Scattered Thoughts from a Scattered Mind: Volume Xi

By David Mills

"The man who finds a wife finds a good thing; she is a blessing to him from the Lord." - Proverbs 18:22

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669850809

David Mills

David Mills has worked in the field of pneumatic conveying for over forty years. From 1998 – 2006 he was Professor of Bulk Solids Handling at Glasgow Caledonian University. He has published over 170 papers in the field, and has been working as an independent consultant in pneumatic conveying since 1996.

Book preview

The Spaces In-Between

Separated by the mist, I strain to picture you,

My life evolves, the world revolves, I get a new tattoo.

Seldom do I fathom, the information stream,

I’m stuck in no man’s land, the spaces in-between.

Time is rushing forward, a climax looms ahead,

I live a quiet life, keeping track of overhead.

The days all run together like salt within the shaker,

I clean the house, I cut the grass, acre after acre.

Yet, all the while I’m conscious of a deep,

                                                          abiding hole,

A wasted time adventure, a tuna casserole.

A house is not a home when you’re going it alone,

The walls are closing in, the outcome unbeknown.

A Range of Possibility

In a range of possibility,

I stand with this philosophy,

That man is always given choice,

To hear and know the Master’s voice.

No matter temperate habitat,

Around the globe of this and that,

The Holy Spirit guides our walk,

A common use of aftershock.

Come and find unaltered truth,

A privately funded photo booth,

A place to languish and prepare,

To join with angels in the air.

First Attempt

Bowling balls and razor blades,

Cookies that your grandma made.

Alter egos on parade,

Cash advance for foreign aid.

Sunken treasure off the coast,

Careful now, don’t burn the toast.

I like to brag but never boast,

I live my days as whipping post.

Are you confused or in retreat?

Your work is graded incomplete.

You failed to show a balance sheet,

It makes one think of trick or treat.

So please forgive this little rhyme,

That sets forth meter out of time.

It’s quite the shift of paradigm,

A stand alone, one of a kind.

The Taste of You

The taste of you, like summer rain,

I thought I’d never find again.

The balance comes as I regain,

The wonder of the passing lane.

The feel of you, like ocean breeze,

Quiet now, then comes the tease.

Stay the night if you so please,

We’ll watch the moon escape the trees.

The smell of you, like autumn night,

I wake to find you in my sight.

Another day to my delight,

This passion play I’m soon to write.

Clermont-Ferrand

Pale autumn light streaming through the window,

Sleep, my distant friend, is hard to find tonight.

My aging body aches, while my mind recreates,

The wonder of events, a scene from yesteryear.

An art design in form, the talent yet unborn,

A day or maybe more, too soon the wrecking ball.

I match the shape of Ellen, now dozing by my side,

Another night for lemmings

                                seeking shelter from disgrace.

I hear her breathing change,

                                    she dreams of better days,

I whisper softly as she sleeps, alone in bitter night.

Yesterday’s News

Tommy pulled the plug and he took it to the street,

He wasn’t going to buckle or wallow in defeat.

His passion was his purpose,

                                        on this he was quite clear,

He fooled the dancing bear and made it disappear.

Once is not enough, twice can be too much,

With your elevated wisdom,

                                your soft and soothing touch.

Another round is mentioned, you stay to get your fill,

Happiness abounds in a fifty dollar bill.

So on and on we go, ignoring curtain calls,

Down the wicker chutes, through the darkened halls.

Red lights on horizon, a test you can’t refuse,

It all adds up to nothing, no mention in the news.

Slow and Easy

Slow and easy wins the race,

You decide the way, the pace.

I, myself, am in no hurry,

Nor inclined to give you worry.

I want to make you smile, you see,

When you make time to be with me.

The laughter that our banter brings,

Can fix a world of broken things.

We’ll leave our worries at the door,

And get to know each other more.

This, a good and cherished plan,

From Edinburgh to Isle of Man.

Sandstone Cadillac

American beauty the color of cream,

Fulfilling the lust of many a dream.

Elvis drove one, so did The Babe,

Makes it hard to be humble or even behave.

My girl showed out in yellow chiffon,

She slid up close for the great beyond.

The young and the restless, a story of us,

A billboard image on a greyhound bus.

Come to the party and quickly you’ll see,

A gift-wrapped world for you and me.

The times and the money will always be ours,

Until we’re arranged in a room full of flowers.

Memorial Day 2021

The flow of information was relentless,

                                              then repressed,

They, the freedom fighters,

            were among the most oppressed.

Our fathers fought the wars,

                              and many gave their lives,

They orphaned many children,

                                made single many wives.

Yet on and on they came, many more to fill the gaps,

To crush the likes of Hitler, teach a lesson to the Japs.

Yes, life was much more simple

                                    in this land that we’ve forgot,

You stood and did your duty,

                                    you stood until you dropped.

Today we honor these, the proud, the few, the brave,

Their Uncle called them out,

                                        their lives they freely gave,

Remember them today and the lesson they stood for,

To them the country mattered,

                            they’re the ones that loved it more.

Come the Day

Come the day and morning’s light,

I made a plan to make things right.

To set the cornerstone and range,

To reconnect with friends estranged.

For life and all it’s mystery wanes,

No good to argue or complain.

No holding grudges, bitter thoughts,

Open wounds or casting lots.

Break the pattern, break the chain,

For all of living that remains.

This, I know is careful choice,

Come this day’s forgiving voice.

Wellness

Put your mind on wellness, it is a fleeting thing,

Too soon the bastard Aging, arrives with many things,

Protect your health with vengeance,

                                                cherished as a child,

You’ll live a life of comfort, at least a little while.

Let the pack go running, lost in disarray,

Stay your course with planning,

                                no matter what they say,

The winner is the one who lasts,

                                  the one who stands at end,

The loser threw it all away

                              then wants to make amends.

I’ve seen both sides of argument,

                                        I know opinions vary,

I also know of illness, it’s uncertain and most scary.

So side with me ye traveler, stay the simple course,

Have your winded gallop,

                                but be sure to rest your horse.

A Year Ago Today

A year ago today you exited this world,

I lost my lifetime lover, my very special girl.

What seemed as if a dream, is now so very real,

Gone is our great union, our contract under seal.

I’ve cried a river over you,

                            I’ve stumbled through the year,

The empty house still haunts me,

                                              I find it quite austere.

Yet the Lord in all His goodness,

                                            has never let me down,

So on my face I paste a smile and wear it into town.

A year ago today, I can hardly say the words,

As I sit on our back porch

                                and watch your hummingbirds.

Just know I long to see you as I know I will one day,

In His graces day by day; it’s where I plan to stay.

Year One, October 14, 2020--October 14, 2021

The Boy Who Came Full Circle

Thirty-seven years ago, unto this very day,

The Good Lord sent a present, a special one our way.

He tested us in everything, and then he tested more,

His mother saved the day;

                                    she steadfastly held the door.

And then one day he brought it home,

                                            a wonder in the making,

His time of giving had arrived, no longer only taking.

Again his mother saved the day

                                            and got me in the boat,

Together we were praying for a hedgerow and a coat.

Today he stands his own,

                                      a house with good foundation,

And a son was sent his way, his gift and coronation.

Around and round it’s gone, the circle is complete,

The Good Lord gave him back,

                                    and saved him from the street.

(Middle son’s 37th……November 2021)

I Know a Little Girl (Part II)

I know a little girl down Melbourne way,

Who delights in knowing the right thing to say.

She makes me happy, makes me smile,

I forget my troubles after a while.

She’s well educated, a teacher by trade,

A suitable wife who never has strayed.

She keeps a clean house, she visits with friends,

Views all existence through rose colored lens.

You can’t keep her down, she keeps coming back,

She can self-adjust to keep it on track.

She’s a valued friend in a broken down world,

She holds my heart, this lovely girl.

(For Barbara Belanger)

Transportation

The saints are at his feet praising adoration,

Christ stands alone, provided transportation.

Call it if you will, an Uber from above,

Just a fine example of His never-ending love.

The Rapture of the church, an ancient promise made,

Fulfilled itself one day for those that boldly prayed,

"Come quickly Risen Jesus, we long to see your face,

Remove us ‘fore the judgment

                                  comes upon this sinful place."

And true enough, when time was full,

                                      His presence in the clouds,

Called us home to meet Him,

                                      nonbelievers not allowed.

The Prince of Peace, The King of Kings,

                                    the punctured broken Lamb,

The one with keys to everything,

                                        who calls Himself, I Am!

Second Wind

Loosen all the ties that bind,

Escape the dangers sin can find.

Relish in the here and now,

Put your shoulder to the plow.

Let love flourish, find a way,

To relish in it day by day.

There always is more work to do,

As you become the better you.

Heed the Spirit, let Him lead,

He’ll fulfill your every need.

Your life-force will be underpinned,

When you discover second wind.

1873

The horse lay dead in the field we plowed,

Lost in the endless heat.

A bullet given stopped his pain,

I long for the same retreat.

Such is life in wilderness,

It’s hard and getting harder,

And who’s to say the Good Lord hears,

My rough attempts at barter?

Nebraska land, barren and still,

I produces as it wills,

For me, so far the yield has been,

More dust between two hills.

I may pack up and hit the trail,

And aim my wagon west.

The Rockies wait for those who try,

A formidable, reckless test.

No good news is on the way,

A story long in truth.

But the Bible promises those who wait,

May walk in step with Ruth.

Equilibrium

Balance at all cost is a price too high to pay,

I’ll find my footing elsewhere as I search another way.

The pride of life dissolves into matters of the heart,

We cannot live in yesterday

                                    when chasing a new start.

I test the morning chill while I slip into my jacket,

The present stands at ready,

                                    in a neat and timely packet.

She lives a life of joy giving honor to the Lord,

I live to watch her magic without ever getting bored.

Who can weigh His plans as we wander

                                                        here on earth?

Who can set the value of the dead to know rebirth?

Sunset at the lake is a magnet calling me,

It is my gaming reset, the place I can run free.

49

Who could have known, in days now past,

The man you’d grow to be?

Husband, Father, Christian Saint,

Yet still a son to me.

Happy I am, indeed I am,

Your mother lived to see this too.

Our dreams, our hopes, our storied life,

Now fulfilled in you.

Continue on this blessed path,

Ignore the call of sin.

Live each day as if your last,

Tomorrow, start again.

And as you age, with wisdom grows,

Your knowledge of the Lord.

Who shed His blood and died for you,

That you may be restored.

(For my son, Rick, December 2021)

The Angel on the Lake

My lovely angel on the lake,

Worth the trouble, no mistake.

And should the Lord, my soul to take,

I hope to see her when I wake.

She makes me happy, makes me smile,

She’s worth the trip and covered miles.

We saunter through her charming town,

Then watch the sun as it burns down.

We walk the dog, we pickle ball,

She is my fragrant aerosol.

She loves the Lord and councils me,

Our time together; so carefree.

She holds my hand, she kisses me,

Dissolves my worries, carefully.

She’s better than a layered cake,

My lovely angel on the lake.

19 North

Rolling 19 North, away from my girl,

Returning myself to my troubled-up world.

Missing her already, even though I’m hardly gone,

The time we spend together is a lovely tireless song.

Parting is such sorrow, my life is not the same,

The days just run together, an empty, endless game.

But soon enough, the weekend comes,

                                              I’m on my way again,

And 19 North,