mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Debt Ceiling
September 16, 2025
When we look up we see the gaudy chandelier
The tacky merchandise for sale
Reminiscent of eve of the French Revolution
If you cast your gaze downward
It’s clear that this foundation built on debt
Is a total illusion
Rendered Powerless
September 15, 2025
When time takes over the game
Ideas created for the sake of image
Postures assumed for looks
Turn out to be useless
In the face of tumultuous change
Pear With Me
September 14, 2025
To answer the question “How far can one elevate a cocktail experience?”, we turned to the Bellpine Bar high atop downtown Portland, Oregon. On the 20th floor of the Ritz-Carlton the bar delivers views, innovative drinks and snacks with the service that makes the Ritz so ritzy.
My husband had two delicious mocktails and I had a Pear With Me cocktail. Flavorful, garnished with a dried pear slice covered in sugar. I decided to eat the candied pear as a first course rather than sweeten my drink. It was crisp like candy apple. I sipped the complex mixture as we enjoyed the snack selection. Intense flavors paired well and peared well… A delicious treat with a stunning view.
The little log cabin built of French fried potatoes came with a delicate gravy lightly seasoned with truffles. The wontons contained spinach and peppers. The entire delightful evening was delivered with grace by our attentive server, Katrina.
10/10 highly recommended! Just don’t go there to save money.
Unconscious Consent
September 14, 2025
To what extent does unconscious consent
Rule your decisions?
If you don’t design your life
It will happen by default
Masters
September 11, 2025
Those who practice ceaselessly
Fine tune talent pushing towards excellence
Exercising creativity by stretching limits
Hopping past the predictions of fools
Mortgage Banking
September 7, 2025
Americans tell strangers within the first few minutes
What they paid for the house in which they live
What the rate is on their loan from the bank
Concluding with how much they think it’s worth now
This establishes the anchor to which they tie their ship
The ignorance and willful blindness is astounding
It perfectly explains how the country went broke
Cosmic Costuming
September 6, 2025
Camouflage is used to keep a story circulating
Despite facts, under the guise of cultural norms
Covering obvious gaps in the narrative
With ornamental details of flimsy platitudes
Fairies in the Berries
September 2, 2025
Do fairies truly reside in the brambles
Hiding within the blackberry camouflage?
Ask which berry is the ripest with sincerity
The answer comes straight away
Is it the plant or the fairies who respond?
Pandora the Robot
September 1, 2025
Pandora, who had a famous box,
Was a robot designed to deceive.
Hephaestus, blacksmith of the gods,
Crafted a perfect woman as a ruse.
This myth has been repeated for centuries
Yet the moral of the story is not perceived.
Poets Against Random Tomfoolery
August 31, 2025
Recently public discourse has been a great concern of mine. Some on line acquaintances have chosen to leave platforms or go dark. When one of my friends of many years announced his departure he published an excellent essay about living presence as opposed to on line activity. His words moved me but I was unhappy to lose a view of his daily life.
After consideration of his well written thoughts on privacy and awareness I decided to stay but make new use of the platform I have now. The poet who writes here is a part of my archetypal make up. It’s an artistic skill I want to develop as a tribute to my famous poet ancestor, Anne Dudley Bradstreet. I decided to channel myself into this practice in order to extract myself from the current political debate. I have not found participation in on line politics to be fruitful use of my time or energy. It seems to be a catalyst for social collapse.
I’m sticking with the idea that writing poetry is the most effective method of self care I know. It’s my current way to communicate on the internet without generating vexation. I certainly hope I become better at it, but for now it’s what I do. When I take care of dogs I sing improvisation dog songs in which my current client is the star. They often begin with so and so is a good dog, a funky good dog. They always get it and have no criticism of my work.
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