Peggy and the Snowy Night

Peggy and the Snowy Night

Peggy woke up on a cold wintery night.
It was snowing outside and it wasn’t yet light.
As she looked out the window to see the new snow,
She spied creatures out standing right there in a row.

Each stood straight and neat by the street on one leg.
With a bright shiny head that looked just like an egg.
They stood there in line by the light of the moon,
But Peggy just knew they might march away soon.

And where once were bushes there only were lumps
That curled up like kittens (except they were bumps).
Snug under white bed sheets, all comfy and cozy,
They’ll sleep until sunlight peeps out orange and rosy.

Now, Peggy could see that they needed some heat
Like her little Kitty that slept at her feet.
Soon they would be purring and stretching their legs
While mother stood cooking and scrambling some eggs.

And out where the car had been parked in the drive
Our Peggy could see a big monster alive.
The shadows were dark in the place where it sat
It must be a dragon, all shiny and fat.

With jewels on its shoulders and chrome on its nose,
Her dragon would wander wherever it chose.
If she could just wait without doing her chores,
She’d see it belch smoke and hear how it roars.

With so much new snow out, there’d be no school bus,
And Peggy could play out — No trouble or fuss.
If everything happened according to plan,
She’d make some snow angels and build a snow man.

Soon mother will call her to drink some warm milk
With sweet yummy chocolate that tastes just like silk.
With imagination her life is such fun
although her new world will soon melt in the sun.

But, always by dreaming new things that can be
Young Peggy can create the things she can see.
And all the wide world, even more than she knew,
Will open up to her before she is through.

David Satterlee

A New Story for America

Some stories that we tell about ourselves are constructive. Of course, we should want to be “the land of the free and home of the brave.” On the other hand, ideas such as defending “the American way of life” may be destructive. Huh? What was that?

This old American way of life has involved the belief that “we’re the best.” Although it is a practical impossibility, you can still hear it at every team rally. It involved the belief that everyone is special so that every child in a group had to receive an award for something. It involved the belief that “we deserve the best” just because we are us. We spent decades being urged to put anything we wanted on credit; America was going to spend its way into prosperity. And then the bubble burst.

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

A liberal discovers the true meaning of conservative inertia

I ran errands today. Every step helped to clarify a distinction between conservative and liberal values that has been itching in the corners of my mind: Conservatives like to harvest what they can; they tend to avoid risk and evade personal responsibility for needed change. Liberals like to create and build; they tend to take personal and collective initiative when change is needed.

I live in a conservative rural area and do business in a nearby conservative town. Everywhere I stopped to take care of an errand, I met a situation that needed improvement and people who felt no responsibility for making things better.

My wife, Dianna, and I had decided to cancel our regional newspaper subscription. The circulation representative told her that it was easier if we just let funds, already in our account, run out and so we agreed to accept daily delivery of birdcage liner for another six weeks. Naturally, we were surprised to receive a renewal notice in the mail. I took the invoice into the circulation department. A slightly huffy lady told me not to worry, that I had a stop-date card in the drawer and that’s just the way their computer works. I was irritated but held my tongue. I’m a retired computer systems manager and have strong sensibilities about responsible data management.