Jay Leno quote for today...

"If God had wanted us to vote,

He would have given us candidates..."

You either have to smile at this - or cry...

JH English

I remember where I was when our
English teacher asked us to write our
first poem.
We lived on Whidbey Island
and she asked us to step outside of ourselves
See life from a different perspective.
Be a dog, a cat, or a fish.
See what they see,
Feel what they feel, be...
At first I thought she was crazy
But then I became a tree,
A whale, a bird and a wolf.
This was fantastic!
I remember when I changed my name
So I could share my poems and verse
With friends and strangers and
Not feel it was all of me on the page...
John Islander was born, my other self.
He still is.
Sometimes John and I will get together
And share stories from our past
Like our Junior High English teacher...
Thank you for creating us.. :-)
-.-

JI/KWM
10/01/10

A Smile Upon Your Face

It's been three months since I had work
But there's a smile upon my face,
We packed the house and moved the kids
But we're in a better space,
And every afternoon when you come home
And lunch is set in place,
Yeah it's been three months since I had work
But there's a smile upon your face -

And life is hard and I never knew
What you'd do when I wasn't home,
The T.V.'s crap for morning shows
Unless you're an idiot and all alone,
Laundry, dishes, daily cleaning the house
A full time job I'll make no bones,
But it's all worthwhile - when I see you smile
And we're living in this happy home -

And as the days go by I realize
That I lost touch with you and the boys,
There used to be a time when we were younger
We'd play with them and their toys,
But at seventeen and sweet fifteen
They're plugged in and cyber bound,
It's so nice for me to sit, watch and listen
My own family I'm glad I've found -

Yeah it's been three months since I had work
But there's a smile upon my face,
We packed the house and moved the kids
But we're in a better space,
And every afternoon when you come home
For lunch that's set in place,
It's all worthwhile - when I see you smile
I like that smile upon your face ..

I love that smile upon your face -.-

JI/KWM
10.5.10

Love Gone In My World

All day long
I've tried to write a song
To say the way I feel,
To somehow make it sound for real
Without the need of breaking hearts,
And some times
It seems, that I can find the words
To put together
To somehow make it sound
A little better to the ear
But then
I break down and cry
I remember and my heart it dies,
The pain comes rushing in
I try to start again,
But then my eyes
They fill with tears
And I think of all those happy years,
When you and were one
And we both could touch the sun with love,
But now it all is gone
I wonder why it went away
I wonder why it couldn't stay
Around
For just a while...
It used to make me smile,
And I see it
Every now and then,
It's like a long - lost friends
You haven't seen in quite a while,
Oh, I wonder where the loves gone
in my world
I wonder why
the loves gone in my world...

JI/KWM
1983

Ellensburg again...

On September 1st, 2010, we returned to Ellensburg, the place where we had met, fell in love, and gotten married at the court house some 20 years ago. I was a graduating History major she was a special education teacher still in training. Our first son was born in Ellensburg and it seems only fitting that he'll graduate from Ellensburg HS next year.

So many miles we've traveled to wind up here. For three years I commuted to Yakima where I had my first teaching job at Davis High School. Walt Ranta was the teacher in the next room. I continued to work as a concert rigger on the weekends and throughout each summer at the Gorge amphitheater. I was able to meet every performer, got over 200 autographs and hundreds of photos from back stage to on stage. It was a different world then, no terrorists plots, no major wars, and the economy was humming along.

We spent 9 years working for the Yakima School District, I went back to school on the weekends and earned my Master Degree in School Administration from Heritage College in 1995 but didn't start working as a principal until 2000. Ten years later and now two teenage boys, and we're back at Central Washington University as my wife begins to finish her BA in English. She's been writing short stories for years and I've been composing verse, songs, and poetry for over 30 years now. One of us will be published in the near future - who knows, maybe we both will. :-)

Anyway, the town has grown for the better, the campus is magnificent, and the public high school is fantastic. Our boys have never been in a school of this size and they were blown away by all of the different class offerings they could choose from. We've been in small schools/ districts for the past ten years and this has been the best move yet!

Yes, I'm still looking for another job each week, but for the time being I'm going to substitute teach, get back in touch with my boys and my wife, and relive Ellensburg again...

Close To Your Heart

I want to tuck you in
I want to fold you in
my arms again,
I want to lock your body
tight
and hold you - close to my heart...

Yea, close to my heart
where you can hear the pumping
beating sound,
Close to my heart, as the
blood thunders by through my veins -
Close to my heart -
to stay ...

I want what you want
if you want me,
My hearts been seeking
a love mate tonight,
I want to lock up your smile
and drink from its well,
And hold you close
I want you close to my heart -

I want the laughter that
falls from your mouth,
I want that fire behind your eyes,
Holding your deep inside of me..
I hold the lock where your
heart now could be
I hold the lock - but you
you hold the key --

So let me pull you close
as you gently rub on my skin.
Let me hold you close
unlock the door and
let me in...
Close to your heart
where I can hear the bumping
beating sound,
Close to your heart
as your blood it thunders
through your veins...
Close to your heart - to stay -.-

Karl W. Miller
02.25.2004

If I Had The Time

I saw you yesterday
as you were passing by.
I felt the look of need
as I caught you with my eyes.
But as the world turns,
and the rush of life goes by,
I'd love to say I love you
if I had the time -

And if I had the time
I could see much more with you.
And if I had the time
there aint' no end to what we'd do.
I'd spend the day in your arms
so glad that you are mine,
I'd never want to let us go
if I could find the time -

If promises were rainbows
I'd be your pot of gold.
To find each night when you get home
and need someone to hold.
But as this world turns,
and the rush of life flows by
I'd love to say I love you
if I had the time -.-

Karl W. Miller
9.13.2003