October 9, 2015 - 0900

As one can probably guess I am an animal lover. Of most kinds, but the small furry ones hold a special place. I am soft like that, but in my line of work if you have to have a soft spot I think that it should be for children, the elderly, and animals. It will keep you humble and remind you that there is not just bad in the world.

The downside is that occasionally the bad will intrude on the good. Children are abused. The elderly are neglected. And animals are injured and killed. This is from a call that I was on a few weeks ago but only now found the words on the page.

Bandit

I got called to a dying animal tonight

Raccoon. Generally thought of as just a ring-tailed rat

Giant vermin stealing garbage

And creeping me out with their tiny hands

But this was a little one. A pup

Or cub or whatever a baby raccoon is called

Maybe a year old at the most

With it's tiny paws (hands?) flexing

With each labored breath

A small part of me died with it

I didn't want it to suffer

But there was nothing for me to do

In front of a school is no place to shoot an animal

But in front of a school is no place to die

I'll check on him periodically

And when he's gone we'll both rest easier

National Poetry Writing Month - April 25, 2014

Tonight was a beautiful night to be out and about. It was warm and clear and there were lots of people but nobody was being stupid. Just what I wanted for the evening. And as an added bonus, I got to have dinner with my beautiful bride.

While some folks get this privilege every night, for me it's a treat because of the shift that I work. Coupled with the long hours her job is demanding of her lately and we're a tired pair when we're off. So, when I get the chance to see her when I'm working, I take it because it's a rarity for us.

This one is for you Baby. I love you.

No Comparison

Rivers and valleys and mountains and streams

The wind in my eyes. Warm sun on my face

There's nothing like her in any of your dreams

That can even come close to taking her place

She challenges my mind and she makes me so glad

I kiss her hello no matter when we meet

She'll hold me close and console me when sad

Her love for me is what makes me complete

At the end of the day, or in the cool early morn

I know that I love her with all of my heart

She makes my heart happy and I'm never forlorn

We're together forever; never apart

You make me better Baby, without a doubt

My love for you from the mountaintops I'll shout

National Poetry Writing Month - April 18, 2014

At better than half way through the month I feel like I'll be successful at this endeavor. Some days I struggle a little to come up with something to put down, but so far I've always been able to get words on the screen.

Today the highlight was directing traffic. This is the bane of police existence to be sure, because no matter how smart people may be or think they may be, when they get behind the wheel of an automobile they all turn unto complete idiots. (Not you, everyone else)

Do As I Say, Not As I Say

First clue: the gigantic piece of equipment

Blocking an entire intersection

This should have tipped you off

That something was amiss

Second clue: the large man

Standing the near the equipment

In the lime green vest

Risking his life so that you are safe

When his hands go up
It means stop. Right there

It doesn't mean creep forward

Until your bumper almost bumps his knees

When he points left or right

It means go left

Or right. There's a reason for that

Don't try the other direction

Honking won't get you anywhere

In fact, it may get you nowhere fast

It may get you dirty looks or dirty words

It may get you a ticket

Be patient, be polite

Surrender yourself to his commands

He will tell you when it's safe

After all, it's why he's risking his life

National Poetry Writing Month - April 11, 2014

I spent the better part of yesterday and about an hour this morning finishing an online course called ARIDE - Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement. It's a sort of in between training course from the basic Standardized Field Sobriety Tests to the much more advanced Drug Recognition Expert. The DRE certification is one that I would greatly like to obtain. I've always enjoyed taking drunk drivers off of the streets. With my current department I've amassed almost 70 DUI arrests, and that was in about 4 years. It may not seem like many, but it's good enough for second overall in enforcement in the department.

While taking the course I was thinking to myself, I wonder what could have happened to all of the impaired drivers if I hadn't intervened.

If I Weren't There

If I weren't there to stop you

Would you have made it home?

Safely to your family

Or to your home alone?

Could you have gone without a crash

And taking an innocent life?

Using your car and your impaired mind

As weapon; a gun or knife

Is it possible you'd have killed yourself

In some fiery mass of steel

Leaving me and my fellow officers

To tell your family, and see how they feel

About you making such a rash mistake

To drive after drinking so much

No longer would they hear your voice

See your face, feel your touch

You curse me as I handcuff you

And take you off to jail

As I read the forms and write the tickets

And make you post your bail

But think of this when we arrive in court

And remember well my face

That because I arrested you that night

You're alive to be in this place

National Poetry Writing Month - April 4, 2014

Nothing says classic poetry like the one and only sonnet. A standard for Shakespeare and countless others for centuries. This is the first of what I'm sure will be many more this month.

NaPoWriMo Sonnet #1

With the wind howling outside of my door

I sit and I stare at the blank screen

The dog shifts roughly and lets out a snore

While the blank white page stares back at me. Clean

As a drift of the snow that has melted

And as harsh as the cold piercing draft

The spring time rain on my windows have pelted

Giving a rhythm to my typing craft

I see trees bending under the force of the gale

As I sit warm and snug in my room

Shielded away from the gray sky so pale

The color of wintertime's fading gloom

Green is returning to the ground and the sky

And summer will be upon us by and by

January 24, 2014 - 1250

It's quite the fashion to complain about the weather. Too hot, too cold, too much rain, not enough rain. If you live somewhere and it has weather, chances are you eventually complain about it.

I'm no fan of the cold in almost any manner. I drink a lot of ice water, and there was a time that I would enjoy more than my fair share of frosty beers with friends. Given the job that I do, there is a high probability that I will end up standing on the roadside with some yahoo who either violated some traffic law that caught my attention, crashed their car, or has flagged me down to play yet another rousing game of "Let's Give the Cop the Stupidest Question Possible".

However, this time I'm not going to complain. As I said, there's enough of that to go around. Instead, I wanted to say a few lines about the power of nature and the cold.

The Losing War

On the morning walk it was daylight. Well, light

I could look directly at the sun, through the heavy clouds

And not even squint. A fuzzy white blur in the sky

Yet strong enough to have me squint at the snow piled along the street

You could call it a breeze that blew through the neighborhood

If by breeze you meant an icy knife

Cutting through layer upon layer of Nylon, cotton, wool

And into my very being. A breeze like that

My boots crackled and crunched

On the packed and tamped remains of previous snowfall

Easy to walk, less so to run and play with her

Treacherous with the hidden water frozen underneath

Warm inside the house we had breakfast

Watched TV shows and remarked to nobody on the shaking walls

And rattling windows. There was a brief flash of the lights

A blink in time as the Matrix reset itself

I'll end up out there today again

More than once I will brave the wind and muted sun

We will walk outside again to take care of the baser needs

Before she heads upstairs and I head out there

Man against the elements; it's a classic tale

We armor ourselves against Mother Natures onslaught

Taking up the fight everyday to get to work or store

In a battle that ultimately we never win

September 23, 2011 - 0545

What a night! A huge contrast from the night before. My first night back had nothing. Only one car stop by anyone working and it was for a violation that I'm not sure I could use in my own head even though it's a legitimate offense.

Tonight was opposite night in town. It started off with me tired and heartburn-y, and ended with a "Wow!" story.

Oh What A Night


It started off slowly and I was tired
In a hazy funk my brain was mired
Hadn't slept well, mind was not wired
for working eight hours in it's entire

I saw a car coming, high beams on
Gave a fair warning then my lights came on
Not drunk in the car and so I was gone
This driver was not to be my pawn

Only minutes later a second car spied
With no lights on, on their expensive ride
Red and blue flashing slowed the tide
of a driver I soon discovered was fried

Some weed and a pipe on his person he had
He screamed for a lawyer, and then mom and dad
16 years old and out being bad
His mother showed up, she was not glad

Then a fight call in a nearby bar
We flew to the place in shiny black cars
A man with a knife had tried to run far
But being so drunk made him run like in tar

An argument only, there was no knife
The alleged victim wasn't in fear for his life
Now we're harassing and causing some strife
The smell of his booze-breath was very rife

with anger, hatred and fear
All of these things he explained in not so clear
words all slurred and stinking of beer
He gave us the finger all night far and near

Back again to the tavern for another drunk
She's hammered and has a stripe like a skunk
down the back of her coat, she tells me she's "crunk"
She bit a bouncer because "his hair stunk"

She didn't draw blood so we just made her go
Shooed into a cab, we ended the show
Would we be back? I didn't know
The craziness the night just continued to grow

A pair of drunk fellows, one in red one in black
Have stopped by the city hall on the train track
The dark dressed one is peeing with knack
And walking along trying not to get whacked

I scolded them both and sent them away
There were bigger things going on this day
They staggered along in a gentle sway
Away from the hustling fighting and fray

The bars all closed quickly and thought we were done
But the radio crackled with a bit more fun
A guy on a bike path trying not to run
I went to see what prize we had won

One of the drunks from my city hall stop
Was now all alone with a fair city cop
Wasted and high he couldn't walk or hop
The air his story cut like a martial arts chop

He shivered and shook  as he told his tale
of a small child in white and a ghostly female
Who'd said "Help me" by a bike locking rail
And then disappeared like a cloud in a gale

The ghost story was the perfect cap to a night
That lifted me from tired to a wide awake height
With a ticket in angry Army guys sight
And a scary story full of drunken fright

September 16, 2011 - 0430

I took the last night of my shift off last week, because I worked 13.5 hours out of an 8.5 hour shift. And since I'd already put in a couple of 10 and 11 hour days last pay period, I decided to get some of that time back.

Tonight was a slow, chilly fall-like night. There were only a few people around, and they were not an issue. So to honor a slow, seemingly short night, I have Haiku.

Cold Night Haiku


My peer left early
Leaving me to drive the town
There was no one out

I gave out awards
Arresters of drunk drivers
All five were night shift

Inbox was quite full
Requests and follow-ups due
Surprised me for sure

We have some ammo
Not enough to qualify
No money for more

August 19, 2011 - 0500

No poetry today. While disassembling my pistol at work for cleaning, the ejector broke off. Bad for the gun, but not so bad for the poetry, because other than this nothing happened all night. See you in a week.

August 5, 2011 - 0500

In a last ditch effort to get this out, here is some free verse I put down regarding slow nights. I know it's like hearing a stuck record, but most nights here go off without a hitch. Enjoy.

Thursday in 20 Lines


My usual coworker was off today
He keeps things interesting when here
His replacement is...adequate
But being part-time makes him reluctant to engage

A typical Thursday in our quiet town
Meaning a slooow first night back
My peer  bent my ear until one A.M.
I only got a two hour nap before work

One car stop yielded a student
Lost, but in control of his faculties
Second stop was more promising
But he was honest; and not drunk

I followed a drunk, shirtless man home
They usually pee somewhere along the way
He kept taking off and putting on his shirt
Nobody wanted to see that. No body.

Tomorrow night, Friday night, should be better
Busier town, more things moving, more potential
As long as things go smoothly I'll have fun
If there are problems, I will not be amused

July 8, 2011 - 0500

Thursdays aren't exactly powerhouses of entertainment and excitement around my small town. Tonight was no different. We do get the odd busy Thursday, but for the most part it's a quiet day before the weekend starts.

I had a guy I really like working with for half the shift, and one that is fine but frustrated with his situation for the second half of the shift. With no calls for service, only one traffic stop and barely anyone out it made for a long night. And so I went with something unstructured for this one.

No Surprises Here


I'd like to say that I was shocked when he wasn't at work on time...
But I wasn't

I'd like to say that his replacement wasn't adequate...
But he was

I'd like to say that we stopped everything that moved...
But we didn't

I'd like to say that there was stellar radio reception...
But there wasn't

I'd like to say that I don't like my job when it's this slow...
But I do

July 1, 2011 - 0500

It was said to me that, if I were still in patrol I would have made my month all in about three hours tonight. But I'm not, so I didn't. And even if I were still "just a patrolman", I wouldn't let up just because I made two grabs in one night.

I went off the top of my head with this one. Basic free verse for your reading enjoyment. And now, back to my mountain of paperwork.

Three Hours, Two Arrests, One Happy Guy


Windy and warm we set out to find
Someone to lock up who wouldn't mind
if we smile and joked the night away
As long as they got some time to play

The first car I saw ran two signs
In front of the school I come to find
that they are headed home to rest
No DUI yet. I tried my best

My second stop was a righteous bust
Speeding and weaving were only just
two of the charges out of the three
that I wrote to the guy in his Mercedes

While waiting for a tow truck to com
I felt a certain radio hum
My phone ran out from a bouncers call
Assistance was needed, someone had to fall

Caught with the coke, he made up a name
But we soon were on to his pitiful game
Prints do not lie and he was charged thus
And this is why sometimes I have little trust

This flurry of action would normally take weeks
When summertime is at it's very peak
But tonight it all happened within three hours
My night was made. Some others will be sour

June 24, 2011 - 0500

Well, I'm back. I had notes from the first day of my shift which I was working on when I ran out of time. Then there was day two, involving two DUI arrests, felony drug charges, and tons of fun for all involved. I ended up staying late that morning, even though I don't get paid overtime and I was officially on vacation that day. But there was work to be done and I did what I could to see it through.  All of that being said, I have nothing from either of those two days. There was too much going on and then I was away from work and out of state for four days.

Now tonight was my first night back from vacation and it was completely uneventful. Power outages kept most of the real fools away, leaving us with mere simple fools to observe.

Return From My Past


Very little happened while I was away
Although we like to think we are needed
Clearly, when we're gone things barely sway
And when our off time is depleted
Then we're back to work that day
In hopes that criminal oats weren't seeded
Over the town where children play
Next to parks and trees, and parents heeded

Overwhelmed by mail and paperwork
Vexed peer rambles about all things
Everyone ignores his words, yet there I lurk
Right in the door; my head...it rings

Because of storms the town is empty now
A matter of the power being out
Certainly this kept the drunkards out of town
Knowing this is why makes me mentally shout

Taking laps of my businesses and bars
Only so many times, yet I've traveled far

With head lights high we stopped to chat
Only a bit of English was able to be spoken
Reaching in I lower them; that was that
Knowledge that I'm at work with time unbroken

June 3, 2011 - 0500

The end of my work week wrapped up with a long tirade from a peer regarding telephone books, gang graffiti, drunken boobery and almost left behind friends.

The poetry style ghazal is from Urdu/Arabic, and usually centers around lost or unrequited love. In my verses, it's about my work night, the people I work with and the people we deal with on a nightly basis. There isn't a set meter, but all of the couplets must have the same meter. The rhyme sequence is easy to follow, with the last word from the first couplet being repeated throughout.

Midnight Shift Ghazal


I wanted to go. But escape was not on my table.
Trapped by an angry peer, as I leaned against a table.

Two hours plus had passed. I wanted just to hit the street
Yet there he stayed on, resting his feet upon a table

When he left I checked the park and found graffiti out there
Local gangs had made their mark upon a child play table

Initials, star and pitchfork drawn in paint as black as dusk
Added to others drawn in the park on wall and table

I cleared and drove in rain that fell for only half an hour
The drops fell and left their touch on window and on table

The rain stopped and the bars let out putting drunks on the street
We stopped one bending trees. My car's hood served as a table

We sent drunk and his friends away. They promised to be good
Drunk girl at depot sat. Using her legs like a table

Her friend arrived to take her home. Rescued from the cold night
Lunch and coffee for us. But not on a fancy table.

May 27, 2011 - 0510

There was a break in the continuity yesterday, due to several unforeseen circumstances. Dog at the vet, water inadvertently turned off at the house. I just didn't think it was a good idea to let all of that slide just for the sake of poetry.

So, I come back tonight, slightly tired but feeling creative. Alliteration is the name of tonight's game, and I tried like the dickens to make it work as often as possible.

Almost All Alliteration After Hours
                    - or -
Picking A Particular Piece For A Poem


After arguing aloud about an absence of agua,
The tired trooper took his tuckus to bed
Rising well rested he ran his regular routine
Before bidding bye-bye to Baby and babies

Driving down dusty and dreary drives
He hoped whole heartedly for heavy amounts of humans
City sidewalks were steeped with several sots
Carousing and cavorting, all cheerful and charming

Seeing several sedans sidle southbound, he sped up
Wrong way was the why and what of the warning
Nothing notable netted; next nudnick please
But barely a brougham bounded the boulevards

The tippled took taxis towards their townhouses
Many a masterful means, making my mind mush
By bounding the byways of businesses a-bustling
Early entrants, exited early also

Lunchtime luckily loomed soon ahead
Sandwich sanctity stifled by citizens cellphone calls
Rummy running rampant in robes rustling loosely
Nowhere nearby, nothing but nature, nobody noted

May 20, 2011 - 0505

It was fairly busy for a Thursday night in our little town. I say this because lately the Thursdays have been painfully slow and quiet. But there turned out to be a few little things that added up to making the night pass by. Here's the free verse version of our evening.

Just Enough


It seemed busier in town than I'd seen in a while
I was right
Lots of cars all over, patrons at every bar having a good time
But nothing moving
An astute and observant person told us of a fire on the army base
It was steam
Not long after that we helped out brethren with a drunk driver
None for us
I watched three guys walking all over the town, looking strange
They couldn't sleep
As I was driving along later I counseled two drunk women about stealing
They took flowers
Finally, cars and people began the end of night bar shuffle
One didn't stop
Nearly being broadsided by a perfectly sober person gave me pause
Made him cry
Last but not least, an open car door to wrap up the night
It was fine

May 13, 2011 - 2330

A little late, but there was site maintenance going on behind the scenes at Blogger.

Tonight is a ballad. A simple form with a repeating refrain. This was one of the easier ones to set to paper. And yes, I hand write them all first before putting them here. I can, and do, self edit on paper before I self edit again on the screen.

We had a good night for a Friday the 13th. At least, I did any way. I had to endure about two hours of a co-worker venting before I could get out of the station. The nice weather kept us kind of busy, but not so much that it was crazy. And every knucklehead was out of town by about 0230. Except for a couple.

 The Ballad of The Nice Day, Nicer Night


No matter the day of the week I see him
He's always in a bad mood
Convinced he's the best, but he should be in a museum
And on his forehead a little plaque glues

He's done nothing wrong to hear the man tell it
And there's no saying anything other
And as long as he's breathing he'll never un-tell it
Whether fellow employee or mother

Remember that someone is always watching
Someone is listening too
Be sure and stay focused, don't stray off the topic
Or you'll end up looking the fool

The town was quite empty, few people or cars
If I'd wanted I could have been speeding
So dead was out town they were closing the bars
While the limits in town I was heeding

Stopped for a second I looked at my phone
And out of the distance I could hear it
A blur of blue metal flew past all alone
So very close; yes I was near it

Remember that someone is always watching

Someone is listening too

Be sure and stay focused, don't stray off the topic

Or you'll end up looking the fool

The smell of the booze hit my nose like a fist

But the tests weren't really too awful

Arrested and handcuffed, she now made the list

Of the crying girls- I've had my craw full

Cooperation was the name of the game

And soon enough she was set free

A quick check in the station found she had quite a name

Unfortunately, she ran into me

Remember that someone is always watching

Someone is listening too

Be sure and stay focused, don't stray off the topic

Or you'll end up looking the fool

At the end of the night, all seemed quiet and calm

A voice split the fabric of night

Drunk girl number 2, with a bright blue shawl on

Was stopped and given a fright

She never saw us coming as I led the way

Unmarked and unfettered by lights

Admonished and humbled we finished our day

With lunch and laughs at their plights

Remember that someone is always watching

Someone is listening too

Be sure and stay focused, don't stray off the topic

Or you'll end up looking the fool

April 15, 2011 - 0533

This will be a free poem, open verse, free verse. No set rhyme pattern, no structured meter. Tonight was a slow, cold night despite it being the middle of April. I'm waiting for this global warming thing to kick in.

Free Verse - Where I Work


Where I work is small
Tiny
Full of tension and laughs
If you know where to find them

Where I work can be
Dangerous
Nights of boredom and excitement
If you know where to look for it.

Where I work has its characters
Caricatures
Cartoon depictions of those who
Serve and protect

Where I work has it's problems
Controversies
He said/he said from all side and places
And you don't have to look too hard to find it.

Where I work isn't the best place
Nope
Not even close to ideal
But I wouldn't want any other job.

I took tomorrow (April 16, 2011) off, so there will be no post for tomorrow.

April 8, 2011 - 0500

I am a midnight shift police supervisor, in a small town in Illinois. I like to write and want to share with you.

This is a poem style that I saw somewhere last week as I read my Google Reader feed. It's a Pi-Ku. See if you can figure out why.

Rain at night
Slow
Keeps them inside
Dark
Eight hours is tough
When you have nothing to do at work.