Wednesday, January 25, 2012

the poor you will always have


oh to be a conservative Christian
to preach the gospel of peace
while cutting funds
for the poor
let us join hands and pray
“thy kingdom come
but, dear God, don’t let it
be a welfare state”
give Ananias back his money
and be sure to silence
the beggar on the street
meanwhile, let us loudly proclaim
“those godless heathen liberals
want to spend, spend, spend
but, thank God Almighty
Jesus saves, Jesus saves!”

d.s.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

the dark pathway


blackness envelope me
night swallow me whole
hide the light from my eyes
darkness fall
from horizon
to horizon
stars call to me
a million angels
sing in silent praise
draw my gaze upward
in awe steal my breath away
be the desire of my heart
in this moment
in this place
place your path before me
show me where my soul must walk
the place no mortal will ever tread
the path is dark
and long
and cold
a thousand life times
is not enough to walk
the lonely trail
that stretches
from horizon
to horizon
for morning comes
and light will hide away
a secret
only darkness can reveal
d.s.

a stranger’s prayer


this is my prayer
that when i die
in you i will find life
and in that life
i will fly
i will run
i will dance
i will sing
i will visit every planet
that circles every star
that swirls in every galaxy
that fills the expanse of the universe
i will watch every star rise
and watch every star set
on every alien world
i will know as my home
time will wind on and on
like an old twisted cord
securing my place in eternity
and when the lights dim and die
when the last star in the heavens
flickers like a flame
and is at last snuffed out
creation will collapse
falling in on itself
and then explode again
the fires will be rekindled
light will fill the heavens
i will be born again
a stranger on an alien world
i will call my home
and i will look to the stars
and see your glory
believe in you again
and i will fall in love
d.s.

holiday on alpha 9

a lift to the stars
you wish you could build
to carry people to the heavens
consumers to the stars
entire planets
a single mall
solar systems for dumping garbage
a holiday on alpha 9
mining meteors
swiss cheese asteroids
money orbiting
flowing back to earth
fill the universe and subdue it


d.s.

some useful things


swords into plowshares
tanks into tractors
bombers dropping watermelons
with little pink parachutes
guns as walking sticks
inter-continental nuclear warhead ballistic missiles…
not as useful
d.s.

Perfect Sushi Rice


Perfect sushi rice is all about stickiness and texture. I am going to show you how to get both correct. First, let’s take a look at what you will need:
- bag of short grain white rice
- large mixing bowl
- strainer with holes small enough to keep rice from slipping through
- measuring cup
- stainless steel pot with lid
- timer
- wooden spoon
- large flat wooden bowl
- rice paddle
- sushi rice mix powder
- small fan
Measure and Wash Rice
First, measure 2 to 3 cups of rice. Pour the rice into a large mixing bowl. Next, you need to wash the rice. Even if the bag says that the rice is washed it is still not clean enough to stick together properly. Fill your bowl with cold water from the tap. Stir the rice with your hand for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour the water off slowly being sure not to lose any rice. Fill the bowl again and repeat the process until the water runs clear. This may take 10 or more washes so be patient. If the rice is not washed properly it will not be able to stick together effectively.
Dry the Rice
Empty your rice into a strainer and let the rice dry in a place where the water can drain safely for 30 minutes. This step helps with the over all texture and actually makes the rice whiter. The rice may not be completely dry after 30 minutes but this is not a problem.
Cook the Rice
Place the rice into a stainless steel pot and place it on your stove. Measure one cup of water for each cup of rice. Pour the water into the pot. Turn the burner under the pot to the highest setting. While the rice is heating up, stir a few times to make sure that none is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Do not stir aggressively. Over stirring will break down the rice and defeat the point of the washing process. Once the rice comes to a boil, cover the pot immediately with the lid and reduce the heat to low. After reducing the heat, set a timer for 15 minutes. Do not for any reason remove the lid. Removing the lid will ruin the entire process. The steam inside of the pot is what cooks the rice once the water is absorbed.
When the 15 minute timer goes sounds, turn the heat off. Remove the pot from the hot burner and place it somewhere to cool for another 15 minutes. Again, do not remove the lid for any reason. When 15 minutes is up the rice is fully cooked.
Cooling the Rice
Gently scrape your cooked rice from the pot into a large flat wooden bowl. Sprinkle a small amount of sushi rice powder mix onto your rice. Follow the directions on the mix to find the exact amount needed. Place the bowl on a counter and point a small fan at the bowl. As the fan is blowing on the rice gently stir the rice with a cutting motion. Stirring the rice correctly will help separate and cool the rice without damaging it in the process. Stir the rice for 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice is completely cool.
Test the Rice
Wet your hands to keep the rice from sticking to your skin. Grab a small hand-full of rice. Gently close your fingers around it and lightly press it together. Now open your fingers and allow the rice to rest in the palm of your hand. If all went well. the rice should hold the shape you pressed it into. and individual grains should not fall off easily.
Use or Store the Rice
It is best to use the rice immediately but it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before use.
d.s.

acorns

i watched the autumn wind
blowing the leaves
as though the tree reached up
to shake the dead ones out of it’s hair
there were acorns there as well
glorious acorns
each one a perfect creation
i marveled at them
the acorns
and the leaves
at the trees
and the wind
and the cycles
the wheels
forever turning
the leaves
forever falling
piling at the base of the tree
rotting
enriching the ground
for the acorns that would follow
that would
die
and live
to be born again!
perfection
no one has ever seen
or heard of anything like it
before, or since
a cycle
a wheel that spins on a greater wheel
and turns other wheels altogether
the cycle of life
and death
which is only the flip side of life
and we will see both many times
as the wheels roll on and on
forever
unchanging
as another acorn falls to the ground


d.s.

there your heart will be also

the economy
what a joke
ever a lie
false profit
paper gods
does the economy hold back the rain?
will a squash grow if the market crashes?
will a hen cease to lay
if employment hits an all-time low?
the sun still shines
the worm still tills the fertile ground
the stars still mark
seasons days and years
throw off the shackles of wealth
find the rich abundance of a tomato
milk a goat like an unemployment check
given freely
bank on dirt
invest in compost
count on the dividends and yields
of strawberries
gather homeless berries
and put them to work in a pie
don’t be a fool for gold
when trees drop pecans every year


d.s.