Poem: I’m Just a Man

I’m Just a Man (Dedicated to my Sparrow)

By Daniel H. Kartchner

Often men are clueless and you’d seldom disagree,

Men seldom understand women right, from when they were probably three.

However you want to call it, absent minded or just plain dumb,

Men have upset their queens, asking questions when they should’ve run.

Bearing this in mind, it should help, to direct a better path ,

Understanding a better way, one doesn’t need science nor math.

Loving, listening and kindness, are the ways to redemption for man,

Understanding is a feeling; not necessarily spoken, but better if you can…

I’ve always wanted to help you, when you were sick and down,

When I don’t know what to do, to ease a troubled frown.

But knowing that I’m willing, should help to ease the pain,

That seems to come from this life, from time to time and again.

Subliminal thought would be a blessing, I wouldn’t have to guess,

How nice it would be, from time to time, to know you’d like a rest…

You should know your work for the family, doesn’t ever go unseen,

And although you get uptight sometimes, you’re never, ever mean.

There are times, when I’m sure you wish, your mind could just be read,

When others would do the washing; hungry mouths already fed.

When messes didn’t happen, when naps could last for hours,

When sickness lived somewhere else, and you could take 60 minute showers.

When money was plentiful, because employment was steady and good,

When everybody kicked in and helped, just as often as they should.

These things I know, although oft times, my actions don’t speak, “I can,”

And do better, to understand you, even though, I’m just a man.

More in Life

File
Minister’s Message: Search me and know me

I have a brilliant friend who was a former archaeologist. She recalled… Continue reading

Sesame seed buns made from scratch elevate a meal. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion
A taste of Americana

Like all great things familiar and traditional, these sesame seed buns were born of a woman’s labor.

This image is the only confirmed photograph of guide Ben Swesey discovered by the author. The photo, from John P. Holman’s 1933 hunting memoir, “Sheep and Bear Trails,” shows Swesey working to remove the cape from a Dall sheep ram shot by Holman in 1917.
Ben Swesey: More to the story — Part 3

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Danger was inherent in the job. Although his fellow hunting… Continue reading

Historic Elwell Lodge Guest Cabin is seen at its new spot near the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge’s Visitor Center. (USWS)
Around the peninsula

Local events and happenings coming soon.

Nián gāo is a traditional Lunar New Year treat enjoyed in China for over two thousand years. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion
A Lunar New Year’s treat

This sweet, steamed rice cake is chewy, gooey and full of positivity.

This excerpt from a U.S. Geological Survey map shows the approximate location of Snug Harbor on lower Kenai Lake. It was in this area that William Weaver nearly drowned in 1910.
Ben Swesey: More to the story — Part 2

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Michigan’s hard-luck Swesey clan sprang into existence because of the… Continue reading

File
Minister’s Message: Rhythms and routines

Your habits are already forming you.

This screenshot from David Paulides’s “Missing 411” YouTube podcast shows the host beginning his talk about the disappearance of Ben Swesey and William Weaver.
Ben Swesey: More to the story — Part 1

More than a hundred years after Ben Swesey and Bill Weaver steered… Continue reading

This dish is creamy, rich and comforting, and gets dinner time done fast. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion
Full of mother’s love

This one-pot dish is creamy, rich and comforting, and can be ready in 30 minutes.

Photo by Clark Fair
This 2025 image of the former grounds of the agricultural experiment station in Kenai contains no buildings left over from the Kenai Station days. The oldest building now, completed in the late 1930s, is the tallest structure in this photograph.
The experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 8

Over the past 50 years or more, the City of Kenai has… Continue reading

File
Minister’s Message: So your life story can be better

Last month the Christmas story was displayed in nativity scenes, read about… Continue reading

These gyros make a super delicious and satisfying tofu dish. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion
A new addition to the menu

Tofu gyros with homemade lentil wraps are so surprisingly satisfying and add extra fiber and protein to a meal.