PENNY

Her emails are mini perfections —
Reminders, instructions, directions

Famously factful
Touching and tactful —

And never in need of corrections

She gets every detail verified
Her exactitude borders on rarefied

The message is “penned”
Then she hits “send” —

And we are all instantly clarified

She keeps us all closely connected
Reminded, instructed, directed

Apprised and updated
Uplifted, upgraded

Patiently, patently perfected

Alma mater? She’ll tell you forthwith:
A school named Jones — make that Smith

She still keeps in touch
Reunions and such —

Part of her kin and her kith

Wherever there’s music, she’s there
A concert? She’s got a good chair

She play and she sings
In chambers and things

Music is Penny’s sweet air

Hard to believe it’s Six-Oh
Seems more like Four-Seven or so

Years may be mounting
Why bother counting?

The inner’s what counts, as we know

Maharishi’s great women and men —
Giving service again and again

We all understand
We’re but tools in his hand

In that hand, there is only one . . . Pen

July 12, 2004

MINKLER

What is a sprinkler? A person who sprinkles.

What is a tinkler? A person who tinkles.

A twinkler is clearly a person who twinkles,

While a crinkler — it’s obvious — is someone who crinkles.

A wrinkler would thus be a person who wrinkles.

And a Minkler? That’s easy — it’s someone who Minkles.

Minkles? Well, what does one do when one’s Minkling?

Most folks would say that they haven’t an inkling

(Speaking of which — how do you inkle?

This question should cause many foreheads to wrinkle.)

To know what one does when one’s Minkling, watch Penny —

She’s an example — in fact, she is many.

She Minkles by day, and she Minkles by night

She will be Minkling at the dawn’s early light

She Minkles while eating, while sleeping, while talking

She Minkles while waking, while working, while walking

She Minkles in summer, fall, winter, and spring

She Minkles in even the littlest thing

She Minkles through thick, and she Minkles through thin

She Minkles whatever the state she is in

She Minkles through tried, and she Minkles through true

She’s Minkled for me, and she’s Minkled for you

She Minkles within, and she Minkles without

She Minkles around, and she Minkles about

She’s Minkled through high, and she’s Minkled through low

She’s Minkled through yes, and she’s Minkled through no

She Minkles betwixt, and she Minkles between

She Minkles where Minkling has never been seen

She Minkles while here, and she Minkles while there

She Minkles on earth, and she Minkles in air

She Minkles through this, and she Minkles through that

She’ll Minkle when asked — at the drop of a hat

She Minkles through who, what, where, why, and how

She’s Minkled back then, and she’s Minkling now

She Minkles by land, and she Minkles by sea

She Minkles by one, and she Minkles by three

Her Minkling’s religious, her Minkling is secular

Her Minkling’s prodigious, her Minkling’s spectecular

Her Minkling is noble when she Minkles in the Dome

Her Minkling is mobile when she Minkles at home

Call her some night — where is she found?

At home (16E), just Minkling around

And if you should find you’re not rolling in clover

Just call on Penny — she’ll Minkle on over

She Minkles behind us, she Minkles before us

She Minkles through town in her shiny new Taurus

She Minkles wherever, whenever we like

She Minkles around on her shiny new bike

She knows how a good Minkling day should begin —

Helping young friends get their meditation in

If Penny’s the Minkler, then we are the Minkled

In the process of Minkling, her eyes become twinkled

Her Minkling is something that no one should miss —

Her Minkling is always the source of great bliss

For Minkling is helping, and Minkling is caring

Minkling is loving, and Minkling is sharing

Minkling is lunches with juice cool and sweet

Minkling is so many good things to eat

Minkling is driving and errands and shopping

Minkling is videos and popcorn that’s popping

For those who have never seen Minkling at all,

A lot of it happens in Carnegie Hall:

Minkling is intercoms, phone calls, computers

Minkling is working with teachers and tutors

Minkling is stickers and students and writing

Minkling is soothing, and Minkling’s exciting

Minkling is barcodes (please, don’t go away!)

Minkling is fragrances, different each day

Minkling is proofing the Docket mistakes

Minkling is napkin-wrapped cookies and cakes

Minkling is ice cream, by glass and by cup —

Minkling it over and bringing it up

Minkling is meetings, and Minkling is teaching

Minkling is ever and always outreaching

Minkling is friendliness, happiness, joy

Minkling is fun with a certain young boy

Minkling is wristwatches, lunch at Ten-Ten

Minkling is movies, and lunches again!

Minkling is board games, and Minkling’s a kite

Minkling is fireworks and comets at night

Minkling is sunglasses, T-shirts — such gifts!

Minkling is all that she does that uplifts

Minkling is messages, stories to tell

Minkling is phone calls at bedtime as well

Minkling is also sweet music and singing

Minkling’s the joy that she’s constantly bringing

Minkling is thoughtfulness, care, and concern

Minkling is helping to live and to learn

Minkling is culture and kindness unending

Minkling is car ceiling fabric descending

Can anyone else do this Minkling like Penny?

The answer, we know, is quite simple: not any

As Minklers go, Penny is truly unique

You won’t find her equal, though years you might seek

She’s one in six billion — she’s one of a kind

She’s one with one wonderful heart (also mind)

So thank you, dear Penny, for Minkling so well —

As Minklers go, Penny, you truly excel

May your birthday be happy, your year be the best

We’re thoroughly Minklered — and thoroughly blessed.

P.S.

What is the worth, the true worth of a penny?

Not very much, according to many

Well, tell all the world, and notify Bevan —

If your Penny’s a Minkler, it’s a Penny from Heaven

July 12, 1996