OK kiddos from 3 to 103. I’ll just let you know, right up front, that I’m here for you. Because I know that you fit into one of these categories. You are the: Cream of the crop Top of the heap Bee’s knees Cat’s meow Best thing since sliced bread And maybe you’ve even come up with something else you think describes your effervescent … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: poets and poetry
It probably wasn’t on your radar. Nope. You probably weren’t wondering about my process for stringing words together to create the rhymes and reasons I share with you. So, when I say I started a 3-verse rhyme with the phrase “nothing more to say,” you roll your eyes. Or yawn. Or both. But this morning I wondered, “What if there was nothing more to … The rest of the story…
I’m not a fan of hot weather conditions. Yeah, there’s a pun hiding in plain sight, there. But I’m not gonna pun-ish you, more, right now. If you’ve been staying inside to lounge in the coolness of air conditioning, believe me, I’m with ya man. And it IS a manly thing to do. Here’s why. Hot weather conditions can wring rhymes right out of … The rest of the story…
If you’re a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow fan, you’re familiar with Gitchee Gumee. But you might not be so familiar with Michi Gami. OK, Gitchee Gumee is the American Indian name for Lake Huron. And you’re probably ahead of me now, so you realize Michi Gami is Lake Michigan. But here are some fun facts you might not already know: Lake Michigan is big. Alright, … The rest of the story…
AI is not real. Because there is no man-made intelligence. And the word, artificial, is your first clue. There is NO such thing as artificial intelligence. So, again, AI is not real. It’s kinda like the whole “free” thing. Just a concept. But I get why people fall for it. Because when AI applications and programs provide you their almost magical, and blazingly fast, … The rest of the story…
Dreamers dream. And here’s something that’s cool. You don’t have to be an author, painter, philosopher, or songwriter to be a dreamer. Plumbers, carpenters, and electricians can all be dreamers. So can doctors, lawyers, and even (gulp) politicians (although most of their “dreams” are nightmares for everyone else). To be a dreamer, just focus or meditate on the desires of your heart. I mentioned, … The rest of the story…
If you have a weary head, it can easily mean at least a couple of things. First, it might mean you’re just plain ol’ tired. And you could probably use a good night’s sleep. Or at least a nap. Second, it could mean you’re getting tired OF something or someone. Right now I’m gonna talk, a little, about that second weary head description. Because … The rest of the story…
One day, way back when, as I sat in my college dormitory room in Manhattan, Kansas, I looked out the window and saw feathery, floating flakes of snow. An early Autumn snowfall had just started. So, I knew it wouldn’t last. Or maybe wouldn’t even stick around at all. So, as I did at just about every opportunity, I flipped open my nifty spiral … The rest of the story…
I remember Ted Kennedy’s shaky voice, during a eulogy for his brother Robert, as he quoted George Bernard Shaw who said, “Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.” I’m not sure Ted OR Robert were capable of anything more than why and why not questions. I hope so. But I won’t … The rest of the story…
There have been countless times when all it took to open a gate of rhyming reason in my head was a picture of one single object. And that happened a lot, last year, after I stumbled upon a seemingly endless flow of stunning pictures in a social media feed. And more often than not the pictures connect my neurotransmitters and receptors to God and … The rest of the story…
They can be gifts from God. And they can certainly just be the result of random thoughts your brain interprets and visualizes randomly. But how do you know which is which? Well, it takes more than a feeling to know if they’re gifts from God. Oh wait. I haven’t even mentioned what I’m talking about. How rude of me. Of course, I’m talking about … The rest of the story…
As an adjective, a dictionary defines it: deep purplish-red or sanguinary. And then a check on the word “sanguinary” shows this definition: full of or characterized by bloodshed; bloody – ready or eager to shed blood; bloodthirsty. Yikes! So, I guess if I wrote a sonnet about a tree dressed in a crimson coat of leaves, I’d be a bloodthirsty poet with some sort … The rest of the story…
A train can’t make turns at the next intersection the way your car or pickup can. They have to follow the tracks. But even trains can go just about anywhere. Because there isn’t just one set of tracks. But they don’t get to follow the tracks in more than one direction at a time. Not only is it impossible, it’s a misguided idea to … The rest of the story…
They say (whoever “they” are) that a picture is worth a thousand words. But, on the other hand, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So, I guess it’s up to me to connect the words to the picture. And that’s what I do on a fairly regular basis. Just like the time (many seconds ago) when I saw a … The rest of the story…
What does it take to see the color of music? Well, take an old boom box, some music, paints, and an ultra slow motion camera, and you’ve got the ingredients for razzle dazzle. Check out this video: Here’s the link to the colorful, slow-motion video in case that works better for you: (https://youtu.be/5WKU7gG_ApU) Yeah, I know that’s a multimedia way to illustrate the color … The rest of the story…
Back in 1996 I built a very nice (if I do say so myself, and I do) dining “hutch.” It’s a two-piece, very large piece of furniture with loads of room for whatever Elgielene prefers to put in it. At the time, I built the lower section with a single large door that opened vertically. And once it was opened, two legs could be … The rest of the story…
If you could carry around something invisible that could almost immediately transport you across the world, you’d do it. Right? Well, you’ve got something like that. And you have a way to access it almost anytime you like. Your phone or tablet or laptop give you access to something invisible. And magical. And you probably already use it, like that, in some way or … The rest of the story…
I’m the only byline author here on TonyFunderburk.com. And, of course, that makes sense since the website bears my name. In case you’re not familiar with journalism jargon, a byline is just a title of the article and who wrote it, who it’s “by.” And so I’m the byline author of this whole website. So, whether it’s blame or credit that’s dished out or … The rest of the story…
I know you’ve been there done this. Try to sit still and feign interest while the person across from you seems to ramble on and on into the apocalyptic future. And you wonder if you locked the door at home. An image of somebody probably just popped into your mind. Right? Better not be an image of me. I’ll hunt you down and read … The rest of the story…
If you’re a dreamer…if you dream up things and then make them happen, that’s awesome. But living on dreams is not a good strategy. Dreams require action. And action requires faith, determination, and commitment. Are your dreams good enough to put those things behind them? What I Wish There are people of the past And people of today… They’re standing in lines, And they’re … The rest of the story…