offense—
this is your first offense, isn’t it?”
“Officer Carson, do I look like the criminal type to you?”
Ocer Carson looked at Frankie, held his breath a moment, and
cleared his throat, “We’ll just let that pass and say it was your first offense. So, taking everything into consideration, I would say, yes, you are probably pretty close. I think you would get
thirty days, and he would get the full twelve months.”
“With time off for good behavior. Don’t forget that.” Frankie
patted Phil on the shoulder. “We do want to encourage him to
have good behavior.”
“As you say, with time o for good behavior.”
Frankie turned both hands palms up, “You see Phil, you’d been
in there for the full year, while I’d be out in thirty days. It’s an
open and shut case.”
Phil’s face had taken on a reddish hue by now, “Wait a minute,
wait a minute. You guys are getting carried away, so just slow
down or the next thing I know you’ll have me doing
ten years in Alcatraz. Now Officer Carson, I don’t mean to doubt
your knowledge of the laws of this state, but I must ask for your
attention while I remind you of one simple fact.”
“Sure, what’s that?”
“We thought you were crazy at the time! Not only crazy, but
liable to snap at any moment, just like that, and run amok with
that nightstick of yours, taking whacks at people and causing
general panic and confusion.”
“Oh, yes, well, I suppose if you testify that you thought I was
crazy, that would be of material interest to the court. Yes, I suppose that may cause the judge to reduce your sentence.”
“Meanwhile, what about you? Would you have anything to say
that might be of material interest to the court?”
“Me? Why I could… say, I could tell the judge that the whole
thing was just a big mix-up, that you guys didn’t mean any harm
at all, and that I thought you were just as crazy as you thought I
was. Why that should make a big difference, yessiree! In fact, I think you guys might even get off with a stern warning from the
bench.”
“You hear that Frankie? A stern warning from the bench.” Phil
crossed his arms in front.
“What’s to complain about? We can’t beat that.”
“We? You were trying to send me up for twelve months, when
Officer Carson here, who ought to know, once he considers all
the facts, says I should only get a stern warning from the bench.”
“I was just trying to show you that crime doesn’t pay. You
should know better than to sit on a policeman’s chest and shove
snowball sandwiches down his throat.”
Phil’s voice was now the loudest his sense of the proprieties
would allow him to use as a guest in someone’s house, “I do
know better than to sit on a policeman’s chest and shove snowball sandwiches down his throat. The only reason I was going to
sit on his chest in the first place was if he snapped just like that,
and to hold him down while you ran to get more policeman.
As for shoving snowball sandwiches down his throat, that was
your idea. Did you get that Officer Carson? The snowball sandwiches were his idea, not mine. O all the screwball notions,
I would have never dreamed of shoving snowball sandwiches
down your throat if my best friend here hadn’t put the crazy
idea–” Phil broke o. It was as if some sudden, pressing question
had just burst into his mind.
Phil resumed in a much more quiet, calm voice. “Officer Carson,
what first gave you the idea that Frankie and I were crazy?”
“You mean you don’t know?”…

You can read the whole story in “Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer” available in paperback and e-book at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1708759026

The post A Screwball Christmas in July. appeared first on listenviewreview.

You found me when I was sad,

you left me feeling glad.

What a friend you are

to one in need.

These moments I will

treasure

let me not take their

measure

let me simply revel in the

pleasure

of your company.

The post Dear Euphoria (Quick Take) appeared first on listenviewreview.

Thousands flee in alarm

a mad scientist with

a sick invention

spreading fear and causing harm.

Death Ray pointed at your hometown

Death Ray zapping up your street

it’s a nightmare in the daytime

when the man with the death ray speaks.

Giant monsters frightening thousands

thousands frightened, look what’s up there?!

One is looming up like a mountain,

one is swooping down from the air.

What started as a science project

that might work out with a bit of luck

has suddenly gang much agley

as giant monsters now run amok.

Creepy aliens probing thousands

thousands probed in much distress

except a few who kind of liked it

and are hoping for a second test.

Do they come to war and conquer?

Do they come in peace to just observe?

Creepy aliens have got us wondering

every time their spaceships swerve.

Bureaucrats cowing millions

millions cowed without hope

Bureaucrats make themselves essential

for many millions just to cope

What was once a legal process

is now done merely by fiat

so that many millions will believe their existence

depends upon a bureaucrat .

Mystery at the River’s Edge Video – listenviewreviewhttps://www.listenviewreview.com/mystery-at-the-rivers-edge-video/

The post Death Ray Scatters Thousands (and other Scary Things) appeared first on listenviewreview.

while you sit

sipping

in a public place

surrounded

and

alone.

This is pleasant enough.

People have travelled far

just to sit

in this same space

to see

this same view

to hear

these same sounds.

The rythym of the ocean

draws you in:

thoughts are dancing

across the silver tops of the waves

darting through

the aquamarine water.

Do the ideas coalesce?

Do the words take shape?

Or,

do the impressions

crash and jumble

one upon the

other

like wave

incoming

upon

wave

receding

on and on . . ?

Yet

if you wait

even this

which seems futile

and frustrating

is not without

purpose.

Here is waiting

in a pleasant place

surrounded by

voices

laughter

music.

Will these moments

suffice

to drive out the memories

of the pain you have endured?

Maybe not completely,

yet they are a start.

Take a slow breath

and give them a chance.

Does this waiting

fill a page?

Much more,

much more;

but so

unremarkable

is the description of

remaining still

while the golden afternoon

rolls along.

While the waves

roll along.

While the waves

crash and jumble

outside

inside.

Yet to

experience

such a thing

and to

recognize

the ideas

coalesce

is

remarkable.

The post Aquamarine and Silver appeared first on listenviewreview.

Each one of us with our mind,

active and fertile,

may host

several thoughts each,

all at one time,

and feeling grand and pleased

we come to ponder on

eternity.

Then, do these notions flee,

or simply dissipate

to make room for such a concept,

so very great?

Our minds are stretched

and filled with awe.

Before this universe

so immense

each one of us is

so very

small.

Smaller still will we perceive to be

if we dare

to compare

this universe

against which we pale

not to our own

minds

but to the

mind

that made it all.

The post Visions of the Universe appeared first on listenviewreview.

Gateway

Through the gateway I see

Leviathan

docile beneath the tide,

Behemoth

humbled in its pride,

the arm that subdued them both

with ease

the hand that shall not lose its hold

on me

as I work out my path each day

with fear and trembling

to the gateway.

The post Gateway appeared first on listenviewreview.

through the ugliness

of this culture

is not an easy thing.

I have a Master

who has shown me how,

Who loved me first

through all my ugliness,

Who loves me still

no matter how often I fall.

The post A Doxology appeared first on listenviewreview.

Water flowing from a channel

among rocks

of lava

in the surf

on the bay

at Kona.

2. The Wide-view

A yellow cloud of Tangs

surges and falls

with the swells.

I write a word or two

and pause to take a sip.

From the water glass

to the page

a droplet drips.

I see the words grow cloudy

but that’s okay

anyway

I write them down again

on the same page.

A spray of salt

sprinkles

the dove

and the sparrow

and I.

3. The Setting

Voices

Music

somewhere nearby.

Cecilia

is efficient

and kind

she refills my glass

we take our time;

the dove,

the sparrow,

and I.

More works by this author: https://www.amazon.com/author/morrisrk

You may also like: https://www.listenviewreview.com/zephyria/

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