The Elder Machine

Old dog new tricks, an analog man, old habits and grey
The machine wears down over time along with the work its done
Who is the man, the machine in a digital bit fed world of black and white, zeros and ones,  on and off?
An elder machine of parts and pieces, a sum of not, a spectrum of in between
The switch of time will eventually break with the elder machine and the digital world the same
Zero!...or is it one?

Follow Me

You want to know what its like?
Are you ready? Careful how you answer.
Yes!
So you wish to feel the hands of creation upon your shoulders...follow me.
Okay!
Stay close and do as I do. Feel as I feel.
The hands upon your shoulders won't be comforting.
I know!
But they will be your friend.
How?
They'll be your teacher.
Who are you?
A follower but I may die so you will become leader.
Teach me!
No! You must learn.

Surfing violation!

I thought I was surfing by myself today, having a peaceful session, a quiet communion with the sea, a glorious moment of here and now. I was one with all and everything that will ever be. It was one of those special times when everything falls in place and conspires with you. I took it all in as another set wave lined up towards me. I began to paddle only to realize that I was not alone.
Something had joined me and had been there the whole time but just now made its presence known as I'm dropping into a overhead wall of water. I lost focus and went over the falls hitting hard in the shallow beach break. The wipe out didn't even distract me from the violation I was experiencing in my wetsuit. Something was crawling along my taint. That's right! Taint! That nether area between ones genitals and anus. Something was working hard to become one with me via my rectum. I scrambled to shore and quickly stripped down my wetsuit to my ankles. As I swept my fingers through the crack of my ass as if I were saving a choking victim by clearing the airway, I gathered a couple of pill bugs, "rolly pollies", armadillo like insects that roll up into a ball as a defense, but apparently try to frantically crawl up ones ass when confronted with drowning in a wetsuit.
Now I have seen pill bugs take refuge in my wetsuit before and I have always consciously shaken them out before donning my suit, but a couple must have escaped my efforts this time and they didn't share my love for the ocean. I suppose in a way they did share a love for me.

What are they?

Filings...rusty, iron and magnetic
Tissues...bloody, skinny and sticky
One of endurance, one of impermanence
Hemoglobin oxidized and fed
Fleshy, steely, cold and maybe human
Blue eyed, red eyed and curved straight
Casted, shaped until formless
Its warm again and wet
Oily, greasy and black
Either way I don't trust 'em

Pick Me Up

Ask one dark whisper of night to talk time and glow
To light peace
To tell magic songs to me
For I am born blue and down

Max Ludwig

I was given a home work assignment by one of Max's teachers to describe him in a million words or less. Try not to get all misty eyed on me, Max. Here it is:

Max Ludwig is my son and I'm proud to say so. He's also many other things. He's a runner (a fast one), a football player (a natural one), a basketball player, a "foody", a reader, a builder, an artist and babysitter. He's considerate of others except when he's excited, angry, tired or hungry (just like the rest of us). He likes animals especially dogs despite being attacked by one when he was 2. He's fearless. He's kind to small children and loves babies. He sometimes thinks his parents are lame, because sometimes they are and other times he's angry, tired or hungry. He hates failure and gets frustrated. He can be a perfectionist, and later realizes that's ridiculous. He laughs at himself. He's got a great laugh. He's silly. He makes a difference. He's got lots of friends, but a few who are special to him. He's loved very much by his parents, who wish he would go sailing with them more often.

-Max's Dad (Stephen Ludwig)

Our cruise to Trinidad on El Huachinango

Our weekend cruise to Trinidad from Humboldt Bay( approx. 50 miles round trip).