Anxiety

“Closed Off” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Walls thought imploded,
closing in again.

Clocks ticking,
racing towards tan.

Life ending,
constantly starting again.

Knowing too much,
a brain fills too quick.

Raining towards the bay,
my thoughts cannot stay.

Working around a following spy,
i ask myself why.

I cannot lose this constantly collapsing box.

-Lawrence Capozzolo

Bridge To A Lost City

“Lost City” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Speeding for life,
trying to escape the urban skew.

The city once was,
a central heartbeat of all.

But after catching a great ball,
it let it slip causing a great fall.

The resulting mess,
caused all to digress.

Screaming across the last and only route,
leaving family behind with other roots.

Never looking back,
that bridge – the longest mile filled with asphalt black.

Keeping lifetimes of memories,
decisions to be avoided at best.

Wondering what would happen,
with all the rest.

-SWB

Laying Low

“Laying Low” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Laying low,
avoiding the rush.

I remember those forgotten,
the chosen few.

Many directions allowed,
because of  life given.

In the river,
i see the path abruptly end.

Many times walked,
unnoticed or blocked.

Looking up,
i remember.

-SWB

It’s Memorial Day in the United States. Even if you are not from our country, please remember someone today that gave their life so you could have a chance at yours.

“Power”‘s That Be

“Aging Power” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Power … it’s an amazing and amazingly useful thing.

From a simple think like electricity that give us the easy life – heating our homes, cooking, keeping food fresh … it’s wonderful. I think if people went back to the old days where you had to go to market daily or, well, kill a chicken here and there on your farm for food, etc people would very much appreciate how much less than simply power is – when applied in its correct context.

Then there is the other “power” – political and otherwise. Many times it’s a power that starts out for good – freeing people and otherwise, many times from tyranny.

So, why many times does that good power “go south”, get rusted, and eventually possibly become what it was initially fighting to correct?

Here is what I think:

Power is useful when used with good guidance. When that guidance is ignored or no longer sought out, it becomes like an older part of a power grid – the rust takes over and no longer efficiently transfers electricity across that part of the grid (holding back services from those that need it).

Lot’s of time checks and balances are in place, the rusting is noticed, and replaced with new sections – and the power flows again to those that need it.

The other reason … we just don’t to even start discussing a subject like this because people are “tired of dealing with it”.

Well, sometimes you have to deal with things … in a positive manner.

Sometimes those dealings take time.

Sometime with baby-steps so small that you may never see the end result in your life time.

So, next time you want to vent on Facebook on another popular social media venue – maybe take a day to cool down and email or write to someone that can get that rust that is impeding whatever power problem you have removed or remidiated. It may not happen that day … but maybe your children will have a much brighter future because you took a few minutes to put somthing in motion.

Save the world — talk to someone, write a letter, care. Baby-steps are still steps.

-SWB

Just something to think about.

 

Mossy

“Mossy” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

SWB Bad Poetry at it’s best:

Mossy,
in the morning a little bit glossy.

Slick,
it ain’t gonna help you light a candle wick.

Slippy,
nothing giving that super tight grip.

Green,
well … it’s usually green.

It’s a slick mossy rock,
you expected more?

-SWB

We decided to compliment your “case of the Mondays” with our “case of bad poetry” ….. enjoy. You gotta admin – the pic is cool, though.

Rocks Of Life

“Steady Ways” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Rocks of life,
perceived rules within.

Maybe just something to lean on,
ridding the conflicts within.

Ways of the world,
flow past these rocks.

Never held back,
never blocked.

Pains of the paste cleaned away,
not able to turn back stay.

Leaned on for rest … they’re use never second best,
clearing stress cleaning life emptying mess.

Rocks of life.

-SWB

Blue

“Blue Life” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Skies blue,
red occasional few.

Never seen below,
but controlling many a tide.

Floating through life,
free of all anguish.

Glowing with guidance,
a creature followed rarely.

It’s free mind,
never staying behind.

Never restless, never lost,
happiness acquired without any cost.

Hands out reaching to distances unknown,
always making its current place home.

A blue life it seems would be sad,
a blue life always rejoicing to be had.

-SWB

Once The Living

“Living Was Once” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Living was once a thing,
treasured by all.

Then we forgot,
forgot all.

Waking to light,
was savored by the mass.

Leading a life,
helping the less.

Living was once a thing,
that all beings did.

Forgetting about self,
remembering all others.

Lifting a finger,
giving an arm.

Powering a light,
for many without sight.

Living was once a thing,
that we all remembered.

Raising children,
for families distraught.

Feeding a void,
that should never be empty.

invigorating a need,
by planting a seed.

Living was once a thing,
that we all once did.

-SWB

Review: Intel ISEF (International Science and Engineering Fair) Public Day

 

(c)2018 Intel ISEF

Review: Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

Us knowing ISEF was in Pittsburgh started out by attending a tour of CCAC. The one professor my step-daughter talked to strongly suggested that she check out ISEF on the public day (as he would be judging one of the areas). We’d like to thank Abiraman Srinivasan for that.

Keep in min my step-daughter goes to one of the most highly rated public school districts in the area. Nobody informed her of this opportunity, nobody knew about it when asked for permission to miss part of the school day. It took one professor that did not even have my step-daughter as a possible student yet to take interest enough in that student to alert them to what was really out there.

The event was completely and unbelievably impressive. When you see a student’s eyes light up when they realize what opportunities are really out there – it makes you overjoyed that you took the time to act on a suggestion.

Half way through the event, I asked my step-daughter if she would have handled high school differently if she knew what opportunities were out there she said “yes”.

The problem is when events like this happen very few schools get their students to them. Sadly this does create a lack of inspiration in our young to have any ambition for higher education. You have to know about the goals to have ambitions towards them.  Kudos to Intel for making this possible … even if you don’t like their processors. This is truly a company giving back to the community.

The only bad side to the event was the realization of how far behind the US is in education. A family member works for a very well-known tech college in Pittsburgh and many times you rumors of them only seeking out international students. After talking to many of these students at this event – I now know why. I spent half of my day having conversations with high school students from other countries and felt like I was speaking to seasoned scientists and researchers. When I talked to the students there from the US they were smart … but it seemed like I as speaking to high school students. Got back to the 60s, 70s, and 80s and this situation would have been flipped. I’m not bad-mouthing the US students, just indicating that we may need to get rid of the entitlement thing big time in this country so we can do some catching up.

In an unexpected and enlightening realization – this even also proved one thing. When there is a very strong common interest or goal people from all walks of life have absolutely nothing against each other. In this even where people of persuasion that the news depicts as absolutely hating each other.  Not a sign of any discomfort between any students, their parents, volunteers, or attendees. None. All of then had one common goal – advance science. We need to learn from this.

In summary – this was an amazing even from a multitude of viewpoints. If ISEF is happening and it’s not in your area and you have a student trying to figure out what to do with their higher education that may give them a real opportunity to actually pay for that education and still have enough left over for a real life – fly them to it.  It’s worth the cost of plane ticket. ISEF if an immense opportunity to simply expose students to the information about careers and opportunities that exist in current times and the future.

Give people opportunities and peace will happen automatically by giving the ability to have food,shelfter, and quality of life.

Big Kudos to Intel for sponsoring this event!

-SWB

 

Natural

“The Leaves” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Natural to listen,
voices in the leaves.

Songs being whispered,
within the trees long wise.

Command to all,
how to avoid the fall.

Wind giving wishes to the crowd,
honoring those spoken aloud.

Natural to think,
ambition speaking wild.

The worlds amongst the branches,
living unknown, seeming complete.

Passing to the right, blind,
talking reality to those unseen.

Working the words from times prevailed,
wondering the thoughts from mistakes.

Natural to all,
natural to fall.

-SWB

Taking The Path

“Guidance” (c) Lawrence A Capozzolo

Taking the path to a place unknown,
nudging me far from home.

Too many turns into new,
forgetting friends too few.

A railing to guide in the dark,
clearly working out direction.

Hearing sounds of the journey alone,
wondering with blurry sight.

Wishing the path would end in light.

-SWB

The Green

“Green In Me” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Growing in a concrete world,
softening the hardship in life.

Natural in it’s dreams,
the green in me.

Blades waiving in the wind,
buffering the bad that has been.

Part of fixing strife,
it’s existence crucial.

Part of living life,
food for the lost.

Coloring cities – taking bland away,
keeping those thinking to not stay.

Many a decision green makes,
from the simple to the critical every day.

Green in life,
makes everything OK.

-SWB

Skyline

“City Sky” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Skyline,
it’s nature to live for.

New,
sophistication on high.

Old,
tradition found.

Bold,
change to erase.

Need,
things required.

Haves,
more than have-nots.

Height,
views for few.

Views,
far and far.

-SWB

Falling Ahead

“Late Fall” (c)Lawrence A Capozzolo

Falling ahead,
i though it was over.

Instead another color nova.

Waiting until late,
until summer thought it was here.

Behind and coming around a corner,
born a second color fall for all.

Ended we thought,
but right we were not.

Golden-red still falling,
continued lost in the storm.

The beauty in colors saved,
a reminder of nature’s beauty paved.

Delayed colors in light,
putting a bright day before the night.

-SWB

Broken Doors

“Doorway” (c)Lawence A Capozzolo

Broken Doors sitting alone,
once to freedom now to blight.

Open in past finding chance,
now hanging unto slowing rust.

Pathway once to dreams,
creating nightly imagination.

Things once better through a door,
today all questions – not much more.

Walking through is a job,
will the rust hold on?

Will the door fall,
ending the dreams and all?

Broken doors, everywhere,
seldom noticed, always feared.

-SWB