I Seriously Doubt It

 

There seems to be

a mental storage closet in my 

chameleon brain

placed there by either

millions of years of evolution

or a flaw in the great design

whose sole purpose 

is to keep certain 

images and melodies

locked away and long forgotten 

until some mental misfire

of questionable origin demands

we reach in and dust off 

these ancient memories 

for further inspection

like my young joy at being

picked for kickball that day 

during 6th grade recess

or the image of my father smiling

when he looked at me holding

his first grand daughter.

I sometimes wonder

if these random thoughts could be 

generated by bits of cosmic energy 

telling us a review is needed to make sure 

something of significance was not overlooked 

and its life lesson received.

But

after further review

I seriously doubt it

because

try as I might

I could find no reason why 

I woke up this morning with 

‘Danke Schoen’ by Wayne Newton

playing in my head.

Perhaps

there’s a lesson in there

somewhere.

Ken Owen   September 2023

Van Niddy Press

What The Hell is Wrong with People?

how many times a day

do you find yourself

saying

out loud

to no one



        what the hell is wrong with people?



once or twice

might fall within 

an acceptable range given 

the way things look lately


but any more than that

and it may be time to

turn off the news

and quit clicking on

headlines for a while


and you might consider

taking a long walk

on a beautiful trail

in a park or meadow


and hopefully

you won't see

any trash scattered about

or dog poop left unattended

that would cause you

to say

out loud

to no one



    (well…you get the idea).




-written while eating breakfast and clicking on headlines



Ken Owen     August 2023
Van Niddy Press

The Sum of All Roads Taken

Photograph by Dianne Woods

this is 
who i
am now

the sum
of all
roads taken

choices made
that built
the journey

were destined
to bring
me here.

this is 
who i
am now

the sum 
of all 
roads taken

the heart
now steady
with gratitude

the soul
glows warm
in reflection.

this is
who i
am now

the sum
of all
roads taken

fear guides
not my
final steps

the view 
from here
is mine.


Ken Owen    August 2023
Van Niddy Press

The Latest Fad

It seems to me that 
little white Tesla cars
are breeding like rabbits.

They’re everywhere.

I remember the good old days

when only rich engineers from the valley

could afford the newest luxury

in automotive technology

but at least those folks 

could actually drive their Teslas

like spoiled kids with a new toy

zip whoosh gone

down the freeway

and quickly out of your 

experience.

Now

the novelty of

owning this latest fad

has been passed down 

to the masses

who still don’t know

how to drive 

or park in the parking lot 

at Trader Joe’s

no matter what they drive.

Tesla Cars: the Boston Terriers of the automotive world.

Ken Owen   August 2023

Van Niddy Press