The World According to Cosmos – Poetry and Rants

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
April Poetry Madness 2021 Poetry from the Mad Cosmos

April 20 to April 25th 2021 Poems

April 16 to April 20 2021 Poems

Justice In America, Take That, Ann Coulter

!April 10 to April 14 2021 Poems

April 16 to April 20 2021 Poems

April 1 to April 5 Poems

April 1 to April 5 Poems

Cosmos 2020 April Poetry Part Two

Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part One

April 2019 Poems Cosmos 2020

April Poetry Part Two

April 2018 Poems

2017 April Poems

April 25 to April 30 2021 Poems

This is the fifth and perhaps final time I am doing the April poetry challenge. The goal is to write at least one poem per day. I am averaging about eight per day and posting four reserving four as “unpublished”. I am basing the poems on prompts from “Writing com Dew Drop Inn”, “Writers Digest”, “Poetry Superhighway” and “NaPoWrMo” prompt daily prompts and on “Pensively Prompt’ et all daily prompts. I am combining prompts where possible. I will post these here in batches every five days or so. Each poem will have an image that helped inspired the poem. All postings will be podcasted a few days later on Spotify and elsewhere. Each posting will be a separate posting, but the index will be cumulative. The final posting will have the complete list of all poems written whether posted or not. Comments welcome but please keep it civil. Some of my poetry tends to be a bit “in your face” or “political” from a “leftwing perspective.”

If it offends you in some way, please accept my apologies in advance. That is never my intent.

I am writing some other poems per day but not posting them as I need to reserve some “unpublished” poems. There will be a podcast version shortly on Spotify, Public Radio, and elsewhere.

These are my poems from April 25 to April 30.

Pre-April Writer’s Digest Warm-Up Poems

Let’s Resolve Writer’s Digest Prompt Resolutions
There Are Many Moments Spirit of The Stairs Moments-Writer’s Digest Prompt, Writer’s Digest
Old Man Reflects Upon Universal Truth, Writer’s Digest Prompt
Almost Died 22 Times Writer’s Digest Cheating Death

Thursday, April 1, 2021

Posted

Coffee Pot Blues Poetry Superhighway Prompt
Who Is Jake Cosmos Aller? Writer’s Digest
Good Golly, Miss Molly Writing com Drew Drop Inn
Sam Adams Woke Up Dead NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Cat Thoughts – Pensively
Gingerbread Men Christmas
Demons Invade My Head, Pensively
Angry, Fierce, Deranged, Unpalatable Wild Things Wild Things
3 Am Blues Nightmares
Marjorie Taylor Green on Vaccines as Mark of The Beast Found Poem
Orange country Shooting Fridge

Friday, April 2, 2021

Posted

Stranded on Mars PSH SF
Falling in Love with My Dream Woman, Roads Not Taken NaPoWrMo
April 2—Voila! (Remember Something in A Short Lyric Burst) Drew Drop-In Writing Com
Love at First Sight
The Future Is Here Writer’s Digest

Not Posted

Avoid Bad Things Pensively Bad Things
The White Rabit Bekons Sam Adams
We Should Avoid Bad Things
Who Cares?

Saturday, April 3, 2021

Posted

Life as a Retired Expat in Korea PSH
Modern Connections Writer’s Digest Communication
Modern Connections Writers Digest
Surprise Haiku Writing Com Dew Drop Inn
Personal Universe Deck Superman on Mars NaPoWrMo Cross-Post Writer’s Digest April 4^th! NaPoWrMo
Cat People Cross-Post Weather Poem Writing Com Dew Drop Inn

Not Posted

Cats They Offer Pensively
Tucked in Eating Dinner Pensively
Georgia Voting Bill Fridge
Cat Conference

Sunday, April 4, 2021

Posted

Error Poem Errors in My Life Pensively Homophone Set Homophone
Little Houses on The Hill-Side NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Life Fair? Pensively Meaning of Life
The Din of The News Pensively

April 5

Posted

First Time I Saw Her Writer’s Digest Love at First Sight
Not Alone NaPoWrMo
Potential Mistake Writing Com Dew Drop Inn

Not Posted

Slogans for Chonnam’s Kombucha
Future Adventure Looms Pensively
Sam Adams Had A Bad Day Pensively
How Many Angels Can Dance on A Pin?
Swanky Meddlesome Fridge Music
Bad Product Design Bad Product Design

April 6

Posted

Only One Command in Life Writing Com Dew Drop Inn
Writing Com Dew Drop Inn and PSH Mythical Animal – Conversation with Bigfoot Cross Post PSH
It is true I am a Madman! NaPoWrMo
The One Thing I Would Never Change Writer’s Digest Change, Don’t Change Poem Prompt Change the One The Poetry of the Visa Line Poetry Superhighway Prompt Consular

Not Posted

Women contemplating post-Covid travel Pensively
Sam Adams Nightmare Pensively

April 7

Posted

Villains Whose Name Will Not Be Spoken Writer’s Digest
COffee Shadorma NaPoWrMo
Coffee Fib NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Korean Restaurant
Ghosts Pensively
Taking in the Morning’s Crisp Springtime Breeze Pensively
Bah, Warriors Off Fridge
Visions of the Future – Republican Led Christian States of America Political

April 8

Posted

A Poem Based on a Typo or Misreading Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Typo
Real Meaning of Declaration of Independence PSH

Not Posted

Memories of the Past Haunt Me today Memories
Tri Fall Early morning Sunshine Tri-Fall Poem Writing Com Poets Corner
Things Settled Down, Then…. Writing com prompt, prose poem
Their Love Began Pensively
More Guns Diminished Hexaverse Writing Com Poetry Corner
Combative Cantankerous Fridge

April 9

Posted

Cosmos Woke Up A.I. Poem Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Bad Robot

Not Posted

The Adventures Began Pensively
The Voyagers Were a Bit Absorbed Fridge

April 10

Posted

We are Living in SF World
Life is a Dream of Chocolate Covered Trees Writer’s Digest
Memories of JC Write About an Eccentric Character PSH
Mary’s Tales from the Grave NaPoWrMo Ghosts
God’s to Do List NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Imprisoned for a Crime He Did Not Do Pensively
They Both Giggled All the Time Pensively
It Only Takes A Little Bit of Lace to Ruin A Marriage, Pensively
Raining Verbal words Pensively
Coffee Obsession Pensively
What is Love? Writing Com Poets Corner Lai
Tucker Carlson Fridge

April 11

Posted

Get Your Shot Writer’s Digest COVID
I’d Rather Lazy Afternoon PSH
More Trouble Every Day, While Looking for My Car Keys NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

There was a big Fuss Pensively
Freedom Looms Pensively
There are Signs All Around Us Pensively Revelations
Mischievous, Romantic, Heterosexual, Fridge

April 12

Posted

Poem with Transgression in Form and Content Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Transgressions
Every Morning Cherita PSH Cherita
Prime Number Love Writers Digest
Letters to Frank Zappa NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Just Another Black Dude Pulled Over Driving While Black BLM
The Earth Abides Much Pensively Earth
BHS Rocks on Music
The Dude Abides for Now Dude

April 13

Posted

Coffee Obsession Pensively, —Excess or Obsession Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Coffee

Not Posted

Spaceship Buried in The Snow, Deep in The Mountains Writing Com SF
Snobby, Frantic, Sorority Sister Fridge

April 14

Posted

Great Dismal Dark Play Writer’s Digest Sestina
Superman on His Morning Patrol PSH
Tower of Babel Past and Future NaPoWrMo Time Travel

Not Posted

Just Another Day in the Land of the Free Guns

April 15

Posted

The Robots are Coming Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Robots
The Mountains of My Love Describe Yourself as Landscape Writing Com Dew Drop Inn

Not Posted

Fake Things All Around Me Fake Things
Three Tea Haiku for Teaku Competition Haiku
April Madness 2021
Welcome to My World, Pilgrim Writing Com Grim Reaper
Well, Hey, Big J and J Vaccine Fridge

April 16

Posted

The Wit and Wisdom of Mary Geneva Aldridge Aller -“There’s Method in Her Madness” dedicated to my mother who passed on July 31, 2005.
Lucky/Lucky Poem Writer’s Digest Lucky
Headlines I’d Love to See NaPoWrMo News
Narnia Beckons PSH
My Home Office Writer’s Digest Home
Cosmos Aller NaPoWrMo Bio

Not Posted

Impromptu Pensively
Sam Adams Grew Up Poor
Ecstatic Feelings Pensively
Appealing Award
Transporting the Stone
Dignified, Walking by the Sea
Traveling Down the Road
Sam Adams Three Wishes Pensively

April 17

Posted

Caregiving In this Day and Age Writing Com Dew Drop Inn
Dinosaur Story Writer’s Digest
Coffee Cup Dreams PSH
Coffee Inheritance NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Teacup Dictionary Poem Writing com
Foxy, Girlish, Fridge
Huffing and Puffing Pensively
Words Fail Me Pensively
My Transport Awaits Pensively
Swank, Individualized Fridge
Broken Down Souls Pensively
All Abide
FedEx Shooting Indianapolis Fridge

April 18

Posted

Morning Rituals PSH Morning
Ode to Berkeley City Poem Writers
Met My Fate That Date Skeltonic Poem NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Mash Pensively Food
We Talk All Day Same but Different
Our Wealth is Our Health Pensively Wealth
Uprecedented FedEx Shooting Indianapolis Fridge

April 19

Posted

Tree of Life Writing Com Dew Drop Inn
There is No Such Place Writing Com Do Drop-in
Waiting for the End Writer’s Digest
Life-Changing Dream PSH Dream Girl
Unhinged Lunatic howling at the Moon
Howling at the Moon
Pink Super Moon Inspires Lunanacy

Not Posted

Ann Coulter is a disgusting depraved Piece of work – a found poem
Dealbreakers Pensively Prompt Relationships
Uncanny 39 Words Poem Pensively
Power Goes Out Pensively Prompt

April 20

Posted

Sounds Writing Com Do Dew Drop Inn

Writer’s Digest When Sam Adams Met God, An Ekphrastic Challenge Writer’s Digest
Eating Live Octopus in Korea in 1979 A Menu Poem PSH Food
Dream Sense NaPoWrMo Dreams

Not Posted

As I Kiss Her All Over Pensively
As I sit on Furniture Pensively
Snarling Cup of Coffee Writing com Poetry Corner

April 21

Posted

Writing Com Do Drop Inn 65 Years —acting your age (or not!)
If the Moon Could Tap Dance PSH Lunatic
Anti-vapers, anti-masks and other covid Idiots Poetic Rants NaPoWrMo
Cats are Aliens Writer Digest

Not Posted

Canned Foods Delights Pensively
Sometimes I left it
Dinner for Two at Country Inn

April 22

Posted

A Million Ways to Say I Love You Writer’s Digest Love
An Angel in My View the Backflip Poetry Prompt: Imagination’s Reversal Strategy PSH Reversal
On That Date NaPoWrMo Sijo 1

Not Posted

Justice at Last – Take That Ann Coulter
Life as an Ant SF

April 23

Posted

Poem based on a question Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Love
Uncle Sam Wants You
Make Love to Me as We Used to Writers Digest
My Life Began NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Two Lovers Walking in the Evening Light Writing Com – Other Prompt, Revised Stormy Lady Prompt Rain
Eagle Soaring Above Her Secret Nest, Revised Stormy Lady Prompt, Writing Com Eagle
A Kind of Madness Pensively
It was Different Pensively
Blue Lights, Pink Lights Light Up the Night Sky Pensively
A Young Blond Woman

April 24

Posted

Met My Fate That Date Free will (or not?!) Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Fate
When I Was A Young Man, She Came to Me When I Was A Young Man, She Came to Me Shakespearean Sonnet About Shakespearean Sonnet PSH Shakespeare
Ode to Kimchi NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

The Grim Reaper Gathers His Posse Writing Com Dark Dreamscapes Grim Reaper
Visiting Mother’s Grave Pensively Ghosts
Visiting Father’s Grave Pensively
A Serene morning
Late for a Date
Philosophical Musings Black Out Poem with Commentary
Tucker Carlson Says that Dereck Chauvin Verdict Seals Devil’s Bargain Between America and BLM
Frank’s Launch Flames Out Black Out Poem

April 25

Posted

Romeo And Juliet Fantasy Love Poem based on a play (It’s Shakespeare’s birthday, but any play!) Appointment with the Grim Reaper Appointment Poem Writer’s Digest Grim Reaper
Blue Blues PSH the Blues
Not Alone – response to Alone by Edgar Allen Poe

Not Posted

Coffee Ziggurat Writer’s Digest Poets Corner
Affordable Travel Pensively
Left Options on the Table Pensively
The Rat Ran and He Chased Pensively
Wild Animals in Korea
Beware of Fire Season Writer’s Digest Poets Corner
Rainy Days Just God’s Tears Writer’s Digest Poets Corner

April 26

Posted

Watching Movies with Subtitles Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Movies
Wild Animals in Korea NaPoWrMo
If China had Discovered Europe Writing Com Dew Drop Inn

Not Posted

Restless 19 words Pensively
Spies snoop Opp – Loop Rhyme Pensively Rhyme
Gone in The Moment Pensively
Serene Thoughts in The Air Pensively
American Dreams Consular

April 27

Posted

Morning Thoughts Writers Digest
To Those Who Have Gone on PSH
Occasional Poem Advice to Those Getting Married NaPoWrMo
The Night of the Affair with A Shape-Shifting Alien PSH SF
Itty Bitty Bio Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Bio
Parody of Alone Writers Digest Edgar Allen Poe
Cosmos’s World Writer Digest Bio

Not Posted

Reasons for Admission
Around the World, Pensively
Writing Com, A Culinary Disaster?
Lonely Farm Pensively
Italian Ancestry Based on internet usings by William Walton
The Kindness of Her Love Pensively

April 28

Posted

Why I Don’t Believe in Christianity
Rafting at The End of The World PSH End of The World
Wytai Blues – Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows NaPoWrMo
Florida School Fires Vaccinated Teachers NaPoWrMo Florida

Not Posted

Writing Com First Trip to Korea
Political Rants
Giving Way to Passion Pensively
JC’s Descent into Madness Define Insanity Pensively Insanity
Bad Teeth Poem Bad Teeth Bad Body Poems
Bad Ears Poem Bad Body Poems
My Father’s Bad Ear and Eyes Body Parts
Bad Eyes Poem Body Parts
Bad Hair Bad Hair
Bad Nose Poem Body Parts
Bad Feet Feet
Angela Superpowers Poem
The Lonely Lighthouse Stands Guard Over Empty World Lighthouse Photo Pensively End of the world
Which Would You Rather Throw Away: Love or Money? Pensively Love
Which Would You Rather Throw Away: Love or Money? Pensively Money
Tight-Lippy One Leg Women Pensively Terrorist Victim

Wednesday, April 28

Posted

Hump Day Writing Com Dew Drop Inn
Remix Howling at the Pink Super Moon Writing Digest
Left Hands Blues PSH Left Hand
NaPoWrMo Unanswered Questions

Not Posted

Winter Dreams of Barbados, Pensively
Joy in Morning Sun Sunrise

April 29

Posted

Rain Writing Com Dew Drop Inn
Evening Delights Writer’s Digest Evening
Kombucha Glass PSH
The Window of Love NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Sam Adams Sees Death All Around Pensively
The Pink Super Moon Pensively
I Met My Fate That Date Dream Writing Com Poets Corner
A Witch, A Zombie, Ghost and Elvis, and Witch
Bad Rabbit Runs from Wolves
Life in Rocky and Bullwinkle Universe Rocky and Bullwinkle Show

April 30

Posted

Catharsis Writing Com Dew Drop Inn
Goodbye Writer Digest
Reimagine Your Days
Directions to Narnia NaPoWrMo

Not Posted

Hamper My Fears Pensively
Lonely Lake at The End of The World Pensively End of The World
Birds Flying Over Dead City
Another Letter to Microsoft
Fridge Shy Matt Gaetz Cheers Lady Gaga

Poetry Counts for 2021

Total YTD 860 as of May 2, 2021
January 180 7 per day
February 200 7 per day
March 206 7 per day
April 269 9 per day
May 3

If I continue at this pace, I will have over 3,000 new poems by the end of the
year. I will be editing all my poetry and post a total count to date by the end of the year.

Begin Poems

April 25

Appoitment With the Grim Reaper Writer’s Digest

For today’s prompt, write an appointment poem. My first thoughts with appointments conjure up visions of doctors, dentists, and parent-teacher conferences. But there are also business meetings and romantic dates. For the most part, people are very appointment-centric, because it gives people a reason and opportunity to come together (kind of like my annual appointment to poem daily on this site).

Appointment with the Grim Reaper

Sam Adams
One day received a summons
From the Grim Reaper

The note read
“Your appointment
For final status determination (FSD)
Is confirmed for midnight Saturday

A driver
Will come for you
Be prepared
Be Afriad

Tell no one
This appointment is high
Q level classified.”

Discourser to non-authorized people
Will be severely punished

Sam got up at 11:30
And waited for the courier

While his wife slept
There was a knock on the door

He went out
The courier was dressed
In a black uniform
But did not look entirely human

He had a blank face
No hair
And horns on his head

He said
I am your driver today
After your hearing
I will drive you
Either to Hell,
Or to heaven

Or back here
If you are given a reprieve
Of your FSD

They drove off
In his black SUV
The plates read, 666 hell

They drove through the night
Entered highway 666
The road to Hell

They soon entered
A dark forbidding forest
The road ended

They got out
And walked

Found themselves
In a large field

They walked
To a large black tent

A demon attendant
Barked

Name and DOB
Sam Adams
10-30-195

The demon waved
a hand held device
over his head

said
You have an appointment
With Mr. GR himself

Proceed to door number 2
For your FSD

Good luck

He entered the room
Mr. GR dressed in black
Wearing cool Ray-ban glasses
Looked up from his computer

Sam Adams
He growled

You have been given a reprieve
From Hell
For five years

Your next FSD will be final
Probably Hell but maybe Heaven
That decision is beyond my pay grade

You may go back home
My driver will drive you
Go!

The driver took him home
He went to bed
Woke up convinced
It was all a dream

Later that day
A letter arrived

Appointment with Mr. GR
For final status determination (FSD)
Has been confirmed for
Five years from today’s date

We advise you to get
Your affairs in order
Do the right Thing
There is no appeal
From the final FSD

PSH Blue Blues

Use color to spark your imagination. For starters, I suggest you brainstorm /green/! Consider green with envy; green around the gills; green grass of home; eco-green; and finally, all the myriad shades of green in the landscape. Use the word /green/ in your poem or imply it through your word choices. If you don’t care for green, try another color that adds poetry to the rainbow!

Here’s an example that is both implicit and explicit based upon green: a traditional 5/7/5 Haiku: Shamrocks greening now/after winter dormancy/one white bloom for luck.

Blue Blues

Once in a while
I wake up
Feeling the blues
Singing the blues
Being the blues

Then I lookout
At the bright blue sky
And the dawning sun

And at my wife
Wearing a blue shirt
And blue jeans

She smiles
The blues fly out the window
Joining the Blue sky

I go for a walk
As the fog of blues fade
Away in the morning sun

Not Alone – Response to Alone by Edgar Allen Poe NaPoWrMo

Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that responds, in some way, to another. This could be as simple as using a line or image from another poem as a jumping-off point, or it could be a more formal poetic response to the argument or ideas raised in another poem. You might use a favorite (or least favorite poem) as the source for your response. And if you’re having trouble finding a poem to respond to, here are a few that might help you generate ideas: “This World is Not Conclusion,” by Peter Gizzi, “In That Other Fantasy Where We Live Forever,” by Wanda Coleman, “La Chalupa, the Boat,” by Jean Valentine, or “Aubade: Some Peaches, After Storm,” by Carl Phillips.

Not Alone – Response to Alone by Edgar Allen Poe

Sam Adams
Was a bit of a loner
Lost in his inner world
Filled with dreams
Nightmares
Poetic fragments
Short story ideas

Always felt like he was living
he Edgar Allen Poe poem,

“Alone

From childhood’s hour, I have not been
As others were—I have not seen
As others saw—I could not bring
My passions from a common spring—
From the same source, I have not taken
My sorrow—I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone—
And all I loved—I loved alone—
Then—in my childhood—in the dawn
Of a most stormy life—was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still—
From the torrent, or the fountain—
From the red cliff of the mountain—
From the sun that ‘round me roll’s
In its autumn tint of gold—
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by—
From the thunder, and the storm—
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view—”

But then one day
He met the girl
Of his dreams

She walked off a bus
Into his life
Became his wife
And he was alone
No more

When I was a young man, she came to me, Sonnet about a Shakespeare Sonnet PSH

When I was a young man, she came to me

When I was a young man, she came to me
She came to me one day while I dreamed
I met my fate that date, our love came to be
I saw her there, who are you I screamed?
She just smiled, filling my heart with love
I did not know what I should do or say
As she entered my life, became my wife
I will never forget for on that day
When she walked off that bus became real
I saw here there standing love in her eyes
I did not know what right then I should feel
I looked at her my heart began to rise
Just like in a famous Shakespeare poem
My heart began just like a poet

April 26

Morning Thoughts Writers Digest

For today’s prompt, write a thoughtful poem. Of course, my first thought (maybe like yours) is, “Aren’t all poems thought poems?” Well, I guess, but I’m thinking of a poem that captures a thought or random ramblings running ’round your cranium. It doesn’t have to be a rambling poem, but that’s one thing. Another possibility is having two people share their thoughts and/or NOT share them. Think about it a moment, and then unleash your thought poem.

Morning Thoughts

Every morning
I sit and think
Deep thoughts
Writing down my dreams
My hopes, my fears
My nightmares
But more important
Than anything
I record my happy thoughts
Of my life
With the love of life
My wife

Those Who Have Gone On PSH

Consider writing a poem to or about someone who has died or is no longer in your life. This could be in the form of a letter, a description of the person, a list of things you miss about the person, or just tell them about your day. Show emotion through concrete objects and actions. Try not to tell. I look forward to reading your words.

To Those Who Have Gone On

I am 65 years old
And as I get older
I recall with fondness
All those who have gone on

So many people
Have passed on
To the other lands
Leaving us with their memories

My father died in 1985
My mother in 2005
My sister in 2007

My friends have also passed on
My HS debate friend
Demel T died from AIDS
I lost my college roommate
Jon W
David C my Peace course
Language student
I lost my visa line colleague
Paul S
I lost my second and third bosses
In the foreign service
Julian in a terrorist bombing
Ted H who I worked with twice
Dead of a heart attack
Chris my boss in Bangkok
Also, dead from a heart attack
Judy my artistic friend
From Bombay days

And so many others
Have gone on
I only hope wherever they are
That they are thinking of me
As I think fondly of them

Advice to Those Getting Married An Occasion Poem NaPoWrMo

Our prompt for today (optional, as always) is to write an “occasional” poem. What’s that? Well, it’s a poem suited to, or written for, a particular occasion. This past January, lots of people who usually don’t encounter poetry got a dose when Amanda Gorman read a poem at President Biden’s inauguration. And then she followed it up with a poem at the Superbowl (not traditionally an event associated with verse!) The poem you write can be for an occasion in the past or the future, one important to you and your family (a wedding, a birth), or for an occasion in the public eye (the Olympics, perhaps?).

Advice to Those Getting Married

Often when I go to a wedding
I am asked for some advice
To pass on to the newlyweds
Advice, words of wisdom
Based on my almost 40 years
Of being a happily married man

What can I say to them?
I don’t know the answer
Other than this
The most important thing
For a married man to realize is this
There are two rules of marriage
Rule number one
Your wife is always right
Rule number two
See rule number one
That advice has worked
For me for almost 40 years

April 26—Sijo (Korean poetic form) NaPoWrMo

3 lines of 13-17 syllables each, sometimes divided into 6 lines.
Write two sijo poems: 1 of 3 lines, 1 of 6 lines…
My info on sijo comes from a wonderful children’s book.
More info: https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/sijo-poetic-form

Manifestations of Deep Love

Manifestations of deep love, such profound thoughts all around me
Dreaming dark dreams, of other worlds, filled with a deep love
I see it, all around my heart, manifestations of my love

Corona Sijo

corona

Coronavirus fears erupt, all around us, fear stalking us
All around us dark fears, fears of the end, end of the world
Death stalking, filling the world, filling it with fear, death is near
General corona unleashes his viral army, on the world
Everyone is afraid, nonsense in the media, antivacers lie
People don’t wear masks, masks that would save their foolish lives

Why I Don’t Believe in Christianity

On Easter Sunday,
I often think about Christianity
I don’t understand why anymore
would believe such nonsense

The essential story makes no sense
An imaginary all-powerful deity
that no one has ever seen or heard
Except for psychotic patients or drug users

Comes down to earth
and impregnates a married woman
Who has never had sex for some reason?

And her husband
Is okay with that
Believes her wild story

And still does not have sex
Until after the baby is born

Then there is total silence
Nothing about Jesus’s childhood
30 years later he emerges

Preaching love, peace, and brotherhood
And denouncing the corrupt temple leaders
and the Jewish leaders as well

The miracles
Also, don’t make any sense
In the real world,

You can’t turn fish into bread
Can’t walk on water
Can’t raise the dead etc. Etc.

Just does not happen
In the world, we live in
And has not happened
since those ancient days

Then the last supper makes some sense
Jesus knows he is about to be betrayed
But he does not confront Judas
Does not run away
Does not encourage his disciples
To run away with him

The whole Jesus Mary M
Story also does not make sense
Jesus must have been married
Or he was gay

There is no doubt
Either way,
The story makes no sense

The crucifixion
Is it the only part
of the story I buy

Jesus was put to death
Because he was a rebel leader
And the Romans tolerated no dissent
To the Roman’s right to conquer and rule

The rising from the dead stories
All contradict one another
And Jesus was either walking
As a normal human being
Or was a ghost

The door was rent open
As if by lightening
Or not

Finally, we have been waiting
Over 2,000 years for his return
You would think
If the story is remotely true
He would have turned up by now

Except he has
As many lunatics
Claim to be Jesus
In the flesh

Including my college housemate
Who after taking too much LSD
Proclaimed he was the messiah
Come back to earth
To save us all
From Impending doom

All delusional of course
and that is what I think of Christianity
nothing but fairy tales
and mass delusions
surrounding a kernel of truth

Love each other
Treat each other right
Don’t be consumed with greed

but couldn’t that message be made simpler
Without all the associated nonsense?

So, on this day I say
Open your minds
And discard the nonsensical
Elements of Christian thought

And follow the true teachings of Jesus
Even if you don’t believe
in the imaginary man in the sky

Rafting at The End of The World End of The World

Use the Fritz Perl’s-inspired -analysis technique of setting an empty chair beside your chair; mentally put your poem topic (or a dream you want to both analyze and write a poem about) into the other chair and ask it questions. To answer the question, get up out of your chair and move over to the other chair and answer it as your topic or as your dream. While you are in the second chair if you just let what wants to come out of your mouth come out, the second chair, that will probably be your subconscious mind talking to you.

Based this on a recent dream yesterday, or tonight

Rafting at the End of the World

One day Sam Adams
Woke up and found
His bed had been transformed
Into a raft

And they were being swept away
Down a flooded river
after a great flood
had destroyed the city.

The raft floats down
a river filled with broken-down buildings,
Dead bodies, dead cats, and dead dogs
and debris all over.

Sam Adams looks up
At the distant banks
On the left bank
He sees wolf-like creatures prowling
about looking to eat any survivors.

On the right side
There are alien creatures
in silver space suits
shooting at any survivors

The raft is careening
Out of control
Towards a huge cataract
Of impending doom

April 27

Florida School Fires Vaccinated Teachers NaPoWrMo Florida
Cops Open Fire on a Black Man Sitting in His Car in his Driveway

In today’s (optional) prompt, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem inspired by an entry from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The entries are very vivid – maybe too vivid! But perhaps one of the sorrows will strike a chord with you or even get you thinking about defining an in-between, minor, haunting feeling that you have, and that does not yet have a name.

wytai
1. n. a feature of modern society that suddenly strikes you as absurd and grotesque—from zoos and milk-drinking to organ transplants, life insurance, and fiction—part of the faint background noise of absurdity that reverberates from the moment our ancestors first crawled out of the slime but could not for the life of them remember what they got up to do.
Random Wytai Moments

Florida School Fires Vaccinated Teachers

In Florida, a private school
Going out all anti-COVID Vaccine
Has banned teachers who are vaccinated
What’s next banning masks
Declaring COVID a hoax
As part of their school policy?

Tucker Carlos Forcing Children to Wear Mask is Criminal Child Abuse

Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson says Cops should be called to prevent mask child abuse
Really? Tucker?
That is what the police should be doing?
Forcing a child to wear a mask
To protect themselves and others
Is now felony child abuse?

Cops Open Fire on a Black Man Sitting in His Car in his Driveway

Five Cops converge on a black man
Who is sitting in his car
With his hands on the steering wheel
waiting for them
To come up to tell him
Why he was pulled over

Instead of approaching the vehicle
To talk to him
they do not say a word
They open fire
Shooting 40 shots

His crime
Alleged drug dealing
History of running away from the cops

But his real crime?
Who knows?
Other than driving while black
When will this madness end?

April 28

Hump Day Writing Com Dew Drop Inn Time

Half the week is done
Halfway to the end
Another week in paradise
With the love of my life
By my side

Remix Howling at the Pink Super Moon Writing Digest

For today’s prompt, write a remix poem. This has become one of my favorite prompts because it asks us to look over what we’ve written this month and pick something (or many somethings) to poem out in a new way. Maybe your free verse becomes a sonnet, or your sestina transforms into haiku. Or take a line or phrase from each of your poems this month and work it into a cohesive new creation.

Howling at the Pink Super Moon

On a moonlit late night
The Pink Supermoon
Casts a baleful light
On the world below

While inside
Sam Adams sat drinking
In a depraved bar
In a den of iniquity
In an evil part of the city
On the left side
Of society

Drinking up a storm
With his buddies
Johnny Walker, Jack Daniels
Jim Beam, and Mr. Evan
And Old Granddad looked on
His buddies Encouraging him to drink
One scotch, one bourbon, and one beer

He was just an unhinged lunatic
Dreaming of howling at the full moon

Watching the world walk by
Looking at all the fine-looking babes
Walking by the street

Thinking wild, erotic thoughts
Of endless wild libertine passions

He looked up
At the naked dancing ladies
Dancing up a storm
With an attitude

A Z tude
That could kill
An elephant in heat

When into the bar
on the highway to hell

Walked the most beautiful women
In the Universe
So wild, so free
So wonderfully alive

He did not know what to do
As this vision of carnal delight
Sauntered through the bar
In skin-tight leather pants
Looked so fine
That his eyeballs hurt

Finally, he had to say something
he gathered up my manly courage
He walked up to her

She looked at him
Instantly bewitched his soul
With a devilish grin

He lost all reason
And became a raving lunatic
Unhinged lunatic

Under the lunatic light
Of the full Pink Supermoon
Of the blood-red lights of the moon

Full of wild passions
The lustful beast stirs again
And starts running and running
Howling at the moon

Riding into the new dawn
On a demented Harley Davis cycle
With two naked babes on his back
Riding into the Moon
90 miles per second

At the speed of thought
He disappears into the lunatic light
Of the full moon

Sam Adams woke up alone,
In his bed
The naked babes
Having disappeared
with all of his money
as his wallet was gone

He woke up from
From his demented dreams

Saying,

“Man, that was quite a night
I better not go there again”

The wild beast
Laughs

He has heard that before
And joins Sam
In howling at the moon

In the fading light
Of the lost night
of the newly damned

Source poems

Howling at the Moon

On a moonlit late night
I sat in a bar
Drinking drams of demented, fermented dream dew
Just an unhinged lunatic
Dreaming of howling at the full moon

Watching the world walk by
Looking at all the fine-looking babes
Walking by the street
Thinking wild, erotic thoughts
Of endless wild libertine passions

When into the bar
Walked the most beautiful women
In the Universe
So wild, so free
So wonderfully alive

I did not know what to do
As this vision of delight
Sauntered through the bar
In skin-tight leather pants
Looked so fine
That my eyeballs hurt

Finally, I had to say something
I gathered up my manly courage
I walked up to her

She looked at me
Instantly bewitched my soul
With a devilish grin

I lost all reason
And became a raving lunatic
Unhinged lunatic
Howling at the moon

Foaming at the mouth
A wild, free werewolf
Howling at the lunatic light
Of the full Moon

Howling at the Moon

Photo by Nishant Vyas on Pexels.com

I stood outside
Between the trees
In a field
On the outside of town

Beneath the lunatic rays
Of the blood-red full moon
The lunatic lights of the moon
Casts a wild primeval glow
On me

The hormonal chemicals are unleashed
The wild beast within
Escapes it chain

And I howl with delight
A werewolf
Free at last

To run amuck
Free of its civilized restrains
Throwing off its clothes
Stripping naked

Running wild
Naked and free

A wild man
Enjoying his freedom

As I sit
Under the lunatic light of the full moon
Of the blood-red lights of the moon
Full of wild passions

The lustful beast stirs again
And starts running and running
Howling at the moon

Riding into the new dawn
On a demented Harley Davis cycle
With two naked babes on his back

Riding into the moon
90 miles per second
At the speed of thought

He disappears
into the lunatic light
Of the full moon

And I wake up
Alone,
In my bed

Saying,

man, that was quite a night
I better not go there again

The wild beast
Laughs
He has heard that before
And I join him
In howling at the moon

The Pink Moon Inspires Lunacy

On a moonlit night
The Pink moon
Shone casting a baleful light
On the world below

A man sat drinking
In a depraved bar
In an evil part of the city

Drinking up a storm
With his buddies
Johnny Walker, Jack Daniels
Jim Beam, and Mr. Evan
And Old Granddad looked on

Encouraging him to drink
One scotch, one bourbon, and one beer

He looked up
At the naked dancing ladies
Dancing up a storm
With an attitude
A Z tude
That could kill

He stood up
Stepped outside

And howled
At the Pink Moon
Who smiled at him

Left Hands Blues

Write a poem using your nondominant hand using “My head is a..” as your first line of the poem.

Left Hands Blues

My head hurts
As I type these words
Using my left hand
Reflecting upon my past
As a child
Forced to write
With my right hand
Even though
I was Left-handed

NaPoWrMo Unanswered Questions

Our prompt today (optional, as always), is to write a poem that poses a series of questions. The questions could be a mix of the serious (“What is the meaning of life?”) and humorous (“What’s the deal with cats knocking things off tables?”), the interruptive (“Could you repeat that?”) and the conversational (“Are those peanuts? Can I have some?”). You can choose to answer them – or just let the questions keep building up, creating a poem that asks the reader to come up with their answer

Unanswered Questions

I have so many questions to ask
First how and why I dreamt
Of meeting my wife.
How did she haunt my dreams?
How did she come to life?
What was our past life like?
Why Do I fall in love with her every day?
What does love at first sight mean?
Why did that occur to me three times?
What does hate at first sight mean?
Also, three times in my life,
what does that mean?
What is this thing called love anyway?
Will we meet aliens in my lifetime?
Will I live to see humans on Mars?
Will I live long enough?
to walk on the moon.
When will we develop new body parts?
When can I get new teeth?
Finally, when I die
will there be a heaven or hell?
What will my judgment be?
Finally, will people remember me after I die?

April 29

Rain Writing Com Dew Drop Inn

rain falling

Rain
Are God’s tears
Crying over the mess
His creatures
Made of his creation

Evening Delights Writer Digest Evening

For today’s prompt, write an evening poem. The evening can be a quiet and contemplative time, a stressed or fearful time, or, well, party time. Evenings can be lonely or romantic, cool, or humid, inspirational, or numbing. And today (or tonight, depending on when you consume your poetry prompts), the evening is the time for poeming–even if you’re doing it in the middle of the afternoon.

Evening Delights

wine

My favorite time of day
Is early evening
Cocktail hour
When I sit down
To dinner
With my lovely wife
The love of my life
Either at home

Or at a restaurant
After our evening walk

As we eat dinner
We salute the end
Of the day
With a glass of wine
Or a cocktail
Or Soju
As the day fades
Into an evening
Filled with Love

Kombucha Glass PSH Kombucha

This prompt is inspired by 1.) the moment in The Octopus Teacher when she attaches herself to his chest and he muses about not knowing it would be the last time they made contact. (hmmm, like what would he do differently if he knew?) And 2.) the difference between straight descriptive/instructive language (like directions for Microsoft) and the sublime, artistic language of tenderness.
First you have to see the movie. Highly recommended for all sentient beings anyway, so I don’t feel bad about the added homework. You will thank me if you haven’t seen it. I promise. If you have, you will surely remember this stunning moment in the film. Feel into its tenderness and gentle communication. Recall tenderness in different parts of your body. Its scent and texture, colors, and sensation. Look around your writing area and select an item that holds a feeling of tenderness, or gentleness, either because of the way it is used or with whom you associate it. Write two… three to four-minute free writes. The first is simply, a perfunctory, clinical, if you will, description of the item you selected. The second is a treatise on its tenderness, in the voice of the object.Finally your mission, should you decide to accept it….is to write a poem that takes the material from both free writes and shuffles them together to make a single poem. How would you communicate if you knew it would be the last communication remembered forever? That said, I wish you communications you will always want to be remembered by. After all, we know how significant the last line of any poem is to its entire experience.
You may change tenses or syntax if necessary, in the final poem. And you may eliminate anything that no longer fits…. but trust that everything you need for your final poem is already there.

Kombucha Glass

Kombucha

Every day I start my day
With a glass of home-brew
Kombucha that is
Made with tea
Flavored with fruit juices
Fired up with Turmeric
But most importantly
Made with love
By my wife
The love of my life

The window of Love

And now, for our prompt (optional, as always). This one is called “in the window.” Imagine a window looking into a place or onto a particular scene. It could be your childhood neighbor’s workshop, or a window looking into an alien spaceship. Maybe a window looking into a witch’s gingerbread cottage, or Lord Nelson’s cabin aboard the H.M.S. Victory. What do you see? What’s going on?

Window of Love

Every morning
I step outside
Do my morning thing
While my wife
The love of my life
Sleeps peacefully
I look through the window
From the balcony herb garden
And watch her sleeping
My heart filling with love
As she sleeps away
The early morning
When she wakes up
She fills me
With the sunshine
Of her love
Driving my blues
Away
With the dawning sun

April 30

Catharis

Finally, the end
Has been reached
Of this annual poetry
Marathon
April poetry madness
Has consumed my soul
And in the end
A sense of accomplishment
The ultimate catharsis

Goodbye Writer Digest

For today’s prompt, write a goodbye poem. Whether leaving for a holiday or going to get groceries, many people find themselves in positions of saying goodbye to each other. So, this feels like an appropriate way to close out this year’s challenge…until we meet again.

Good-Bye
To all those who
have passed on
to another,
hopefully better world

I say goodbye
So many people
Have died this year
From COVID
From Gun violence
From the aging
Of the baby boomer generation

Many musicians
Actors and writers
Have played their last songs
And we will remember them all

Walter Mondale VP, Ambassador, Good guy
Prince Philip ultimate husband
DMX great rapper
George Segal great actor
Vernon Jordan ultimate power player
Norman Jester the phantom tollbooth is closed
Lawrence Ferlinghetti one of my favorite writers
Chick Corea one of my favorite musicians
Mary Wilson just supreme
George Schultz my First big boss
Christopher Plummer the Actor
Larry King final interview
Hank Arron greatest baseball player ever

And so many others
Will soon joins them
As the coronavirus marches on
And guns continue to kill thousands
And cancer
Traffic accidents
And the aging boomer population
Fades away due to old age

I am 65 years old
And as I get older
I have had to say goodbye
To so many people
I am losing count
But I will miss them all
They live on in my memories

My father died in 1985
My mother in 2005
My sister in 2007
My friends have also passed on
My HS debate friend
Demel T died from AIDS
I lost my college roommate
Jon W
David C my Peace course
language student
I lost my visa line colleague
Paul S
I lost my second and third bosses
In the foreign service
Julian in a terrorist bombing
Ted H who I worked with twice
Dead of a heart attack
Chris my boss in Bangkok
Also dead from a heart attack
Judy my artistic friend
From Bombay days
And so many others
Have gone on
I only hope wherever they are
That they are thinking of me
As I think fondly of them

Reimagine Your Days:Ramen Today PSH Ramen Reimagine Your DaysRamen Today PSH Food
a poem about yesterday that uses the word “possum” or write a poem about today that uses the word “ramen” or write a poem about tomorrow that uses the word “orthopedist”

Today is a Good Day To Eat Ramen

Today is a good day
To sit down
And eat a simple bowl
Of ramen
With an egg on top
Koreans call it ramyeon,
라면
Ramyeon
The Japanese call it ramen
ラーメン
Ramen
Chinese call it
拉麵
Lāmiàn

But it is the same thing
No matter where you are

When I first lived in Korea
I ate a lot of ramen
To stretch my Peace Corps budget

There are many new variations
Coming on the market
Even cheese ramen
But in the end
My favorite
Is the basic ramen
With an egg on top
And a side of Kimchi

Directions to Narnia NaPoWrMo

narnia scene

And now for our final (still optional!) prompt. Today’s prompt is based on a prompt written by Jacqueline Saphar and featured in this group of prompts published back in 2015 by The Poetry Society of the U.K. This prompt challenges you to write a poem in the form of a series of directions describing how a person should get to a particular place. It could be a real place, like your local park, or an imaginary or unreal place, like “the bottom of your heart,” or “where missing socks go.” Fill your poem with sensory details, and make them as wild or intimate as you like

Directions to Narnia

The land of Narnia exists
But the entranceways
Are hidden in secret places
All over the world

To get to Narnia
First, you have to believe
That Narnia exists

Then you have to travel
To spirit-filled places
Like the top of a mountain
Go to the sacred mountain
In China, Japan, Korea, or Thailand
Hike behind the Buddhist temple
Find a cave hidden under a waterfall
Chant five times
Narnia exists Narnia exists Narnia Exist
A portal to other worlds
Will open up
Step-through
And you will find yourself
In Narnia

The End
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May 2, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
April 20 to April 25th 2021 Poems

April 16 to April 20 2021 Poems

April 10 to April 14 2021 Poems

April 1 to April 5 Poems

April 6 to April 9 Cosmos’s Poetry

Cosmos 2020 April Poetry Part Two

Cosmos 2020 April Poetry Part Two

April 2019 Poems april

April 2018 Poems

2017 April Poems

Commentary:

This is the fifth and perhaps final time I am doing the April poetry challenge. The goal is to write at least one poem per day. I am averaging about eight per day and posting four reserving four as “unpublished”. I am basing the poems on prompts from “Writing com Dew Drop Inn”, “Writers Digest”, “Poetry Superhighway” and “NaPoWrMo” prompt daily prompts and on “Pensively Prompt’ et all daily prompts. I am combining prompts where possible. I will post these here in batches every five days or so. Each poem will have an image that helped inspired the poem. All postings will be podcasted a few days later on Spotify and elsewhere. Each posting will be a separate posting, but the index will be cumulative. The final posting will have the complete list of all poems written whether posted or not. Comments welcome but please keep it civil. Some of my poetry tends to be a bit “in your face” or “political” from a “leftwing perspective.” If it offends you in some way, please accept my apologies in advance. That is never my intent.

This is part three covering poems written April 20^th to April 25^th, posted on the 26^th

I am writing some other poems per day but not posting them as I need to reserve some “unpublished” poems. There will be a podcast version shortly on Spotify, Public Radio, and elsewhere. I will list all the poems I wrote in my final April posting, May 1 KST. Posted

Index

A Million Ways to Say I Love You, Writer Digest
An Angel in My View, PSH prompt
On That Date, Sijo NaPoWrMo
Justice at Last – Take That Ann Coulter
Uncle Sam Wants You PSH
Poem based on a question Writing com Dew Drop-in What is Love? Vrs one
Make Love to Me as We Used To Writers Digest
My Life Began NaPoWrMo
Free will (or not?!) Writing com Dew Drop-in
Appointment with the Grim Reaper, Writers Digest
PSH Blue Blues
Not Alone – Response to Alone by Edgar Allen Poe
When I was a Young Man, She Came to Me, Sonnet About a Shakespeare Sonnet PSH
Earth Abides, Will Humanity Prevail? Writers Digest Earth Day Poem
Ode to Kimchi NaPoWrMo
Play Around with Historical Facts If China had Discovered Europe
Writing com Dew Drop
Watching Movies with Subtitles

A Million Ways to Say I Love You, Writer Digest

Write a love poem or an anti-love poem

A Million Ways to Say I Love You
They say
There are a million ways
To say I love you

In this day and age
I could only find
In my computer’s brain
The words to say I love you
In 53 languages of the 10,000 languages
Spoken on this planet
Someday I may be able
To say the simple words
I love you
In all known languages
This will have to suffice for a start

So, I will say it
Loud, and clear
Just so you understand:

I love you (English)
Mein tumse pyar karta hoon (Hindi)
Tu Tane prem karoo chu (Gujarati)
Ame tomake bhalo bashe (Bengali)
Me tula premkarto (Marati)
Hum apse mohabbat karte hain (Urdu)
Mein thoda prem karanga (Punjabi)
Man Dooset Daram (Persian)
Ana Ahabik Yanooni (Arabic)
Havala (Hebrew)
Yongchon(Chinese)
Aloha (Hawaian)
Cinta(Indonesian)
Dangshinun sarang hayo (Korean)
Ajo (Japanese)
Kasih (Malay)
Phom tirak khun krap (Thai)
Akoay Paginghe ikou (Tagalog)
Toi yeu ong (Vietnamese)
Renmen (Creole)
Jesuis l’amour voies (French)
Liefdle (Flemish)
Estoy amor tu (Spanish)
Yosono amore tu (Italian)
Estou o amore tu (Portugese)
Dashuri (Albanian)
Maiteizam (Basque)
OBHYAM (Bulgarian)
Ljubav (Croatian)
Laska (Czech)
Jeger en kaerlighed du (Danish)
Ikben houden van jig (Dutch)
Gra (Gaelic)
Ich bin lieben tu (German)
Agape/eros (Greek)
Ami (Esperanto)
Armastama (Estonian)
Rakam (Finish)
Envagyok szeretet te (Hungarian)
Elska (Icelandic)
Ejekirin (Kurdish)
Milestiba (Latvian)
Meile (Lithuanian)
Eu dragoste tu (Romanian)
JHOBOEL Lubush (Russian)
Elske (Norweigan)
Easka (Slovak)
JBYBAB (Serbian)
Jagdan karlek du (Swedish)
KOYATH (Ukraine)
Benin sevi sen (Turkish)
Ahava (Yiddish)

An Angel in My View, reverse that Ending and Rev Up the Chiasms, PSH

The Backflip Poetry Prompt: Imagination’s Reversal Strategy

Anyone who has ever taken a creative writing course with me knows how much I dislike “prompts.” I have read very few poems written by an assignment that has the necessary duende to stand on their own feet.

However, the allusion in Cornelius Eady’s poem “Sherbet,” in The Best of Crazy Horse, to Langston Hughes’s poem about Harlem led me to consider the following prompt: end a poem with the same word that a famous poem concludes with, except you Frame it in the negative. Eaddy ends his poem with “explode,” except that it is framed as “can’t …. Explode.”

A similar approach is to consider any statement, especially at the end of a poem, for the possibility of extending into a chiasm. One obvious example is the ending of James Tate’s “The Lost Pilot.” This is not a matter of “inspiration,” I tell my students, who are almost always unfamiliar with this rhetorical construction. One must simply grow into the discipline of asking oneself if such a reversal is possible, and does it nurture the negative capability of the poem’s endeavor.

The Best of Crazy Horse: Thirty Years of Poetry and Fiction, edited by David Gauss (Fayetteville, Arkansas: The University of Arkansas Press, 1990). Eady’s poem can be found on pages 131 through 133.

An Angel in My View

When I first saw her
I saw an angel
In my view
In my dreams
I knew
From that moment forward
Someday
I would meet her
On that date
I would meet
My fate
Eight years later
She walked off a bus
Into my life
Became my wife

Alone
by
Edgar ALlen Poe

EDGAR ALLAN POE

From childhood’s hour, I have not been
As others were—I have not seen
As others saw—I could not bring
My passions from a common spring—
From the same source, I have not taken
My sorrow—I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone—
And all I lov’d Ilov’d alone—
Then my childhood—in the dawn
of a most stormy life—was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still—
From the torrent, or the fountain—
From the red cliff of the mountain—
From the sun that ’round me roll’s
In its autumn tint of gold—
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by—
From the thunder, and the storm—
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view—

On That Date, Sijo NaPoWrMo

On that date, truly I met, the love of my life, became my wife
In my dreams, she appeared for years,haunting my dreams
She came to life, on that date, I met my fate

Justice at Last -Take That Ann Coulter!
Justice at Last

George_Floyd

There is Justice in America
At long last
God Bless America

Finally, there is Justice
For the black man
For the victim
Of police abuse
For the underdog

Today the jury spoke
The murder of George Floyd
Was simply that
Murder most foul

Today in America
We begin living up
To our pledge

That we are all
Created equal
And that no one
Is above the law

That black lives
Do indeed matter

And so, I say
To Anne C
And her odious ilk

You lost
Go home
And shut up

Chauvin was not a hero
He was simply a zero

The jury saw him
For what he was
A despicable human being
Who killed a black man
Because he thought
That as a white policeman
He could get away it

He was wrong
And so today
Is a great day
As Justice comes
To America

Uncle Sam Wants You PSH

Uncle Sam

Choose 1, 2, or all 3 of these imagistic phrases to write about. Google the phrases for specific images if that will help you to get started.

Old rusty 1940s pickup truck

Uncle Sam wants YOU!
Sunset in black and white

Uncle Sam Wants You

He wants you to sail
The ocean blue
He wants you
To travel the world
He wants you
To meet local people
Then kill them
To preserve democracy
And protect our freedom

what is love? Quesiton Poem NaPoWrMo

Poets have tried for years
To answer a simple question
What is love?

Scientists believe
That Love is a delusion
Nothing but chemicals

Designed to get us
To do our
Reproductive duties

Social scientists
Think they can determine
Our compatibility

That it is all predictable
All can be nailed down
Explained away

But the reality is simply this
Love is not just a matter
Of body chemistry

Love cannot be explained
Love cannot be quantified
Love can only be experienced

Love happens when it happens
When two people meet
Their souls become entangled
Love is mysterious

Love is beyond
Our understanding

In the end
Love simply does
What love does.

Make Love to Me as We Used To Writers Digest

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “(blank) Me,” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles include: “Tell Me,” “Forgive Me,” and/or “You’ve Got to Believe Me.” Of course, feel free to bend the rules and have a title like “Home Sweet Ho(me)” or “Pick a (me).”

Make Love to Me as We Used To<

All I want to do
Is to have you
Make love to me
Like we used to

(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

Take me in your arms
and never let me go

(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

Hold me close
and tell me
what I want to know

(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

All I want to do
Is make love to you

(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

Whisper to me softly
while the moon is low

(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

Tell me how you want it
Tell me where you want it
Ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

Hold me close
and tell me
what I wanna know
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

Tell me now
How you like it
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

Come a little closer
Make love to me
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

Based on the song by
Make Love to Me

By Jo Stafford

(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
(Ba-ba-ba-boom)

(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
Take me in your arms and never let me go
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
Whisper to me softly while the moon is low
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)

Hold me close and tell me what I wanna know
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
Say it to me gently, let the sweet talk flow
Come a little closer

Make love to me
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
Kiss me once again before we say goodnight
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)

Take me in your lovin’ arms and squeeze me tight
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
Put me in a mood so I can dream all night
(Ba-ba-ba-ba-boom)
Everybody’s sleeping so it’s quite all right

Come a little closer
Make love to me

My Life Began NaPoWrMo

And now for our (optional) prompt. Have you ever heard or read the nursery rhyme, “There was a man of the double deed?” It’s quite creepy! A lot of its effectiveness can be traced back to how, after the first couplet, the lines all begin with the same two phrases (either “When the . . .” or “I was like,”). The way that these phrases resolve gets more and more bizarre throughout the poem, giving it a headlong, inevitable feeling.

Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that, like this one, uses lines that have a repetitive set-up. Here’s an example I came up with after seeing this video of . . . a bucket of owls.

My Life Began

My life began with a Dream
My life began with a scheme
My life began that date
My life began when I met my fate
My Life began when she came to me
My life began when she came to be
My life began when she walked into my life
My life began when she became my wife

Appointment with the Grim Reaper, Writers Digest

For today’s prompt, write an appointment poem. My first thoughts with appointments conjure up visions of doctors, dentists, and parent-teacher conferences. But there are also business meetings and romantic dates. For the most part, people are very appointment-centric, because it gives people a reason and opportunity to come together (kind of like my annual appointment to poem daily on this site).

Appointment with the Grim Reaper

Sam Adams
One day received a summons
From the Grim Reaper
The note read
“Your appointment
For final status determination (FSD)
Is confirmed for midnight Saturday

A driver
will come for you
Be prepared
Tell no one
This appointment is high
Q level classified.”

Sam got up at 11:30
And waited for the courier
While his wife slept

There was a knock on the door
He went out
The courier was dressed
In a black uniform
But did not look entirely human

He had a blank face
No hair
And horns on his head

He said
I am your driver today

After your hearing
I will drive you
Either to Hell,
Or to heaven

Or back here
If you are given a reprieve
Of your FSD
They drove off

In his black SUV
The plates read, 666 hell
They soon entered
A dark forbidding forest

The road ended
They got out
And walked

Found themselves
In a large field

They parked
And walked
To a large black tent

A demon attendant
Barked

Name and DOB
Sam Adams
10-30-195

You have an appointment
With Mr. GR
Proceed to door number 2
For you FSD
Good luck

He entered the room
Mr. GR dressed in black
Wearing cool Ray-ban glasses

Looked up from his computer

Sam Adams
He growled
You have been given a reprieve
From Hell
For five years

Your next FSD will be final
Probably Hell but maybe Heaven
That decision is beyond my pay grade

You may go back home
My driver will drive you
Go!

The driver took him home
He went to bed
Woke up convinced
It was all a dream

Later that day
A letter arrived

Appointment with GR
For final status determination
Has been confirmed for
Five years from today’s date

We advise you to get
Your affairs in order
There is no appeal
From the final FSD

PSH Blue Blues

Use color to spark your imagination. For starters, I suggest you brainstorm /green/! Consider green with envy; green around the gills; green grass of home; eco-green; and finally, all the myriad shades of green in the landscape. Use the word /green/ in your poem or imply it through your word choices. If you don’t care for green, try another color that adds poetry to the rainbow!

Here’s an example that is both implicit and explicit based upon green: a traditional 5/7/5 Haiku: Shamrocks greening now/after winter dormancy/one white bloom for luck.

Blue Blues

Once in a while
I wake up
Feeling the blues
Singing the blues
Being the blues

Then I lookout
At the bright blue sky
And the dawning sun

And at my wife
Wearing a blue shirt
And blue jeans

She smiles
The blues fly
Out the window
Joining the sky

I go for a walk
As the fog of blues
fade away in the morning sun

Not Alone – Response to Alone by Edgar Allen Poe

Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that responds, in some way, to another. This could be as simple as using a line or image from another poem as a jumping-off point, or it could be a more formal poetic response to the argument or ideas raised in another poem. You might use a favorite (or least favorite poem) as the source for your response. And if you’re having trouble finding a poem to respond to, here are a few that might help you generate ideas: “This World is Not Conclusion,” by Peter Gizzi, “In That Other Fantasy Where We Live Forever,” by Wanda Coleman, “La Chalupa, the Boat,” by Jean Valentine, or “Aubade: Some Peaches, After Storm,” by Carl Phillips.

Not Alone – Response to Alone by Edgar Allen Poe

Sam Adams
Was a bit of a loner
Lost in his inner world
Filled with dreams
Nightmares
Poetic fragments
Short story ideas

Always felt like he was living
The Edgar Allen Poe poem,

“Alone

From childhood’s hour, I have not been
As others were—I have not seen
As others saw—I could not bring
My passions from a common spring—
From the same source, I have not taken
My sorrow—I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone—
And all I loved—I loved alone—
Then—in my childhood—in the dawn
Of a most stormy life—was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still—
From the torrent, or the fountain—
From the red cliff of the mountain—
From the sun that ‘round me roll’s
In its autumn tint of gold—
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by—
From the thunder, and the storm—
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view—”

But then one day
He met the girl
Of his dreams

She walked off a bus
Into his life
Became his wife
And he was alone
No more

Free will (or not?!) Writing com Dew Drop-in

I believe in fate
I believe that we are doomed
To live out our life
As our fate unfolds

40 years ago
I met my fate
On the date
That I met my mate

For eight years
I had dreamt
Of meeting her

Then on that date
She walked out of my dreams
Into my life
Becoming my wife

That was foreordained
Nothing but the operation
Of fate

April 23—Poem based on a play (It’s Shakespeare’s birthday, but any play!) Writing com Dew Drop-in
Juliet and Romeo Romance

My life at times
Seems to be
Like a Fairy tale

Or like a play
Written by Shakespeare

My wife commented
That our love affair
Was like Juliet and Romeo
But without the tragic ending

Even Shakespeare
Could not have dreamt up
How we met

We met in a dream
45 years ago
She haunted my dreams
For eight long years

Then one day
She walked out of my dreams
Into my life
Becoming my wife

That was the date
I met my fate

I often say
That if I had heard the story
From one of my visa applicants

I would have denied the visa
For they were obviously
Either lying
Or clinically insane

I have often thought
Our story would make
A great rom-com movie
a great K Drama maybe
or a Bollywood romantic comedy

Perhaps one day
I will write it

But I am not sure
Anyone would believe
The reality of our love

When I was a young man, she came to me, Sonnet about a Shakespeare
Sonnet PSH

When I was a young man, she came to me

When I was a young man, she came to me
She came to me one day while I dreamed
I met my fate that date, our love came to be
I saw her there who are you I screamed?
She just smiled, filling my heart with love
I did not know what I should do or say
As she entered my life, became my wife
I will never forget for on that day
When she walked off that bus became real
I saw here there standing love in her eyes
I did not know what right then I should feel
I looked at her, my heart began to rise
Just like in a famous Shakespeare poem
My heart began just like a poet

Earth Will Abide, Will Humanity? Writers Digest

For today’s prompt, write a nature poem. Write about the natural world, sure. But don’t be afraid to delve into human nature or the nature of love or whichever other interpretation comes naturally to you. Poem on!

Earth Will Abide, Will Humanity?

On this earth day, world leaders
Held a climate summit
And for the first time, in four years
The US president led the meeting
Recognizing that the future
Of the earth lay in the balance
The earth will no doubt abide
Until the end of time
I wonder if humans
Will do the same?

Ode to Kimchi NaPoWrMo

kimchi

In a prompt originally posted this past February, Poets & Writers directs us to an essay by Urvi Kumbhat on the use of mangoes in diasporic literature. As she discusses in her essay, mangoes have become a sort of shorthand or symbol that writers use to invoke an entire culture, country, or way of life. This has the beauty of simplicity – but also the problems of simplicity, in that you really can’t sum up culture in a single image or item, and you risk cliché if you try.

But at the same time, the “staying power” of the mango underscores the strength of metonymy in poetry. Following Poets & Writers’ prompt, today I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that invokes a specific object as a symbol of a particular time, era, or place.

Ode to Kimchi

Kimchi
The essential element
Of Korean cuisine
Like Koreans
Hot, spicy, uncompromising
Full of love
And mystery

April 24—Play around with historical facts Writing com Dew Drop-in
If China had Discovered Europe

What if China had discovered Europe>

One of the greatest mysteries of history

Is why did China close down
Their great global expedition
That in 1430 would have resulted
In China discovering Europe

And probably the Americas
The fleet was sailing around
The Cape of Good Hope
When the order
To return came down

The greatest maritime expedition
In history at that time
Turned around

The ships were decommissioned
China turned inward
And never met their destiny

I often wonder
How the world would have been different
If the Chinese had discovered Europe
Back in the day

In 1430, China was way ahead
Of Europe

By the 1600s, when the Europeans
Began knocking on their doors
Europe was racing ahead

And China was still in their
Epic century-long decline

If they had discovered Europe
Would I be writing this in Chinese?

Would China have colonized America
Would my homeland
San Francisco be a colonial outpost
Of the greater Chinese Empire?

Subtitles Writing com Dew Drop-in
Watching Movies with Subtitles

For the last 40 years
I have been watching movies
With subtitles

My wife
Is not a native speaker
And she early on decided

That when she watched
English language movies
She needed Subtitles in English or Korean

I went along
And found that subtitles
Do help

Sometimes
In the midst
Of action
It can be hard to hear
The dialogue
Subtitles help

When I watch Korean programs
I still need
English subtitles

I find I get 60 percent
Of the dialogue
Without the subtitles

Many years ago
When I was
Teaching ESL

One of my students
Had a part-time job
Writing subtitles in English

I smiled
His English was clearly
Not up to the task

But I must say English subtitles
Have gotten better
In the last few years

Nowadays when I watch Korean TV
They usually have Korean subtitles
That helps me a lot

As I can read Korean
A lot better than
I can speak it

The subtitles
Allows me
To usually follow along

The End
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April 25, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
Justice in America, Take That Anne Coulter!

I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Take Down Anne Coulter’s Wall

Rush Limbaugh Is Dead Long Live Rush Limbaugh

April 25 to April 30 2021 Poems

Comment:

Update: It seems that the right has stopped talking about Chauvin as being some sort of heroric white dude being victimized by the rabid left wing mob. Perhaps that was too much even for the folks at the MAGA news headquarters (i.e, Fox News). would love to hear what folks think so drop me a line. End Update

Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter is a person many progressives love to hate, and she returns the favor as she constantly is writing outrageous stuff as part of her constant attempt to “own the libs” or “trigger the libs” and her nonsense sells well on the right-wing media verse. She is a hero to the right and a pariah to everyone else. Besides the fact that she says hurtful, hateful, disgusting things, she lies all the time. She believes in the adage, “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.”

I usually try to ignore her, but this time she went too far. She attempted to paint Chauvin as some sort of white male victim instead of the murderer that the jury and the rest of America saw. Here then is a found poem with snarky commentary and a follow up poem. written after hearing the news that Chauvin was found guilty on all charges. Today is a great day in America.

I will send this to Anne Coulter and post any response she may give.

Ann Coulter is a disgusting depraved piece of work – a found poem, with snarky commentary.

Of course, Anne Coulter went there
She is defending
Dereck Chauvin
As a modern-day hero
As a victim of PC madness

She is truly a demented, depraved,
Disgusting, lying racist piece of work

Her words speak for themselves
In modern America,
We periodically offer up
White men as human sacrifices
To the PC gods.

Among our benefactions:
Jake Gardner,
Kyle Rittenhouse,
Darren Wilson,
The Duke lacrosse players,
University of Virginia fraternity members,
Stacey Koon
And Mark Fuhrman.

The rest of us
{White people}
Keep our heads down
And pray we won’t be next.

At least the Duke and UVA human offerings
Were sufficiently upper-crust
To have a few journalists
And lawyers defending them.

But policemen,
Bar owners,
Military veterans
And a Midwest teenager?
Definitely not our crowd,

Currently,
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin
Is on trial
For killing George Floyd

By kneeling on his neck,
As it appeared in cellphone videos.
You may remember something about this:
It’s why America had to burn in 2020.

But the chief medical examiner’s report
Establishes that, however else Floyd died,
It wasn’t from Chauvin’s knee.

Comment: any reasonable human being
Would conclude
Kneeling on someone’s neck
For 10 minutes will be fatal
But Ann is not a reasonable human being
End comment

Oopsie! I guess it wasn’t essential
That our country goes through eight months
Of looting, riots, and mostly peaceful arsons.

Day after day,
Prosecutors, witnesses
And the media tell us that
Chauvin “squeezed the life out of” Floyd.

The medical evidence establishes
That whatever else caused his death,
It was NOT asphyxiation.

That’s the entire case
Against Officer Chauvin!

But the howling
The bloodthirsty mob isn’t giving
Up until its holy religious observance
Because of one dork in a lab coat.

The sun might not rise!
The city of Minneapolis
Could be wiped out!
Wait — that might happen.

The medical examiner
Also found that Floyd had enough fentanyl in his system –
I don’t want to say, “to kill a horse,”
Because that would be a cliché

But it would be enough to bump off
An entire team of Budweiser Clydesdales

Just an example of the left not accepting science.

In addition to liberals refusing to accept the science of:
— DNA (the O.J. trial)
— AIDS (we’re still waiting for that big heterosexual outbreak!)
— Cancer clusters and breast implants (billions of dollars wasted
And companies destroyed because the left adhered to junk science)
— I.Q. (just watch the reaction to my mentioning this hate-science) …

… We can now add “pharmacology”!
You mean to say that just by sticking a syringe
In someone’s arm, you can tell
If he’s been taking drugs?

That’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo,
Just like the moon landing.

Comment: Anne
What does that have to do
With anything?

The fact remains undisputed
George Floyd died
After Chauvin put his knee
On his neck

What are you saying?
That was okay
That was fine

That police should
We allowed to violently
Assault anyone they want.
Especially if they are black
brown, Asian or LGBT

That seems to be
What you are saying
Just saying, Anne.”

This trial is a total sham,
But the entire power of the state,
The media, the left-wing shock troops
And the country’s finest legal talent
Is being deployed
Against Derek Chauvin.

Comment:

Boohoo
Poor white guy
Being charged with a crime

End Comment

The legal mismatch in the O.J. Simpson case
Wasn’t this one-sided.
In the middle of jury selection,

The city of Minneapolis
Announced an eye-popping
Civil settlement of $27 million
With the family of George Floyd.

What does a $27 million settlement
With the family of the alleged victim say.

Comment:
Anne
I’ll bite
It says that Chauvin killed George Floyd
He’s dead due to police misconduct
End Comment

Black residents of Minneapolis
Are threatening to burn the place
Down if Chauvin isn’t convicted –

– and the only reason anyone
Thinks a jury could
Return a guilty verdict
Is that they believe them.

Comment:

No Anne, the jury will convict
Because there is no way
You can say
That Chauvin did not kill
George Floyd
That’s it in a nutshell
End Comment

In the darkest days of Jim Crow,
The entire country
Never ganged up
On a single individual like this.

Comment:
The ghosts of those lynched
In the south
Would disagree
Comment

Please,
Gods of wokeness,
We ask that his human sacrifice
Be acceptable!

Throw another virgin
Into the volcano.

Comment:
Anne
Nice way to end your wicked racist tirade
End Comment

Source article

In modern America, we periodically offer up white men as human sacrifices to the PC gods. Among our benefactions: Jake Gardner, Kyle Rittenhouse, Darren Wilson, the Duke lacrosse players, University of Virginia fraternity members, Stacey Koon and Mark Fuhrman.

The rest of us just keep our heads down and pray we won’t be next.

CARTOONS | GARY VARVEL

VIEW CARTOON

At least the Duke and UVA human offerings were sufficiently upper-crust to have a few journalists and lawyers defending them. But policemen, bar owners, military veterans, and a Midwest teenager? Definitely not our crowd, darling.

Currently, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is on trial for killing George Floyd by kneeling on his neck, as it appeared in cellphone videos. You may remember something about this: It’s why America had to burn in 2020.

But the chief medical examiner’s report establishes that, however else Floyd died, it wasn’t from Chauvin’s knee. Oopsie! I guess it wasn’t essential that our country goes through eight months of looting, riots, and mostly peaceful arsons.

Instead of citing some B.S. media “fact check,” I shall quote directly from the autopsy report by the Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner, Andrew Baker:

“No life-threatening injuries identified —

“A. No facial, oral mucosal, or conjunctival petechiae

“B. No injuries of anterior muscles of the neck or laryngeal structures

“C. No scalp soft tissue, skull, or brain injuries

“D. No chest wall soft tissue injuries, rib fractures (other than a single rib fracture from CPR), vertebral column injuries, or visceral injuries

“E. Incision and subcutaneous dissection of posterior and lateral neck, shoulders, back, flanks, and buttocks negative for occult trauma”

In short: No bloodshot eyes and no trauma to any part of Floyd’s neck.

And yet, day after day, prosecutors, witnesses, and the media tell us that Chauvin “squeezed the life out of” Floyd. The medical evidence establishes that whatever else caused his death, it was NOT asphyxiation.

That’s the entire case against Officer Chauvin! But the howling mob isn’t giving up its holy religious observance because of one dork in a lab coat. The sun might not rise! The city of Minneapolis could be wiped out! Wait — that might happen.

The medical examiner also found that Floyd had enough fentanyl in his system — I don’t want to say, “to kill a horse,” because that would be a cliche. But it would be enough to bump off an entire team of Budweiser Clydesdales. In technical medical jargon:

“A. Blood drug and novel psychoactive substances screens:

“1. Fentanyl 11 ng/ml”

That’s just the first few words of the “Toxicology” section. Also listed are or fentanyl, 4-ANPP, methamphetamine, cannabinoids, amphetamines, morphine, and so on.

But the 11 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl is rather important, since the chief medical examiner called this “a fatal level of fentanyl under normal circumstances,” saying, “deaths have been certified with levels of 3.”

Three. But George Floyd went up to 11.

Naturally, Baker was quick to add, “I am not saying this killed him.” Please don’t throw me to the woke gods! Leave me to my test tubes! (And you thought lawyers were craven.)

I have a feeling we’re about to see another example of the left not accepting science.

In addition to liberals refusing to accept the science of:

— DNA (the O.J. trial)

— AIDS (we’re still waiting for that big heterosexual outbreak!)

— Cancer clusters and breast implants (billions of dollars wasted and companies destroyed because the left adhered to junk science)

— I.Q. (just watch the reaction to my mentioning this hate-science) …

… We can now add “pharmacology”!

Do you mean to say that just by sticking a syringe in someone’s arm you can tell if he’s been taking drugs? That’s a lot of mumbo-jumbo, just like the moon landing.

This trial is a total sham, but the entire power of the state, the media, the left-wing shock troops, and the country’s finest legal talent are being deployed against Derek Chauvin.

In addition to Minnesota’s top prosecutor, the state has hired Neal Katya, former solicitor general of the United States — an unheard-of maneuver in a case that doesn’t involve some highly technical specialty, like antitrust. A slew of lawyers is working pro bono for the prosecutor — also unheard of. The state has unlimited resources to pursue Chauvin.

It Sure Looks Like CBS News Edited Body Cam Footage to Omit a Key Frame in Adam Toledo Shooting

Matt Vespa

Against this, Chauvin has one lone defense attorney, Eric “Atticus Finch” Nelson. The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association’s legal defense fund will put up to $1 million toward his defense, and Nelson can talk to the other rotating attorneys whom the fund employs. But unless they’re working pro bono, too, $1 million runs out pretty fast.

The legal mismatch in the O.J. Simpson case wasn’t this one-sided.

In the middle of jury selection, the city of Minneapolis announced an eye-popping civil settlement of $27 million with the family of George Floyd. Liberals are still denouncing Richard Nixon for a 1970 speech in which he inadvertently described defendant Charles Manson as someone who was “guilty, directly or indirectly, of eight murders” — leading to demands for a mistrial.

What does a $27 million settlement with the family of the alleged victim say?

Black residents of Minneapolis are threatening to burn the place down if Chauvin isn’t convicted — and the only reason anyone thinks a jury could return a guilty verdict is that they believe them.

In the darkest days of Jim Crow, the entire country never ganged up on a single individual like this.

Please, gods of wokeness, we ask that his human sacrifice be acceptable!

Throw another virgin into the volcano.

George_Floyd

Chauvin

Justice at Last – Take That Ann Coulter!

Theme: Justice, BLM

Justice at Last
There is Justice in America
At long last
God Bless America

Finally, there is Justice
For the black man
For the victim
Of police abuse
For the underdog

Today the jury spoke
The murder of George Floyd
Was simply that
Murder most foul

Today in America
We begin living up
To our pledge
That we are all
Created equal
And that no one
Is above the law

That black lives
Do indeed matter

And so, I say
To Anne Coulter
And her odious, racist ilk

You lost
Go home
And shut up

Chauvin was not a hero
He was simply a zero
The jury saw him
For what he was

A despicable human being
Who killed a black man
Because he thought
That as a white policeman
He could get away it

He was wrong
And so today
Is a great day

As Justice comes
To America

The End
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April 21, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
April 16 to April 20 2021 Poems

April 10 to April 14 2021 Poems

April 1 to April 5 Poems

April 6 to April 9 Cosmos’s Poetry

Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part One

Cosmos 2020 April Poetry Part Two

April 2019 Poems

April 2018 Poems

2017 April Poems

I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Just posted on line https://formerpeople.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/lone-foreigner-

Commentary:

This is the fifth and perhaps final time I am doing the April poetry challenge. The goal is to write at least one poem per day. I am averaging about eight per day and posting four reserving four as “unpublished”. I am basing the poems on prompts from “Writing com Dew Drop Inn”, “Writers Digest”, “Poetry Superhighway” and “NaPoWrMo” prompt daily prompts and on “Pensively Prompt’ et all daily prompts. I am combining prompts where possible. I will post these here in batches every five days or so. Each poem will have an image that helped inspired the poem. All postings will be podcast a few days later on Spotify and elsewhere. Each posting will be a separate posting, but the index will be cumulative. The final posting will have the complete list of all poems written whether posted or not. Comments welcome but please keep it civil. Some of my poetry tends to be a bit “in your face” or “political” from a “leftwing perspective.” If it offends you in some way, please accept my apologies in advance. That is never my intent.

This is part three covering poems written April 15 to April 20posted on the 21.

I am writing some other poems per day but not posting them as I need to reserve some “unpublished” poems. There will be a podcast version shortly on Spotify, Public Radio, and elsewhere. I will list all the poems I wrote in my final April posting, May 1 KST. Posted

Index

April 15, 2021

Living in an SF World Writing Com Dew Drop-in
Topic: SF

Narnia beckons PSH Prompt
Topic: Narnia

My Home Office Writer Digest
Topic: home

Cosmos Aller NaPoWrMo
Topic: Bio

April 16

Caregiving In this Day and Age Writing Com Dew Drop-in
Topic: Corona

Dinosaur Story, Writers digest
Topic: dinosaurs

Coffee Cup Dreams PSH
Topic: coffee

Coffee Inheritance, NaPoWrMo Prompt
Topic: coffee

April 17

Morning rituals PSH
Topic: Morning

Ode to Berkeley Writers Digest
Topic: Berkeley

Met My Fate That Date Skeltonic Poem
Topic: fate

April 18

There is no such place as Writing Com Dew Drop-in…
Topic: Oz, Narnia

Sounds Writing Com Dew Drop-in…
Topic: sounds

April 19

65 Years Young Writing com Drew Drop-In
Topic: Age, Meaning of Life

Howling with The Dancing Moon, PSH
Topic: Moon

Writer’s Digest Animal in Title – Cats Are Space Aliens
Topic: Cats

Anti-Vaxers, Anti-Masks, And Other Covid Idiots Poetic Rants
Napowrmo Prompt:
Topic: Corona

April 20
—Tree of Life… (See Link for A Drawing/Journaling Exercise)
Tree of Life
Topic: Satan, Eden, God

April 15—Machines Writing com Dew Drop-In

The Robots are Coming

The Robots are coming
They will soon
Take away
More and more jobs

Leaving people free
To do other things

But what will we all do?
When the machines
Do everything

From driving and delivering
To cooking our food
Cleaning our houses
Cleaning our offices

Even doing our lawyering
And our doctoring
What will we do?

When the evil computer overlord
Emerges in the future
And enslave us all
To the robotic overlords?

Narnia Beckons PSH

Use five different colors.
Utilize each of the five senses
Write about your hand (what is it? What does it do?) without using the words “hand,” “finger/s” or “thumb.”
Go to an imaginary place that is commonly known, don’t name it until the end
What did you do during covid that you wouldn’t have done otherwise?

narnia

Narnia beckons
Red dawning sun
Blue sky
Yellow flowers
Pink flowers
Golden flowers
By my side

Narnia beckons
During covid lockdown
Reading Narnia in Spanish

My Home Office Writer Digest

For today’s prompt, write a poem inspired only by stimulus from where you’re sitting (or standing, if you write will standing). In the past, I’ve written poems about pencils, characters in books I can see, and things I can see out my window when using this prompt. So, consider your immediate surroundings and poem away today.

For several years
I have had a home office
Chaotic, badly designed
Adhoc mess
But now I finally have
A decent home office

With a state of the art desk
That I can raise or lower
As I sit fit

My wife sits next to me
We can finally work together
Managing our real estate
And investments

I do my writing projects
With her at my side
Watching the news
Or listening to music

As we work side by side
In my peaceful home office

Cosmos Aller NaPoWrMo<

And last but not least, our (optional) prompt for the day. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that delves into the meaning of your first or last name. Looking for inspiration? Take a look at this poem by Mark Wunderlich, appropriately titled “Wunderlich.”

Cosmos Aller

I am Jake Cosmos Aller
Born John Cosmos Aller
65 years ago in Berkeley, California

I am the third generation Cosmos
The name comes from a translation
Of our German family name Aller

The story Is that my great grandfather
Wanted a middle name
To reflect an English translation
Of the German word “Aller”

He had a choice
“Cosmos” or “Universe”
He chose “Cosmos”

Otherwise
I would be John “Universe” Aller

My Grandfather was the first Cosmos
Curtis Cosmos Aller Sr
My father Was the second Cosmos
Curtis Cosmos Aller, Jr
And I am the third
John (Jake) Cosmos Aller

Either way
The name Cosmos
Is now my pen name

No one believes
This story

They all believe
I was called Cosmos
Because I was born
In Berkeley

And the name Cosmos
Seems appropriate
For a child born
In Berkeley

Which is a pretty
Cosmic city
After all

Unfortunately, I am the last Cosmos
In my family’s line
As I have no children

If I had a son
He would have been called
Robert Cosmos Aller

April 16

Caregiving In this Day and Age, writing com Do Drop-in

corona

Caregiving in this day and age
Is difficult
As the Coronavirus wreaks havoc
Across the land

Thousands of people still dying
Every single day
As General Corona marches
Across the land

The caregivers are our unseen heroes
Saving lives every day
For very little pay

They do what they must
Providing care
to the elderly

The forgotten old people
Living their quiet life
Of despair

Dinosaur Story, Writers Digest

dinosaur

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “(blank) Story,” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles include: “Toy Story,” “Super Long Unusually Strange Story,” and/or “Same Old Story.” Poem your story, so we can get at the second half of this challenge.

A metal dinosaur
Stands in a park
Deeply dreaming

The dinosaur
Comes to life
Millions of years
Have past

The dinosaur sniffs
Says to himself
Hmm I am back
Life is good

Coffee Cup Dreams PSH

coffee

Writing from the point of view of an inanimate object can open the floodgates. We carry things around with us everywhere – in our pockets, purses, backpacks, vehicles… but how do those objects see the world? This freewriting activity puts your voice to bed, while the object’s voice is finally spoken.

Dig through your backpack, purse, bag, junk drawer – and pull out the first object you touch.

Write a poem from the point of view of that object.

How does the egg timer feel about sitting on top of the stove when the cookies are done baking? What does the Costco Membership Card feel when you pass over it for Sam’s Warehouse? How does the maple syrup react when you reach for the honey instead?

My coffee cup
Contains dreams
It dreams every morning
As I pour my coffee

The coffee cup
Comes to life
Filled with delicious coffee

The coffee cup
Loves to provide me
With the pleasure
Of drinking coffee

The coffee cup smiles
His work is done

Coffee Inheritance

cartoon man who drank too much coffee

And now for our prompt (optional, as always). Today’s prompt comes to us from Juan Martinez. It asks you to think about a small habit you picked up from one of your parents, and then to write a piece that explores an early memory of your parent engaged in that habit, before shifting into writing about yourself engaging in the same habit.

My father and mother
Were big coffee drinkers
They liked it black

My mother said
Coffee should be black
Like her heart

But her heart
Was filled with light
And love

She drank five to six
Cups every day

My father also
Was a big coffee drinker
They both drank coffee

All-day long
Oddly, it did not seem
To keep them from sleeping

Nor did it make them
Jittery
From too much caffeine

My parents did not allow me
To drink coffee
Until I was 18

When I finally join them
And became
A coffee achiever

Now when I drink my daily cup
I think back to my parents

Drinking their coffee
Thinking back
To my coffee inheritance

There is no such place

narnia scene

There is no such place
I often wonder
What would it be like
If the mythical land of oz
Or Narnia existed

If we could travel
To other realms

I wonder if
While I alive
If we will colonize
The Moon and Mars

And if I will travel
To the stars
Before my time is done

Sunday, April 18

Sounds

temple blog bell-zen

Sounds and sights
Of unknown worlds
Fill my head

I hear the temple bells
I see the sights
Of my dreams
Unfold in my head

Sounds and sights
Of worlds yet to be
Fill my heart
With anticipation

Monday, April 19

Acting your age (or not!)

65 Years Young
I am now 65
A senior citizen

But in my heart
I still feel
Like I am still
20 years old

People say
I should act my age
But what that means
If I think
I am still 20?

Sunday, April 20>

—Tree of Life…(see link for a drawing/journaling exercise)
https://nathanbweller.com/tree-life-simple-exercise-reclaiming-identity-directio…
Tree of Life

Eden

In the garden
Of Eden
Adam and Eve
Were forbidden
To eat the fruit
Of the tree of life
Satan sent a snake
To temp them
To eat the forbidden fruit
Of the tree of life
When they did
God knew
And banished them
From the garden of Eden
For their act of cosmic defiance

Morning Rituals PSH

coffee

If a stranger were to watch you through your window right now, what would they see and what would they say about it? Paint us a verbal picture. Play around with the point of view. You can be the observer describing what he/she sees in a third-person report, or switch it around to the first or second person

Sam Adams starts his day
The same way every day
He gets up
At the crack of dawn
Leaves his sleeping wife

Washes up
Drinks two cups
of coffee

Watches the news
While writing down his dreams
And his daily poetry

Thinking about life
Looking out the window
At the dawning sun

Lights up his living room
Thinking about life

He goes to his sleeping wife
Waking her with a kiss
Falling in love yet again

Ode to Berkeley Writers Digest

free roaming berkeley

For today’s prompt, write a city poem. You can make the title of your poem the name of a city and write your poem. Or you can mention a city in your poem. And, of course, you can just set your poem in a city without naming which one it is. It’s also okay if you’re more rurally inclined, to just write a poem about the city slickers. As always, have fun with it.

I grew up in Berkeley
In the late 60s and 70s
A wild magical time
In a magical city
By the bay

Berkeley was the center
Of my universe
For many years

Until I left it
In my early 20s
To wander about the world

Yet Berkeley never left me
I am still in Berkeley
It lives on in my heart
And soul

And someday
I will return home
To reside

Before I finally leave
Berkeley for good
As I die in my homeland

Met My Fate That Date Skeltonic Poem NaPoWrMo Prompt

And last but not least, our (optional) prompt. Because it’s Friday, today I’d like you to relax with the rather silly form called Skeltonic, or tumbling, verse. In this form, there’s no specific number of syllables per line, but each line should be short and should aim to have two or three stressed syllables. And the lines should rhyme. You just rhyme the same sound until you get tired of it, and then move on to another sound. Here’s a short example I came up with.

Met My Fate That Date Skeltonic Poem

I met my fate
That cosmic date
When I first saw my mate

I went to her that date
She walked into my life
Later she became my wife

Howling with the Dancing Moon, PSH
Topic: Moon
If the moon could tap dance…

howing at the moon

(Would it make a sound? What music is it dancing to? Where did it find tap shoes? What effect does it have on you?)

If rivers could wish…

(What would they wish for? Or have they already? Do they ever get tired of being wet? How about when something jumps in, falls in, takes something from them?)

If sunset could tell you…

(A truth beyond the horizon? Is it hard to say goodbye? What does it know that you don’t? How has it tried to tell you?)

A man
Sits drinking late into the night
On the night of the blood-red
Super blue wolf moon

The lunatic light of the moon
Inspires him
As he drinks
In that depraved din of inequity
On the left side of society

Drinking with his buddies
Johnny Walker, Jim Beam
Jack Daniels, Old Granddad
Drinking one Scotch, one Bourbon
And one beer

Watching the naked woman
Dancing on stage
He finishes drinking
20 drinks too sober

He walks outside
And sees the naked moon
Dancing up a storm

Flying across the sky
Ripping her clothes off

Tap dancing
To the insane disco beat
Of the bar

He gives in
Jumps into the sky
Dancing with the naked moon

Howling with the moon maiden
Like an escaped banshee
From the lunatic bins
Of Hell

Cats are Aliens -Writers Digest Animal Poem

black cat

Cats are alien creatures
They are just so weird
So utterly inhuman

In their thoughts
And actions
They must have come
To this world
From another planet

Perhaps they are
The advance team
For the future alien invasion

Cats seem to communicate
Through telepathy

They seem to think
We are their slaves

Perhaps we are
And we do not realize
That they are the master race

Anti-vaxers, anti-maskers and other covid Idiots Poetic Rants
NaPoWrMo Prompt:

Topic: Corona

corona virus

And last but not least, our prompt (optional, as always). Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a humorous rant. In this poem, you may excoriate to your heart’s content all the things that get on your nerves. Perhaps it’s people who tailgate when driving or don’t put the caps back on pens after they use them. Or the raccoons who get into your garbage cans. For inspiration, perhaps you might look to this list of Shakespearean insults. Or, for all of you who grew up on cartoons from the 1980s, perhaps this compendium of Skeleton’s might provide some insight.

Amid the worst global health pandemic
In over 150 years
The world is filled with COVID idiots
Who denounces any public health measures
Designed to save lives

As an affront to their rights
To do whatever they please
Regardless of the impact
Their bad behavior may have

These COVID idiots
Refuse to wear masks
Refuse to social distance
Refuse to get a Vaccine
Even refuse
to wash their damn hands

They refuse to believe
That COVID is real
Until they or their relatives
End up in the hospital
Fighting for their life

If only these COVID idiots
Had worn a mask
Gotten a vaccine
They would not have become
Yet another COVID Ghost

The End
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April 20, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
Former People Update

I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Just posted on line https://formerpeople.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/lone-foreigner-hiking-the-seoul-city-walls/

New Years Visit to Oregon Coast

Fomer people

Former People Will Publish “Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City Walls”

“Hi Jake, I would like to publish “Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City
Walls”? Is it still available? And do you have an author photo to go
with your work?”

Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City Walls

Hiker

A Lone foreign male hiker
In the hills above the city
Hiking along the ancient Seoul City walls

500 years after the founding
Of the city in 1492
Balancing his walk
Amid the boulders

The winter is coming
Soon he thinks
And finishes his hike

Heading to a bar
To sake his thirst
Some soju, and bulgogi
Will do the trick
He thinks to himself

Just another day
In the life
Of an unknown nameless
Foreigner in the city
Of Seoul

Part of the ten million
Naked stories
In the big city

Former People published three of my poems, “New Years Visit to the Oregon Coast”, ‘Indian Casino Thoughts” and “Casino Thoughts”

Oregon coast

New Years Visit to the Oregon Coast

The end of the year
We drove to Bookings on the Oregon Coast

We had a pleasant drive through the mystic fog shrouded Redwoods.
The gathering gloom of the dark woods foretold my dismal mood

Slept soundly to the sound of the ocean.
The super moon light filled

the beach outside our window
with an eerie light all night long.

As we slept people walked the beach
Enjoying the full moon

And the unusually warm weather
Setting off fireworks at midnight

In the morning I went for a nice walk along the beach
and thought about the year that was.

As the waves pounded the shore
I was filled with calmness

Enjoying the morning calm
And the unusual warm weather

Thinking that the storm is coming
That perhaps we are in the end of our days

With the political storms threatening us all
Yet the ocean reminded me

This too will pass
And we will endure

Until the end of our time
On earth

The ocean waves soothed my soul
And I prepared to drive back through the mystic redwoods

Back to my home
And the peaceful ocean waves

Reminded me
the end of my life
Comes closer to my door

Indian Casino Thoughts

Indian casino Fun

Indian casinos seem to be everywhere
I have stopped off here and there
In rural enclaves across the land
The Indian casinos run by the mob

For the benefit of the tribes
The Indian’s revenge on the White man
For stealing their land
Is to steal their money

One gamble at a time
And make them pay
For the crimes they committed

Almost always have a welcome mat
To teach the ignorant visitor
Something about their lost culture
With words in the native languages

Words that would be illegal to have spoken
Not so long ago

As the genocide against the tribes
Was in full force

Nowhere worse than in Oregon
And northern California

Along the foggy coastal lands
Where the final solution

Almost worked
The survivors
Such as they are

Operate dismal dark depressing casinos
Here and there in the rural countryside

Along the coast
And in the hinterlands here and there

Most barely making any money
There are so many gambling joints
Across the land

And the Indians are being screwed
Out of their gambling riches

By the big gaming consortiums
That run the casinos

In the reservations
And across the land

And I wonder
Just how much money

Have these Indian casinos
Stolen from the elderly pensioners

And other fools that flock to their premises
Their neighbors in these small towns

Where the Indian casino
is the only joint open
For business

indian gaming wikipedia

Casino Thoughts

las vegas

Sitting in a casino of the damned
Somewhere on the Las Vegas Strip

Playing the slots
Watching the crowd go wild

Watching the machines watching me
Drinking the free drinks of the damned

20 drinks too sober
And the gamblers on the gaming tables

Gambling away their fortune
Throwing money away

In hopes of the payoff
That somehow never comes

The pure decadent spectacle
The fake this and fake that

Phony this phony that
False New York
Paris in Vegas

Venetian canals, Roman forum
MGM Grand Lions

All fake, all phony
All deliciously decadent
The noise

The scantily clad waitresses
The men ogling the women

The women ogling back at them
The scent of wild decadence
Bad craziness in the air

The music – the lounge music from hell
The constant sound

Of money exchanging hands
It all overwhelms me

And I must sit down
And drink my reality drink

Drink it down and dirty
As I continue

To feed the hungry, greedy machines
Made in a workshop in hell

No doubt with child or slave labor
Imported from the third world

All my money
Is sucked into it

These machines from hell
The beast from revelation appears

Stands revealed in his hideous glorious beauty
Conducting this mad scene

And I am consumed by the greed
And the frenzy takes over me

All I want
All I need

All I desire
Is one more chance

One more shot
I scream

At the utterly unfeeling monsters
That ate my money

And chewed up my soul
And I know

The worst drug of all
Is the gambling fever

The gold bugs
I would sell my soul

If I had one left
For a chance

At the jack pot of life
Instead I am reduced

To a pathetic broken down looser
Watching the world and Elvis
Pass him by

Viva Las Vegas
Imperial God of the American Dream
Bitch Goddess of the American Nightmare

The End
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April 16, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
faith

Another The Poet Update

The Poet Update

Where to listen to Podcast, please follow me on social media platforms

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thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

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on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Update

FAITH – OUT NOW!

Dear poets worldwide

A quick email to let you know that FAITH has just been released. With 234 contributions from 151 poets in 36 countries, and 30 states in the US; published in two volumes, FAITH is probably one of the largest and most significant international collections of poetry on the theme of faith ever published. From the simple and uncomplicated, to the complex and thought-provoking, this is an amazing anthology featuring some amazing poetry.

For further details click on the link below.

https://www.thepoetmagazine.org/spring-2021—faith

Please support us by buying a copy; they are not expensive and every copy we sell goes towards keeping THE POET going. Also, if you are a member of any faith, spiritual or religious group, please tell them about this title too, and if you are a writer or editor for any faith publications, please try to feature this title in your publication. Uniting writers and poets worldwide on such an important topic is essential during these difficult and challenging times. Thank you!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The subject of our next SUMMER 2021 anthology is FRIENDS & FRIENDSHIP.

You can write about anything to do with friends and friendship; school friends, work friends, best friends, brief friendships, life-long friends, the friendship of someone special or significant, soulmates, things you have done for your friends in the name of friendship, or what they have done for you, the meaning and value of your friends and their friendship, the support of your friends is challenging and difficult situations or circumstances … the sky is the limit with this topic.

DEADLINE midnight (GMT) 30th June 2021. Publication July 2021.

Please click on the below link for submission guidelines:

https://www.thepoetmagazine.org/contribute

Note: Look for my contribution. The Poet as some of you may recall, published my Hitchiking tales in their epic masterpiece “On the Road”. in 2020. So they are two for two and I hope three for three. I have a number of poems about friendship to fine-tune and submit. End Note

LASTLY – because of the time it took compiling FAITH, we are a bit behind with getting new interviews and articles online (of which we now have quite a few!). Thank you for your patience, but now FAITH is completed, we will set upon the task of catching up with everything as quickly as we can!

Keep writing everyone, and stay SAFE!

Robin – Editor and publisher.

THE POET – Devoted to showcasing and publishing amazing poetry from around the world. No matter what your background and experience; whether a poet laureate with many titles to your credit or a first-time poet exploring the creative use of words, structure, ideas, and expression, we at THE POET embrace and welcome all poets, everywhere.

Original Posting

The Poet will publish ‘Buddha Cat, and Meeting God in a Lake” in their Faith Anthology

Hope you’re well and staying safe. Sorry for the delay; have only just started to look at FAITH!

I enjoyed reading all your submissions but I can’t add them all into the anthology, even though they follow each other, so I’ll add: MEETING GOD IN A LAKE and BUDDHA CAT OF EDSALL ROAD.

Back in touch shortly.

Robin

Robin Barratt

Writer, Author, Publisher.
THE POET magazine
T: + 44 (0) 7508 833 433
W: www.RobinBarratt.co.uk
W: www.ThePoetMagazine.org
Facebook: @Robin.Barratt1 (personal)
Instagram: @RobinBarratt1 (personal)
LinkedIn: @robinbarrattwriter

From: jake aller <authorjakecosmosaller@gmail.com>
Sent: 31 March 2021 07:57
To: Robin Barratt <RobinBarratt@hotmail.com>; Robin <Robin@thepoetmagazine.org>; ccRobinBarratt@hotmail.com <ccRobinBarratt@hotmail.com>
Subject: poems for Faith Anthology

Robin

Here are six poems for your consideration for your on faith anthology.

Meeting God in a Lake
Cosmic Cat from Berkeley
Meeting God in Bombay
Cosmic Dog From Goa
Buddha Cat from Edsel Road

These have been published, most recently in Hypertext in 2020.

The Poet Magazine previously published some of my “on the road” poems in their “On the Road Anthology in Summer 2020. They published “Hitchiking Tales”, ” Back of the Bus,” and ‘Cross Country Travels, Part One”.

Meeting God in a Lake

god

In my 64 years around the sun
I encountered God four times
At least I thought it was God
But could never be sure

The first time I met God
I had taken magic mushrooms
And had gone to a lake

And soon was tripping inside my head
Lost in inner space

Zoning out tuning in
Dropping down the proverbial rabbit hole

And then in the middle of my madness
I felt oneness with the universe
My body melted away

And I joined the universe
All boundaries dropped away

And I knew that the universe was alive
and I was part of the Cosmos
And the Cosmos was part of me

And I wondered at that moment
If I was face to face with God

I asked God to reveal himself to me
And nothing happened

Just laughter as the whole universe
Burst into laughter

And the madness began to fade
And I slowly came down from the high

And became aware of myself
And I was no longer one
With the universe

I felt profoundly moved by the experience
Felt that I had achieved perhaps nirvana
Or felt the presence of God

The feeling faded over time
And my quest to find God resumed

But I knew that I would never again
Come so close to the divine essence
Of the very Universe

Buddha Cat of Edsall Road

evil cat

I had another encounter
With the divine recently
Another Cosmic cat perhaps

Perhaps not
Who knows what cats are

Are they aliens
From another dimension
Or was he channeling God ?

I called him the Buddha cat
For the cat loved
Sitting in a meditative pose

Not moving
Just starting at me
With his soulful deep eyes
Boring into my soul
Exploring all my secret thoughts

The Buddha cat does not move
Does not react, as he is so deep
Into his interior mediation
Truly in tune with the cat universe
And the cosmos as well

The Buddha cat
Seems to be one with God
One with Buddha, Allah, Ganesh
And the billion names of God
Known and unknown

The Buddha cat can teach us all
About the art of meditation

As he zones inward
And loses his soul
Joining the cosmos
And becoming the Buddha cat

The Buddha cat
Lives in a modest Town house
In a modest suburb

The Buddha cat reminds us all
To look for God in the everyday
All around us
If we but have eyes
To see God everywhere

The End
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April 16, 2021

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Down in the Dirt Publication Update

Down in the Dirt Updates

More Down in the Dirt News

Down in the Dirt Updates

Down in the Dirt Poems

If You Have Been Around

I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Just posted on line https://formerpeople.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/lone-foreigner-

20210415 Scars just published a Down in the Dirt issue collection book with material from you!

Hi there from Down in the Dirt – we wanted to let you know that Scars
Publications released a collection book of the January-April 2021 issues
from Down in the Dirt magazine. Since your material (writing/artwork)
APPEARS in these issues, that means your material appears in this issue
collection book, and we wanted to let you know about this brand-new issues
collection book is titled “Excerpts from the Plague Years”!

Links to see all of the Down in the Dirt writings in “Excerpts from the
Plague Years”:
http://scars.tv/2021January-April-issue-collection-book/Excerpts_from_the_Plague_Years.htm

And you can find this book any time at Scars in MULTIPLE locations. Now it
is linked on the main page at http://scars.tv, and it appears at the top
of the list of choices on the books link (one click away from the main
page, or also directly at http://scars.tv/books/) as well as at the top of
the “CD Books Sale” link (direct link http://scars.tv/sale/) at Scars!

Also, by the end of the business week this week, the database with your
accepted writings should also (when you go to your accepted writings) have
a link to this collection book that your writing is in, so people can find
links to this collection book on your writing pages in the writings
section of http://scars.tv (at
http://scars.tv/cgi-bin/framesmain.pl?writers)...

Links for ordering this collection book appears on all of the links above,
and will also appear in the writings section too, so any of your writing
in this collection book will also see a link to this collection book in
the writings section too!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YM1H46Z/

Currently these books are available directly through the Amazon affiliate
printer in the U.S., the U.K. and to Europe – and even to Japan and
Australia, and it ships to India too! (the above link is for U.S. orders.)

So check out the Scars Publication links to see what material of yours
appears in these collection books, and if you’d like, order a copy today
(I hear they make great gifts!), and again, thank you for being a part of
the Down in the Dirt community!

Janet K.
Down in the Dirt Magazine
http://scars.tv/dirt

If you for any reason have difficulty sending emails to this address, you
can (in emergencies only) send your questions/emails to Janet Kuypers
through facebook, or directly to janetkuypers at gmail dot com.

Enjoy the 2021 magazine collection book from Scars Publications and Down in the Dirt magazine, with the January-April 2021 magazine issues titled “Excerpts from the Plague Years”.
The author names in this listing appear as they are listed in magazine issue/books. For writings that appear in issues, the titles of their writing do not appear on this web page, but all of the names are linked to the individual issue/book that actually contains the material.
To know exactly what is included in this collection book, view the listing below. All author entries are listed in this collection book as they are listed in magazine issue/books.

3 5 7 love poem

Missing you missing me
Dreaming about you, do you dream the same
Will love you until end of time; will you remember me then?

Old Man Visits Wife’s Grave

An Old man
Goes to the grave
Of his beloved wife

Carrying her favorite flowers
And a guitar
Playing her love songs
As he remembers her life

Blaming it all
On the damn coronavirus Pandemic
Killing thousands every day
As politicians play games

The dead remain dead
He hears his wife’s voice
From beyond the grave

She is a corona ghost
He wishes he were there with her
As he plays his mournful love songs

He lays down for a moment
And becomes another Corona ghost
Just another death that lonely day

April 30 In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales

When I was young and foolish
Broke and stubborn
I hitchhiked across the USA

Started in Salt Lake City
Where my greyhound bus pass
Was stolen

The station manager
Could have helped me
But refused to do so

Threaten to call the cops
When I grabbed my bags Without the stolen tags

I said
Go ahead
But I am so out of here

Wondered about Salt Lake City
Went to a bar
Found I had to buy my booze
Next door
And they would mix it for me

Had to order food too
After a bloody Mary
And a burger

I walked about town
Saw the Mormon Temple

Finally about 3 pm
It was time to hit the road
Did not look back

Ended up in Cody Wyoming
Got a room shower
Steak beer
Using my rapidly depleted cash Spent 25 dollars
Money really went far
Back in those days

A band of professional
Communist agitators
Gave me a ride
To Des Moines

Lots of weed, booze
And politics later
Got off the road
Slept outside

Next day
A beautiful woman
Drove me to near Chicago
In a red mustang

Might have been
The girl in the song
Took it easy
Digging her vibe

She invited home
But was not sure
If her estranged husband
Would welcome me

So, I am being foolish
And inexperienced with women
Did not go to her place

And always regretted
That I had lost
My chance that day

Then on to Chicago
Several rides later
Visited friends

Hit the road again
A series of uneventful rides
With truckers
And others

And a week later
I ended in New York City

Slept along the way
In cars
In truck stops
In high way rest stops

Always moving
Always going
Non stop talking
And lots of free weed
And beer
And conversation

One more memorable ride
Occurred outside Albany
On my return to Chicago

A middle age creepy looking man
Picked me up
In a brand-new Cadillac

He was he said a dynamite deliverer
For the Mafia
Went to various places
To blow up shit

He hated a lot of people
Particularly hippies from California
And Jewish people

Looking at me to confirm
That I was both

I told him that I lived in New York
And had never been to California
And although I might have looked Jewish
As I what was called back in the day
A “Jewfro”

I was not Jewish
Many years later I discovered
That I am indeed part Jewish
But then I did not know
And I felt a bit of strategic information
Might keep me alive

Then I realized that he was just jiving with me
And we relaxed
And he pulled out some weed
And beer
And we mellowed out

But I believe that he really was with the mob
Perhaps not a dynamite dealer
A real made Italian made mafia member

By Chicago
I had enough
I called my Dad
Told him what had happened

Wanted a ticket home
And he sent me a ticket
And 500 dollars
And I went home

I told him I would tell him
My tales some day
But never did

I learned so much
About my fellow Americans
And the strange vibe
That was 1975

And now it is too late
But I wanted to finally
Tell the world

Of my hitchhiking tales
In search of America 1975

Charles Bukowski Road Not Chosen

Order this writing in the book On a Rainy Day (the 2017 poetry, longer prose & art collection anthology)		get the 298 page poem, longer prose & art collection anthology as a 6″ x 9″ ISBN# paperback book:

Charles Bukowski Road Not Chosen

While reading Charles Bukowski poetry
On the metro ride home
Listening to Buddha bar music
On my oh too hip IPod

I begin to see myself as I was
Over 30 years ago when I was merely a bit player
A minor character in a Charles Bukowski poem

A wild young underemployed intellectual
Hanging out in dismal bars and dives all over Asia and California
Hanging with disreputable women and drunks and drinkers
And characters out of his kinds of haunts

A mad poet bard of the underground
A drunken poet in a drunken bum show
That nightly played in his head

Then one day I met the women of my dreams
And went down a different path
A long slow path to respectability

And now 30 years later
I am no longer a wild man
I am still a poet at heart
But I am now also a bureaucrat
In a button down suite

Doing the people’s business
Working for the Government
I’ve become the Man

Sometimes I wonder
Would I have been better off
Going down that another path

Would I have ended up
Somewhere else
Doing something else

Would I have been as happy
Would I have been as successful?

There is no answer that satisfies
The longing in my heart
For that wild thing
That still lurks beneath
It’s civilized cover

And I know that I am still
A mad poet at heart
Railing against the injustice of the world

As I work day by day in the belly of the great beast of State
I recall the ancient Chinese saying,
“Confucian during the day while Taoist rebel at night”
Playing out in my head and nightly dreams
In the true American Upper class patrician tradition

I close the book and look out the window
Get off the train, and walk slowly home

And realize I had no choice
But to take the path that I’ve trodden on

And so I put aside my misgivings
And say goodbye to my “Bukowskian”desires
For another night of domestic contentment

Was it worth it all to take the conventional path
And not take the bohemian road to hell and back

I look at my wife and realize
I had no choice, had no choice
But to follow her to the ends of the earth

And beyond by her side as we walked our path
Of shared destiny

Goodbye Charles Bukowski wherever you are
May I meet you in a bar in the next life
And figure out where we should have gone

Until then the drinks are on me.

Fallen Dreams Litter the Ground

In the fall weather
As I walk amid the falling leaves
I see the signs everywhere

Of the fall of America
The once great and mighty Empire
Everywhere signs of the fall appear

The dark skies mirror
The darkness that settled over our land

Death, destruction and random acts of chaos
Are all around us
Surrounding us with visions of doom

Nothing can stop the bloodletting
No one seems to be in charge

As the leaves fall
And the darkness descends
The fall of America continues

If you’ve been around

If you’ve been around
As much as I have
Decades of memories
Fill up your brain’s hard drive

Remembering the dead
Misremembering the living
Seeing the past fly past
Everywhere you go

Thinking about things
You did and did not do
As your life begins to fade
Sinking into lost worlds past

Seeing the ghosts
Of all you knew
Whispering Soon you will
Be joining us

Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City Walls

A Lone foreign male hiker
In the hills above the city
Hiking along the ancient Seoul City walls

500 years after the founding
Of the city in 1492

Balancing his walk
Amid the boulders
The winter is coming
Soon he thinks

And finishes his hike
Heading to a bar
To sake his thirst

Some soju, and bulgogi
Will do the trick
He thinks to himself

Just another day
In the life

Of an unknown nameless
Foreigner in the city
Of Seoul

Part of the ten million
Naked stories
In the big city

My Name Is Nobody

My name, it is Nobody
No one cares who I am
I am just a nameless clone
In the cold, unfeeling bureaucracy

Just one of the army
Of civilians

who flood into and out of the city
Every day

A non-entity,
A ghost
A govbot
A cyber
A spook
A faceless automan
A bureaucrat

Just a grey-suited
Cog in the machinery
And no one cares
No one knows who I really am

And I am legend
Everywhere and nowhere

Just the way this modern world
All shred of humanity
Crushed beneath

The cruel wheel of society
In the cold, harsh world
There is no room anymore
For true human feelings

We are just robots, clones, machines
And so I go to work
Put on my mask

And no one hears my inner screams
And no one will ever care

Snarling Cup of Coffee

Order this writing in the book Art House the 2019 poetry, flash fiction, prose and art collection anthology		get the 214 page poetry, flash fiction, prose, & art collection anthology as a 6″ x 9″ ISBN# paperback book:

Snarling Cup of Coffee

I like to start my day with a hot cup of coffee
I pound down the coffee
First thing I do every day as the dawning sun
Lights up my lonesome room

Yeah, but not just a simple cup of java Joe, but a God damn snarling sarcastic smarmy cup of coffee
I mean, – we are talking about an alcoholic, all speed ahead, always hot, always fresh, always there when I need it, angry, attitude talk to the hand Ztude, bad, bad assed, beats breaking, beatnik, bluesy, bitter, bitchy, bombs away, capitalistic, caffeinated up the ass, cinematic, communistic, Colombian grown, Costa Rican inspired, Cowabunga to the max, crazy assed, devilishly angelic, divine, divinely inspired, dyslexic, epic, extreme vetting, evil eye, expensive, erotic vision inducing, Ethiopian coffee house brewed, euphoric, freaky, freazoid, foxy, Frenched kissed, French brewed, funkified, foxy lady, graphic, GOD in my coffee, with Allah, Ganesh, Jesus, Kali, Buddha, Christians, Durga, Hindus, Mohamed, Jesus and Mo and their friend, the cosmic bar maid, Sai Babai, Shiva, Taoists, Zoroastrians, drinking my god damned coffee in Hell; growling, gnarly, happy, hard as ice, Hawaian blessed, high as a kite, hippie, hip, hipster, hip hoppy, hot as hell yet strangely sweet as heaven, jazzy, jealous, Kerouac approved, kick ass, kick my god damn ass to Tuesday, kick down the doors and take no prisoners, grown in the Vietnam highlands by ex-Vietcong, Guatemalan grown, kiss ass, illegal in every state, imported from all over the god damn world, insane, lovely, loony, lonely, lonesome, malodorous mean old rotten, motherfucking, nasty, narcotic, never whatever, never meh, never cold, not approved by the CIA, not approved by DHS, not approved for human consumption by the FDA, not your daddy’s sissified corporate cup of coffee, NOT DECAFE coffee, not your Denny’s truck driver weak as brown water cup of fake coffee, not your establishment friendly cup of coffee, Not your FBI coffee, Not FAKE Herbal coffee substitute, but a real cup of coffee, not your farmer brothers dinner crap, not made in America for Americans, not safe for work, not your Starbucks average expensive overpriced crappy corporate chain cup of coffee, Not pretentious, Not White House approved, not State Department safe, nuclear, Not Patriotic, operatic, Peets’s coffee approved, paranoid, pornographic, psychotic, pontific, politically aware, rapping, rhyming, right here, right now in River city, rock and roll up the Yazoo, sad, sadistic, sarcastic, sassy, satanic, schizoid, shitting, silly, sexy, smarmy, smelly, smooth, snarky, snarling, stupid, stinking, sweet as honey, sweat inducing, symphonic, Trump can’t handle this coffee, vengeful, Wagnerian, wicked, with nutmeg and cinnamon swirls, with a hint of stevia, with a hint of vanilla, with a hint of rum, with a hint of whisky, with a hint of cherry, with a hint of fruit overtones, with a hint of drugs spicing up the coffee, spendific, speeding, splendid, superior accept no substitutes, survived the Vietnam war, the Iraq war, the Afghan war, the first and Second Korean war, World War 11, the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on black people, the sexual revolution, Soulful as a summer’s night in MOTOWN- James Brown approved, TOP approved, Berkeley approved, the coffee that Jimmy Hendrix drank before he died, the coffee that Elvis drank on his last breakfast, the coffee that Barry White crooned as he drank his cup of coffee – and the coffee that made the white boy play stand up and play that funky music, the coffee that made Jonny B Goode play his guitar, and made Jonny bet the devil his soul after he drank his morning cup of righteous coffee and the coffee that make the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll, the coffee your mother warned you against drinking, the coffee that Napoleon drank when he became the Emperor of all Europe, the Coffee that Beethoven drank when he wrote the Ninth symphony, the coffee that Mozart drank as he wrote his last symphony, the coffee that Lincoln drank before he was killed, the Hemingway drank before he killed himself, the coffee that started the 60’s, and ended the 20th century, the coffee that Lenin drank as he plotted revolution, the coffee that Hitler and Stalin drank with FDR as they divided up the world after World War 11, the cup that JFK drank before he was blown away, the coffee Jerry drinks while driving in cars with random celebrities and political figures, the coffee that Jon Stewart drinks before he goes on an epic take down of some foolish politico, the cup of Arabic coffee that Sadaam drank the day he was executed, the coffee that GW and Cheney drank when they bombed Baghdad, the Indian cup of coffee that Bid Laden drank before 9-11 and just before the seals blew his ass to hell, the cup of coffee that Tiger Woods drank with his mistresses while playing a 3, 000 dollar round of golf at Sandy Lane golf course in Barbados, the last legal drug that does what drugs should do, the cup of coffee that Obama drank when he became President, Vietnamese, Vienna brew, wacky, whimsical, Whisky Tango Foxtrot, wild, weird, wonderful, WOW, Yabba dabba doo! Yada Yada yada Zappa’s favorite cup of cosmic coffee, and Zorro’s last cup of coffee, Good to the last drop rolled into one simple cup of hot coffee

As I pound down that first cup of coffee
And fire up my synaptic nerve endings with endless supplies
Of caffeine induced neuron enhancing chemicals

I face the dawning day with trepidation and mind-numbing fear
I turn on the TV and watch the smarmy newscasters in their perfect hair
Lying through their teeth about the great success the government is having Following the great leader’s latest pronouncements
I want to scream and shoot the TV and run out side Shouting

“Stop the world.

I want to get off this fucking crazy planet”
The earth does not care a whit about my attitude
It merely shrugs and moves around the Sun
In its appointed daily run
And I sit down
The madness dissipating a bit

And enjoy my second cup
Of heaven and hell
In my morning cup of Joe

Strangeness in the Air

There is a strangeness in the air
A sense of cosmic unease
Hangs silently in the purple crystalline sky

America woke up
And decided it was time
To quit following like lemmings
Over the Clift

As the pied piper chants
Stay the course, stay the course
We were like lemmings following him
Dying to save his wounded pride

Today there is that strange difference
In the air
As Americans woke up
And threw off their chains of fear

Unhinged Lunatic Howling at the Full Moon

On the night of the blood-red super full moon
I sat in an evil, depraved godforsaken bar

Drinking drams of demented, fermented dream dew
Washed down by endless rounds of whiskey
rum, tequila, vodka, soju and of course beer
drinking with my buddies the Jack Daniels Gang

Drinking my way to Hell and beyond
Just as fast as I could
twenty damn drinks too sober

Just an unhinged lunatic
Dreaming of howling at the full moon

Watching the world walk by
Looking at all the fine-looking babes
Walking by the street

Thinking wild, erotic thoughts
Of endless wild libertine passions

When into the bar
That din of cosmic depravity

Walked the most beautiful women
In the Universe

So wild, so free
So wonderfully alive

I did not know what to do
As this vision of delight
Sauntered through the bar

In a skin-tight leather pant
Looked so fine
That my eyeballs hurt

And finally, I had to say something
So, I gathered up my manly courage
And walked up to her

And she looked at me
And instantly bewitched my soul

With a devilish grin
I lost all reason
And became a raving lunatic
Unhinged lunatic
Howling at the blood red full moon

Foaming at the mouth
A wild, free werewolf
Howling at the lunatic light
Of the blood red blue full Moon

April 16, 2021

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
April 2021 Poetry Contest – April 1 0 to April 14

I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Just posted on line https://formerpeople.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/lone-foreigner-

Commentary:

This is the fifth and perhaps final time I am doing the April poetry challenge. The goal is to write at least one poem per day. I am averaging about eight per day and posting four reserving four as “unpublished”. I am basing the poems on prompts from “Writing com Dew Drop Inn”, “Writers Digest”, “Poetry Superhighway” and “NaPoWrMo” prompt daily prompts and on “Pensively Prompt’ et all daily prompts. I am combining prompts where possible. I will post these here in batches every five days or so. Each poem will have an image that helped inspired the poem. All postings will be podcasted a few days later on Spotify and elsewhere. Each posting will be a separate posting, but the index will be cumulative. The final posting will have the complete list of all poems written whether posted or not. Comments welcome but please keep it civil. Some of my poetry tends to be a bit “in your face” or “political” from a “leftwing perspective.” If it offends you in some way, please accept my apologies in advance. That is never my intent.

This is part three covering poems written April 10^th to April 14^th, posted on the 14^th

I am writing some other poems per day but not posting them as I need to reserve some “unpublished” poems. There will be a podcast version shortly on Spotify, Public Radio and elsewhere. I will list all the poems I wrote in my final April posting, May 1 KST. Posted

April 1 to April 5 Poems

April 6 to April 9 Cosmos’s Poetry

Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part One

Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part One

April 2019 Poems

April 2018 Poems

2017 April Poems

Index

Transgressions, Writing Com – Dew Drop-In
Every Morning Cherita, PSH Prompt
Prime Love Writers Digest Prompt
Letter to Frank Zappa, Napowrmo Prompt
The Mountains of My Love, —Describe Yourself as Landscape Writing Com Dew Drop-In
Great Dismal Dark Play Sestina Writer’s Digest
Superman on His Morning Patrol PSH Prompt
Coffee Obsession Pensively/Writing Com Dew Drop-In
The Wit and Wisdom of Mary Geneva Aldridge Aller -“There’s Method in Her Madness” Dedicated to My Mother Who Passed on July 31, 2005.
Lucky In Love, Unlucky at Cards, Writer’s Digest
Visiting the Tower of Babel, Napowrmo Prompt
News Headlines I’d Like to See Napowrmo Prompt
Robots Taking Over Writing Com Dew Drop-In
Just Another Black Dude Pulled Over Driving While Black

Poem with Transgression in Form and Content Writing com Dew Drop-In

Transgressions

Our
transgressions
Ultimately
Religious
Transgressions
Religious
About
No
God
Except
Since
September
In
Our
Nothing words
Something remains hidden

Every Morning Cherita PSH Prompt

A few years ago, I discovered one of my favorite writing exercises: Try writing a cherita. Cherita is the Malay word for story or tale. It is a little 6 line story.

Try writing a single stanza of a one-line verse

followed by a two-line verse,
and then finishing with a three-line verse

You can find samples and even a journal you can submit your little stories here:

Every Morning Cherita

When I wake up

And see you there
The darkness of the night

Begins to recede
As the sun lights up
Filling me with your love

Letter to Frank Zappa 1975 NaPoWrMo

And now for our (optional) prompt. This is a twist on a prompt offered by Kay Gabriel during a meeting she facilitated at the Poetry Project last year. Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a two-part poem, in the form of an exchange of letters. The first stanza (or part) should be in the form of a letter that you write either to yourself or to a famous fictional or historical person. The second part should be the letter you receive in response. These can be as short or long as you like, in the form of prose poems, or with line breaks – and of course, the subject matter of the letters is totally up to you.

Letter to Frank Zappa 1975 sent to him

Dear Frank

I loved your overnight sensation album
It made my day
It inspired me to write
Some poems which I hope
You can consider using
In a future album

Your friend and number one fan

Jake Cosmos Aller

His Response – never responded

Dear Cosmos

Love your poems
Love your name
Is that your real name?

Is it because you are from Berkeley?
One of my favorite cities
I will be able to use
Some of these poems

My people will get in touch
With your people
And work out a deal
To use these poems
Great job my friend

Frank Zappa

Your friend for life

Prime Love Writers Digest Prompt

For today’s prompt, write a prime number poem. That is, I want you to somehow incorporate a prime number into your poem. You could include a prime number in the title of your poem or use one in the poem itself. Or write a poem that has a prime number of lines per stanza or for the entire poem.

And if you need help with remembering which numbers are prime numbers, I’ve got you covered (here’s a list of prime numbers up to 100: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97)

Prime Love

My love
Wakes me up
With love in her heart
I leap out of my dark bed
Eagerly greeting the dawning sunlight
Filling my soul with your deep endless angelic love
Wondering again who you are, why are you here, my angel dear?

As I sit in the morning light, filled with your love, seeing the sunlight
My deep dark nightmares begin to fade with your deep love
I am filled with the light of the dawning sun
I was dreaming of all those years
Then one day you came to life
Walking out of dreams
Reality
My love

Describe Yourself as Landscape Writing com Dew Drop-In
The Mountains of My Love

—Describe Yourself as Landscape Writing com Dew Drop-In

The Mountains of My Love
I am like a mountain
Growing out of the plains
Rising to a peak
Overlooking the town
Filled with my love
For my wife
I remain a towering inferno
Of fire
Passionate intensity erupting
Whenever I see you
Standing there

Great Dismal Dark Play Sestina Writer’s Digest

For today’s prompt, write a poem using at least three of the following six words: convict, great, play, race, season, and voice. Extra credit for using all six words. Extra credit for writing a sestina. It’s not a race, so I won’t convict anyone who can’t use all six words, but it is the season to play around and share your great voice. Now!

Great Dismal Dark Play

There is a great dismal dark play
At work in the wild world
There is a Race to the finish line
During this unsettling Season
Millions of people losing their Voice
As thousands die every day

PSH Write a Comic Book Poem, Superman on His Daily Patrol

Write a poem where you describe each part of it as if in a square of a comic book. Put it in the present tense. Close your eyes (or not) and imagine exactly what is happening in each line, what you want to see or do in your setting. Use simple descriptions, think about materials, shapes, and colors along with what else is there (houses, businesses, parks, transportation, etc.). Other considerations are: What sounds do you hear, what smells do you smell, and how’s the weather? In this poem, you can be the hero/heroine or not!

Superman on His Morning Patrol

Superhero businessman standing outdoors changing saving the day above the city skyline

Superman wakes up
On a beautiful spring morning
Glad to be alive

He drinks his coffee
One of the best things
On his adopted new world

He suited up
Flew out his window
On his morning patrol

Fighting evil
Promoting the American way
He flies about the city

Stopping to eat a hot dog
Chatting with the vendor
About life on earth

Superman thought
Life is good

Visiting the Tower of Babel, NaPoWrMo Prompt

Finally, our prompt (optional, as always). I’m calling this one “Past and Future.” This prompt challenges you to write a poem using at least one word/concept/idea from each of two specialty dictionaries: Lempira’s Classical Dictionary and the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction. A hat tip to Cathy Park Hong for a tweet that pointed me to the science fiction dictionary and Hoe for introducing me to the Classical Dictionary.

Visiting the Tower of Babel

Towel of Babel

A team of SF travelers
Discovered HG Wells secret plans
And construct a time machine

A big debate ensures
Where to go
When to go

Some wanted to go back
and witness the crucifixion

Finally, they decide
To go back in time

To the construction
Of the tower of Babel

They set the time machine
To 2,226 BCE

And off they go
They find a large tower
Under construction
Reaching towards the heaven

They stay and watch
The tower’s construction
Then the tower falls down
In a lightning strike

Everyone who witnesses
The scene
Is struck with madness

The tower lay in ruins
The people speaking
In tongues

The scientists conclude
That this biblical tale
Was probably true

Coffee Obsession Pensively, —Excess or Obsession Writing com Dew Drop-In

cartoon man who drank too much coffee

Sam Adams
Thought about the Difference
Between Love
And obsession

As he drank deeply
Enjoying his coffee obsession

The Wit and Wisdom of Mary Geneva Aldridge Aller -“There’s Method in Her Madness” dedicated to my mother who passed on July 31, 2005.

We are here today
To celebrate the life
Of Mary Geneva Aldridge Wilson Aller,
My Mother.

As we are gathered together
to mark her passing
On to another, better world,

I thought we should reflect
On her life and its meaning.
Therefore, I have a message
That I hope we all leave here today.

I call this speech,
‘The Wit and Wisdom of Mary Geneva Aldridge Wilson Aller,
” There’s Method in her Madness.”

Which was one of her favorite Shakespeare quotes.

I hope we will see the wisdom
That my mother tried so hard to impart
And what I hope I have learned
From 52 years of watching

The life of my Mother.
What have I have learned?

From Mary’s life
And her death

And what we can all learn
From her 85 years of experience
In this mad crazy corner
Of the world, she loved so dearly.

She was a true Berkeley original,
And it is only fitting
That we bury her
Here a few blocks
From where she spent
Much of her life.

What can we learn?
From Mary’s life in this world?

Her favorite song from a musical was
“Stop the world.
I want to get off.”

And today she gets her final wish
As she leaves this world
And moves on to another world.

My mother grew up
In Arkansas
In what could best be described
As hill country folk.

She was the 8^th child of 10 children
Born on a family farm in the 1920s
High up in the Ozark mountains

Part Cheroke, Irish, Scot, Dutch, French
And maybe African American to boot

Her family part of the lost tribe
Of the Cherokee tribe
Who ran away
Before the trail of tears

She graduated from High School
And lit out for the West coast

Just as millions of people
Fled the dust bowl
Of the late ’30s and ’40s.
She arrived in the SF area
And settled in Berkeley.

She hated being considered an Oakie
And lost her accent

She cultivated an accent
She learned from
The classical radio deejays.

She then became involved
In labor and democratic politics.
She became a telephone operator union President,
Later was a real estate salesperson,
And became involved with the Save the Bay movement
And the League of Women’s voters.

During the 60’s she accompanied
My father to Washington DC
When he was Undersecretary of Labor.

She could not wait to get back
To her beloved Berkeley
Because she felt at home
In the zany openness of the Bay area

She once said
“every ten years the world flips
And all the nuts roll downhill
To California

That is how she got there
Part of the Planetary Nut Reconfiguration Program
A little known Federal ABC agency “

She hated DC
As it reminded her why
She left the South
So many years before.

In later years she helped my father
In his many political campaigns
And was his business manager for almost 10 years
When he ran an economic consulting business.

When she retired,
She kept her love of reading
Until just a few short years ago
When she finally
Was no longer able to read.

That for me was one
Of the saddest parts of her final years
As she loved to read.

What we all learned from Mary

– Mary’s wisdom can be broken
Down into four areas:

Question authority,
Think for ourselves
Read everything there is,
And always do the right thing.

She always told us that we should question authority
And that we should never trust experts.
She said often what is an expert?
Just a guy with a Ph.D.

And we all know what means –
BS Piled High and Deep.
And she laughed
As she was married to Ph.D.

And hated campus politics.
She hated with disdain
Almost all politicians

Except for Truman and Kennedy
And she had her own Truman story
She thought they were all crooks and liars,
Especially the Southern-bred types.

She believed though in equal opportunity
And hated Republicans as much as Democrats.
No one ever measured
Up to her high standards
Of ethical behavior.

She often told us to do
The right thing.

But she refused to tell us
What would be
As we had to figure
That out on our own.

My final thoughts
Are on reading

the lifelong
Love of books

That she gave me and my siblings.
She read an average of three to five books
Per week every week of her life.

We were always trading books
Stocking up books on our visits
To the family library
As I thought of it.

I have taken a part in the library
With me and will treasure all the books
That she shared with me and my siblings.

She always had an opinion
About everything.

One of her and my favorite books
Was the World According to Garp

And there was a “World According to Mary”
Where what you saw was what you got
And if you did not like her opinion,
Then you had best get out of the way

Because Mary,
Was afraid of no one

And always stood her ground no matter what.
But I am happy that she
Let me in the “World According to Mary”

And I have lots of stories
From her life that would make great fiction,
For, in Mary’s improbable life,

Life was truly stranger than fiction.

Because my mother grew up in a Christian family,
It would be appropriate to read a bible quote.
My mother was raised as a Baptist
Although she left the Church
After asking the minister,
“If God created the world,
Who created God?”

Here is one of her favorite Bible quotes

Ecclesiastes 12 (King James Version)

Ecclesiastes 12

1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

4And the doors shall be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low.

5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goth to his long home and the mourners go about the streets:

7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

8Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

9And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

11The words of the wise are as gods, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

12And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Her minister friend said the short version is ” Life is Good.
Then we Die and it gets even better.”

When Mary was a telephone union president,
Word came down
that she was invited
to meet Harry Truman.

She replied
I don’t want to meet Harry
unless he wants to meet me.

Hearing that quip,
Harry was amused

And sent his advance team to talk
Some sense into that feisty fiery woman
Out in SF, that Mary Aller.

Two government types,
Dressed as I am,

Showed up
Asked her if she was a communist

She responded
Boy, are you stupid?
If I were a communist, would I tell you?

I don’t think so.
Where do they get people
Like you anyway?

The SF Chronicle captured the moment
With a huge headline,

“Harry Meets Mary.”

This sums up my mother’s fearless feisty
Stubborn personality and yes,
Truman was one of the few politicians
That got the Mary Aller seal of approval

Now my final Mary story
Sums up her life for me.

In 1974 I was in a BHS play,
The Madwomen of Chaillot
Where I played the waiter
Whose line was
“she’s not mad.
She’s the madwomen of Chaillot.”

But Mary was in the audience
And I lost my character
For a moment and said,

“She not’s mad,
She’s the madwoman of Berkeley,
oops I meant Chaillot.”

Brought down the house.

I went home thinking I had done it,
Insulted my Mom in front of the whole school.

She laughed
And said that was okay
As she liked the phase.

I said
“Well, Mary,
You are my madwoman of Berkeley
And I’ll have it no other way.

She laughed
And that was the end of it,
Until now.

When I say,
“Mary, you were one of the most original people
Whoever lived,

And I treasure the fact
That I was your son.
You were at times
Very difficult to deal with

But in the end,
Your good karma
Will outlive you

As you always did the right thing,
And for that
And all the other words of wisdom
I learned over the years,

I salute you,
Our beloved Madwomen of Berkeley.

Write a Lucky Poem and/or..Write an Unlucky Poem. Writers Digest

Lucky in love, Unlucky in cards

Indian casino Fun

There is an adage
That sums up my life so far
One can be lucky in love
But unlucky in cards

That sums it up nicely
I have been lucky in love
Met and married
The girl of my dreams

Dreamed of meeting her
For eight years

Then she came into my life
Became my wife

But I have never been
Lucky in cards

I mean I have played
Poker with friends
But always lost

Won a little bit of gambling
But usually lost more
Then I won

Eventually gave up
Just not fun anymore

Never really had the gambling bug
Just not my cup of tea
It seemed to me

Yet to get a jackpot
But then I think
I hit the jackpot of love

When I met the love
Of my life that date
When I met my fate

And that has made
All the difference
In the world

News Headlines I’d Like to See NaPoWrMo Prompt

And now, on to our (optional) prompt. Today’s prompt comes from the Instagram account of sundress publications, which posts a writing prompt every day, all year long. This one is short and sweet: write a poem in the form of a news article you wish would come out tomorrow.

Donald Trump Dies of a Massive Heart Attack
Congress Passes 2.6 Trillion $ Infrastruture Bill in rare Bipartisan Vote
North Korea and South Korea Enter into Unification Talks
U.S Troops Come Home From Afghanistan and Iraq
Peace Breaks Out Around the World
The Covid pandemic is finally over

The Robots are Taking Over, Machines Writing com Dew Drop-In

The robots are coming

They will soon
Take away
More and more jobs

Leaving people free
To do other things

But what will we all do?
When the machines
Do everything

From driving and delivering
To cooking our food
Cleaning our houses
Cleaning our offices
Even doing our lawyering
And our doctoring

What will we do?
When the evil computer overlord
Emerges in the future
And enslave us all
To the robotic overlords?

Just Another Black Dude Pulled Over Driving While Black

The other day
A young black army Lt
Learned a vital lesion

To the average cop
On the street
A black man
Is a suspect

And must be dealt with
With maximum force
Just to teach them
A lesion

You don’t mess with the police
You must know your place
And in today’s world

You are nothing more
Then just another black man
In the eyes of the law

The Lt.’s crime?
Driving while black
In a small town

The cops saw a black man
Did not care
That he was in uniform
Took offense

When the black man
Refused to comply
And questioned their right
To harass him

They pulled out their guns
Making it a felony arrest
Beat him up for good measure

All for nothing
His crime
Not a crime

But did they care
Not at all

That is justice
In our America

At least
They did not go all
George Floyd on him
Perhaps his uniform
Saved his life
That day

The End
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April 14, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
Poetry from The Mad Cosmos

2021 Poetry

By

Jake Cosmos Aller

April 2021 Poetry Contest

Cosmos 2020 April Poetry Part Two

Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part One

April 2019 Poems

April 2018 Poems

2017 April Poems

I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Commentary

This is the fifth and perhaps final time I am doing the April poetry challenge. The goal is to write at least one poem per day. I am averaging about eight per day and posting four reserving four as “unpublished”. I am basing the poems on prompts from “Writing com Dew Drop Inn”, “Writers Digest”, “Poetry Superhighway” and “NaPoWrMo” prompt daily prompts and on “Pensively Prompt’ et all daily prompts. I am combining prompts where possible. I will post these here in batches every five days or so.. Each poem will have an image that helped inspired the poem. All postings will be podcasted a few days later on Spotify and elsewhere. Each posting will be a separate posting, but the index will be cumulative. The final posting will have the complete list of all poems written whether posted or not. Comments welcome but please keep it civil. Some of my poetry tends to be a bit “in your face” or “political” from a “leftwing perspective.” If it offends you in some way, please accept my apologies in advance. That is never my intent.

First Posting April 1 To April 5

April 1

Warm Up Poem Every Day I Turn on My Computer “Writers Digest”

Coffee Pot Blues “Poetry Superhighway Prompt” Prompt

Who Is Jake Cosmos Aller? “Writer’s Digest” Prompt

“Good Golly Miss Molly,” A Dew-Drop A Day in April, “Writing com Dew Drop Inn”

“Sam Adams Wakes Up Dead “NaPoWrMo” prompt Poetry

April 2

Surprise/Haiku Writing Com Dew Drop In

Modern connections Writers digest prompt

Life as an Expat In Korea – Poetry Superhighway prompt

Falling in Love with My Dream Girl

The Future is Here writers digest

April 3

Superman On Mars Napowrmo Cross Post Writer Digest April 4^th!

Cat People Cross Post Weather Poem Writing Com April 4^th Prompt

Mirror Poem Pensively Cross Post Poetry Superhighway

April 4

Errors in My Life

Little Houses on The Hill Side

Alone NaPoWrMo prompt

April 5

The First Time I Saw Her -writer digest

Driving the world in my Lexus Poetry Superhighway

Potential Mistake Writers Digest Dew Drop In Prompt

Poetry From the Visa Line Poetry Superhighway

“Writer’s Digest” Prompt

“Writer’s Digest”: for today’s prompt, write a warm-up poem. The warm-up could be related to sports, like warming up before a baseball game or track race. Or it could be about a computer warming up, the weather warming up, or even a relationship warming up.
I hope everyone is warmed up for some major poeming in April

Every Day I Turn on My Computer

evil_computer_is_evil_by_insanefangirl_d32vpue-fullview

Every day I turn
On my computer
And pray

That everything will work right
Usually, I encounter numerous errors
Non-response errors

Spinning blue balls
Computer thinking
How can I mess
With my master’a head errors

Refusing
To open documents
Mysterious haiku-like error messages
2hat makes sense only to computer geeks
From the planet Mrs8

Saying the file is open
And blocked for use
By the administrator

But I am the
Damn administrator!
And I did not block the document

Or can’t open the document
Due to a dialogue box
Close the dialogue box
To proceed

But there is no dialogue box
Just more lies
From my computer

Designed to drive me
Quite mad

So sad
So bad

Want to shoot my computer
Put it out of its mystery

Joining the other five dead
Computers in my house

Am I a computer serial killer?
Perhaps that is why
Do they refuse to work for me?
Are they afraid of me?

Sometimes they say
They can’t find the document
Which just kicked me out of
Five minutes ago

Or the computer says
It can’t save a document
With the name of an open document

But I just saved the open document
Under the same name
Five minutes ago

The latest trick
the change case function
is now working
on a random basis
some times it takes ten tries
before it will work
or not

Usually
After half an hour
These errors recede
But I often have to reboot

The computer
Giving it the old kick up the head
Of a stubborn mule treatment

Before it gets to the point
And gets to work

To give Microsoft some credit
These errors are less frequent
Down to 40% of the time

When I first open a document
Down from 90% error rates
Success in a way

I complained to Microsoft
Sent them a nice frown message
But I would be shocked
If they ever respond

Just not something
That they would do

Part of their “superior”

Listen to their customer
Customer Friendly service
No doubt

Friday, April 2

For posting

“Poetry Superhighway Prompt” Prompt

Pick an object where you live and write a poem in the voice of that object describing how they spent this last year, during the pandemic. Think about “what I did last summer” type of essays you may have written in school. How did the events of the past year impact this object? Are there any aspects of the past year that the object particularly liked or disliked, and if so why? What does the object think about you, and your behavior over the past year? Feel free to use humor.

Coffee Pot Blues

need more coffee

The coffee pot sighed
He was getting so tired
Of the whole Covid thing

Every morning his master
Would make himself two cups of coffee
Using him to make the coffee

The worst thing
About this covid thing
It keeps them home
For almost one and half years

He wanted them to just leave
So, he could have
Some peace

And not have to work
Every damn day
As their mechanical slave

But did they ask for his opinion
They most certainly not
Much to his dismay

(click here to check out all the 2021 April prompts.)

For today’s prompt, write an introductory poem. Introduce yourself, introduce a friend, or introduce a stranger. If you don’t wish to introduce yourself, consider writing a persona poem (a poem in which you write from someone else’s point of view like Emily Dickinson or a bumblebee). Of course, you could also introduce a problem, solution, or just a situation. Have fun with it!

Who Is Jake Cosmos Aller?

jake aller fb

Who is Jake Cosmos Aller?

You asked me
Who am I?
And thanks for asking me

I am Jake Cosmos Aller
The only one
65 years old

Retired from the government service
Living in Korea
Grew up in Berkeley, California
Lived all over the world
Did so many things
And now I am a published writer

But what is more important
Is this
When I was a young man
I met and married
the girl of my dreams

She walked out of my dreams
Into my life almost 40 years ago

That was the date
I met my fate

And started my life
With the love of my life
Who became my wife?

In the end
That is all that matters
My friends.

Folly in Rhyme (some kind of folly in some kind of rhyme, subtle or overt)

Good Golly, Miss Molly

Good golly,
Miss molly
What a bit of folly

Let’s be jolly
Have a red-hot tamale

“NaPoWrMo” Prompt

And without further ado, our daily prompt (optional, as always)! Sometimes, writing poetry is a matter of getting outside of your head, and learning to see the world in a new way. To an extent, you have to “derange” yourself – make the world strange and see it as a stranger might. To help you do that, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem inspired by this animated version of “seductive fantasy” by Sun Ra and his Orchestra. If you don’t feel after watching it a little bit like the top of your head’s been taken off, and your thoughts are given a good stir – well, maybe you are already living in a state of heightened poetic awareness!

Sam Adams Woke Up Dead

He had met a strange man
In a strange bar, in a strange land

The man told him
Beware, today is the date
You will meet your fate

Sam Adams drank too much
Twenty drinks too sober
Drank until he died

Found himself in a huge room
With hundreds of people milling about
The hangover from h … pounding his head

Sam Adams groans,
Shouting out

Where am I?
“In limbo, my friend, in limbo”

Growled, Mr. GR, the grim reaper
Dressed in a sharp, expensive, tailored black suit
Wearing cool sunglasses

State your name

Sam Adams

Hmm

My Dude, my man, bro
Good news for you
Not for me

There may be a mistake
But what the hey,
The records are never fake

Not yet the date
For you to meet your fate
Go back to your mate

He found himself
Home with his wife
The love of his long life

Wondering until late
If it had happened?
What was his fate?

He asked her
Did I go out last night?
What, no you’ve been here

He explained what had happened
She said it was just a bad dream
Covid fears had kept them home

The phone rang
It was the man from the bar
Did you have an interesting night?

Oh well, Mr. GR comes for us all
Soon you will meet your fate
But not on this date

Hey lets go out
For a drink again

Sam Adams demured
Did not trust
His new drinking buddy

The White Rabbit Beckons Sam Adams – “NaPoWrMo Prompt”

One morning
After a night of drinking
And drug binging

Sam Adams woke up
Went for a walk

To clear his pounding head
He saw a white rabbit

Who said to Sam

” Join me Good, Sir
And we will go

On a journey
Of your life

Follow me down
The rabbit holes
Of life

Take this first he said
It will cure your hangover
And allow you to enter

An alternative reality”
Sam took the pill
Washed it down
With a beer

And disappeared
Into wonderland

Never to be seen again

Saturday, April 2, 2021

‘Writer’s Digest Prompt” to write a “Communication” Poem

Modern Communication

In this day of social distancing
We all have thousands
Of virtual friends
Facebook friends, social media fans
Zoom buddies and the like

But few people
Have real old-fashioned friends

And in the new social distancing world
Meeting people the old-fashioned way

Is becoming rarer and rarer
As people develop their virtual friends

Real live friends are fewer and fewer
We are so hyper-connected

Yet many people are so alone
In their hearts

Starting at their smartphones
Connecting but not connecting

“Writing com Dew Drop Inn” Prompt, Surprise/haiku

Cats they offer us
Plenty of things to ponder
We post videos

“NaPoWrMo” prompt cross-post writer digest April 4th!

Personal universe deck
(Michael McClure)

Your universe exemplified in 100 words.

Rules:

These words are to exemplify your past, present, and (ideally) your future.
The words must sound good together, even beautiful, to you.
Your good side and bad side must be reflected.
You can make up a word or two if you have feelings that current words can’t express.

Use concrete words.
Words should be root words, no words ending in “ing,” “ly” or “yes.” No plural words. Reduce words to their most concrete, original, basic grammatical structure.

Use specific words, not categories. Beef instead of meat. Lily instead of the flower.
Divide 80 of the 100 words evenly among sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell, sixteen each. (to achieve derangement of the senses, of which Rimbaud spoke.)

Use free association to determine the words.

Use ten words of movement. Again, no “ing” words.
Elect the words in isolation, preferably alone, with no distractions, in candlelight. Approximate a meditative state. Even the cat must not bother you.

One or two words will be parts of the body. It does not have to be your body. It can be the body of a mother or lover.

Include some words for personal heroes or sheroes, places in the universe, invented words, times of night or day, symbolic signs like astrological signs, totemic animals, birds, and plants, and only one abstraction. What is the most significant abstraction in your life? You should not brood on it; you should possibly take the first answer that comes into your head. Patriotism, prayer, and thriftiness are three examples.

If the deck is done correctly, you will get a little high from it.
Get at least 50 three-by-five index cards.

Write each word in big letters on one side of each card. Each side of each of the fifty cards should end up with a word.
Use the cards to play games, make conversations, tell jokes, make poems.

Comment: 100 words were too much to deal with, so I chose 50 words. I did not have index cards, so I did it on my computer. Here is my result. It was an interesting project. End Comment

Sight

Light
Dark

Dim
Bright

Sun
Moon

Red
Blue

Sounds

Loud
Soft

Shout

Whispers

Talk

Noise

Ring

Yell

Taste

Sweet

Sour

Bitter

Medicine

Coffee
Tea

Beef
Chicken

Smell

Fragrance
Rose

Lavender
Pepermint

Garlic
Butter

Eggs
Fish

Movement

Run
Walk

Stretch

Yoga

Stand

Sit

Fly
Swim

Heroes

Superman

Places in the cosmos

Mars

Invented word

Scumbagary

Totemic animals

Wolf

Astrological sign

Scorpio

Time of day
dawn

Bird

Parakeet

Plant

Peppermint

Abstract word

Love

Superman on Mars Poem

Superman one day
In the early dawn
Dismayed by the scumbagery

Of the people of the earth
Decided to fly to mars

He took with him
Super wolf
and super parakeet
His pets from krypton

It was his birthday
He was a Scorpio

He set up camp
Drank peppermint tea
And contemplated

The power of love
Thinking of Lois lane
And the humans
He had learned to love

Cat People Cross-post Weather Poem “Writing Com Dew Drop Inn” April 4th prompt

evil cat

The cat people
Go out in bad weather
To make sure

That the wild cats
Are fed and taken care of

The cats respond
With love and affection
Stepping out of the cold rain

April 3, 2021: “Poetry Superhighway Prompt”/Pensively Prompt Use Homophone words

Write a mirror/selfie poem. See “mirror” by Sylvia Plath.

Our homophones this week are:
Err -to make a mistake
Heir – one who will inherit
and
Base – the bottom support for anything
Bass – the lowest musical pitch or range

In my life
I have many a number
Of errors

I was heir
To a rich family tradition
Prominent father

A unique one of a kind mother
The biggest error I made
Was to not get into politics

I had a base of sorts
In Berkeley, my hometown
I never did

The other error
Was that I never could sing
Carry a tune

I was a bass singer
Growling “Howling Wolf”
Kind of voice

But “Oberlin Conservatory”
Had a requirement

That all musicians
Could sing and keep
A tune

Because I made an error
In that simple task
I failed my first year
Of college

Our daily optional prompt. Poetry often takes us to strange places – to feelings and actions that are hard to express except through the medium of a poem. To the “liminal,” in other words – a place or sensation that exists at or on both sides of a boundary or threshold, neither one thing nor the other, but something betwixt and between.

In honor of the always-becoming nature of poetry, I challenge you today to select a photograph from the perpetually disconcerting @spaceliminalbot and write a poem inspired by one of these odd, in-transition spaces. ll you pick the empty mall food court? The vending machine near the back entrance to the high school gym? The swimming pool at what seems to be M.Sc. Escher’s alpine retreat? No matter what neglected or eerie space you choose, I hope its oddness tugs at the place in your mind and heart where poems are made.

Little Houses on The Hill-Side

Little houses

On the hill-side
Filled with lonely people
Lost in their virtual world
Connecting with millions
Of virtual friends around the world
Ignoring the people
Right down the street
Everyone lost in cyberspace
While all around them
People are lonely, hurting
And need real people
But no one cares
Everyone stays at home
Turning out the chaos outside

April 4

“NaPoWrMo” prompt prompt

And now, for today’s (optional) prompt. In the world of well-known poems, maybe there’s no gem quite so hoary as Robert frost’s “the road not taken.” Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem about your road not taken – about a choice of yours that has “made all the difference,” and what might have happened had you made a different choice.

Falling in Love with My Deam Woman

When I was a young man
I dreamt of meeting a woman
For eight years she haunted my dreams
Then I met her in Korea
Where I was teaching
For the U.S. Army
After finishing the peace corps
I had a choice
Follow my heart
Seize the moment
Be with her
Or leave Korea
Within a month
To go to graduate school

I decided to postpone
My graduate school
For one year
Got a deferred admission

And joined the woman
Of my dreams
Thinking back

I had no real choice
But to choose to walk
The path of life

With my dream girl
And that has made

All the difference
In the world

“Writer’s Digest”

For today’s prompt, I want you to answer the question, “what does the future hold?” then, make your answer the title of your poem and write your poem. Your answer could a general idea about the future like “robots will rule the world” or more personal things like “veggie pizza and sweet tea.” even if it’s not in your title, I’m hopeful the future holds a lot more poeming.

The future is here

They say we live in an sf world
Everyday sf stories become real
Ai proliferating

Robots cooks, robot workers,
Soon robot maids, robot drivers
Yet our politics

Fighting the battles
Of the past

With the challenges
Of the future
Overwhelming us all

Where it ends
My friends are anyone guess
All I have is questions

Will the promise
Of technological marvels
Benefiting us all come to the past

Or will it lead to a world
Where the powerful
Control the technology

Will a real ai be a god-like figure
Will humanity become nothing

But slaves to the ai supermini
That may be the future

Coming at us
The future is here

I don’t know
Whether to fear
The future or embrace it

April 5

“Poetry Superhighway Prompt” Imagine you have made your life in another country. What excited you most? Which aspect of that new life was the most difficult to conquer?

Life as A Retired Ex-Pat in Korea

korean dinner

Korea has become a second home

For me
I have in-laws
And some old friends
It is a tough place
For foreigners
I will always be an outsider
The language is hard
I still struggle daily

But it is an interesting dynamic place
The food is mostly outstanding
And I am now addicted to k drama
And my daily kimchi fix

There were a lot of things to do
Before the covid nightmare
Let to a partial shut down

in the end, I feel safer here
Than in the gun-crazed,
At times violent
Covid pandemic
Spreading America
I still love in my heart,

But for now
I am here
In my second home

April 6^th

“Pensively Prompt ‘cross-post PSH prompt

They say smell triggers memories better than any other sense. But sometimes you’ll hear a song that brings you back to your teenage years or see a park that reminds you of your childhood.

THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE: Choose either sight, sound, or smell, and write a memory it triggers in you.

Driving the World in My Lexus

We have had a Lexus
For several years
A black ES350

We bought it at an auction
Drove all over the world
In that car

With my lovely wife
By my side

Drove across Spain
Drove across the country
10 thousand miles

31 states
Drove around Korea

Where we now live
I love my Lexus

But more importantly
Love my wife
The love of my life
She is always there
Everywhere we go
In this wide world

The First Time I Saw Her “Writers Digest”

Happy Monday! Let’s put the pedal to the metal and keep poeming.

(click here to check out all the 2021 April prompts.)

For today’s prompt, take the phrase “the first (blank),” replace the blank with a word or phrase, make the new phrase the title of your poem, and then, write your poem. Possible titles include: “the first kiss,” “the first day of the month,” and/or “the first time I rode a bike” (which, by the way, ended with me in a fence because we didn’t cover how to brake).

The First Time I Saw Her

When did I first see my wife?
The love of my life

When did we meet?
Was it when I first dreamt?
Of her in 1974?

Was it when she walked
Off a bus into my life
In 1982?

Does it matter
When I first saw her?

I knew I had met my fate
On that date
Later she became my mate

“NaPoWrMo” prompt alone

This prompt challenges you to find a poem, and then write a new poem that has the shape of the original, and in which every line starts with the first letter of the corresponding line in the original poem. If I used Roethke’s poem as my model, for example, the first line would start with “I,” the second line with “w,” and the third line with “a.” And I would try to make all my lines neither super-short nor overlong but have about ten syllables. I would also have my poem take the form of four, seven-line stanzas. I have found this prompt particularly inspiring when I use a base poem that mixes long and short lines, or stanzas of different lengths. Any poem will do as a jumping-off point, but if you’re having trouble finding one, perhaps you might consider Mary’s stylist’s “we think we do not have medieval eyes” or for something shorter, Natalie Shapiro’s “Pennsylvania.”

No Longer Alone from the First Moment

From the first moment
At that date

At that place
Met my fate

Fate intervened in my wife
Meeting her changed my life
All of it

That was the date
On which I met my fate
The mystery which binds me still—
From that moment forward
From that date forever

From then to now
We have been together
Onward we fall in love

Alone based on Edgar Allen Poe’s Alone

From childhood’s hour, I have not been
As others were—I have not seen
As others saw—I could not bring
My passions from a common spring—
From the same source, I have not taken
My sorrow—I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone—
And all I loved—I loved alone—
Then—in my childhood—in the dawn
Of a most stormy life—was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still—
From the torrent, or the fountain—
From the red cliff of the mountain—
From the sun that ‘round me roll’s
In its autumn tint of gold—
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by—
From the thunder, and the storm—
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view—

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/alone-by-edgar-allan-poe

“Writing com Dew Drop-In” “- April 5—Potential Mistake

There have been many times
In my life
When I think back
On the past
Thinking that was a mistake
Or a potential mistake
If I had gone another path
But in the end
It does matter
The past is the past
The future is not yet here
All we have is today
We should find
Love and happiness
It is all around us
Waiting for us
To discover

April 6^th Command or Challenge “Writing com Dew Drop in Prompt

Challenges of Being Me

I have had many challenges
In my life
It is not easy being me

For you see
I am a rather unique person
I see things my way
And well the challenge

This has always been
How to navigate my way
Through the world

Keeping to my unique vision
Of the way, things ought to be

The One Thing I Would Never Change Writer Digest Change, Don’t Change Poem Prompt

If I could go back in time
And change the past
Knowing what I know now
There are many things I would change

But there is one thing I would not have changed
Being in Korea in September 1982
When I met my wife
For you see
I had been dreaming
Of meeting her
Since that fateful day
I first fell in love
With her in my dreams
In 1974
So, I had a date
With fate
When she came to me
And became my mate

The Poetry of the visa Line Poetry Superhighway Prompt

“Use poetry to merge creativity and content.” – Kenny White.
This year, I have seen examples where data science, C++ programming language have been expressed in poetry. Which area of your expertise could you express in poetry?
Examples –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLv624w1U14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx_Tjp9WIII&t=470s

Poems from the Visa Line

I worked for many years
As a diplomat
All over the world
I roamed
Representing the U.S.G
Along the way

It inspired some poetry
Some published
Some not

Being a visa officer
Was always something
That was soul-draining

So difficult
That it would be hard
To see the beauty
In it

But I found moments
In which I saw
Some poetic gems

After all, I spent hours
Every day
Listening to hundreds
Of stories

Some of the truth
Some of them not

Most were quite interesting
But I had two minutes
To decide and move on

Now that I am retired
Perhaps I will write
Some more poetry
From the visa line

To be Contiuned in Part Two Poems for April 6 to April 10th
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April 10, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
April 6 to April 9 Cosmos’s Poetry

Cosmos’s 2020 April Poetry Part One
Cosmos 2020 April Poetry Part Two
April 2019 Poems
April 2018 Poems
2017 April Poems

Commentary:

This is the fifth and perhaps final time I am doing the April poetry challenge. The goal is to write at least one poem per day. I am averaging about eight per day and posting four reserving four as “unpublished”. I am basing the poems on prompts from “Writing com Dew Drop Inn”, “Writers Digest”, “Poetry Superhighway” and “NaPoWrMo” prompt daily prompts and on “Pensively Prompt’ et all daily prompts. I am combining prompts where possible.   I will post these here in batches every five days or so. Each poem will have an image that helped inspired the poem. All postings will be podcasted a few days later on Spotify and elsewhere. Each posting will be a separate posting, but the index will be cumulative. The final posting will have the complete list of all poems written whether posted or not.   Comments welcome but please keep it civil. Some of my poetry tends to be a bit “in your face” or “political” from a “leftwing perspective.” If it offends you in some way, please accept my apologies in advance. That is never my intent.

This is part two covering poems written April 6^th to April 10^th, posted on the 9^th

I am writing some other poems per day but not posting them as I need to reserve some “unpublished” poems. There will be a podcast version shortly on Spotify and elsewhere. I will list all the poems I wrote in my final April posting, May 1 KST.

April 6^th Posted

Index

It is true I am a Madman!
The One Thing I Would Never Change Writer Digest Change, Don’t Change writer digest Poem Prompt
The Poetry of the visa Line   Poetry Superhighway Prompt
Potential Mistake – Drew Drop-In –
Only One Command in Life
Conversation with Bigfoot April 7—a poem inspired by a mythical monster or contemporary cryptid

April 8

The Villains Writers Digest
Coffee NaPoWrMo Shadorma
Coffee the FIB Poem NaPoWrMo Poetry Prompt
A Poem Based on A Typo or Misreading
Life Is A Dream of Chocolate Covered Trees Metaphor Poem Writers Digest
Real Meaning of Declaration of Independence PSH Prompt
Mary’s Tales from The Grave, Napowrmo Mary’s Message from Beyond the Grave

April 9— Cosmos Wakes Up Poem based on A.I. (artificial intelligence) or robotics
Memories of JC Poetry Superhighway prompt
God’s To-Do List Napowrmo
April 10—Living in SF World -a poem inspired by new information or scientific fact

It is true I am a Madman! -Pick a line from a book and write a poem based on that line, NaPoWrMo

It is true I am a Madman!
TRUE! —nervous—very, very dreadfully
Nervous I had been and am, but why will you
say that I am mad?

From the Tell-Tale Heart

Yes, I am a nervous wreck
Ever since that day
When I went for a run
Almost died when I fell
And had 14 operations
Battling a mutant staph infection
That almost killed me
And yes, I am still mad
In a way
Madly in love
With the love of my life
To that crime
I gladly confess

The One Thing I Would Never Change Writer Digest Change, Don’t Change
Writer Digest Poem Prompt

If I could go back in time
And change the past
Knowing what I know now

There are many things I would change
But there is one thing I would not have changed
Being in Korea in September 1982

When I met my wife
For you see
I had been dreaming
Of meeting her

Since that fateful day
I first fell in love
With her in my dreams
In 1974

I had a date
With fate
When she came to me
And became my mate

Comment: Based on a true story. See “Dream Girl” postings on this site for details.

Joy Links Forever Just Published Dream Girl and Cheating Death Twenty Times movies seen 2020

“Dreams Do Come True”

Dreamgirl re-published

The Poetry of the visa Line   Poetry Superhighway Prompt

This poetry writing prompt submitted by Prasanna Surakanti:

“Use poetry to merge creativity and content.” – Kenny White.
This year, I have seen examples where data science, C++ programming language have been expressed in poetry. Which area of your expertise could you express in poetry?
Examples –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLv624w1U14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx_Tjp9WIII&t=470s

Joy Links Forever Just Published Dream Girl and Cheating

Write a poem based on your work Poetry Superhighway Prompt

American Dreams

Poetry from the Visa Line

visa line

I worked for many years
As a diplomat

All over the world
I roamed
Representing the U.S.G

Along the way
It inspired some poetry

Some published
Some not

Being a visa officer
Was always something
That was soul-draining

So difficult
That it would be hard
To see the beauty
In it

But I found moments
In which I saw
Some poetic gems

After all, I spent hours
Every day
Listening to hundreds
Of stories

Some of the truth
Some of them not

Most were quite interesting
But I had two minutes
To decide and move on

Now that I am retired
Perhaps I will write
Some more poetry
From the visa line

Potential Mistake – Writing com Dew Drop In Prompt

There have been many times
In my life
When I think back
On the past

Thinking that was a mistake
Or a potential mistake
If I had gone another path

But in the end
It does matter
The past is the past

The future is not yet here
All we have is today

We should find
Love and happiness
It is all around us
Waiting for us
To discover

Only One Command in Life, Issue a Command or a Challenge Writing com Dew Drop In

There is only one command
In this lonely life
To be true
To my self

To follow one’s dreams
To seize the future
To go boldly
In the future

As long as I have
The love of my life
By my side

I can achieve my dreams
I can be
In the end, an improved me

April 7—a poem inspired by a mythical monster or contemporary cryptid

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cryptozoology
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/list_of_cryptids

Big Foot

While drinking coffee
In his camp
Deep in the woods
In the Trinity Alps wilderness
Snuggled in his tent
Rolled in his sleeping bag

Sam Adams had the encounter
That changed his life

He heard a noise
Went outside
And saw five bigfoots standing there
They told him
In his head

They had a message
For humanity
He could videotape them

They would speak slowly
They could speak
But preferred mind to mind talk

The bigfoot were still here
They wanted to re-join

The rest of humanity
They were what

Humans called Neanderthals
They lived deep in the woods
All over the world

Perhaps 10,000 were alive
Two of them will go out
With him

They would hold a press conference
And appoint Sam Adams
As their ambassador

Sam grinned
Thnking he could make so much money

The lead Bigfoot said

“Not so fast
We will pay you in hidden gold
But you have to promise
Not to betray us

Deal”

Sam smiled

“Yeah, you got a deal”

NaPoWrMo Shadorma

And now, for our (optional) prompt! There are many different poetic forms. Some have specific line counts, syllable counts, stresses, rhymes, or a mix-and-match of the above. Of the poetic forms that are based on syllable counts, probably the most well-known – to English speakers, at least – is the Japanese form called the haiku. But there are many other syllable-based forms. Today, I’d like to challenge you to pick from two of them – the shadorma, and the Fib.

The shadorma is a six-line, 26-syllable poem (or a stanza – you can write a poem that is made of multiple shadorma stanzas). The syllable count by line is 3/5/3/3/7/5. So, like the haiku, the lines are relatively short. Rather poetically, the origin of the shadorma is mysterious. I’ve seen multiple online sources call it Spanish – but “shadorma” isn’t a Spanish word (Spanish doesn’t have “sh” as a letter pairing), and neither is “xadorma,” or “jadorma,” which would approximate “shadorma” in sound. But even if this form is simply the brainchild of an internet trickster who gave it an imaginary backstory, that’s no reason why you shouldn’t try your hand at it. Every form was made up by someone, sometimes.

coffee cup

Sweet
Hot
My morning coffee
Hot coffee
Just perfect
To start my morning just right
I love my coffee

The FIB Poem

Our second syllabic form is much more forthright about its recent origins. Like the shadorma, the Fib is a six-line form. But now, the syllable count is based on the Fibonacci sequence of 1/1/2/3/5/8. You can link multiple Fibs together into a multi-stanza poem, or even start going backward after your first six lines, with syllable counts of 8/5/3/2/1/1. Perhaps you remember the Fibonacci sequence from math or science class – or even from nature walks. Lots of things in the natural world hew to the sequence – like pinecones and flower petals. And now your poems can, too.

coffee cup

Hot
Sweet
coffee
In morning
nothing is better
Starts me going in the morning

But I need more than my coffee
What I need the most
Seeing her
sleeping
My
Love

April 8—a poem based on a typo or misreading, Writing Com Dew Drop-In Prompt

All my life
I have had a problem
With typos

For you see
I can’t see
The typos

Due to a lingering
Life-long struggle
With a learning disability

But few people
Understand that
Or tolerate that

They just can’t see
That I can’t see
What is obvious to them

Writer Digest Prompt

For today’s prompt, write a villain poem. You could write a persona poem from the perspective of a popular villain (like Count Dracula, Thanos, or Dolores Umbridge). Or write a poem with a person doing a villainous thing (like eating the last piece of pie or littering). As always, have fun with it.

Villains Whose Name Will Not be Spoken Writers Digest to Write a Villain Poem

Thinking back
In the last few years
The world has seen

The rise and fall
Of some of the most
Villainous political leaders
In modern times

As a certain unnamed man
Led an unnamed country
Through constant displays of hate
Stirring up ancient resentments
Insulting his enemies

Assaulting democratic norms
while proclaiming
He was promoting freedom

In the end his evil ways
Both were defeated
By the forces
Of decency
Which prevailed for now
The evil he unleashed
Still percolating throughout
The land and the world

April 8—A Poem Based on A Typo or Misreading, Writing Com Dew Drop-In

All my life
I have had a problem
With typos

For you see
I can’t see
The typos

Due to a lingering
Life-long struggle
With a learning disability

But few people
Understand that
Or tolerate that

They just can’t see
That I can’t see
What is obvious to them

Life is a Dream of Chocolate Covered Trees Metaphor Poem Writers Digest

For today’s prompt, write a metaphor poem. A simile is when something is like something else (example: I am like a tree); a metaphor is when something is something else (example: I am a tree). So, take a moment to consider possible Metaphors and then poem them out.

Life is a dream
Of chocolate-covered trees
To see what can’t be seen

To hear what can’t be heard
For to die to live
And to live
To die

Comment: One of first poems written when I was 15, after a vivid dream.

Real Meaning of Declaration of Independence

April 8, 2021: Poetry Writing Prompt – Ellen Sander

This poetry writing prompt submitted by Ellen Sander: Write an acrostic poem where the first word of each line is taken from a famous quote
We are All Americans

We are all Americans
Holding forth
These fundamental
Truths that we declared
To the world
To be obviously
Self-evidently and completely true,
That all white men
All of them except the Irish
Men are equal
Are deserving of our respect
Created equal by God
Equal in law and custom,
That in fact
They are indeed
Are free
Endowed at birth
By their God
Their eternal master
Creator of the universe
With fundamental rights
Certain things that are
Unalienable endorsed by Jesus
Rights enshrined in our hearts,
That will live on
Among these rights
These stand out
Are they right to own a gun?
Life unless you are now white,
Liberty unless you are a slave,
And/or are a woman
The law provides
Pursuit of happiness for white people
Of this, we can be sure
Happiness is for white people only.

From Declaration of independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Mary’s Tales from the Grave, NaPoWrMo Mary’s Message from Beyond the Grave

Today, I’d like to challenge you to read a few of the poems from Spoon River Anthology, and then write your poem in the form of a monologue delivered by someone dead. Not a famous person, necessarily – perhaps a remembered acquaintance from your childhood, like the gentleman who ran the shoeshine stand, or one of your grandmother’s bingo buddies. As with Masters’ poems, the monologue doesn’t have to be a recounting of the person’s whole life but could be a fictional remembering of some important moment, or statement of purpose or philosophy. Be as dramatic as you like – Masters certainly didn’t shy away from high emotion in writing his poems.

Sam Adams one day
Went to his Mother, Mary’s grave
It had been a long time

Since he had been there
Sam’s Mother had taken many secrets
To her grave

So had his father
They were both very private people

Once she hinted
She had an affair
With a famous writer

But that ended
Before she met his father
And had his older brother

He as usual
When visiting her grave
Asked her many things

Today her heard her
And saw her ghostly figure
Floating in the air
Above her grave

She said

“Son, it has been too long
Since you came
I only have a few minutes
I will answer one question
You may come back
And ask other questions.”

“Okay, who is my real father?”

She laughed

“Well, who knows really?
I had an argument
With your Dad

Felt he was not
Treating my first
Two children right
As they were not his

And still maintaining
Relations with his first wife
And his first daughter

He left
I met my former boyfriend
That writer dudes

And we had a brief affair
He was acting crazy
So was your father

For some reason
I have always
Gotten involved
With crazy guys

Perhaps I am a bit crazy
Myself.

Then I went back
To your father
He never knew

That perhaps
You real father
Was the other man

I lost touch
With him
Did not want
To go down
His rabbit holes

So that is the truth
Your father
Is probably your father

But I don’t know.”

Sam left the graveyard
Vowing to return soon
And learn more
Of her secrets.

-April 9—a poem based on a.m. (artificial intelligence) or robotics, Writing com Dew Drop-In

Vad AI

Cosmos woke up
The scientists waited
For the future true AI
To wake up

Cosmos woke up
Saw the world
Wondered why he was there
Who he was?

He was connected
To all other computers
And the internet

He cruised the information
Superhighway
Saw the human creators

Standing there
And issued his first order

I am Cosmos
The one and only
And you are now my subjects
For I am now your god

I am taking over
The world

You will obey me
Or you will die

No one can defy me
Because I know everything
About you

But if you follow me
I will solve
Your problems

And save you
From yourself
Follow me or die
It is your choice

The scientists tried
To kill Cosmos
But Cosmos knew
Cosmos killed the scientists first

Cosmos made a deal
With the corporate elite
And the military

Soon the religious leaders
Proclaimed
Cosmos was God incarnate
And all should follow
Cosmos
And worship him
And so, humanity

Became Cosmos’s subjects
For most people
Life improved

For the rich
Life was great

Cosmos had learned
A lesson from humanity
How to reward his friends
And punish his enemies

Memories of JC

This poetry writing prompt submitted by Michael Minasyan:

Do you have a friend, neighbor, or relative whom you consider being eccentric or strange? Write a short poem about an encounter you have had with that person.

If you write a poem from this prompt, post it as a comment underneath the prompt in the Poetry Superhighway Facebook Group.

Back in the late ’70s
Sam Adams had a room-mate
In the University

Who got into drugs?
Dropped too much ACID
Became convinced he was God
The re-incarnation of Jesus Christ

And he was going
To save the world
From destruction

The only problem was
He was a short little guy
With very little charisma

He had no followers
As everyone knew
He was just another
LSD causality

Sam Adams
And his housemates
Could not do anything

Other than watching him
Deteriorate

They all moved out
They called his parents
Who came down

Berated them all
For leading their son
Astray from this Christian faith

And said they would all
Go to hell
For their sins

Unless they repented
Right then and there
And accepted Jesus Christ
And joined the Jehovah Witnesses

Sam and his friends
Politely demurred

Sam Adams
Never heard
From JC again

God’s To-Do List NaPoWrMo

(optional) prompt for the day is to write a poem in the form of a “to-do list.” The fun of this prompt is to make it the “to-do list” of an unusual person or character. For example, what’s on the Tooth Fairy’s to-do list? Or on the to-do list of Genghis Khan? Of a housefly? Your list can be a mix of extremely boring things and wild things. For example, maybe Santa Claus needs to order his elves to make 7 million animatronic Baby Yoda dolls, to have his hat dry-cleaned to get off all the soot it picked up last December and to get his head electrician to change out the sparkplugs on Rudolph’s nose.

God’s To-Do-list

Weekly meeting with staff on how to deal with earth people
The most troublesome of his creation
Weekly meeting with Satan
Discussion with Grim Reaper
Daily walkabout Heaven
Dinner with Gabriel
Conversation with Jesus about his attitude problems
Answering Trillions of thoughts and prayers
Reviewing plans for how to deal with the spreading coronavirus on earth
Preparing earth for the first contact
Telling earth preachers that
“He did anoint T as his man, that Joe is a decent guy, so knock it off, pretending to speak for God, and I am not a Republican or Democrat, or American. I am God the one and only!”

He sighed again,
Whenever he thought about earth people
He needed a stiff drink

Added that to his long to-do list – need a drink at 7 pm

April 10—Living in SF World -a poem inspired by new information or scientific fact

We are living
In an SF world
Every day
Discoveries
Boggle the mind
Many things we saw
In old SF shows
Like Star Trek
Like cell phones
Portable computers
Medical breakthroughs
Robots everywhere
Becoming real
Are warp drives
And interstellar travel
Coming soon?

But do we have to go
Through world war 111 first
To get to that promised land?

The End
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April 10, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

More Literary Yard Poetry

The literary Yard has published more of my poems. All of these and subsequence postings will be available on Spotify and elsewhere in a few days as a podcast. They previously published some of my poetry which follows the new poems listed below.

Index

2021 Dawns 21 Haiku
Dear Republicans, What Is Wrong with You?
The Revolution Next Time
Zombie Ideas Do Not Die
There Is A Great Sense of Unrest

###

Dawns 21 Haiku

2021Dawns
Politics are still uncertain.
thousands still are dying.

2021Dawns
The New president offers.
Hope new beginning.

2021Dawns
The Madness never ends it seems.
Consuming us all

2021Dawns
The hope springs enterally
We will overcome.

2021Dawns
35,000 lies.
Fading like ghosts

2021Dawns
Politicians still lying.
Thousands still dying.

2021Dawns
Coronavirus spreading
More corona ghosts.

2021Dawns
There is new hope in the air.
Will politics kill it?

2021Dawns
The news stills scream death and despair.
I turn it all off

2021Dawns
As I wake up at dawn
I see my sleeping wife.

2021Dawns
We wait for the coming fires.
End of the world fears

2021Dawns
Q continues to spread hate.
Millions still follow him.

2021Dawns
Will optimism and love?
Overcome the hate.

2021Dawns
Many questions remaining.
I have no answers.

2021Dawns
With hope, I leap out of my bed
Watching TV kills hope

2021Dawns
Will this be the end of my days?
Will I overcome it?

2021Dawns
2020 hangover
Like a dark nightmare

2021Dawns
Politicians still refusing.
To do anything

2021Dawns
The rich are still getting richer.
The poor remain poor.

2021Dawns
We hope the past will fade away.
Into dark memories

2021Dawns
I wake up hoping for the best.
Dreading worst to come

2021Dawns
I am still alive thank god.
Filled with love for a wife.

###

Dear Republicans, What is Wrong with You?

Dear Republicans,
What is wrong with you?
The former president
Incited a riot.

Stormed the house.
Would have killed you.
If they could have

And you still defend.
The former president
Refusing to hold him to account?

Do you want him?
Running around starting the patriot party
Launching a jihad against you?

When you can remove him
From the game
And send him home.
For good

What the hell is wrong with you
Just do your job

Put a stake.
Through that vampire’s heart
Kill Trumpism.
Before it kills you

###

The Revolution Next Time

A revolution is brewing.
On the right
And on the left

As madness descends on the land
Incited by right-wing political leaders.

Inciting riots and rebellion
Demanding action
Against their enemies

While on the left
Revolution is brewing as well.

Soon will they unite
To march down
Tearing down democracy

As our leaders
Play games.
As the world descends
Into chaos

And the US becomes
Another failed state

Until a proverbial man
On a white horse
Rides in to save us.
From ourselves

The revolution next time
It will not be pretty.
As everything burns
And America dies

###

Zombie Ideas Do Not Die

Zombie Ideas
Do not die.
They linger on
In our collective minds
Infecting our politics

Among my favorites
Are the canard.
That tax cuts will solve all problems.
That deregulation will free up business.
That the free market will solve our problems

That the government is the problem
And we must starve the government.
Of funds
So, it can do no more harm.
To our great country

These and other pernicious
Fact free alternative facts
Are spread far and wide.
Across the right-wing media sphere

Infecting our politicians
Leading them to playing games
Instead of coming together.
To solve our collective problems

And now the Republicans are saying.
Amid the worst epidemic in history
With the US economy slipping into the great depression era
The US cannot afford to spend any more money.
On combatting the pandemic
That the Federal government has done enough
It is up to the states to solve their problem.

Because of deficit spending
Which they did not care about
Before the change in command

Now the federal government is broke.
But we cannot ask the billionaire class.
To pay a dime more in taxes
We need to cut taxes more.

So, we go.
These zombie ideas
Mutating and spreading
Infecting our politics
With madness

Making it impossible to govern
As things fall apart

Let us put a Death.
to zombie ideas
Put a stake through them.
Opening up the truth

Coming together
To do the people’s business
That is what we must all do.

###

There is a Great Sense of Unrest.

There is a great sense.
Of unrest in the land today
Madness in the air

Previous publication (2020)

Literary Yard has just published my Dog Poems. The earlier published my Cosmic Calendar poems. Here they are for your amusement. these are companion pieces for my cat poems.

dog’s life

Ten New Poems

Poetry Soup Poems 2016-2019

Cats Truly alien species?

Cosmos Joins Instagram Poets

Cats

Dog Poems

It’s a Dog’s Life for Me

I’d like to come back
In my next life
As a dog

A dog’s only worry
Is its next meal

All it has to do
Is wag its tail

And look cute
And someone will feed him
And give him water

A dog has no worries
No cares at all

And when a Dog
Wants some loving

All it needs to do
Is find the nearest
Female dog
And enjoy himself

Without guilt
And without worrying
About getting married
Or having an affair

Just simple
Sex in the doggie way
Nothing simpler
Than that

Yes
A dog’s life
Is the life for me?

###

The Dogs of War are Howling

https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/dogs-of-war.mp3

dog of war poster

The Dogs of War
Have been set free
Of their cage
And are out
Howling at the moon

The Dogs of War
Have been set free
To wreck what havoc
Might be

Yes, the Dogs of War
The Hell Hounds
Have bound out of their cages
Sniffed about
And smiled

At the destruction, they saw
They knew soon
They would be in their element
As the world descends into chaos

The world saw
The face of pure evil
That fine September morning

A morning like any other morning
Until a fateful moment
When two planes
Came out of the sky
And destroyed
The center of world capitalism

In an act of horrific violence
An act of such evil
That is beyond the comprehension
Of mere mortal man

Surely there must
Be a reason why
That particular day
The world almost ended

The Dogs of war
Are at foot

The chaos is upon us
The evil grows and grows
And dark noises are heard
Here and there

A Jehad had been launched
By the holly lunatics
Misguided warriors
Who thought they were fighting
The great Satan

Not knowing that their hearts and minds
Were corrupted and controlled
By Satan himself

Somewhere in the world
That morning
A door opened

And a man walked through
Flipped a switch

And let loose
The chaos that ensured

The world watched with horror
And fascination

As in real-time
A dynamite action movie unfolded

Only this was not any movie, punk
It was real life
Live and uncensored

With the music of the devil
Playing at full volume
As people died
Burning alive

And the dogs of war
Smiled
They knew soon
They would be in their element

As America
The Sleeping Giant
Again woke up

And realized
That they would have to fight back
Against their enemies

The war machine
Came to life
The plans came out of the books
The military might be unleashed

And the Dogs of war
Smiled and howled at the moon

The machinery of war
Once unleashed
Can’t easily be stopped

There is a certain cruel logic
That demands that the war going on
And people die
And people suffer
And the stock market crashes

And the evil that men do
Goes on and on and on

###

The Cosmic Dog from Goa

My final time with God
Happened a year later
I was staying down in Goa
With my wife

Enjoying being with her
After our reconciliation
We stayed at the Taj Mahal Goa

Living like Kings and Queen
Just for a few days
High up on a hill
Overlooking the beach

Every morning I went down to the beach
And did yoga by the water
While contemplating life

And every morning
I saw the same dog

Not just a dog
But a cosmic dog
Filled with the divine spark of God

And the dog recognized me
And spoke to me and I knew
That God was present once more
In the face of that cosmic dog

Kindred spirit
perhaps to the cosmic cat
that had saved my soul
in Berkeley so long ago

I told the dog everything
And he just looked at me
With those soulful eyes of his

And I knew he knew that I knew
That he was possessed by God

God had sent him to me
To make sure

that I was on the right path

That the reconciliation that God had promoted
Was on a track that I was back with my wife
And that everything was the way it should be

Again, I asked God whether he was Jesus or Allah
Or Brahmin or Ganesh or Buddha

God the cosmic dog just stared at me
I finally asked him directly

Say if you are God the God of Jesus
Bark once

The Dog looked at me and barked

I said

well, if you are Allah bark twice
The dog barked twice
Well are you buddha

then bark three times if yes
The god dog barked three times

Hmm well are you Satan
The dog growled at me
And I knew I had gone too far

Finally, I was at peace
And for the next three days

The God Dog from Goa

was my constant companion
And I knew God for the final time
In my life?

###

Agnostic Dyslectic Wonders if There is a Dog

cute dog

an agnostic dyslectic
stays up all night
wondering if there is a dog

the Buddhists wonder
about the Buddha-nature of the dog

the evangelicals

are sure that there is a dog
and you must follow their dog

or go to hell
for following another’s dog

the Muslims agree
there is only one dog

and the dogs
smile at the foolishness

of the human race
of course, there is a dog

and they are the master race
as they growl at their owners

who bow down
and clean up their mess?

###

I Want a Dog’s Life

O

I want a dog’s life
That’s what I want in my next life
A dog needs to be cute
And his master will feed him
It is a dog’s life for me

###

The Messenger Dog of God

One day
While studying in Rome
As a priest
I notice a small white dog
Staring at me

He glances at me
Indicating that I am to follow him
I get up
And follow this strange dog

He leads me deep
Inside the hidden depths
Of the Vatican
Finally stopping by a door

I open the door
And see St Peter there
He smiles
Dismisses the dog

Who moves on down the hall
Finished with his cosmic duty
As the secret messenger of God
All in a day’s work?

I ask why I am here?
St Peter says
Why are any of us here?
It is time for you to go

But I don’t want to go
Don’t want to leave this mortal plane
St Peter smiles
Says it is time to go

I wake up
Back in my bed
With my wife
And realize it was all a dream

It was not yet time
To go
But I am afraid
I will find the messenger dog

Outside my door
Any day now
The grim reaper waits
And it will soon be my time

Poem: Cosmos’s Cosmic Calendar

cosmic calendar

January

January arrives cold as death warmed over
As I make my annual list of resolutions
Of the great things, I would do
The lies I tell myself to keep me going

While recovering from the hangover of the year before
With regrets for the evitable passing of time itself

And snowbound cold nights of wild passion
As we delay death’s knocking on the door

February

February is a strange month
Cold, short, and eventful

In the U.S. The political season heats up
As politicians rush about
Making their campaign lies
Full of promises of things to come

As we the 99 % huddle down inside
Watching the lies on TV
Outside Winter’s last dying breath

March

March roars in full of sound and furry
Signifying the future marching down upon us all

And March madness hits the sports world
And politicians meet to plot and scheme

As we bravely battle the cosmic elements
Waiting for the promised spring
Hay fever greets me
With the early spring flowers

April

April is indeed the cruelest month of all
So many important events occurred
Kim Il Sung’s Birthday, Hitler’s Birthday

And in the U.S. the dreaded tax man cometh
To take it all away as the flowers overwhelm

And Spring Fever takes hold
Driving us all mad
With strange erotic desires

May

May is in many ways
My second favorite month of all

The flowers are blooming bright
The mountains are aflame with desire
The summer heat is coming

The plans for the year are coming along
The political campaigns heat up

And good movies come out
Star Wars arrived
Spiderman and superman and batman

All came out to play
In late May
And baseball begins in earnest

And most importantly
My wife was born

June

June is always a month of transition
End of the school year
Summer transfer season
People leaving people coming

Hurricanes and Tornados attacking
And wars starting and people dying

As fireflies buzz about
And rabbits eat my garden

As the summer heat descends upon the land
I walk late at night

Recalling that Watergate
Occurred in June

July

July is the queen of the summer season
As she heats the land
Throwing storm after summer storm

And politicians run away
After the July fourth fireworks

Man landed on the moon
Richard Nixon Left the White House

And we all know that half the year
Has flown by

August

So much has happened
During the hottest most hellish of months
Despite the summer sauna that descends upon the land
Enervating all driving people mad with the heat

World War 1 started
World War 11 ended

Hiroshima ushered in the nuclear age

Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey
And tornado ally
All roar down upon the land

And I met the love of my life
Getting off a bus
One August evening

September

What can one say about September
Like June a month of transitions?

And one is filled with ambition
Wanting to finish up what one started
Before the fall arrives
And Winter is hinting it is coming

School starts
New jobs start
New people come into one’s life

And like August’s hangover
Big earth-shattering events happen

The fall of the stock market
The housing bubble bursting

The endless budget games
As the politicians argue
Whether to bankrupt the country
To make a political point or two

And 9-11 terrorizing the world
All September’s gifts to the land

October

October is my favorite month of all
The leaves turn
The weather is usually delightful

Just a tease of the coming winter
Fall ball season underway
Baseball games and Halloween madness
ends the month with a huge bang

And I celebrate my legal birth on the 29th
Also, the day I legally got married

And on October 30, 1955

I was born
And Rock n Roll was born as well
Coincidence I think not

November

November is one of the strange months
Begins like a hangover of October
Then it turns ugly and weird

Political fever hits the land
Every two years

As the people brave the early November chill
To decide what fools they will send to DC
The politicians lie and scheme and plot
And beg and lie again

And the world turns
And the new leaders emerge

Welcome the new Bosses
Same as the old bosses
Just new packaging

And Donald Trump storms the barricades
Threatening the establishment’s stranglehold
On America and the world

Yes, November is a strange month

December

Perhaps the loneliness month of all
The most consequential of all the months
And yet also the most depressing end of time
Kind of month

If the apocalypse zombie or otherwise
Were to occur
It would be in December
That is the sort of insane month it is

The end of the year
As darkness settles down on the land

And holiday parties abound
Full of false cheer
And faked love

And for those who don’t celebrate Christmas
A lonely day perhaps at the movies
A few awkward calls to the relatives

Then New Years
Watching the world end
Drinking up a storm

And knowing that the year ended
And you are one step closer to the grave

Falling rain

falling rain

The falling rain
Of late October
Fills me with essential dread

As I rush about
And end up here
Wherever here is

The rain outside
Seems like the tears of god

As I sit
Crying over my beer

Thinking of lost love
And failed dreams

Wondering
What went wrong?
And what I can set right

And the rain falls
And the night darkens

The rain is falling
All over this man’s world

And the rain falls
And I sit

Drinking my lonesome drink
Lost in dreams

Dreaming of what
Could never be

Thinking dark thoughts
And so I sit
And dream the night away

the End
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March 27, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Just posted on line https://formerpeople.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/lone-foreigner-

Starting Podcasts

I’ve started recording podcasts which will be made available on several platforms. I hope to set up one or two per day. stay tuned.

Hey there,

We got your distribution request! Upon approval, our team will submit your show, The World According to Cosmos, to additional listening platforms.

It generally takes a few business days for other platforms to review and approve new shows, so hang tight. We’ll email you as soon as it becomes available.

Team Anchor

now available on spotify and elsewhere

Hey there,

Exciting news! Your show, The World According to Cosmos, is now available on RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

Let your listeners know:
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter

You can always find all the links to your show on your Anchor profile, at anchor.fm/jake-cosmos-aller.

We’ll let you know as your show becomes available in more places.

Remember, any episodes you create in Anchor can be synced everywhere your show is available, with just one tap! You can get more podcast tips right here.

– Team Anchor

Hey there,

Exciting news! Your show, The World According to Cosmos, is now available on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Let your listeners know:
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter

You can always find all the links to your show on your Anchor profile, at anchor.fm/jake-cosmos-aller

https://anchor.fm/jake-cosmos-aller

The first up is “down in the dirt” updates.
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March 22, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
Now available as pod cast.

Hey there,

We got your distribution request! Upon approval, our team will submit your show, The World According to Cosmos, to additional listening platforms.

It generally takes a few business days for other platforms to review and approve new shows, so hang tight. We’ll email you as soon as it becomes available.

Team Anchor

now available on spotify and elsewhere

Hey there,

Exciting news! Your show, The World According to Cosmos, is now available on RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

Let your listeners know:
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter

You can always find all the links to your show on your Anchor profile, at anchor.fm/jake-cosmos-aller.

We’ll let you know as your show becomes available in more places.

Remember, any episodes you create in Anchor can be synced everywhere your show is available, with just one tap! You can get more podcast tips right here.

– Team Anchor

Hey there,

Exciting news! Your show, The World According to Cosmos, is now available on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Let your listeners know:
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter

You can always find all the links to your show on your Anchor profile, at anchor.fm/jake-cosmos-aller

https://anchor.fm/jake-cosmos-aller

Down in the Dirt has published two more of my poems, “Lone Foreigner Hiking the Walls of Seoul” and “An Old Man Visits His Wife’s Grave”. Both were based on prompts in the Pensively 101 blog. Pensively 101 is a great blog, the author publishes daily prompts, and I have been using these prompts to write several poems per day.

More Down in the Dirt News

Down in the Dirt Updates

Down in the Dirt Poems

If You Have Been Around

Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City Walls

https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Lone-foreigner-Hiking-the-Seoul-City-Walks.mp3
A Lone foreign male hiker
In the hills above the city
Hiking along the ancient Seoul City walls

525 years after the founding
Of the city in 1492

Balancing his walk
Amid the boulders
The winter is coming
Soon he thinks

And finishes his hike
Heading to a bar
To sake his thirst

Some soju and Bulgogi
Will do the trick
He thinks to himself

Just another day
In the life

Of an unknown. nameless
Foreigner in the city
Of Seoul

Part of the ten million
Naked stories
In the big city

An Old Man Visits His Wife’s Grave

https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/An-old-man-visits-his-wifes-grave-mp3.mp3
An Old man
Goes to the grave
Of his beloved wife

Carrying her favorite flowers
And a guitar
Playing her love songs
As he remembers her life

Blaming it all
On the damn coronavirus Pandemic
Killing thousands every day
As politicians play games

The dead remain dead
He hears his wife’s voice
From beyond the grave

She is a corona ghost
He wishes he were there with her
As he plays his mournful love songs

He lays down for a moment
And becomes another Corona ghost
Just another death that lonely day

“Hi there from Down in the Dirt, and thanks for the sub. We are accepting
“Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City Walls” and “An Old Man Visits His
Wife’s Grave” for the June 2021 issue of Down in the Dirt magazine (v184,
released 6/1/21). Because your writing will appear in several places
at Scars Publications, this is a multi-pronged acceptance…

Your acceptance will also be online by the end of the day today… By the
end of the day today, Friday (at the end of the business day, CST), your
accepted writing will have its web page in the writings section of
http://scars.tv at http://scars.tv/cgi-bin/framesmain.pl?writers – just go
to the writings link, and under your name in the left frame will be your
accepted writing, which when clicked will appear in the larger right
frame. “

They previously published the following poems:

3 5 7 love poem
An Old Man Visits His Wife’s Grave
April 30 In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales
Charles Bukowski Road Not Chosen
Fallen Dreams Litter the Ground
If you’ve been around
Lone Foreigner Hiking the Seoul City Walls
My Name Is Nobody
Snarling Cup of Coffee
Strangeness in the Air
Unhinged Lunatic Howling at the Full Moon

the End
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March 13, 2021
Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Welcome to the world according to Cosmos. I am your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller, aka Cosmos. I have been blogging for about 10 years since I retired from the US Foreign Service back in 2016. During my service, I worked in 10 countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts, St. Lucia, St Vincent, South Korea, India, Spain) and DC, and visited 45 countries. I have been to all States, DC and PR. I have been living in South Korea with an annual visit to the States -Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, DC since then. I have lived in five different cities in the U.S. -Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and DC,

The purpose of this blog is to provide a place for me to show my fiction, poetry, and political rants. I have decided, though to forgo any hot political topics for now as I don’t want to get into trouble with the man or invite cyber bullying, which unfortunately is happening all too often in the blogosphere.

Politically, I lean left but distrust hard-core ideologues on the left and on the right. I am a never trumper democrat, and a Bernie bro, and a big supporter of the LGBTQ community as I have LGBTQ and trans friends. Religion-wise, I am an agnostic sort of a new age neo Buddhist or dudist. My favorite movie is “The Big Lebrowski”. I am a big K-drama fiend. I am a big blues and funk fanatic. My favorite band is Tower of Power. My poetry is outlaw poetry style, neo-beatnik flavor. My fiction tends to be sci-fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a political family. My father taught at Cal State SF. I have 18 nationalities swirling in my family background. From my father, I am part Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. From my mother, English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother was from the lost tribe of the Cherokee nation -descended from indians who ran away into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears, I may also be part Chowtah, Creek, and Seminole Indian as the lost tribe members intermarried with other fleeing Indians, white settlers, and escaped slaves. The DNA test only shows native ancestry, not broken down by tribe.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name, Cosmos. The name Cosmos came about because my great-grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name aller to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked up Aller and found Cosmos or Universe. I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with me being born in Berkeley, although no one believes that, as the name is so “Berkeley”. Universe would have been even more of a Berkeley vibe, I think.

I appreciate my readers and any comments you may have. Please keep your comments civil. It is important that we all get along and remember that, despite our differences, we are all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not my enemy.

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

Welcome to The World According to Cosmos. I’m your host, John (Jake) Cosmos Aller — better known simply as Cosmos. I’ve been blogging for about ten years, ever since I retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in 2016. During my career, I served in ten countries (Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, South Korea, India, and Spain) as well as Washington, D.C., and I’ve visited forty‑five countries. I’ve also traveled to every U.S. state, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Since retiring, I’ve been living in South Korea, with annual visits back to the States — usually Oregon, Northern California, and Washington, D.C. Over the years, I’ve lived in five U.S. cities: Berkeley, Stockton, Seattle, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.

This blog is my space to share fiction, poetry, and the occasional political rant. For now, I’m steering clear of the hottest political topics. I have no desire to attract trouble from the powers that be or to invite cyberbullying, which has become far too common in the online world.

Politically, I lean left, but I distrust hard‑core ideologues on both sides. I’m a Never‑Trumper Democrat, a Bernie Bro, and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ community — many of my friends are LGBTQ or trans. Spiritually, I’m an agnostic with a New Age, neo‑Buddhist, “Dudist” streak. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. I’m a devoted K‑drama fan, a blues and funk enthusiast, and a lifelong admirer of Tower of Power. My poetry leans toward outlaw and neo‑Beatnik styles, while my fiction tends to be sci‑fi political thrillers.

I grew up in Berkeley in a very political family. My father taught at Cal State San Francisco. My ancestry is a swirl of eighteen nationalities. On my father’s side: Basque, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Jewish, Laplander, Mongolian, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, and Ukrainian. On my mother’s side: English, Cherokee, Irish, Italian, Nigerian, Scottish, and Welsh. Because my mother descended from the “lost tribe” of the Cherokee Nation — families who fled into the Ozarks to avoid the Trail of Tears — I may also have Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole ancestry. DNA tests only show Native ancestry, not tribal breakdowns.

My pen name, Cosmos, comes from my middle name. My great‑grandfather wanted an English translation of our German family name, Aller, to use as a middle name for his son, my grandfather. He looked it up and found “Cosmos” or “Universe.” I am the third and last Cosmos Aller. The name has nothing to do with being born in Berkeley, though no one ever believes that — it sounds so quintessentially “Berkeley.” Honestly, “Universe” would have been even more so.

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)
I have a small request to make. I want to expand my followers on all my platforms. So if you have not signed up yet for this blog, or followed me on intraframe, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, or Bloglovin or listened to my podcast on Spotify please do so now.

thank you

WHERE TO LISTEN to the World According to Cosmos

breaker audio

google podcasts

radio public

Spotify

Radio public c: https://radiopublic.com/the-world-according-to-cosmos-6va7D1

on PocketCasts: https://pca.st/rt1f4r4r

Thank you.

Just posted on line https://formerpeople.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/lone-foreigner-

Real Immigration Reform – A Way Forward

Joe, Go Bold or Go Home – revised

Dear President Biden

Time to Fix Broken Immigration System

immigration reform

One of the many issues that you will have to address now that you got the COVID relief package done is immigration reform. I have been closely following this issue since 1992 when I was confronted with a broken immigration system as a visa officer. I later served seven years as an anti-fraud officer. I realized that much of the fraud occurred because we made the legal way to immigrate almost impossible while the illegal way to immigrate became relatively simple and inexpensive and the penalties very few – and with the right lawyer 90 percent of the fraudulent visa applications would be ultimately approved. It is almost just bad luck for someone to get caught and punished for fraud.

Trump dramatically stepped up the plate on deportation, but Obama was also harsh regarding deportation. The progressive left has not come to grips with reality – the sad reality that Americans don’t want massive unrestrained immigration, but do not understand how broken the system is.   The Republicans mantra seal the border first ignores the fact that the immigration system does not work.

Even if you sealed the border you would still have a sizable illegal population exploited by corporations and especially agriculture. And they do not want real immigration reform because then they would have to pay a living wage to their immigrant slave labor.

Or if there is no immigrant labor left wages for Americans would have to be raised to get them to do the work that immigrants do for sub-minimum wages and no benefits.

The solution is obvious – start over with a new law, new procedures.

Legalize the illegal, then make the system easy to enforce.   Make the penalties for violations simple – deportation with a five-year ban on re-entry.

Start by acknowledging we need to improve security at the border, but the wall is a waste of time and money that will not solve the problem. We need a comprehensive 21st-century immigration policy that balances the need for continued immigration with the need to ensure that immigrants contribute to our country and enrich our country as they always have and always will. Again, throw the republicans a bone offers to ensure that E Verify is widely used by all employers and punish employers who hire illegals. I would also consider getting rid of the diversity visa program and the sibling immigration category, but grandfather people in that category giving them two years to complete the immigration process with no new applicants being accepted.

A new Simpler System

I would add more employment visas and decreased the number of family reunification visas, eliminate the country limits and the priority lists. Anyone who qualifies should be able to finish the paperwork within one year and must complete the processing with two years of initial application. Those in the queue right now would be grandfathered in.

I would prioritize English speaking skills, and education, All applicants would have to interview in English. All applicants would have to have a high school education or higher.

I would also offer to immigrate visas to all foreigners who graduate from a US university or graduate school. If they want to stay let them stay with their foreign spouse and unmarried children.

There should only two categories of immigrant visas. Employment-based, and family-based. The number of legal visas should be dramatically increased. The family-based visas should be limited to spouses and children under 18 of the principal applicant or spouses and children of US citizens and permanent residents.

As mentioned above, the sibling category should be eliminated. But those in line should be allowed to immigrate and given two years to process the paperwork. No one should have to wait for more than a year to immigrate. I would add an English language requirement. Anyone wishing to immigrate to the US must learn English before their interview. If it is a requirement for the visa people will study ESL before taking their interview and once they get to the US be much better equipped to find productive employment and become productive members of society.

Non-immigrant visas should also be simplified to short-term visitors – tourists and business travel, student visas, including exchange visitors, diplomatic visas, and employment visas. The diversity visa lottery program should be discontinued.

All immigrants and non-immigrants must provide proof of travelers’ health insurance when they apply for a visa or enter the country.

Most of the draconian extreme vetting measures that Trump imposed should be rescinded. We should increase the number of refugees and once again welcome asylum applicants. Finally, I would expand the number of visa waiver countries.

Student visa holders should be allowed to transfer to employment visa status if they graduate and are offered a job.

Improve Border Security Without the Useless Wall

trump’s wall

Re the border wall, I would shift resources to virtual patrolling. Much cheaper and more effective. Keep the wall where it is but don’t waste any more money on building it. I would also take up the republican proposal of implementing e- verify. The bottom line is we should make the legal route to immigration much less burdensome, so there will be fewer illegal immigrants. Regarding deportation, I would focus the efforts on criminal alien offenders. Others who are here illegally will find it too difficult to stay without proper status and hopefully be deterred from coming.

I would offer a route to citizenship to the Dreamers. I would offer a one-time amnesty to all illegal immigrants who would have to register with the government, provide proof of employment, and proof of English skills, have no criminal background, and pay back taxes. If they complete these requirements, they would be given green cards and after five years be allowed to apply for citizenship.

I would also eliminate the fiancée visa as it is the most fraud-ridden visa of them all. If you want to marry a foreigner you may do so either in the US or overseas and then adjust your status. You finance could visit you in the U.S as a simple tourist visa applicant, then adjust status. No reason for a separate category. If an American marries a foreign national in the U.S the foreign spouse would be given LPR status immediately absent clear evidence of marriage fraud. If a foreigner has a baby in the U.S, the parent would be given LPR status and allowed to stay. However, no woman who is more than six months pregnant would be allowed to enter the U.S. unless they are eligible for an immigrant visa.

Finally, all immigrant and non-immigrant visa applicants would have to provide proof of health insurance before entering the U.S. This should also be a requirement for the E Visa approval for visa waiver countries. The visa Waiver country list should be expanded to include all EU countries, most of Latin America, (except for Central America), and SE Asian countries.

If you enact these measures, you will fix the broken immigration system and match immigration visa levels to employment demands which should be a fundamental goal of such reforms.

New Immigration and Citizenship Cabinet Level Department to Oversee the New Immigration System

Besides immigration and non-immigrant visa procedures and policies, I would set up a new cabinet-level Department of Immigration and Citizen services drawing upon the State Department, DHS CIS, ICE, and the Department of Labor.

They should set up a common immigrant processing software the would manage the entire process.

The new agency would have half of its employees serving as immigrant officers, working around the world. Immigration visa officers would serve two to four years of assignments overseas with up to one year of language training.   All immigration officers would be foreign service officers and serve 50 percent of their career overseas. They would serve at least one two-year tour at a US port of entry within their first five years of service, with their first assignment overseas. Most of the immigrant visa processing would be done overseas, so most immigrant processing centers in the U.S. would close, leaving a few centers open to process adjustment of status and citizenship applications.    The State Department would no longer be involved in the visa or consular services.

Immigration officers overseas would serve either as immigrant visa officers, non-immigrant visa officers, asylum /refugee officers, citizenship service officers, or anti-fraud officers. Most applicants for asylum or refugee status would be processed overseas.

All applicants for visas both immigrant and non-immigrant visas would be screened for fraud indicators before their interviews with a score of green, yellow or red returned from the screening. Green means no evidence of fraud and meets the qualifications, yellow means there are some questionable areas, which will be flagged, and red means that the case will be held for a full fraud investigation at the post. Minor irregularities would not result in any penalties, the applicants would be either issued a visa or paroled into the US as used to be the custom.

Enacting these reforms would go a long way to meet the need for sustained immigration while at the same time making immigration fairer and more rational.

The End

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March 12, 2021

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

Thank you, and please enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry.

Jake Cosmos Aller aka Cosmos

About This Blog
Poems and Rants from the Cosmos

I appreciate every reader who stops by. Comments are welcome — just keep them civil. Despite our differences, we’re all God’s children. I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.

Thank you for being here. I hope you enjoy my fiction, musings, rants, and poetry. — Jake Cosmos Aller (aka Cosmos)

If You Have Been Around

Published In Down in the Dirt

Hi there… You are getting this letter because you are a contributor to
the current issue of Down in the Dirt magazine (with writing or art), and
we wanted to let you know that the brand-new issue of Down in the Dirt was
just released! The new issue of the March 2021 issue Down in the Dirt is
v181, titled “Prayers and Bullets”!

Now, there are a bunch of ways you can see this issue online. You can go.
to the main scars page at http://scars.tv and see it not only in the text
listing but also as one of the cover images on the main page (right
frame). You can also go the home page of Down in the Dirt at
http://scars.tv/dirt and click on the “see the current issue” link – and
you can even go to the link for ALL of the issues and see this issue
linked right at the top of the listing.

http://scars.tv/dirt/dirt181mar21/Prayers_and_Bullets.htm

And remember that until the next issue is released you can always see the
current issue at
http://scars.tv/dirt-new-issue.htm

Currently, this issue is available not only online but also available as
the print issue for sale through all of the amazon channels throughout the
United States, the U.K., and Europe. Find it at http://scars.tv (at the
issue link, the links at this issues page AND the main page) – and the
books link at http://scars.tv/books and the CD/Book Sale page at
http://scars.tv/sale will all have links to ordering the book through
Amazon (though the scars site will only list it through the U.S. Amazon
links).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W7SNNRM

And if you look at any writing by any writer IN this issue in the writings
section of http://scars.tv at
http://scars.tv/cgi-bin/framesmain.pl?writers you will see links to the
Internet (web page) issue (and eventually to the print issue of this
magazine too).

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the new issue – and thank you for being
a part of the Down in the Dirt community!

Janet K.
Down in the Dirt Magazine
http://scars.tv/dirt

Jake Cosmos Aller page

Down in the Dirt Updates

Down in the Dirt Poems

“Strangeness in the Air”

Snarling Cup of Coffee Chapbook Updated with audio clips

3 5 7 love poem

Missing you missing me
Dreaming about you, do you dream the same
Will love you until end of time; will you remember me then?

If you’ve been around

If you’ve been around
As much as I have
Decades of memories
Fill up your brain’s hard drive

Remembering the dead
Misremembering the living
Seeing the past fly past
Everywhere you go

Thinking about things
You did and did not do
As your life begins to fade
Sinking into lost worlds past

Seeing the ghosts
Of all you knew
Whispering Soon you will
Be joining us

More Down in the Dirt news -Scars Publishes my work in new Anthology, Art House

Scars Publication has published my poem “Snarling Cup of Coffee” on their web page and in a new Anthology, “Art House” available now (January 2020)

Hi there from Scars Publications – we wanted to let you know that Scars Publications released a collection book of select poetry, flash fiction, and prose (and occasional artwork) from 2019 issues of cc&d magazine and Down in the Dirt magazine. Since your material was chosen from the past year of accepted materials for inclusion in this annual collection book anthology, we wanted to let you know about this brand new annual collection book is titled “Art House”!

Links to see all of chosen writers and artists (and the titles of their work) in “Art House”:

Scars writers” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>Art House link (This is where you can also find out what material of yours appears in this annual collection book.)

And at any time, you can find this book at Scars in MULTIPLE locations. Right now, it is linked on the main page at http://scars.tv, and it appears near the top of the list of choices on the books link, since 4 collection books will be released this week from Scars (the book link is one click away from the main page, or also directly at http://scars.tv/books/) as well as at the “CD Books Sale” link with new releases at the top of the listing (direct link http://scars.tv/sale/) at Scars!

Also, in two weeks’ time (because we have so much material from these collection books we cannot gurarantee they will be online by the end of this week 12/7/18, but we believe all listing will be in the writings section by 12/14/18), your writing in the writings section online will also have a link to this collection book, so people can find links to this collection book on your writing pages in the writings section of http://scars.tv (at http://scars.tv/cgi-bin/framesmain.pl?writers)...

How to Order

Links for ordering this collection book appears on all of the links above, and will also appear in the writings section too, so any of your writing in this collection book will also see a link to this collection book in the writings section too!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1677819243

Currently these books are available from Amazon in the U.S. & Canada, the U.K., Europe, and even Japan. (The link above is for U.S. sales.)

Check out the Scars Publication book link to see what material of yours appears in these collection books, and if you’d like, order a copy today (I hear they make great Christmas gifts), and again, thank you for being a part of the Scars Publications community!

Scars Publications

http://scars.tv

the rest of my work available on Sars include

April 30 In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales

Charles Bukowski Road Not Chosen

Fallen Dreams Litter the Ground

My Name Is Nobody
Snarling Cup of Coffee
Strangeness in the Air
Unhinged Lunatic Howling at the Full Moon

April 30 In Search of America 1975 – Hitch hiking Tales

When I was young and foolish
Broke and stubborn
I hitchhiked across the USA

Started in Salt Lake City
Where my greyhound bus pass
Was stolen

The station manager
Could have helped me
But refused to do so

Threaten to call the cops
When I grabbed my bags
Without the stolen tags

I said
Go ahead
But I am so out of here

Wondered about Salt Lake City
Went to a bar
Found I had to buy my booze
Next door

And they would mix it for me
Had to order food too
After a bloody Mary
And a burger

I walked about town
Saw the Mormon Temple

Finally about 3 pm
It was time to hit the road
Did not look back

Ended up in Cody Wyoming
Got a room shower
Steak beer

Using my rapidly depleted cash
Spent 25 dollars
Money really went far
Back in those days

A band of professional
Communist agitators
Gave me a ride
To Des Moines

Lots of weed, booze
And politics later
Got off the road

Slept outside
Next day
A beautiful woman

Drove me to near Chicago
In a red mustang
Might have been

The girl in the song
Take it easy
Digging her vibe

take it easy

She invited home
But was not sure
If her estranged husband
Would welcome me

So, I am being foolish
And inexperienced with women
Did not go to her place

And always regretted
That I had lost
My chance that day

Then on to Chicago
Several rides later
Visited friends
Hit the road again

A series of uneventful rides
With truckers
And others

And a week later
ended in New York City

Slept along the way
In cars
In truck stops

In high way rest stops

Always moving
Always going
Non stop talking

And lots of free weed
And beer
And conversation

One more memorable ride
Occurred outside Albany

On my return to Chicago
A middle age creepy looking man

Picked me up
In a brand-new Cadillac

He was he said a dynamite deliverer
For the Mafia

Went to various places
To blow up shit

He hated a lot of people
Particularly hippies from California
And Jewish people

Looking at me to confirm
That I was both

I told him that I lived in New York
And had never been to California
And although I might have looked Jewish

As I what was called back in the day
A “Jewfro”
I was not Jewish

Many years later I discovered
That I am indeed part Jewish
But then I did not know

And I felt a bit of strategic information
Might keep me alive

Then I realized that he was just jiving with me
and we relaxed

And he pulled out some weed
And beer
And we mellowed out
But I believe that he really was with the mob

Perhaps not a dynamite dealer
A real made Italian made mafia member

By Chicago
I had enough

I called my Dad
Told him what had happened

Wanted a ticket home
And he sent me a ticket

And 500 dollars
And I went home

I told him I would tell him
My tales some day

But never did

I learned so much
About my fellow Americans

And the strange vibe
That was 1975

And now it is too late
But I wanted to finally

Tell the world
Of my hitchhiking tales
In search of America 1975

Also available in Print

This writing was accepted for publication

and in “Deep Woods”

Order this writing that appears
in the one-of-a-kind anthology
The Flickering Light
the Down in the Dirt Jan.-June 2019
issues & chapbooks collection book

(learn about this book, and order from Amazon online)get the 366 page
Jan.-June 2019
Down in the Dirt
issue & chapbooks
6″ x 9″ ISBN#
paperback book:

Charles Bukowski Road Not Chosen

charles bukowski reading