The Suffering for Greed

We take too much,
You and I.  
Name an element,
Air, earth, fire  
Or water.  
We take too much.

We don’t ask,
In our continual search for
More shelter, more fuel.
It is a painful but perpetual
Ravage that we inflict
Upon that which is
Not ours alone.   

The thing is,
If we ever gave thought to do so,
We would not even know

How to ask for that which we want
From those who are
Not of our kind.
We only speak the one language
Of avarice with its many
Rationalized dialects.
We take too much.  

A young hawk
Flew into the big window
Of our big house
Today
And died moments after.
We listened to its
Mother’s constant call.
We took too much.


Susan Patterson
08-2011

My apologies, right off the bat for posting this sad and depressing poem on The Causerie.  It is not in my heart to bring sorrow to my readers.  But the poem has a point.  And it is fairly obvious.  We need to think about how we fit in with the rest of the animal inhabitants of this earth.  Are we good at sharing?  Can we, should we be better?  Are we being greedy with what we use?   It is something to consider and possibly to act upon.  Thank you for your attention.   skp

Thank you for reading.  Till next time,  skp

A Favourite Teatime


According to Janet, a good time
To have tea is right after the post.
Sitting in Solitude nonchalantly perusing
Letters and catalogues is a delight.
To others the whole pastime may sound boring,
Dull or desperate, but surprisingly enough,
It is wonderfully satisfying.

As always, presentation counts.
Even when in the company of one’s self,
Making the right impression is crucial.
One must have china and crystal,
Not porcelain and pottery.
It is quietness, order, beauty and taste
Which brings moments of appreciated peace.

It is not the multitude’s idea of a special tea.
Some do not know, nor
Could they possibly conceive of
How joyful it is to sit and revel
In the small masterpieces
Of the daily mail, solitude and tea.


Susan Patterson
2004

This poem has been included in The Causerie by request of one of my readers.  It is an older poem, written in 2004, but, it still holds weight.  The rare quiet times or the little duties we perform may also be the small masterpieces of our daily life.  'A Favourite Teatime' was actually written in response to a conversation I had with a friend.  It is exactly what she does.  She enjoys her mail with a cuppa.  How cool is that!  Well, it is not extraordinary when you come to think about it.  It is only a matter of how each of us manage our options and our opportunities.  skp

PS.  The poem, A Favourite Teatime, can be found in my book, Musings With a Cuppa-The Poetry of Tea.  The paperback edition book can be found at www.EarleneGrey.com

Cheery-bye!  skp

A Beautiful Love Affair

Desire, betrayal, uncertainty,
Friendship, strength,
Destiny.

‘For what we have together, I love you.’ 

‘I can’t say that right now.’ 

‘You don’t have to.’  



Susan Patterson
04-2011

This poem is a conversation between two people, presumably two lovers.  Person One ponies up the nerve to say "I love you."  Person Two cannot return the profession.  Person One responds that it is not necessary.  Why?  Because he knows already?  Because it isn't necessary?  Because he is willing to be in a one-sided love relationship?  We don't know.  We also don't know what the first stanza means.  What about desire, betrayal, uncertainty, et al?  Well, the author can answer those questions.  She is not going to.  The reader needs to fill in the blanks of the story to fit his needs and understandings.  However you choose to interpret this story, it still is a beautiful love story in poetic form.  skp

Bunny Lewis is one of my favorite potters.  She is a master with the human face and torso.  I have several of her pieces in my home and they always, always draw comments from guests.  Bunny is a soft spoken perceptive person who translates what she sees in humanity to clay artistry.  Her statues of women are especially compelling and interesting.  And more so, who could not enjoy the work of a person called Bunny?  Please take a look at her work at BunnyLewis.com  You will be entranced.  Her web site, as lovely as it is, does not do justice to her pieces,  so I urge you, if there is a way to Bunny's work in person, please do so.  skp

Happy halcyon summer days to you!  skp

Moments Not Remembered

It is the little things we do
That make up a life.

Big things create memories,
But daily minutia
Begets quality.

It is noticing the weather.
Asking of a friend.
Clearing one’s space,
Caring for the kin.

Big things can be life changing.
Little things are life growing.

Susan Patterson
03-2011

This poem is fairly self explanatory.  We humans tend to worry about the big happenings, the big events, the big lessons in life, but do not notice the small and everyday ones.  I contend that it is the small events that are likely to help us more.  Those are the ones that keep us balanced and often keep us calm.  As Steven Covey says, we need to pay attention to the important, not the urgent.  If we take care of the important, there will be far fewer  urgent matters.  So it is with big and little things.  If we take care of the little things, big things will not shake us to the core.  The little things are the small building blocks of life and will keep us strong.  skp 

I promised my husband that I would not fill The Causerie with pictures of cats.  I certainly will not do that. Goodness!  But at the request of some of my readers, I will occasionally include a introduction of the one of the cats that live with us.  We have four.  They all needed a home.  Becky, however, is the only cat that I actually said, "I want that one, that cat."  She is our favorite.  The other cats pick on her, but she just wants to be independent and left alone.  Becky is now 14 years old and we take very special care of her.    skp

Cheery-bye! 

Dedicated to the Women Who Know Oppression-
The Matriarchal Manifesto


You say that I am for having babies and
Nothing more.
You say I am to stay behind, inside,
Under cover, forbidden.
You say I am to own what you are,
What you believe, how you live.
You say I am only to be dirt
Under your foot.
You cut off my nose to spite your face.  

Well then, fine,  
I will have babies, exquisite ones.  
Sons and daughters.  
But I will give them to you
In a new way.

I will keep them unto me until
The fullness of their time.  
And the sons that I give
Will not make war.
And the daughters that I give
Will not be foolish.

I will give unto the
World children who
Will not live as we have.  
They will know better.
Those are the children
I will give.

Now go and
Leave me be.  


Susan Patterson

This poem is about women, obviously.  It is not about one specific woman.  I am using the metaphor of a woman to represent women through the ages, past and future.  It is about looking at women differently than much of humanity has done so for thousands of years.  It is about growing children up differently.  It is about listening and learning from the female perspective.  It is about not wasting talent and intelligence.  It is not about tolerating ignorance and cruelty. 

This poem is not a diatribe against men.  It is however a denunciation of how women are thought of and treated.  It is a call for discussions and ultimately action that will lead humanity in a new and a better way.  skp

On October 9, 2012, Malala Yousafzai, a fifteen year old Pakistani girl, was shot in the head and  neck by Tailban assassins.  She was hunted and gunned down because of her position on and her promotion of women's and children's education.  She was shot on a bus coming home from school.  The Taliban's intent was to kill her and then her father.  But she survived. 

To celebrate her 16th birthday, Malala addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations.  She called for nations of the world to make it a priority to educate their children.  She maintains, and I agree, that education is the key to long term peace in this world.  Universal education is not a privilege, it is a human right.  Malala is still in the news.  The Taliban regrets shooting her.  (A year later they say this.)  Against the odds, this young girl is standing up and leading us in a better direction.  I hope that we follow. 

Following are links for you about Malala.  The first one is her presentation at the United Nations.  It is seventeen minutes, but riveting and important.  The second link is Wikipedia information and back ground. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRh_30C8l6Y
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malala_Yousafzai

I know that all of you readers will agree that educating the children of the world is vital.  Not everyone feels the same way, however.  Thank you for spreading the word that it is.  skp

À bientôt. 

The Unlikely Match

I needed an equal.
The one I had wasn’t working.
So, the harness loosened and
A new one came along.
I strove to be his.
He grew to be mine. 

We matured at uneven paces,
Learning the important
To keep the balance;
Waiting for the other
To catch up or to slow down;
Not always understanding the what,
Or the how, but willing to
See the through. 

We’re equals now, together
At the same time. 
Each taking his turn at the lead. 
Each watching the other with care.
Satisfied with the yoke that has no load.


Susan Patterson

There are many unlikely matches in the universe.  Some you end up working with, some you end up living with.  Most unlikely matches take time.  Some take patience...or wisdom.  Or maybe, they just weren't so unlikely in the first place.  skp

See you next time with a very interesting, possibly controversial, new poem.  skp

Not an Unusual Discussion With the Divine

Oh, Dear God, not now.
Now is not the time
Listen to me,
I know what I’m talking about.

I’ve been working so hard
To do the right thing,
Now is not the time
For this other. 

No, not now. 
Okay, I’ll do it. 
And, yes,
I do know it’ll
Be good. 

Susan Patterson  

We all have to deal with the unexpected in life.  Whether it is a surprise child, a job change or a health challenge,  things happen.  Such occurrences may be unsettling, but they can often turn out to be some of the best happenings in our life.  It just may take us a while to understand the fact that changes, surprises and challenges can be pretty darned good.  I know that we can all identify with this poem. 

▶ Be content to grow into the answers to your problems.     Earlene Grey

It's summer after all and fresh pies are on the menu.  At least that is the way it is in Oregon. Now, I'm not going to tell you that my pies win the Oregon State Pie Bake Off Championship year after year.  Nor am I going to tell you that I could make millions selling my pies.  But, I will tell you that they do get pretty darn good reviews. 

So, let's talk pie filling. 

My family likes thick pies that are not runny, hold together and are not too sweet.  Here is what I use for a 9" pie: 
        2 quarts of berries, fresh or frozen
        Mix together:
            1/3 cup flour
            1/2 cup sugar  (or you can always sweeten with agave syrup)
            1 tsp. cinnamon
        Pour dry ingredients over berries and mix gently until well covered.

        Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.  Enjoy with a good cup of tea, of course.

That's it.  Pie crust discussion can come at a later time.  (If you don't want to bake your own crusts, let me suggest Wholly Wholesome organic pie crusts.  They are wonderful and without additives.)

▶   Tea is not the answer to life's problems;  it just helps you cope with them better.        Earlene Grey

Happy halcyon days of summer to you! 

We Will Never Be Without

She brings me flowers,
This woman I hardly know. 
It is because once, just once,
I was unprepared and did
Not have a fitting bouquet for the
Banquet table.

Just once, I didn’t have everything
Under control.  I was so hoping that
Someone would rescue me from
My shortfall.
Unaware, she did.
Answering the door,
I reached for the flowers even before
Before greeting my champion.

After that, I wondered if it
Would continue to be so.
But, now it must be understood,
Silently,
Because she always brings me flowers. 

Susan Patterson

One of my readers just recently said, "That's the beauty of your poems - they are simultaneously universal, yet very personal."  Thank you for your kind words, dear reader.  So it is with this poem.  Universality can be applied.  The occasion that I wrote about is true.  A woman brought flowers to me as a hostess gift.  Now,  I don't know if she chose flowers because she intuitively knew that I would be lacking and she took pity on me, or that she was simply lucky.  Regardless, my need was met beautifully.  I am making the leap here that we can expect matters to be taken care of when we are open.  We will not be without, either in big ways or in small ways.  skp

If you like what you read and hear, it would be my honor to come to your event and read either my old fashioned tea poetry or my newer contemporary poetry.  Give me a call or email me and we can talk about it.  Contact information is on my web page,   www.EarleneGrey.com       Thanks.  skp

Happy summer to you.  À bientôt! 

A Circumstance of Growth


There is an enormous log
In back of our house,
In front of an old cottage,
Beside a grove of ferns.  

It was once a great cedar
Cut down long after its prime,
Left to decompose unnoticed,
And to deteriorate carelessly.   

The log is a jumble of lichens and
Little blue and yellow whatevers,
Purple strands and green softness
Creeping all over its decay.
It is home for more than many a
Creature that loves the wretched
And the crumbling.  Creatures that
We don’t want near our house.  

Admirers come from far and near
To see what is new on the old.  
The log, an opportunity like most
Opportunities, is odd in its presentation,
Misinterpreted in its appearance,
But forgiving with our appreciation
And flourishing with our acceptance.  


Susan Patterson

This poem isn't all that complicated.  The log represents a variety of components in our life as humans.  Sometimes we tend to shy away from that which is not fresh and new.  Yet, more often than not, the old that is around us has more to teach us than that which is freshly created.  Further,  even that which we might think as ugly can be a place where beauty can grow, in many forms and in many ways.  Consider the crumbling cedar.  skp

Bye- bye for now!