Thirteen.

 13

“To believe in Satan is to cause him to come 

into being. Therefore do not believe in Satan 

and he will not exist.” Wise man my father. 

How come it is easier to get someone to believe 

in the Devil than an all powerful and loving God?

Was the Devil created to assist in causing belief 

in the supreme being? Would those who believe 

so strongly in one fail to do so without the other?

Is the Anti-Christ not far behind? Who is this 

Beelzebub and why do you want to date his sister? 

What if I was to tell you he is alive and well and living 

in the Whitehouse? Would you vote for him then?

Would you believe what he said? If I don’t believe 

in the Devil and he therefore ceases to exist,

can I do the same thing with the current president?

Markle-

29September2020

Eleven Point Five.

11.5

Sometimes when I’m trapped in the passenger 

seat for too long I imagine opening the door 

and taking a signpost to the head. I’m too 

chicken to do it of course but the mind once 

gone there will go where it will. The desperation 

of sunlight shining on a summer afternoon

can be frightening to the cold light of day.

I had to finish writing this for the sake of my

insanity. This was supposed to be number 11

but I found myself shying away from its truth.

Honestly, I don’t know why happiness

seems to come with more than my fair share 

of a pinch of salt. Still, anxiety lingers and

now I seem to be avoiding it all together.

Markle~

20September2020

Twelve.

12

Its easier to write on a rainy day. Is that intuitive? 

Should one already know that? Is one remiss 

if one misses? Quiet seems to be at right angles 

to thought on days like this. The occasional

passing of tires on a wet road is almost hypnotic 

in its soft rhythms. Air, flows in tandem, chasing

them down the street. The reverb trapped

in this room appeals to movement for the sound 

of my fingers upon keys. There is water being 

placed in the kettle through a doorway to the kitchen 

over there. There is a dog at my feet in the living room 

over here. And as I listen to the sound of my heart 

thrumming through a wardrobe of words I find 

it is easier to write on a rainy day.

 

Markle~

28September2020

Eleven.

11

My oldest progenitor who’s surname I carry lived 

to age 73. He died while praying. Killed by stragglers

who fled the battle. Sometimes they’re referred to as 

cowards. While his son’s were fighting amongst them 

selves. Well, technically with their relations. Maybe.

Only two survived the battle. Then one murdered 

the other to become king. He ruled they say for fifty, 

forty and even twenty six years depending on the 

source. Some say he had no issue. But DNA, and 

some conjecture, tells a tale. At the end of his reign 

he repented. Then went to Rome to beg a pardon 

from the Pope. Died there instead. So I’m descended 

from the bad guy. The one we always vilified. 

Now ain’t that a kick in the nuts. 

Markle~

22Sept2020

Ten.

10

I fear being trapped. Enclosed against  

my will. In a baler, in a cave, in a car. Trapped. 

And I put myself in these situations regularly.

When I’m buckled in, with my back up against it

I get riled. When I was young my older brothers 

taught me how to hunt and trap. The first thing 

I trapped made me sick. I had to stay after 

school that day. So I didn’t check my traps

till the next morning. Lo and behold I had caught

an opossum. Foot. The rest of the animal got away.

Got away because it had chewed it’s leg off 

to get out of the trap. We found it nearby. Wasn’t 

hard to track. Then we had to kill the poor thing. 

I don’t like feeling trapped. I’ll chew my leg off. 

16/Sept/2020

Markle~

Nine.

9

Sometimes standards are too high.

Sometimes standards are not high enough.

Sometimes the bar is raised as we make our 

assent causing us to seek another route.

Often we just give up. On occasion 

we persist for reasons not always apparent 

to us. I like to think that love is always the

guiding force in our lives. I can’t give in to

the idea that habit and resignation

are the real reason we peg away and bash on

steadfastly. Sometimes I find stepping 

back makes all the difference. If I can

find the patience to not shake the lambs tail

I can remember love. 

15Sept2020

Markle~

Eight.

8

Off day. We are climbing mountains; not just metaphorically.

The wind has picked up along the shore. Light on the bay 

is silvery again. We push ourselves through some moments

and are pulled by circumstance through others. If every 

moment were bliss; how then to know the difference?

I see a good friend with perspective of years and notice 

how he colors the past with the rose of time. We conquered 

a small peak with our puppy today for the first time. He did 

much better than we thought he might. Lem has added much 

to our relationship. With love, and a silvery light in our hair, 

as we walk together along the shore of this place in life, 

one hopes for many off days and many moments to color 

with bliss, the roses of time, while climbing metaphors 

in search of  balance.

14Sept/2020

Mark W. Ó Brien

 

Seven.

 7

We run in circles all our lives with abandon 

unaccompanied by joy. 

If we are privileged to live a good life 

by happenstance or persistence 

we may find something akin.

Released from the responsibilities 

of a lifetime of worry, boot straps, luck

laughter might come freely

even in the midst of an altered world.

Am I privileged by my DNA?

Would you do what I did for a living

and say I was privileged?

If you give yourself away for the ones you love

and find happiness in return, should you feel guilty?

11Sept2020

Markle~

Six.

 6

The trip to the coast is always stressful.

We really should learn to stay longer.

This time we will try it with the puppy.

Wish we could bring the cat, too,

but he doesn’t travel well. 

On the road now. Finally. Rain all the way 

there I should think. Lem is in his sling 

and has gone to sleep. His countenance 

becomes forlorn in the car. We stop 

for our seafood fix and Lem will not poo. 

Not sure puppy travels well either. 

It takes forever and we arrive with the rain 

after dark.  Not really sure I travel well,

come to think of it.

Markle~

10Sept2020

Five.

5

It’s quiet in the morning. Especially 

before I start the lawn mower.

No bells. No whistles. Just, morning.

It’s amazing how Jack Robinson the words

flow when your thoughts are as clear as 

a soft morning before you start the lawn 

mower. It’s muffled in the HPE headphones

but they lack the nuances of morning.

I almost feel guilty when I fire-up the rupp

waking the neighbors (and the sleeping pup

I let lie.) at the behest of my wife

who knows the sounds of morning

much better than I. It’s quiet in the morning.

“Why’d you have to go and do that?”

Markle~

09Sept2020

Four.

4

I’m eating a slice of cold pie for breakfast 

and it’s good. The puppy is snoozing, the cat is

on the porch doing likewise. I’m eating a pie!

I never imagined eating pie in the morning

with no place to go and nothing to do.

Well, nothing I couldn’t put off. Nothing

my boss would be upset about. Being 

off the clock is pretty awesome so far and

I wonder why I was afraid of it at first.

The puppy is snoozing, the cat is

on the porch doing likewise.

I think I’ll get dressed now and go outside.

Mow the lawn. Because I want to.

Then I think I’ll have another slice of pie.

Markle

09Sept2020

Three.

3

My wife is very very responsible actually

much more so than me as I’m apt to 

give away the farm if a person is in need.

Or they want a bike. Or an ice cream cone.

Because I’m not adverse to buying smiles

from the people I love. This includes my wife.

What makes her happy is when I’m responsible.

Which is hard because I really really like smiles.

And my wife. 

When my wife smiles I forget about 

the wolf at the door. The Covid thing. 

Wearing a mask. Not wearing a mask.

Dying horribly. Alone

with only the memory of her smile.

Markle 

09Sept2020

Two.

2

I first met my wife in my early twenties
while putting myself through college 
and working part time in a grocery store.
She came through my checkout line 
and bought a jar of custard 
baby food to eat on break. 
She opened the jar and sat down 
beside me on the windowsill eating 
her custard and whey giggling.
She smiled and I melted. 
Now she goes to parties unmasked
refuses to worry when it contravenes 

her freedoms and I have no 

control over my life.

Markle
09Sept2020

One.

1

Move on to the next thing.

Try not to notice.

Walk among the flowers 

ignoring the thorns.

You have learned finally that

you can’t change things

with righteous outrage.

Blood pressure is easily managed

with ignorance of the facts and

anger is for the young.

Struggling through life

takes too much energy now

and you no longer have the 

convictions of the converted. 

 Markle

08Sept2020