Diamonds

I'm digging for diamonds in my very own coal mind ~ RTB

What I Remember

I remember falling off my bike the day before we left for Disney. I remember holding onto the handle bars while my knees scraped across the ground. I remember I didn’t cry. I remember that was a first.

I remember the night I hit my first and only grand slam. It was the same night O.J. took his Bronco out for a spin for the last time.

I remember how at one point in my life, all of my pants were too short.

I remember football on the front lawn. Burgers in the backyard, and herbs on the side of the

house. And I remember walking away for the last time.

I remember the car accident, and walking in the front door of my house to find out that my parents had planned a surprise party for that very same day.

I remember a million poor decisions. I remember a month of insomnia. I remember consistently getting in trouble around my birthday.

I remember every single word to every song from Aladdin.

I remember sneaking into the fridge to eat the swirl out of the promise margarine container.

I REALLY remember putting my finger on the iron, my finger in the socket, and my thumb on the scissor blade.

I remember my friend Danny. He’s still around, but by the time he found drugs in 7th grade… he was already gone.

I remember dancing around in the kitchen with an empty Tostitos bag on my head just to make my sister laugh. I remember she told my science teacher.

I remember that sunblock mom bought my sister and I that burned our skin when we put our faces in the water. I remember the worry on my mom’s face as she tried to make it stop.

I remember watching David Copperfield fly. I remember lying on my lawn for hours trying to make it happen.

I remember everything as a little better, a little brighter, a little funnier than it actually was.

10 New Band Names

Fish Pickup Lines
A Crossdressing Balloon
Quiche as a Prop
I Sweat Ouzo
Slutty Pigeon
Overtly Gay Man
Autumnal Decopage
Dissapointment at the Thrift Store
Worms in Impractical Snow Boots
Plastic Adjective Candy Store

Paper Art

Photo and Incredible Origami Skills by Richard T. Boehmcke

Complete

Some people may have it all, but nobody has it all together.

~ RTB

26

So

26 is

Twice 13

And

I’m feeling the same

Its

Just a new scene

Going from

Mid to late

It

Changes your view

Not a

Big change

Just

Slightly askew

The here and now

Has

Come and gone

And it seems as if I’m always

Moving on

From

Places I’ve known and

People I’ve met

And those times in my life

I just

Can’t forget

But time

Marches on

And People

Rarely change

We just

Become reunited

And then

Become re-estranged

So I’m

Trying to slow

My

Trip down the slope

Exchanging

Actions for

Aspirations

And

Realism for Hope

I’m

Dishing out hugs

And

Chasing affection

Because

As far as

I’m concerned

I’m just more

Interested

In affection

So from

Now until 30

I’m not

Changing

My ways

I’ll just

Keep

Plugging away

Until

I hit my next phase

-RTB

PS Arm

Photo: Leah K. White

Featured: Yazmany Arboleda, The Right Arm of Richard T. Boehmcke

Airplane

"So sometimes, I need to take Dramamine to fall asleep on planes. Well last week coming back from L.A. I wasn’t paying attention and instead of taking 2, I accidentally took 4. So I passed out almost immediately, and from what the lady next to me told me after the flight, I was snoring and kind of drooling down my neck.

When the meal service came, they couldn’t wake me up, so they just put my vegetarian meal I had requested on my tray in front of me. Almost immediately after that we hit some crazy turbulence and on one of the bumps, I bounced forward and my head fell in the “sweet potatoes”. Well not my whole head, more like the side of my face, actually it was just my ear. But I didn’t wake up!

But those meals are so damn hot because they microwave them for like 5 minutes. I’m surprised I didn’t get 3rd degree burns! So when I woke 2 hours later up my ear was covered in cold sweet potatoes, I had dried drool all down my neck, and everyone in my row was laughing at me. The lady next to me told me that everyone had been referring to me as tater face. I could have cried."

-RTB, Written for a friend's theater audition

Shade

I don't trust your hands
If I can't see your eyes
And if your words go unspoken
Than you're feeding me lies

And if the words that you're saying
Don't come from your heart
Then you don't really love me
It's just lyric art

Your bleeding heart pity
Belongs not with me
And if its pity you give me
Then its me you can't see

-RTB

Anger

Hanging on to one's anger seems to be a distinct marker of youth. As though relinquishing that would be like letting the flame the heats you from within, burn out. At some point though, one does let go, allowing for pusuits of things more significant than just clinging to what you once were.

-RTB

Hawaii Sunrise

Self Portrait by Richard T. Boehmcke

Where Art You?

She's always been within me
Deep within my heart
A stranger til she introduced herself
She said, "My name is Art"

"You've probably never noticed me
And for that I can't blame you
But now that we've become acquainted
There is so much that we must do"

But, my dear, I said to her
I cannot draw or dance
These things I made that resemble you
Were just a matter of chance

"Oh pish posh" she said to me
"Your truth is swathed in lies
Your art is not just yet a visible one
So please don't trust your eyes"

And upon my hand she placed a pen
And said, "Now go ahead and write
Draw forth those golden words
And ink them in plain sight"

My face turned red, my hair stood up
My mind turned brilliant, colorful, bright
How silly of me to doubt my muse
She had, of course, been right

And then she said as she moved away
If you ever doubt me, you'll know I have returned
Because I'll keep handing shiny pens to you
Until your lesson is learned

-RTB