DAILY PHOTO: Signage Win in Lusaka

Taken in Lusaka, Zambia in May of 2016

Taken in Lusaka, Zambia in May of 2016

 

Yes, it’s a sign for “Bump, Birth, & Beyond” (a maternity and baby related center from which Bed, Bath, & Beyond clearly stole inspiration) that–interestingly enough–is located adjacent to the Planned Parenthood office.

POEM: Conceit of Man

An elephant will never forget.
No car keys to misplace, I’ll bet.
A tiger is fearless, I will confess,
but it’ll never be audited by the IRS.

An owl may be wise; you can tell by the eyes.
But it’s never asked to comment on the size of a girl’s thighs.
Dolphins are smart ones, that much is true.
But, pray tell, who is in whom’s zoo?

In all domains humans think themselves the greatest.
And we are the very best of sadists.
You’ll never see a bonobo bureaucrat,
nor get tech support from a vampire bat.

At masochism, too, we’re none too shabby.
At the karaoke bar, ever see a tabby?
Ever seen a chimp with a nipple ring?
I’ll tell you now, that’s not a thing.

Our narcissism has grown beyond the pale.
One lifetime to the rocket from the sail
will give any species some cerebral swelling.
I’m not saying our’s isn’t a tale worth telling.
Let’s just make sure it doesn’t turn cautionary.
Basking in awesomeness, one forgets to be wary.
Next thing you know, super-smart apes are getting the itch,
or the Alpha Centaurians have made Earth their bitch.

POEM: A Dark Note to Jello

jello

Hello, Jello, my wiggly friend

It’s time you meet your fateful end

Perhaps, someday you will come back

But, having been through my digestive tract,

No one will ever love you like I did

[At least, let’s hope–heaven forbid]

POEM: Size of the Future

Microbots may one day kill
From nano-pills you’ll get your fill
One day everything will be small
Except rayguns and the mall

 

Those two will be colossally large
Like a present-day garbage barge
Heaped into a humongous hill
Headed to a continental landfill

 

 

POEM: 3 Haiku Day

circling hawk glides
I’m glad it’s not a vulture
I must be alive



still lake reflecting
a mountainous lay of land
hiding fish below



hissing wind gusting
through narrow leaves of bamboo
calling to no one

DAILY PHOTO: Give Me A Sign, Oh Lord–Not That Kind

Taken in December of 2015 in Saigon

Taken in December of 2015 in Saigon

IMG_0617

We saw this little chapel flanked by huge billboards for a vocational college and a beer. If anyone else was out on the river-walk that night, looking steepleward for answers, he must have concluded that he should settle for a career in HVAC repair and get wasted at his earliest convenience.

DAILY PHOTO: Top 3 Things Hue Bike Rickshaws Carry

#3 Care packages; Taken December 24, 2015 in Hue

#3 Party Supplies; Taken December 24, 2015 in Hue

 

#2 Filing Cabinets; Taken December 25, 2015 in Hue

#2 Filing Cabinets; Taken December 25, 2015 in Hue

 

#1 Other Bicycles: Taken December 25, 2015

#1 Lesser Bicycles: Taken December 25, 2015

DAILY PHOTO: A Cotton-Pickin’ Truck

Taken in November of 2014 in Fardapur, India

Taken in November of 2014 in Fardapur, India

 

In India:

Q: “How high can you load that truck?”

A: “How high is the sky?”

?????????????

DAILY PHOTO: Toy Store Cocktail

Taken on October 11, 2015 in Bangalore

Taken on October 11, 2015 in Bangalore

This is the “impulse buy” shelf next to the line for the register at a popular toy store. Thus confirming my belief that taking kids to a toy store might lead parents to get serious about their drinking.

DAILY PHOTO: The Sign That Tells You That You Just Walked Down the Wrong Alley

Taken on September 20, 2015 in Bangkok's Chinatown

Taken on September 20, 2015 in Bangkok’s Chinatown

 

I wonder if scale of the diagram is indicative of the degree to which each is a problem, or what?