The Daily Poem

THREE NUMBERS & A WORD

There's a shuffle of cards in a stack

And each has a word on its back.

You look through the pile

It takes you a while

Until you flip over the "jack."

You track the full number of flips

And write it on one of the slips

You find with the pen,

Then do it again,

But this time you're looking for "strips."

Then taking the cards you've learned

To shuffle and stack and turn,

You go tenth to the end

For the word to send

And the word you must send is "burn."

If the word isn't what I've decreed

And the numbers aren't powers of three

Then give it a rest

'Cause you've faily the my test

Of a random ability.

D. Edgar Lamp

TheDailyPoem705

Limerick Stanza

Portland, Oregon

Lat: Long:

JOURNAL: AmTrak Sleeper from Seattle, WA to Emeryville, CA

~ The Daily Poet

GENEROUS JENNIE

The generous therapist, Jennie,

Never charged more than a penny.

    But with ten million clients

    And cool self reliance

Her six figure income was plenty.

D. Edgar Lamp

TheDailyPoem660

Limerick

South Pacific Ocean, bound for Bora Bora

JOURNAL: Ocean Princess (34th Night)

~ The Daily Poet

PARTY FAVOR

Madam Bernard Pirot,

Deciding to make a show,

    Spun round in her dance

    Without any pants—

But 'Nard in her arms didn't know.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 520

Limerick

Paris, France

Lat: 48.86, Long: 2.35

JOURNAL: "A ROOM IN PARIS" Bed & Breakfast

~ The Daily Poet

INTUITION

Corrupted by a noise,

    I paused to look again,

But something like a choice

    Took hold and drew me in.

I wasn't really sure,

My confidence impure;

I did my best to stop it,

To pin it down and pop it,

    But just as I

    Gave one last try,

I let my logic drop it.

D Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 505

"Limerick Ballad"

Cordoba, Spain

Lat: , Long:

JOURNAL:  Maimonides Hotel

~ The Daily Poet

TABLE FOR FOUR

I'm here on the roof of the world;

    Everyone lives underneath.

I drop in a dollar or two;

    They send up an aperitif.

I drop in a few dollars more;

They send up a table for four.

There's three comfy chairs I can spare;

Come join me and take to the air.

    I'm here on the roof;

    I've got living proof,

There's room at the top of the stairs.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 496

"Limerick Ballad"

Marrakech, Morocco

Lat: 31.63, Long: - 8.00

JOURNAL:  Riad Safa

~ The Daily Poet

THE HUNCHBACK OF BAD NEWS

He's like a giant tortoise walking

    backward in the wind,

Or like a testimonial

    from someone who has sinned.

As slow as melting ice,

He's never very nice,

And everything about him pains

    like elbows freshly skinned.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 490

"Long Limerick"

Accra, Ghanna

Lat: 5.56, Long: - 0.20

JOURNAL: AirSide Hotel

THE SERENGETI YETI

Here in the vast Serengeti,

There's not enough loch for the Nettie,

    But out on the plain,

    The chances remain

Quite good for a glimpse of the Yeti.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 465

Limerick

Zara Wild Camp, Serengeti

Lat: Long:

SAFARI KRISHNA

She's called Safari Krishna

She's never gonna miss ya

One way or another

She'll call you her brother

And then she'll come droolin' to kiss ya.

She's called Safari Krishna

She's gonna try to fish ya

A little sweet mojo

To access your info

And then she'll conveniently ditch ya.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 439

Limerick Stanza

Johannesburg, South Africa

Lat: Long:

JOURNAL: Die Agterplaas Bed & Breakfast (Melville)

~ The Daily Poet

THE WORLD ISN'T FLAT ANY MORE

The world isn't flat any more

The corners and pillars aren't four

No far distant reaches

Where dragons give speeches

Then roast you for dinner like boar.

There's nothing above or below

No fires of hellish red glow

And nothing goes round us

But rock lunar moon dust

Above us the star millions go.

The mysteries of earthward and sky

Corrected dissected and dry

Are there on the shelves

No faeries no elves

No giants to sit with and cry.

I miss the dark ages of yore

The fable rich stories of lore

With the web and the net

I forget to regret

The world isn't flat any more.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 428

Limerick Stanza

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Lat: , Long:

JOURNAL: O Veleiro Bed & Breakfast

~ The Daily Poet

A SPARK FOR JESPER OLSEN

The world-running runner named Jespa,

Refused every offer to Vespa,

He ran all the way,

No chase car delays--

His road man was Nicola Tesla.

If ever he needed a jumper

He'd just sally up to the bumper

And Nikki the Tes

Would brew up the best

Electrical java de-slumper.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 419

Limerick Stanza

Santiago, Chile

Lat: -33.43, Long: -70.57

JOURNAL: Bellavista Home Bed & Breakfast

We hung out at the B&B all day. Both of us suffering a bit from intestinal ailments. Nothing major, though. Mimi did her famous travel-agent thing and got all our tickets bought through to Cape Town, South Africa--I directed, advised, and provided the credit card number when ever she needed it read aloud to her. She's an awesome trip planner. I walked out and bought some food to make lunch. Over lunch in the patio, I struck up a conversation with Jesper Olsen, who is doing his World Run II. He's already done the North to South Section from Norway to Cape Town, and is not doing the South to North segment from Punta Arenas to Nova Scotia. He's an amazing individual; very inspiring to me. We swapped e-mails and websites and promised to keep in touch during the year ahead. He intends to complete his South-To-North segment in July 2012. Since we'll be back to the States in February, perhaps we could go out to Nova Scotia and cheer him in across the finish line.

He basically runs a marathon every day; 40 km. He never rides and he never walks. If he gets winded as he did running over the Andes at 4000m, he stops for a few minutes to rest and then begins running again. His run will be the first Round The World run fully documented by GPS. He carries a handheld GPS which tracks his movements continuously. Once, he discovered that it had not recorded for an entires days' run. So, he repeated the run. Getting the run documented on GPS is very important to him. He's nearly 40, but you'd never know it. He's in incredible shape--a lean, mean, globetrotting machine. He said his all time favorite area was the three months he spent running through Eastern Siberia. He suggested that we do our best to get off the train and spend a couple days with the villagers. When he told them that he was a tourist, they asked, "What's a tourist?" He suggested we pick up a Russian newspaper when we get off so when we are just hanging around we can "read" the paper, which sends the message that we are in no hurry. Otherwise, if you act like you're a typical watch-watching American, they will probably put a few roadblocks and delays in your path, just because they can. He told me that Russians and Americans showed the greatest interest in his running challenge, and really wanted to know about and be a part of it, unlke the people in his hometown of Copenhagen. Evidently being a stand-out, or doing something that brings you personal notoriety is not looked upon as a good thing. Being a socialistic country, it's all about the team, not the individual. So, he's a bit of a renegade as a company-sponsored world running celebrity; not your average Danish man in the street. He went back to work when he completed his first run at the end of 2005, but soon received offers to come and speak to athletic groups, clubs, and companies as a motivational-type speaker. Suddenly making more through lecturing than working his job, he just quit his job. How very cool...! And he truly does have an awesome story to tell. His will and determination are incredible. And plus, he's just such a nice, down-to-earth guy. I'm so glad I got met him. I will follow his run with relish. His website is:

www.WorldRun.org

He's hoping to be on his way again by Thursday. The chase car they are using keeps breaking down, overheating, needing jump starts and the like. They've got their eye on a used car for $5000. There's a two-man film crew working with him. They will be making a documentary of his World Run.

~ The Daily Poet

IGUANA PILE

Three thick Amblyrhyncus cristatuses,

Crawled up on an isle of Galapagus.

    They started a pile,

    That grew to a mile,

To keep themselves warm, the hypothesis.

These cool exothermic reptilians

All piled up high by the millions

    They snorted & sneezed

    Whenever they pleased

Those snotty volcanic vaudevillians.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 397

Limerick Stanza

Galapagos Islands

Lat: , Long:

JOURNAL: Galapagos Legend Cruise Ship

~ The Daily Poet

THE DOG ON THE CHAIN

The dog on the chain looks thin

With nothing but rain in his tin

    If no one comes by

    He'll certainly die

So I tossed him my chicken skin.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 371

Limerick

Marigot, Dominica

Lat: 15.54, Long: -61.27

JOURNAL: Rashawna's House

Cherrios and milk for breakfast...two bowls!  My stomach was purring with the simple fare.  That's the trouble with traveling, too much rich restaurant food.  Mimi rearranged the living room furniture, discussing various possibilities with Rashawna while I tried to remain as Switzerland-like as possible reading FREAKONOMICS.  Badly in need of internet, Mimi and I walked down to Pagua Bay Bar & Grill where they have free WiFi and a terrific view.  We had cheese burgers for lunch.  Zarifa, the girl running the place is from Brooklyn, New York.   She will be returning in April to go back and pursue a career in Geriatric Nursing and then come back.  Rashawna stopped by on her way to a meeting with some Farmers about setting up a co-op.  She came back a couple hours later to say that no one had showed.

~ The Daily Poet  

WASH DRY & FOLD

We're down at the Wash Dry & Fold,

It's a happening place we've been told,

   There's Mary's next door,

   Senoritas galore,

Both the beers and the dryers are cold.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 354

Limerick

Orlando, Florida

Lat: 28.54, Long: -81.38

JOURNAL: Pinetree House

Breakfast at White Wolf Cafe.

Met Ali at Living Morocco.

Finished cleaning out Newcastle.

Walk-through with Donna at 1400 at Newcastle.

Lunch at Lowes; hot dogs and girl scout cookies.

Home Depot, where we selected paint colors for the house; Behr paint--Cafe Cream (beige)for walls and Heavy Cream (white) for trim. 

Saw King's Speech starring Colin Firth.

~ The Daily Poet

STANLEY McGHAN

Young Stanley Mauritius McGhan

An odd geographical man

   Had septuplet sons

   And named every one

After countries that ended in Stan.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 353

Limerick

Orlando, Florida

Lat: 28.58, Long: -81.38

JOURNAL: Pinetree House

Breakfast with John and Rosalie for our last meal on the train.  They're both just retired and taking their first trip post-retirement to Orlando.  John was a road worker for 34 years, and when the county offered him early retirement, he jumped at it.  Rosalie worked in the Risk Management Department handling non-worker's comp disability cases.  They intend to see the entire United States over the next four years, one quadrant each year--Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest--six months of travel, six months back home on Long Island, New York..  And since Rosalie doesn't like to fly, they will be traveling by car and train.

We ran into Dee in the club car after breakfast.  She was playing Mah Jang on her laptop.  She invited us to join her at her table.  Lots of New New Yorkers on the train heading down to Florida to excape the cold and snow for a while.  Lots of Italian and Jewish accents.  Dee told us that she had actually talked to the guy who jumped off the train in Harper's Ferry shortly before he jumped.  She said his eyes were red, and even his eye lids were red, squinting through slits.  He seemed agitated, always walking back and forth.  Most likely methamphetamines.

I fired up the WiFi and Mimi showed Dee how to get online using our hotspot.  She was thrilled to finally get to answer a few of her 81 e-mails that had accumulated in her in-box.  I was still feeling sleepy and so I just looked up elevations, latitudes and longitudes; my form of a brainless game, like Solitaire.  Maybe it's a offshoot of my years in management.  I like to track data over time and see how it changes, look for interesting patterns, see what the numbers can tell me.  Now what would really make it sweet, is a few charts and graphs.

Rented a Hertz at the Amtrak station.  He was going to give us a little economy car of some kind until we said we wanted to return it to the Orlando Airport, even though there would be a small extra charge.  "Since you're returning it to the airport," he said, "I'm going to give you something a little better."  He gave us a 2010 Toyota Prius.  How cool.  I've wanted to drive a Prius since they first came out, but have never taken one for a test drive.  Mimi and I discussed getting one, but thought they were a bit pricey.  The attendant walked us out and introduced us to our very smart and efficient driving machine.  No key; just a button that lights up when you get inside and press on the brake.  Push the button and the dash lights up, "Welcome to Prius" is briefly displayed on the dash.  All the buttons, even the gears are toggle switches.  Toggle to "R" with "gear shifter" and it starts to beep quietly reminding you that you are in reverse.  No rev on an engine as you back up, just a next-to-nothing hum.  Toggle to "D", the beeping stops and you begin moving forward.  It keeps track of your speed, distance, and MPH for Trip A as you drive.  If you really pay attention to your acceleration, and take it easy, you can really effect the overall MPG.  When you let off the gas and glide, your MPG goes to 100, which is the maximum, and energy actually starts going back into the battery.  Also, when you brake, the friction of the brakes causes energy to again flow back into the battery.  It's very intriguing.  Reminds me of my Cesna flight here in Orlando a few months ago.  I watched the dials and gauges so much that I got a little queazy and had to look out at the horizon a while to acclimatize.  Mimi made sure I kept my eyes on the road.

We drove over to Pinetree and dumped off our luggage and took a look around, then went over to Newcastle and immediately set to work.  As we drove up to the house, I saw the 1953 Ford pick-up still sitting there.  I couldn't believe it.  The guy I gave it to said he would have it out of there in a week.  Unbelievable.  I got on the phone and called ASAP Towing.  They came right over and hauled it off; no fuss, no muss, no charge.  The yard looked like crap.  The guy I'd hired to keep the yard had done a quick careless mowing job, and that's all.  There were still dozens of bits of trash, glass, cigarette butts and what not from the yard sale we'd had three months ago.  No edging, no dead leaves raked, just a cursory mowing job.  As I was hauling the remaining junk from the house out to the curb, who just happens to show up like an angel of mercy?  Jim Weeks, the guy who helped me haul the stuff from Newcastle to Pinetree last time.  He runs a yard maintenance business, as well as simple remodeling and hauling.  "I was just going to call you." I said.  We took a walk around the house discussing how it should look, what should have been done, expectations.  He asked me what I was paying the other guy and agreed to do it for the same price, "But I'll really do the job." he said.  He agreed to start on Monday.

So with the jalopy moved, and a new yard guy lined up, I was feeling better again.  I cleaned out the garage, and Mimi did the kitchen until it got dark.  I ran over to Amalfi, a local Italian restaurant and bought a chicken ceasar salad for Mimi and Pasta Primavera for me.  Mom called while we were eating and talked to Mimi about the mail that was arriving.  I got a $10 and some cents check from Eisenhower Medical Center, some sort of refund for something.  The last job-related money I'm going to see in a long time.  Mom will be depositing any checks that arrive for us during our trip at Compass Bank in Idyllwild.  She's already had a couple guys over to help her with things.  I think she's going to do just fine.

Back at Pinetree, where we decided to sleep in the nice clean living room; Mimi on the couch and me on the floor beside her.  Mimi cleaned out the upstairs bathroom so we could take showers.  No water leaking through the ceiling.  That's a good thing.  I'm pushing Mimi to not spend our entire time here in Orlando puttering around the houses.  I'd really like to see the Everglades and Key West before we fly out on the 16th.  Once we get back, I'm sure Mimi is going to love buying fix-er-uppers.  She's a great project manager.

President Mubarak of Egypt stepped down today.  Sad to see a man lose the respect of his people.  But good for them for not tolerating his extravagant lifestyle.  No TV at either house, so I didn't get to see President Obama's comments on the matter this afternoon.  We'll be heading to bed early tonight.  Both of us tired after a night in coach, and then cleaning all afternoon.  But it's that good tired feeling; a feeling of accomplishment.

TOYOTA 4RUNNER: Idyllwild to Palm Springs = 46 miles

TEXAS EAGLE: Palm Spirngs to San Antonio to Chicago = 2622 miles (2668)

CAPITOL LIMITED: Chicago to Washington D.C. = 764 miles (3432)

SILVER METEOR: Washington D.C. to Orlando = 899 miles (4331)

~ The Daily Poet

FOOL'S GOLD

A word to the wise will suffice

But a fool though you say a thing twice

   Will still do it wrong

   And he'll string you along

Insisting you pay the same price.

D. Edgar Lamp

The Daily Poem - 306

Oakhurst, California (Sierra Sky Ranch Resort)

Limerick

JOURNAL:  What a great day!  Breakfast at Pete's Place, then off to Yosemite.  Bought chains for the cars in Fish Camp and into the Park we drove at 25 miles an hour top speed.  But the fresh snow from last night made every turn of the road of delight.  We hiked up to Bridalvale Falls and then drove by El Capitan, getting out to admire its majesty.  Mom was in heaven.  We all had a really good time.  Back in Oakhurst we had pizza at Round Table for dinner and then Nini took us over to Me&Ed's Pizza for some Cinnamon Roll Poppers.  Yum!  Hugs all around and we said our goodbyes.  I really like Ray and Derek.  They are both good men that are worthy of my daughters.  At last!  Tonight I am one happy man!

NO CASH VALUE

Accountants and lawyers and banks;

What antics, what tricks, and what pranks!

   For all your advice,

   It's been very nice;

Accept this small token of thanks.

a Limerick

written in Idyllwild, California

for The Daily Poem

on October 5, 2010

by D. Edgar Lamp

U-TURN IN MEXICO

On walking back into the U S of A

To ask a policeman the simplest way,

   "Don't go this direction

   Without an inspection!"

Then curbside and cuffed I responded, "OK."

On a Border-To-Border Ride 

~ D. Edgar Lamp (Limerick)

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/partners/tio/images/i5corridor.gif" alt="See full size image" height="80" style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: 1px solid; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 10px 10px 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px solid" />

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_5_in_California

SUNSHINE 7

We took what we could from the soil;

The timber, the water, the oil.

   Now we're solar as hell,

   And we're doing quiet well,

In our igloos of luminous foil.

~ D. Edgar Lamp (Limerick)

A. C. BACALL

The clockmaker giant called "Big Time" Bacall

Said, "Honey, our son is so minutely small

   I think we should christen him

   Anak Chronism

He's only as short as my long hand is tall.

~ D. Edgar Lamp (Limerick)

THE ASTRONAUT STRIPPER

The astronaut stripper confessed,

"My zero-gravity breasts

   May flatten I fear

   In the atmosphere,

So please let's get on with these tests."

~ D. Edgar Lamp (Limerick)