September 17, 2016

YOU DON’T KNOW

You don’t know you’re in the dark,

till you experience light.

You don’t know you were mentally sick,

till you’ve recovered.

You don’t know you have a specific desire,

till you taste a sip of specific satisfaction.

You don’t know how little you know

till you discover a second book and then

another take on what you have read.

You don’t appreciate vanilla ice cream

till you’ve tried a dozen other flavors

and you still like vanilla best.

You don’t know home till you’ve left

home or visited various other homes.

You don’t know summer till you’ve

been through a real cold winter.

  

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

HARMONICA

What a humble musical instrument…

A tuba, a violin, a clarinet, a piano

with all those keys - black and white -

could cause pause and panic and

an “Uh oh!” - but not a harmonica.

In fact, no one would picture 
harmonica players on stage, screen,

church or symphony orchestra.

A harmonica - a child finding one in

a grandfather’s box in a garage - and

not knowing what it is, picks it up -

studies it - blows into it the wrong

side - then the right side - and out

comes sudden sound. A star is born.

Another hears the sounds and wants one.

Two moms hearing the argument

laugh and the other mom goes inside

and comes out with a harmonica from

her way back when great grandfather

and the next day two kids are making

music. Then a third - then a fourth - 
then lessons and then Carnegie Hall -

well many, many years later.

What a wonderful musical instrument ….

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows 

September 15

MATER DOLOROSA

Swords piercing mothers'  hearts -

in every age - in every way. 
Crucifixions keep happening.

Stabat mater dolorosa ....

We see mothers every night

on the TV stations of the cross -

bombs, bullets, the deaths of so

many kids. Stabat mater dolorosa ....

Mothers looking out windows

with nervous fists - with the sound of

so many ambulances in the night....

Stabat mater dolorosa ....

©  Andy Costello, 2016

September 15, 2015

GOD  MUMBLES

Who was the first preacher to say

God Mumbles were a sin? Oh my

God, how could they be so dumb?

"Oh my Gosh," we blurt them out all the time -  
in near misses on the highways - spectacular

sunsets - and an amazing football catch.

“Oh my God!” “Jesus Christ!” “Holy Cow!”

Then there are those abbreviated prayers

in awful moments: “Wow!” “Woo!”  “Aaaaah!”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

September 14, 2016

  

5  PICTURES ON THE WALL

There were 5 pictures - on the wall -

and one was slightly tilted - off a bit -

and that tilt drove her crazy - sitting

there - annoying her - non-stop - all

through the meeting. The place was

not her place - still it kept bothering

her. She didn’t hear a word. In fact,

she missed the whole meeting - but

she did get up - 10 minutes before 
the end of the meeting .... She just 
stood up - in front of everyone - and 
walked over - straightened out that
picture - and that’s the only thing 
anyone remembered about that meeting.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2016

September 13, 2016

POINT  OF  VIEW 

I'm not sure of this,
in fact, I don't know if I ever will be,
but at some point 
we all need to discover
that everyone has a different 
point of view. We can't interview
everyone, so maybe some cab driver
in Madrid or Hanoi thinks the same as I think.
In the meanwhile this other person we're
with is not hearing what I'm saying 
with my meanings and history and mystery
and vice versa.
Got that - better remember that - 
and it will lead to less frustration,
less divorces, and interesting bar talk,
soup suppers, coffee breaks, and bus rides.
Enough for now....

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2016

Photo: Chicago Union Station 1943

September 12, 2016

OFFSTAGE

On my God,

do we need offstage…

backstage, behind the scenes….

Time to watch….

Time to sit….

Time to relax and breathe….

Time to figure…. Go figure….
Time to pray......................

Time to say, “Okay, I missed

a few cues, but what the heck,

I got most of my lines right tonight -

in fact, I added a few of  my own

and I didn’t die till towards 

the middle of the last act. Not bad!

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2016