Poetry Books Don't Sell! (Book) - 6/14/2017 5:33:32 PM
Harry, I very much enjoyed reading and reviewing your latest poetry works, anyone who doesn't buy is missing a reading treat!!
I especially like The last 7 poems labeled as A Little Bit More Lagniappe rounding out the book with two of the bards all time favorite poems from 2002 as last. The Canine’s Howling at the Moon instructs regarding the meaning of the canine call given so that Man might forever remember the misdeed causing loss of perfection; sadly too soon mankind has forgotten. The Mockingbird Sings at Night is another instructional type ode relating a hopeful note; the nighttime songster sings to offer Mankind hope during all the blackest periods of life as the singing reminds us that life’s beauty, while unseen in the darkness is still present.
Full Review: found on mj hollinghead den page
Bob the Dragon Slayer (Book) - 2/5/2017 7:08:20 PM
The storyline forwarding Bob the Dragon Slayer is a straightforward telling of unavoidability, anticipation, and dedication. Writer Gilleland does not seek to burden the sketch with gratuitous particulars or peculiarities. Nor does Gilleland cause the yarn to act as if it is more than it is; a brief and focused premise of right will triumph by centering on Bob much of the time.
The tale flows, the reader remains alert and doesn't become sidetracked. Daring, celebrity, deceit: This frisky chronicle is just plain entertaining to read.
Composed with witticism and drollery, Bob the Dragon Slayer is sure to entrance readers; the esteemed elder and pubescent alike. Strewn with fanciful dialogue and agreeably goofy characters Bob the Dragon Slayer will no doubt tickle the fancy of those searching for a good, fun read.
If you enjoy unflustered and very engaging; then Bob the Dragon Slayer is the book for you. In the Preface to his yarn, Writer Gilleland, Jr., has the head of the McClair family being begged into telling one of his well-known stories during a family Thanksgiving gathering.
Enjoyed the read, HAPPY TO RECOMMEND
read full review as an article on my den page mj hollinghead
A Man in Control (Book) - 12/31/2014 8:52:27 PM
Losing Yourself – A review of the novel ‘A Man in Control’
“Life is to be lived, not controlled” - Ralph Ellison
Author Harry E. Gilleland’s new novel ‘A Man In Control’ tells the tale of Dave Wynthers, a control freak trying to come to terms with the numerous changes happening in his life. He is a professor of microbiology who suddenly finds his hands full of surprises and sudden changes that disrupt his every laid out plan for the future. These changes include and vary from new love interests to death of family members and to ones as extreme as dealing with terrorists with biological weapons and also tackling the law enforcement agencies. A Man In Control is a mystery thriller centred around the setting of a social drama.
The timing of the book’s release is without question bang on, whether intentional or not, it has come out at a time when the whole world is talking about the main theme discussed in the book. And a few important and contemporary social and political issues too have been added to make it a highly relevant story. The author has also used his own background in microbiology to good effect by conjuring up various scenarios and terms and blending it nicely with the fictional story being narrated.
A shocking first chapter actually sets the pace and mood for the rest of the book. Harry gets into the mind and psyche of his lead character quite brilliantly, he plays with the reader’s perception and connection to his lead character by constantly pulling the strings from the background and gets the reader to love and hate Dave in the same book. The mature handling of relationships, even if they were flawed to begin with of both Dave’s and Heather’s and then Dave’s and Lorrie’s is another highlight. The author then goes on to extrapolate these relationships against the relationship of Lorrie and Caleb, as if to portray how an ideal relationship is supposed to be.
The book has a host of highly interesting characters but none who can match up to the uniqueness of the protagonist. Dave’s calculative and measured mind of a scientist is never switched off, whether he is talking to the authorities or even when he is making love to his girlfriend. But ultimately it is Dave’s insistence on domesticating his powerful and independent women partners that leads to his downfall. Sometimes Dave’s scenes with the police and FBI reminds you of the author’s previous book Zack’s Choice and the similar scenes in them but the content here is far more serious and Dave is no innocent, naive young character like Zack and therefore our attitude towards him too remains different. And it is quite a risk that the author has taken by creating a lead character like Dave, who isn’t easy to cheer for. But it is also a brave step in portraying a lead with grey shades rather than typecast him as either a bad guy or a goody two-shoes.
Anyone who has read Harry’s previous books will know that no matter what the theme or subject matter is, he writes in a casual and easy to read manner and this has been repeated in A Man in Control as well. It is an easy to read fiction with no hidden agenda and its only intention is to keep you entertained for the few odd hours you will spend on it.
Zack's Choice (Book) - 6/23/2014 6:53:16 PM
Zack’s Choice is an exciting read from the first to the last page.
Author Harry Gilleland brings his talent to the forefront with this exceptional tale. We first meet Zack riding along on his Harley. He notices a hitchhiker and decides to stop. The hitchhiker looks way too young to be out there by himself. Zack takes a chance and picks up the hitchhiker, Bobby. You see from the beginning the charity in Zack’s heart as he picks Bobby up and then feeds and shelters him. Unfortunately for Zack his kindness is repaid by robbery.
Zack eventually ends up back on the road only to run into Bobby again, only now Zack discovers that Bobby isn’t who he says he is and it doesn’t stop there. This time Zack does not get off so easy. Though Zack’s life is all planned and laid out before him he is presented with a new road and a choice of whether or not to follow it. What ensues is a suspenseful and thrilling adventure that involves stolen property, the FBI, Vatican, mystery, suspense and fighting the good fight.
The dialogue flows eloquently drawing you deep into the story. The characters are solid and real leaving you to wonder what the truth really is. This story delves into coming of age, mystery, suspense, turmoil and ends with enlightenment. I highly recommend it!
Zack's Choice (Book) - 6/16/2014 4:48:22 PM
Sure at the Crossroads - A review of the novel ‘Zack’s Choice’
“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way” – Henry David Thoreau
People are often not what they appear to be, the perception and imagery of our assumptions about their character are often wrong and misleading. And it is often said that you can find out a person’s true nature in the time of a crisis; when they are faced with important and critical choices, we get to see their real core, understand what they are truly made of. If this is true in life, then it’s truer in the case of fictional characters. The easiest way to reveal your character’s true nature is to present before them a choice and document the path that they undertake.
In author Harry E. Gilleland, Jr’s new novel, ‘Zack’s Choice’ the choice the namesake lead character Zack has to make is something that will truly test his character. Fiction often immortalizes its Heroes & Villains through films & books as moral characters who will make these moral & immoral choices, resulting in victory through sacrifices or by withholding it. But in Zack’s Choice, you have a protagonist who isn’t your archetypal goody two shows hero but more of a character who is at a crossroads in his life, wanting to break away from the secure and pre planned life back at home to take a chance, a chance at redeeming something, and that something maybe as simple as rediscovering himself in the bargain. So you have certain conflicted characters who might think they are the good guys or the bad guys until, when faced with a dilemma, they learn something new about themselves. This is the single most defining element of this novel that enables a reader to assimilate the fiction to his real life because similar to real life, in the novel too its only when the lead character is faced with hardships, does he discover his true self.
Zack’s not so ambitious plan to marry his high school sweetheart and follow in his parent’s footsteps come undone the day he meets Bobby Smith who turns his world upside down from the minute they meet and who even manages to convince Zack a farfetched tale about his role in saving the world from its imminent destruction. This is where he makes the first choice, and he soon realizes that our choices don’t affect only us but also those around us. They can affect our lives in unimaginable ways like it does with Zack whose detour takes him to California and across Europe all the while trying to avoid the law. It soon becomes a complex, cat and mouse game between Zack and Bobby and how their characters even after choosing different paths end up affecting each others lives.
This is the beauty and great quality of good fictional writing. Our past actions and words do come back to haunt us. An immoral choice made in the past by a character comes back to hurt him in the end. While a moral choice, made by a lead which often involves a sacrifice, actually ends up bringing great rewards to him in the end.
You can’t categorize and departmentalize “Zack’s Choice” into a hard and fast genre; it can be a thriller at times and a coming of age story otherwise. But what it is for sure is a first class page turner that is both an easy read but also manages to leave its impact long after you’ve turned the last page.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a short and cozy summer read that you can relax with and then prepare yourselves to fall in love with Zack and his naivety and innocence and monitor his growth into an introspective young adult with a good soul by the end of the novel.
A Wandering Warrior (Book) - 6/26/2013 4:48:47 PM
What makes a historical fiction novel a good read is simple; it is historical realism included in a dynamically illustrated tale that is populated with engaging characters along with an especially appealing protagonist and this novel accomplishes just that. A Wandering Warrior is the eighth published work of noted author and poet, Harry E. Gilleland Jr. This tale of historical fiction is set in rugged twelfth century England and follows the life and adventures of young, tough and handsome - Thomas Beaumont. Thomas having only his brother John and Uncle as family finds himself propelled on a dangerous mission of retribution across England because of the actions of a barbarous High Sheriff – Simon Mowbray, who murdered his only brother John, in cold blood.
Surviving the hard life of a commoner, Thomas endures life as a feckless warrior, a soldier for hire who fights the battles of others for a price. Handsome and gallant he is afraid of no one and no battle is too small for him. Also, as a consequence of living the nomadic lifestyle of a soldier for hire, Thomas finds little time for dealings with the fairer sex, let alone love. However, Thomas does eventually learn that love and attachments are just what he needs and his days of wandering should become a thing of his past.
Written in an earthy but time period appropriate tone - this is a story filled with heart, adventure, and honor that is pragmatic in its portrayal of life in old England. The scenes of bloody violence are expertly depicted with vividly detailed scenes of sword – play, blood, and gore that places the reader right in the midst of the action, making the novel even more engaging of a read. Another entertaining aspect of this adventure- filled tale is the interactions between Thomas and the various women he encounters on his sojourn for vengeance- it is seasoned with a dash of humor, a little sexy and totally enjoyable. The pace of the novel is consistent, and keeps you riveted until the end. In my humble opinion, A Wandering Warrior is a great tale told by a wonderful storyteller and would make a great summer read for mature readers.
Gilleland Poetry: Storoems and Poems (Book) - 7/21/2005 7:09:14 AM
Within the covers of Gilleland Poetry : Storoems and Poems lyrist Gilleland offers the reader a wide variety of style, subject and feelings to fit any reader want or need. I enjoyed the wide variety of themes from the heartfelt to thoughtful, tribute to merry. There is truly something for everyone, and something for every occasion included in the work. Gilleland Poetry : Storoems and Poems is one man’s life’s journey presented in thought and notion through his insights, notions, understandings and words.
For full review read as article AD site mj hollingshead : Gilleland Poetry
The Tuskegee Airmen (Poetry) - 2/23/2021 1:57:30 PM
Enjoyed the blend of lyricism and fact-based truth-telling in this great poem. "These gallant black lads" truly were phenomenal and not only "won glory for their race" but advanced and further defined the practices of democracy as all Americans experience it today. Gratitude for the read.
The Tuskegee Airmen (Poetry) - 2/9/2020 2:02:19 PM
The Tuskegee Airmen served their country proudly during World War II.
The Tuskegee Airmen (Poetry) - 1/24/2020 6:33:01 PM
The Tuskegee Airmen were among THE BEST fighter pilots in WWII. I salute them all for their service. Excellent poem!
John Michael
The Tuskegee Airmen (Poetry) - 2/19/2019 2:09:49 PM
SO GLAD I FOUND THIS FINE TRIBUTE AND IN LIGHT OF IT BEING BLACK HISTORY MONTH IT IS EVEN SO MUCH MORE APPRECIATED. INDEED THE HISTORICAL INFORMATION SHARED IS SO TRUE AND ENJOYED! THANK YOU, HARRY, FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS
His Day Is Done (Poetry) - 7/21/2018 5:07:47 PM
Life and the time to leave it always have a meaning deeper than we realize.
His Day Is Done (Poetry) - 6/7/2018 2:38:45 AM
A good pondering poem. Life is a mystery. Amen
His Day Is Done (Poetry) - 5/28/2018 10:52:00 AM
Most successful predators are the result of a long line of genetic succession. Suited to their environment. Short lives mean a more rapid transit toward those legitimately able to dip in the rich reality that is like their violent world, only to you soon come to the realization that they are not for this world anymore.
A powerful statement about predatory life.
Ron
His Day Is Done (Poetry) - 5/28/2018 9:53:21 AM
Now the lion can rest kn peace.
Sandie
His Day Is Done (Poetry) - 5/28/2018 5:48:01 AM
This was roarin' good, and I'm not lion.
Left Alone (Poetry) - 5/23/2018 11:23:13 AM
You got me with this one! I was about to chastise you for being so down and encourage you to go out and find a replacement… Only to discover that you had pulled a little trick on the reader and described exactly life from a dog's point of view. Bravo!
Ron
Left Alone (Poetry) - 5/23/2018 8:19:43 AM
Nicely done. Enjoyed.
Those Little Things In Life (Poetry) - 11/16/2017 3:31:54 AM
I have enjoyed your poetry this morning, have a blessed day Harry
Those Little Things In Life (Poetry) - 9/22/2017 7:02:51 AM
You are so right. I have some of those "little things" and not some of the others.
You made me think of my friend I wrote about here, Jack Swanson. A World War II vet that had seen some harrowing things while serving on an intelligence and attack submarine, seem to cherish all these "little things," all while working as a cog in the wheel of quality control at a factory we worked in together. Upon retiring at 65 to enter even more comfortable existence surrounded by little things, he acquired spinal arthritis and was dead in two years.
We never know when we're going to go. Time to enjoy those little spices/slices of life before we can't anymore.
Ron
Animals in Groups (Poetry) - 9/6/2017 6:13:32 AM
Do you know what a mob of crows would say to a herd of moose? "We hate you meeses to pieces! Wish you were dead!" (so they could scavenge the bones.)
Just had to say that… ;-)
Ron
Make It Count (Poetry) - 8/31/2017 7:30:54 AM
Concise and precise, so much wisdom in this poem for living a good life.
Make It Count (Poetry) - 8/31/2017 7:24:06 AM
Excellent summation, Harry!
Make It Count (Poetry) - 8/30/2017 7:08:54 AM
If poems could count, this one really hits the mark for what a good life should be. We need to keep convincing others with our stories and poems like this, that once we stop thinking about ourselves and care more for others we will be much happier and healthier.
Roth
Make It Count (Poetry) - 8/30/2017 6:10:48 AM
Well said.
The Well of Malevolence (Poetry) - 8/29/2017 7:52:14 AM
Well done, Harry! I think most people share the racist concerns in the poem you wrote. However, I think it's obviously getting better and better with each passing generation. Yes, we have NOT found utopia and 100 percent complete racial harmony. Still, my grand kids are more open minded than I am and I am sure their kids will be even more so. The real setback that we see these days is too obvious to ignore. People cutting heads off because of their beliefs! Hey! You have to take a stand and say "NO" to these radicals or we will certainly go backward in History!
The Well of Malevolence (Poetry) - 8/29/2017 7:41:50 AM
The best answer is maintaining integration of society in schools (private schools tend to discriminate and separate) and education. The tendency for rebellion at puberty can go a long way in changing attitudes between father and son.
While my father feared some what for his life and wallet while driving his truck from lily white central Wisconsin to the terminal in South Chicago, I never heard him utter a racist comment or speak badly about people of any race. I believe that was because he went to grade school with black children who were very poor in the little community of blacks where he lived in North Central Wisconsin. He also allowed me to have my own opinions on everything and was proud of my education.
Ron
Human Potential for Empathy (Poetry) - 8/8/2017 11:32:42 PM
Yes, we had true "Heroes" back in the day. Perhaps the press did not bring them down ten notches like they do to the "Rich and famous" of today.
Human Potential for Empathy (Poetry) - 8/8/2017 12:24:57 PM
I can't believe that no one has commented on this beautiful explanation of what it is to be empathetic in a world that believes that the only true way of moving forward is to win and plunder. The more power and influence one can have over others, the more successful.
JFK inspired me to walk 50 miles one day just to show what it was like for a man in the days before transportation by automobile just to travel this land like many of the people looked down upon by those with diabolical plans, power and guns.
One New Year's eve I was on the left side of an auditorium but on the right side of history. The side that MLK walked out on, not 40 feet away and spoke to the multitude in words that inspired. I could have cowardly assassinated him in spite of his bodyguards from that vantage point, but I was enthralled by his courage and willing to follow him in peaceful, nonviolent change that we must continue more empathetically than ever before.
Ron
Poetic Groaners Times Ten (Poetry) - 7/22/2017 12:08:39 PM
Am I the only one groaning here?
I think she could hide in her bush and avoid the bear unless she had a Brazilian down there.
Ron
Difference Between Animal and Man (Poetry) - 6/25/2017 9:38:20 AM
The surviving hunter - gatherer societies whose lifestyle has changed little since the neolithic era show us early humans had very strict moral codes about killing the animals they needed for food. I think the choice to kill for entertainment is a product of civilisation rather than free will. Sort of, "We do it because we can,"
Good poem and very thought provoking.
Difference Between Animal and Man (Poetry) - 6/25/2017 7:43:21 AM
From watching reality shows, I'm learning that indigenous people are very careful when preying on animals for their food not to be cruel or greedy. They honor the opportunity to have the bounty of nature and wish to see it flourish so that they will.
However, the corporate supply chain is the blackest of markets with no conscience or willingness to perpetuate the species that are often destroyed to exploit the wild natural environment and tame it by destroying it altogether.
As your last stanza points out, we are our own worst enemy.
Ron
Days Without My Sunshine (Poetry) - 6/10/2017 7:19:02 AM
You are very fortunate. And, I'm sure that she loved this poem of your devotion to her.
But there is a certain amount of dependence shown. The richest relationships are between those that actually standalone without the assistance of a "better half."
Ron
Hope for the Future (Poetry) - 6/6/2017 7:07:43 AM
We all shape the future with her we know it or not. Just a positive attitude can make a great difference in what the future will be. As of pragmatic matter, we need to address problems directly and not spend so much time politically playing with them. Sure it will cost us to do some things. But if we do them now we will pay much less that it will cost in the future. The most important thing is not to make mistakes about our decisions today based on pride, ignorance or selfishness.
I believe that's what your poem is addressing, not the actions of those in power. We have power. I still see a large number of people supporting the actions of the leadership such as it is. They are the disenchanted ones that think that negative actions today will solve problems of tomorrow. They won't, but this group of people has a hard time learning.
Ron
Hope for the Future (Poetry) - 6/5/2017 2:31:08 AM
Well, there are TWO SIDES to every story. As an INDEPENDENT thinker I think both sides have hope and a glimmer of glory. I recall a grade in behavior that the teacher would give in public school (grades 1-6 th). "Works and plays well with others" it said. Our leaders on both sides would rate an "F". Now wouldn't it be GREAT if it was mandatory that we all our leaders would just get along instead of pouting? Amen...
Hope for the Future (Poetry) - 6/4/2017 6:36:18 AM
We as Americans need hope more than ever because our POTUS is a person without conscience or heart.
Distant Thunder (Poetry) - 5/25/2017 6:28:43 AM
I couldn't agree more. It still amazes me how the populace was taken in by the ultimate con man. And Trump's base is till right there with him. they act as though he's almost some sort of god, which makes no sense to me. There's no way Trump can relate to or understand the common man. He may know how to be a boss and rule an empire, but he doesn't know how to govern.
Distant Thunder (Poetry) - 5/25/2017 6:24:24 AM
With each day there is a new clap of thunder both within the country and without. As the storm clouds grow and grow, there will be a downpour of repercussion for foolish who voted for slogans and not for progress.
Unfortunately as the dirt is washed downstream the trickle-down aristocracy through the vice president and speaker of the house all seem to fall on the same bad choices. The only good news in this is that there will be an election in 3 1/2 years were a major correction can be made and the debris from the storm cleaned up so that it would seem that it never happened.
Ron
Neighborhood Nature (Poetry) - 5/18/2017 6:06:13 AM
One of the advantages of living in bayou country. You can take the swamp out of the bayou, but you can't take the critters out of the left over landscape.
Isn't it wonderful?
Ron
Dewdrop on an Angel Trumpet (Poetry) - 5/15/2017 6:41:11 AM
We poets have a way of describing scientific phenomena in literary terms that are sometimes more uplifting than reality.
Ron
Dewdrop on an Angel Trumpet (Poetry) - 5/14/2017 11:43:32 AM
Heh.Heh Wise woman you are married to, Harry, but then she DID marry you, making her unanimously a wise woman. Dug the poem.
Why So Proud? (Poetry) - 5/14/2017 6:21:08 AM
Well written. Five eyes are better than two. And, I have no doubt that any entity that arrives to this world at this time would be far superior to "proud" people with all of their misplaced motives thinking that they are superior for their excessive pillaging and plundering.
Ron
Ride ‘Em, Cowboy! (Poetry) - 5/10/2017 4:48:28 PM
My soulmate owns two horses, both supposedly calm, but I don't care to ride either one, no way, they are much bigger than me & allowing myself to ride would just contribute further to my personal insanity...-e-
Ride ‘Em, Cowboy! (Poetry) - 5/10/2017 4:28:03 AM
In a way, I'm so glad it was your dad instead of you that took that first ride on that "old nag." I know from experience how bad barbed wire fence can be for both horse and man, so I'm glad they cleared it. And your dad was playing a movie part when he avoided that half door that surely would have given him quite a bump!
As a kid without horses, I got to ride ponies once in a while, but don't remember. What I do remember is, the year after I was paralyzed when I was either 21 or 22, my mother took me out to a local farm where they had a trail ride through the woods. They gave me an old sway back nag as the most gentle horse to ride. It was the only time I ever saw my mother ride a horse and I rode behind her that evening. The saddle was particularly hard on my butt as the horse moved up and down and side to side while walking, not trotting or running. While I had half grip on them reins with my paralyzed hands, my legs didn't seem to have a grip on the horse's sides or my feet well anchored in the stirrups. I spent the whole time rocking back and forth, trying desperately to keep from falling off on my head and breaking my neck for good. So, it wasn't a pleasant experience.
My twin brother married the two-time Wisconsin State Rodeo Queen. She did fantastic tricks on her horse, Ebony. She couldn't afford to go to Las Vegas for the nationals, but he said that she would have won. Not only was she beautiful in her sequined outfits, she was a real rough rider.
Ron
Ride ‘Em, Cowboy! (Poetry) - 5/9/2017 6:50:49 PM
The only horse I ever rode was in front of K Mart, and that was just last year. No seriously, I've never been on a horse.
Ride ‘Em, Cowboy! (Poetry) - 5/9/2017 12:56:21 PM
Horses can be frightening when unprepared, I rode my first horse when I was 16, it took to a neck breaking speed, and I hung on for dear life, lol, when I think about it I laugh, but I didn't back then great story, xo
Ride ‘Em, Cowboy! (Poetry) - 5/9/2017 12:31:40 PM
I was never afraid of horses, I suppose it was because I was raised in a small Arkansas town where almost everyone either had horses or had access to them.
Nature’s Beauty on a Day in May (Poetry) - 5/6/2017 10:11:55 AM
The advantage of retirement. We can make our work of the day to sit on our front porch and observe flowers blooming, bees buzzing and birds going about the business of raising their chicks and food finding. Simply glorious on a day like today.
Ron
Nature’s Beauty on a Day in May (Poetry) - 5/5/2017 1:06:35 PM
"I have nothing to prevent me from
allowing the beauty of this May day
to engulf me and refresh my soul."
I am right there with you, Harry.
A Poet’s Life (Poetry) - 5/2/2017 6:17:19 AM
I certainly admire your attempt to write poetry to strict requirements. At my age and experience, having had to meet so many school assignments as best I could for so many years, while I adhere to certain tenets of the English language, I much prefer to branch out and plow a new territory, often to the chagrin of purists. Also the reason I don't do contests or challenges this. Surprisingly, a couple of my poems have received great response.
Don't worry about writing a poem about your interacting with nasty pests. You never know what will catch the public's imagination and become the next YouTube/Twitter sensation. I recall the one where the drunk is conversing with the raven on his fence. A vile pest carrion eater if there ever was one. Somehow became one of the most famous poems of all time.
Ron
When The Forge Burns Bright (Poetry) - 4/8/2017 1:19:28 AM
I think we've all been there In form or another...
I think it gets easier to let things go as we get older...
And it frees US...
A great subject, and great writing...
Diana...
When The Forge Burns Bright (Poetry) - 4/1/2017 12:59:51 PM
We humans are sometime very weak and allow these kind of burdens to stay with us and grow bigger and wilder overshadowing the very first slight anger, to build onto full grown monster.
When The Forge Burns Bright (Poetry) - 4/1/2017 7:53:16 AM
A wonderful insight into how the mind can play tricks on us and turn a small slight into a major obstacle of our own progress. The metaphor used was perfect.
Ron
Christmas Cactus Bloom (Poetry) - 3/5/2017 9:43:23 AM
I'm a staunch advocate of poetic freedom, but prefer rhyme over free verse and simply trying to make a poem communicate rather than confuse by wording.
Both our poinsettias and Christmas cactus bloom way too late for Christmas. Nurseries have to "force" plants to produce these blooms at the right time. Thus throwing their "God-given" schedules off to appease a saintly timetable.
Ron
My Near-Death Event – 19 Feb 2017 (Poetry) - 3/3/2017 7:50:26 AM
Amazing! Mine happened a week ago, Harry, and through nothing more than being an old guy full of sh** - constipation and too great an effort (bp well over 200) gave me a separated aorta and three days in intensive care at a world class hospital - still not allowed any activity but rejoice with you at being home and alive! So great to have medical care available (and fast helos to get us there) ...
My Near-Death Event – 19 Feb 2017 (Poetry) - 3/2/2017 12:14:33 PM
It was not your time to go. Sometimes our bodies give us a wake up call. You have given credit where credit is due. Stay well!!
Love ya!
Jane
Christmas Cactus Bloom (Poetry) - 3/2/2017 8:44:33 AM
The discipline in this is impressive. I have always been a staunch advocate for poetic discipline. I employ it often. Seeing the bloom as a sign was a gift I'm thinking. It depends, too, on a person's depth of faith in how the Most High God works in His Creation. Interpreting the bloom as a sign (that you'd be Ok) certainly changed your wife's mindset for the better. That's a sign in itself. Seems something flowed into her at the very moment she saw the bloom. Light and joy were imparted to help her overcome her fears. Feel better. Enjoyed. r
My Near-Death Event – 19 Feb 2017 (Poetry) - 2/28/2017 8:22:51 AM
That certainly was a harrowing experience. I had never heard of an esophageal bleed like that. I hope the condition is permanently fixed.
You are right in thanking the medical people for saving your life. Without their prompt and expert intervention, I'm certain you would have died.
While I drove myself to the hospital in 2012 and didn't realize that my pneumonia was potentially deadly until days later when it required lung surgery to save me, I guess you could say that I was saved from a near-death experience back then. It does make one eager to do all we can because we know our life is shorter now that we have come so close with things, perhaps, undone.
Looking forward to you getting back to normal.
Ron
My Near-Death Event – 19 Feb 2017 (Poetry) - 2/28/2017 7:12:40 AM
Being human means we all may have to face something like this. It's never happened to me, and I hope it never does. I am glad everything
worked out and you survived this scary ordeal. Good luck to you in the future.
Weeds! More weeds! (Poetry) - 2/20/2017 11:17:55 AM
In the spring, I let the weeds grow into flowering plants of many kinds. This gives the birds and the bees something to rejoice over and my homeowners association the need to warn me of my misdeed.
And then I have the lawn mowed at a height that will not scalp it and allows the grass to have some depth and ability to propagate in a way that drives out all the weeds that have already gone to seed for the following year, their job over. I also do not overwater the lawn making it weak with short roots.
The result is that my lawn does not require fertilizer (I mulch the clippings and leave them on the lawn) and looks a lot better than my neighbors who fertilize, use herbicides, and water the hell out of their lawns. A better lawn at less cost and much less labor.
Ron
Weeds! More weeds! (Poetry) - 2/18/2017 8:23:42 AM
I let those weeds grow. My yard is still green when other yards turn brown. Enjoyed.
Weeds! More weeds! (Poetry) - 2/17/2017 3:34:40 PM
eh . . . That is one thing I am grateful to not having to worry about the weeds. Thank goodness for renting an apartment. Heh.Heh
Trump's America - 2017 (Poetry) - 2/14/2017 5:05:04 PM
The guy is NOT getting paid a dime.
He has been in office barely a month.
If you wanted a job so bad that you did it for no pay would you want folks to give you a break?
This is a very reasonable request.
I am a 24 year Viet Nam Vet
I have a doctorate of education
I was born and raised in the projects of NYC.
So I have street smarts as well as a formal educational background.
All us independent folks ask is to STOP HARASSING and GIVE the new administration A CHANCE. How about 100 days? Fair enough?
Climate Change in My Shreveport Backyard (Poetry) - 2/10/2017 8:19:49 AM
Your poem certainly confirms the weather we've been having in these parts. It doesn't confirm global warming, but global warming is confirmed by other measures.
What you're experiencing is not climate, but weather. All you have to do is take a look at the last century or so and see that occasionally, we get crazy weather that may or may not be linked to a change in the climate.
Ron
Climate Change in My Shreveport Backyard (Poetry) - 2/10/2017 8:03:28 AM
Jan. was unseasonably warm here in N.E. Ohio this year. It's gotten up into the 60's and then drops back down into sub zero temps. and then warms back up. All of that freezing and thawing is causing our roads to go to hell real quick.
Trump's America - 2017 (Poetry) - 2/9/2017 9:57:23 AM
You have very tightly, in a single poem, tied up all the missteps and misfortune brought on the American people by the action of a single man, President Donald J Trump.
To paraphrase another president, "[Donald J. Trump], a name that will go down in infamy."
Ron
Trump's America - 2017 (Poetry) - 2/9/2017 7:27:29 AM
Well written, and oh so true.
He's a man crude and crass.
A president with no dignity or class.
When it comes right down to it,
Donald Trump is just an ass.
How low can he can go,
we'll soon all know.
Trump's America - 2017 (Poetry) - 2/9/2017 5:09:49 AM
Patriarchy in its last desperate thrashings, one hopes. Nicely spun, Harry. Let us all hope it is not America's version of Caligula Rising.
Trump's America - 2017 (Poetry) - 2/8/2017 5:18:52 PM
I applaud you for writing it too. Funny! Sad it is true.
Trump's America - 2017 (Poetry) - 2/8/2017 3:59:36 PM
I'm Trump all the way! That's my free speech.
Trump's America - 2017 (Poetry) - 2/8/2017 3:52:46 PM
And I am in full agreement with you. It is frightening.
The Power of Words (Poetry) - 2/7/2017 7:49:41 AM
Indeed, written and spoken words have always moved us to higher levels of understanding. All one has to do is read some, "quotable quotes," to find wisdom in the words of others.
As I read, unfortunately, there is that other side. It seems that our new president, both in his written (tweets) and his numerous speeches and pronouncements, is doing little to lift up anyone but primarily to blame and accuse things that he personally doesn't like while expressing great pleasure for his personal accomplishments while considering much of the country as being "terrible" or a "disaster." All of these quips are generally soon to be forgotten except in the annals of blunders of the past.
Ron
The Power of Words (Poetry) - 2/7/2017 7:07:51 AM
It's words that give power to the pen.
Down at the Creek Bank (Poetry) - 2/5/2017 8:11:06 AM
might have been either on either side of the creek
there are many instances of chatting across the creeks recorded
sad and horrible time for our country
my yankee grand dad was fighting because he was called upon to do so
my confederates fought for Alabama and Mississipi
to the victors go the writing of history
despite rhetoric to the contrary ... it was my yankee folks who were slave owners way back at the beginning of the country
sigh
Never Stop Writing!
m
Stately Birds (Poetry) - 2/5/2017 8:02:34 AM
OKLAHOMA where i live today bird is the Scissor Tail
CALIFORNIA where i was born bird is the California Quail
Stately Birds (Poetry) - 1/30/2017 6:28:38 PM
a fun ending there!
Stately Birds (Poetry) - 1/25/2017 7:46:55 AM
The cardinal is the fine feathered friend for my state, Ohio.
Stately Birds (Poetry) - 1/25/2017 7:34:27 AM
Damned if I couldn't think of one of the states I have lived in's bird except Georgia because you already told me. I would've picked the Carolina wren that hung out in my suburban Atlanta apartment balcony. I love birds but am a birdbrain when it comes to trivia like this. If Minnesota already has the loon, what does Wisconsin have left? The bald eagle? The one stuffed in the capital at Madison, Old Abe? Beats me. And West Virginia… wild turkey? Wild guess. California? condor or quail? Don't know. Texas's has got to be the mockingbird that hangs around my backyard. But then, that good old immigrant from India that loves the longhorns, the cattle egret, could be it, too.
How did I do?
Ron
Down at the Creek Bank (Poetry) - 1/24/2017 2:47:00 PM
We can't come to terms with our own fallacies.
Down at the Creek Bank (Poetry) - 1/24/2017 12:30:37 PM
Excellent write, Harry, and as you said, "thought-provoking."
A Wood Fire on a Louisiana Winter Day (Poetry) - 1/12/2017 8:35:42 AM
My concern here in Houston was our inadequate preparation for two nights of lower 20s that devastated our tropical plants, doing so well in the moderated, temperate and tropical climate we have been having the last few years (except for the drought lasting two years).
We have not used the fireplace since we almost burned the place down with the damper closed many years ago. We did employ an electric heater to heat up my bedroom. It is a poor substitute for watching a crackling fire burn.
And now we are basking in record temperatures reaching 80 for the next few days. While I don't place much blame on these, sometimes unusual, climate events, the signs of global warming are here and should not be politicized at all, but addressed by government, industry and corporations as quickly as possible.
Ron
A Wood Fire on a Louisiana Winter Day (Poetry) - 1/12/2017 6:05:17 AM
I'm sorry, but living in northern Ohio, 30 degree temps is not brutal. Now, having said that, I awoke to a temp. of 58 degrees this morning, and pouring rain. We have flood alerts in our area today. And then the low for tonight's forecast is 23. And people still deny there's climate change taking place. At any rate, it was a cute poem, and I enjoyed it.
A Wood Fire on a Louisiana Winter Day (Poetry) - 1/12/2017 4:42:29 AM
We were into the mid-twenties down here in Thibodaux during the same time you were enjoying your thirties . . .
Human Physical Traits (Poetry) - 11/25/2016 7:43:33 AM
You have made your point in a very gentle and direct way similar to the poem that I am seeing on television by Maya Angelou. You are in good company.
However, if ever I see someone with red irises, I will immediately try to find a cross, holy water, silver bullets for my pistol or a wooden stake, because I know (I've seen a lot of horror movies) that people who have those color eyes are definitely, evil.
On the other hand, it could just be one of those theatric contact lens props. So, if I see some red eyes I'm going to ignore them like they are… Nevermind.
Ron
Human Physical Traits (Poetry) - 11/23/2016 4:02:23 PM
Just as there are different sizes, shapes and colors, people are different inside, too. What care I which color you are? I love my fellow man. However, the man across the street might hate me because I am a different color than he is. Why? I submit that it is that thing we don't like to address, known as sin. When one obeys Jesus Christ, loving one another, colors blend and become one in Him. How beautiful if your thoughts of a "better world" would come true. I fear it will not take place until Christ comes back to reign.
Connie
Human Physical Traits (Poetry) - 11/23/2016 2:59:32 PM
Sorry Harry, I don't think utopia will ever come to pass. If anything we are drifting in the other direction.
Different Generational Histories (Poetry) - 9/8/2016 7:52:27 AM
So true for the generations from the 1950s onward. I am first generation college in my extended family and I went all the way to the doctorate. A college education is now expected. There is talk about there are not enough jobs for all these college graduates. Over the years I've watched college grade and expectation inflation devalue a college education. Yet, there is great need for blue-collar type, skilled labor. Technical schools now teach it rather than apprenticing.
There is nothing wrong with working hard for a living. And there's nothing better than doing it honestly. That's the lesson that I got from your poem.
Ron
Different Generational Histories (Poetry) - 9/8/2016 3:59:34 AM
Enlighten poetry, and one that I can absolutely relate to. My dad. He was like the man described in this poem.
A Humble Wordsmith (Poetry) - 9/5/2016 6:46:20 AM
A very humble and forthright admission of talent. And a talented poem that reminded me of that old song, "If I Were a Carpenter"
Ron
A Fat, Old Man from Shreveport (Poetry) - 9/2/2016 11:13:52 AM
Hey, old man, I hesitate to call anyone fat as I am in the same boat, as it were...I've been told to write a book, but just for the reason that you stated here, poetry does not sell, I will never do so, as well I have no self confidence & admit to it...-e-
A Fat, Old Man from Shreveport (Poetry) - 8/31/2016 11:44:38 AM
I find your stuff, having only read your poetry, humorous and well-written. Who knows, there may be a gem there, just waiting to be discovered in the rough and polished.
But your family and friends will know what you have done, and your legend will grow with time.
Ron
A Fat, Old Man from Shreveport (Poetry) - 8/30/2016 1:31:00 PM
Never give up, is the theme and gist of "A Fat Old Man from Shreveport."
I, too though my novels would set the world on fire, and I turned to poetry in order to help rid myself of my demons. It pretty much worked
My hometown is 60 miles away from Shreveport, just across the Arkansas line, little town called Taylor, Arkansas.
The Seasons of War (Poetry) - 8/29/2016 9:38:15 AM
Yes, the awful truth of war. I can see men freezing to death in trenches and foxholes. It makes no sense, no glory at all.
Your poem reminded me of the Civil War. What got me every time I looked at those old, but very clear, black-and-white images from the Civil War, what I took away was the absolute destruction of the environment wherever that war was waged. Trees all mangled, nothing but mud underfoot. All wildlife either fled or dead. While humans suffer greatly, war changes the landscape forever.
Ron
The Seasons of War (Poetry) - 8/29/2016 4:21:36 AM
WAR! Good gawd, what is it good for?
Excellence Unnoticed Among the Crowd (Poetry) - 8/14/2016 11:42:13 AM
Harry,
I find pleasure in writing. I pray it helps someone along the way to be a better person. One never knows when they write something how many lives they have touched. Keep writing, Harry.
Blessings,
Linda
Excellence Unnoticed Among the Crowd (Poetry) - 8/10/2016 5:36:55 AM
It takes time for fruit to ripen. Who knows how many great works of literature and art were buried with their creators and never saw the light of review? So many great artists and authors died from lack of interest, only to be later known as great for their work long after their deaths. Even great works sometimes seem to come from unknown authors like the origin of Shakespeare and the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
I find your poetry quite compelling, like this one, but I wouldn't buy your poetry book or any poetry book. So, you and I must write and publish for the pure joy of writing and publishing. While we both hope to get some recognition during our lifetimes, perhaps, we can't count on it. But at least, through our families, we will be known because our works are accessible, by posting here on the Internet.
Ron
Phobias Are To Be Avoided (Poetry) - 8/3/2016 6:59:52 AM
It seems like those sickychiatrists got a name for everything. I don't see why they had to come up with Spheksophobia cuz I don't know anybody that likes to be stung by a wasp!
Serially, my sister and niece had Agoraphobia and both found their lives so restricted that my sister was afraid to leave the house for 20 years. Fortunately, they both found a drug that helps them with it.
Ron
Trump and White Racism in America (Poetry) - 7/21/2016 7:28:06 AM
There is only one race, called homo sapiens with some vanity. Racism can exist only where and when systems of government and society are in place to enforce it. For example, Blacks may be prejudiced, but they cannot be racist because they have no means or method for enforcing their 'superior' status. Racism requires all four legs of a societal pyramid - wealth and/or status, authority/law, education/history, religion/mythology. Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians and other minorities have none of these and so even when the 'law' says they are equal, the weight of culture overwhelms that 'right' ... In the Americas and Europe, Australia, White skinned folk are racists by definition ...
Trump and White Racism in America (Poetry) - 7/19/2016 9:36:46 AM
Harry there is all kinds of racism in all countries. My Native American ancestors and my Irish ones were treated as badly as any people in this country have ever been treated and you don't see any of their descendents asking for reparation for the things that were done to us or perpetuating racial hate and division. All races can be assimilated into America without losing their individuality. What we all need to lose are the suppositions, attitudes and the us and them mentality. If we don't all learn to accept and respect each other this country is doomed. It would behoove us all to make healing statements that draw all our people together, not the kind of discriminatory "Poetry" you post here that pits races against each other. Yes there are White racists in America, there are also Black ones, we should have come further by now and you should have come further in respect for all races.
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/19/2016 4:15:55 AM
The need for and logic of the Second Amendment is more evident today than ever. We have a government working with vitriol to take away our inalienable rights. Freedom of speech is under attack by government with its P.C. narrative designed to dismiss our personal dialog and emotions. They want to crush human emotions religious beliefs and honest diversity. They selectively enforce the laws ignoring and disobeying those that do not fit their agenda. We have not progressed to a point where the individual's right to bear arms for protection against crime and the tyranny of government are no longer required. As long as corruptible men seek power and wealth at the expense of the masses the First and Second Amendment are vital to the cause of all who would be free men. Foolish men blindly follow the rhetoric of politicos that paint utopia on their canvases of deception.
Trump and White Racism in America (Poetry) - 7/18/2016 10:04:27 AM
No facts, all emoting Harry, bone up on your American history before setting off on a diatribe laced with innuendo and factually challenged statements. It is your right to do so and I will fight to ensure you continue to have it, even if almost nothing you stated is based on fact.
Trump and White Racism in America (Poetry) - 7/16/2016 5:52:05 AM
Nice poem for HEll-HER-Rey lovers.
No FACTUAL BACKBONE here.
Ignorance is simply that.
Stupid IS as STUPID DOES!
Amen my friend....
Trump and White Racism in America (Poetry) - 7/15/2016 1:16:53 PM
Excellent write. The white man has made God in his own image.
Michael D.
Trump and White Racism in America (Poetry) - 7/15/2016 6:44:15 AM
Why do we have "white hats" as good guys and "black hats," as bad guys. Consider black magic bad and anything bad be the "dark," side. We are ingrained in our psyche to find darkness bad. This innate feeling stigmatized those of darker skin. Throughout the history you delineated so well in your poem, those of lighter skin, even among those with "one drop of Negro blood," had a better chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness than others of their own race.
Those following Trump with his simple solutions to complex problems are acting on their instincts and not knowledge or critical thinking. They need a king or dictator to relieve them of their fear of the unknown. The reason they are so fervently Christian is because they need to have something to resolve their internal conflict and the promise of forgiveness and eternal life is too good not to pass up. That's why they're not passing up all the tidbits that Trump is throwing them like the hungry lot they are.
I don't agree with Ed. It doesn't take courage to stand up to bigotry. It just takes doing what Jesus would do. Most so-called, Christians, don't understand that.
Ron
Trump and White Racism in America (Poetry) - 7/14/2016 10:17:08 AM
One man with courage makes a majority.
Two or more make an army. Brilliant write!
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/14/2016 4:14:22 AM
Well put. A prime example is the recent Dallas sniper tragedy when 20 or so rifle tottin' 'patriots' fled the scene (not saying they were wrong to run - just that their 'good guy' guns were a serious complication rather than a solution) - we fear guns in the hands of minorities because we know (deep down) that violence is the real source of our 'freedoms'and privilege - not law or morality.
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/13/2016 7:22:32 AM
There's to many guns,
in the hands of to many nuts.
To be against the NRA,
to many politicians haven't the guts.
To many guns.
To easy to kill.
Those against gun control,
give me a chill.
Michael D.
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/12/2016 8:14:55 PM
7-12-2016
FEMA Concentration Camps 2016 Starving You
Right On In Your Face!!
TRASK...
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/12/2016 5:07:44 PM
Truth - there are more people killed with knives then with guns. Sooooo do we have knife control?
Truth - In states with the TOUGHEST GUN CONTROL - they experience the HIGHEST percent of violent crime. Soooo does Gun Control work???
Truth - No civilian needs an M-16 or an automatic rifle. They should be banned so nuts cannot kill multiple people all at once. AMEN
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/12/2016 7:13:51 AM
Both your poem and your argument against La Belle's logic are right on and should be understood by clear thinking people. Unfortunately, so many are driven by emotion and not by logic. Here are some other points supporting your logic.
There are many mentally disturbed people for one reason or another among us. We tolerate and treat them, but sometimes don't even know what is bothering them because we have freedom and don't put away people anymore with minor or serious mental problems. In my lifetime, I've seen many arguments escalate into violent fights for many reasons. Perfectly sensible people seem to become very vicious with their words and actions. I see people using cars like weapons very often with aggressive driving.
By creating fear unnaturally by various means including media overexposure of otherwise mundane events. Like this national news: "Three young teenagers were found after they were lost overnight in a mine in Wisconsin." In the meantime, another 22 veterans quietly killed themselves in private and their ashamed families, if they still had one, had to bury them and pick up the pieces. This fact continues almost literally unnoticed. National news does not cover it, only the rallies and protests in abundance. Spurred by some outrageous, emotional event
If we continue to create fear and allowing everyone to build up arsenals, "for their own protection." We will begin to see more and more accidental and intentional, "in the heat of passion," deaths and serious injury by gunshot.
Good statistics are hard to find because they are often suppressed, but the data shows that having a gun is much more dangerous than not having one. Why do we let big money and emotion control good sense?
Ron
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/12/2016 4:39:07 AM
Greetings, La Belle Rouge Poetess Of The Heart ...
Ah, the old I am going to protect myself from the American government if it becomes tyrannical argument. Whereas this position once made some sense when the Constitution was first written and the Founding Fathers did not know if this new democracy form of government would work and the potential tyrant’s army would be carrying muskets like the public carried, in 2016 this is a ludicrous argument on several counts. First, your personal gun, even if it is a military-style assault weapon, would be worthless to you in a fight against America’s Armed Forces with their advanced weaponry, including drones, cruise missiles, tanks, jet planes, battleships, etc. You would be armed with a switch in a fight against a pack of grizzly bears. Good luck with that. Second, our democracy has now lasted over two hundred years and is not likely to turn on its citizenry within our lifetimes. Third, you would be fighting your neighbors and their children who make up our Armed Forces, the very people who now are protecting you from attack by our nation’s enemies.
While the first step to any government in becoming tyrannical may be to disarm its citizens (an unnecessary step for those citizens who support the tyrant), it does not follow logically that disarming citizens will lead to a tyrannical form of government. Every other first-world, industrialized country has successfully implemented gun controls without losing their freedoms; for example, all of Europe, Scandinavia, Japan, Australia, on and on. Why is America lagging so far behind the rest of the enlightened nations on this issue?
My poem does deal with a racist issue since gun ownership in America is racist. The people who make and enforce gun laws are primarily White men. A White person feels safe carrying a gun in public with no fear of being shot by the police for doing so. This is not true for Black men. Just witness the recent shootings of Blacks in Minnesota and Louisiana (my home state). Plus I assure you most Whites who carry guns for personal protection aren’t concerned about fighting off some mythical tyrant’s army but have another target in mind. Guns and racism is as American as apple pie.
And no, should America ever grow up and makes gun control a reality, I most assuredly will never wish I had my guns back.
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/12/2016 4:12:00 AM
Oh, I'm with La Belle on this one . . . Big time!
Gun Control in America (Poetry) - 7/12/2016 2:40:52 AM
We have second amendment rights so that citizens can protect themselves from tyrannical government or outside attack. Call me a bubba if my defense of that right makes me one. The first step to any government becoming tyrannical is to disarm its citizens so they have no defense against it. Also this seems to be a very racist post to me. If gun control becomes a reality and your government steps up all its efforts to take away your rights you, Sir, will wish you had your gun back.
One Dead Skunk (Poetry) - 7/9/2016 11:20:58 AM
I think it would have gone over better if just an interesting story rather than a poem. Testing both the chimpanzee and the skunk could be quite onerous because it would be so odorous. ;-)
Ron
One Dead Skunk (Poetry) - 7/9/2016 11:18:51 AM
Cute story. Is this truth or fiction?
Michael D.
A Grandfather Talks to His Grandson (Poetry) - 6/13/2016 11:52:26 AM
How very sad...yet something that sadly we hear more and more of...
Addiction is a terrible affliction, and often ends in tragedy...as in this case...
The family left with so much heartache is heartbreaking...
Very well written...
Diana...
A Grandfather Talks to His Grandson (Poetry) - 6/13/2016 5:42:33 AM
It is certainly sad when a grandfather has to go to a graveyard to advise his grandson dead by addiction. That is the way life order should go.
Ron
Like a Tree Split Apart (Poetry) - 6/10/2016 2:29:38 PM
Wow, really touching. I doubt few of us have or will experience that kind of love for someone anymore in todays' society.
Dan
Like a Tree Split Apart (Poetry) - 6/10/2016 6:15:28 AM
Beautifully written and well expressed. Yes, there are marriages like that, although they are few. I recall my mother telling me about my father's mother's parents lived into their 90s and died within a couple of days of each other, probably because one couldn't live without the other.
On the other hand, my twin brother, unwillingly divorced from his first wife of 18 years, who lost his second wife of 25 years, two years ago, was already back dating a year ago and is looking forward to his next relationship because he can't go back and relive his other two marriages in grief indefinitely.
Ron
Those Potentially Deadly What-if Moments (Poetry) - 6/8/2016 4:41:15 AM
Yes, luck or the law of averages affects us all. At a time of war like you described or for someone who is very active in life or is taking risks, the odds are greater.
Others may have described me as "accident-prone" for the many accidents I've had in my life. Like you, having the small plane I was in get slammed sideways just before landing at the Morgantown airport in a thunderstorm. Riding in a Paducah to St. Louis flight that crashed a couple of flights later. Sliding down a mountainside on loose rock towards a complete drop-off, only saved because a companion threw me a rope. Being pushed backwards off a cliff as a joke and grabbing on to the edge rather than falling to the rocks below. Catching my heel at the top of the stair, and somehow balancing myself rather than falling downstairs headfirst. Several car accidents: the one last year looking like death as we hurtled into the green wall of woods of Interstate 10 near Orange Texas at 60 miles an hour, only to come to a gradual, but battered, stop in the swamp that had been flooded two weeks before.
Ron
Poetic Wordplay (Poetry) - 6/5/2016 7:20:02 AM
Your poem was certainly, "full of feck." Whatever in the hell that means! ;-)
Be careful how you use poetic license. You could get your poet's license revoked!. ;-)
Ron
Poetic Wordplay (Poetry) - 6/5/2016 7:05:24 AM
You may have penned a bit more of history than thou thinkest, Sir Harry. This is quite an enjoyable read. Thanks.
A War Memorial for Every Generation (Poetry) - 6/3/2016 9:50:14 AM
You'll notice the declining number of American deaths in these wars. Unfortunately, we rarely see statistics of death on the other side in foreign wars.
Let us hope that the need to chronicle death and provide memorials will end within this century when we tackle some serious problems with our overuse of the planet and stop bickering over ideologies leading to war.
Ron
Primate House Antics (Poetry) - 5/29/2016 10:05:07 AM
Who evolved from who?
Michael D.
Primate House Antics (Poetry) - 5/29/2016 8:05:49 AM
Definitely make you think!
Diana...
Primate House Antics (Poetry) - 5/29/2016 7:44:09 AM
An interesting perspective of how primates like chimpanzees may view us from their prison enclosures in zoos. Some think that we should eliminate zoos because they are no longer relevant now that we have the Internet and can view animals in their natural habitat without having to use them for our own purposes. We still are invading their privacy when we look at them in their own habitat.
A child was severely injured by a gorilla in a zoo yesterday.
Ron
Affairs of the Heart (Poetry) - 5/18/2016 6:16:51 AM
Well said Harry, still hoping to experience the last verse though, ha!
Dan
Affairs of the Heart (Poetry) - 5/18/2016 5:39:14 AM
There's a certain sense of truth to this poem. I know that it's happened to some.
Ron
Affairs of the Heart (Poetry) - 5/18/2016 4:50:57 AM
I enjoyed reading this.
Michael D.
Newborn Potential for Future Beauty (Poetry) - 5/15/2016 5:58:59 AM
Wonderful sentiment from your observation of the robin chicks. I much prefer the idea that ugly babies become beautiful over beautiful babies that turn into ugly people.
I recall that my beautiful niece's first two daughters had some facial characteristics of their father that made them unattractive as children. However, one just graduated from college and the other is a sophomore in college. Both have blossomed into beautiful young ladies much like their mother in adulthood.
Ron
Newborn Potential for Future Beauty (Poetry) - 5/15/2016 5:00:14 AM
The story of the 'Ugly Duckling' who turned into a beautiful Swan reflects this...Perhaps us Mothers look beyond the physical to see an wholistic beauty in our carefully grown new born infants....
Diana....
Newborn Potential for Future Beauty (Poetry) - 5/14/2016 2:28:39 PM
Everyone know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Freshly born infants are rarely beautiful, but will grow into it quickly most of the time.
A Do-Over in Life (Poetry) - 5/3/2016 5:46:22 AM
Wonderful advice to give oneself. I wouldn't change a thing of what you wrote. Just wish I had done all that while I could. Still, no regrets.
Ron
Dust Is Hiding Under There! (Poetry) - 5/2/2016 7:17:10 AM
I experience that phenomenon every evening when she's around, if even for only a brief time, that dust does get to her brain.
On a side thought. Now that everyone insists on going back to good old, "hardwood floors," it will once again be very easy to sweep that dust under the throw rugs. ;-)
Ron
Dust Is Hiding Under There! (Poetry) - 5/1/2016 3:37:19 PM
I completely agree that men and women see many things in a whole different light . . . Dust just being one of such discoveries . . .
A Woodcarver’s Grieving Hands (Poetry) - 5/1/2016 6:14:52 AM
What a poignant poem that seems almost real. Especially of the part about the wife who didn't know how much effort the man had put into pleasing his daughter and her newborn son, only to find his efforts for naught.
Ron
Vintage Photographs of Olden Days (Poetry) - 4/22/2016 5:57:26 AM
Almost an article format in a poem--interesting.
I see nothing wrong with modern digital photography. Yes, photography used to be a more skilled profession for those willing to work with toxic chemicals (a real pollution hazard) and, because of the cost and trouble, used only on special occasions.
But, I have seen nothing but improvement in photography and amateurs catching photographs that before only professional photographers were able to get. And, professional photographers today are benefiting from digital cameras and digital editing making their photography even more spectacular than it has ever been.
I recently scanned an entire album of my grandmother's with old pictures dating from 1900 to 1950 placed lovingly on black construction paper with little corner holders and white ink annotations marking the people and the occasion by my mother (she denies remembering doing it?) I scanned in high resolution so that the photos are even more easy to view and sent them out to all of my grandmother's descendents. Many did not know these pictures existed.
Ron
Alone Versus Lonely (Poetry) - 4/17/2016 6:26:25 AM
An interesting view of life after a spouse's loss. Except for those few cases when each of a couple die at the same time or close to one another, almost everyone who has been in a relationship for a very long time goes through this phase. My brother lost his wife last year to an accident. He seems to have adjusted quite well. And your poem certainly conveys the difference between what being alone is like, compared with being lonely.
Ron
Both Hands Full (Poetry) - 4/1/2016 9:15:15 AM
A thoughtful piece. Makes one wonder how much revenge lengthens and compounds war. There is no peaceful way of defusing terroristic activity. As I recall, "shock and awe," didn't work very well either. While dropping the atomic bomb on two cities in Japan was horrific, it is credited with ending the war with Japan and saving countless soldier and civilian lives.
I just read an article on the ground in Kurdish territory and how they are defeating ISIS's attempts at expansion. Ethnic Sunni in the north of Iraq, unhappy with the Shia control of the Iraqi government, willingly let ISIS come into their cities and towns. Only later did they realize it was a mistake… After it was too late.
Ron
A Sneaky Killer (Poetry) - 3/1/2016 8:46:26 AM
While you have described type II diabetes very well, I hate the idea of a poem about a disease. I shouldn't complain, because I write poems about almost anything, good or bad, and this is certainly not the first one written about a disease. It's just that diabetes is such a downer.
I know we are all living longer and that is part of the problem. My grandfather lived a pioneer life but ate a lot of canned food and excessively salted food, ending up with I blood pressure leading to a stroke and diabetes by the time he was in his early 60s.
The combination of lifestyle (lack of physical exercise) and diet (ready available convenience food) leading to society's overall obesity are the primary factors in diabetes.
Fortunately, at 73, paralyzed 53 of those years, I paid attention to my exercise and my diet, and did not have diabetes like my grandfather, and his daughter, my mother, and will probably never get it or high blood pressure because blood my stare and blood pressure are still normal.
Ron
A Sneaky Killer (Poetry) - 2/29/2016 5:01:21 PM
I have a feeling you are talking about Thyroid Disease. I happen to be one who has it.
Memories of Unusual Birds in Costa Rica (Poetry) - 2/13/2016 12:05:30 PM
I sure hope that didn't get your buns in a bunch. That is the honest kind of table beggar I ever heard of. Likewise, I really enjoyed the birds I saw in Guatemala 37 years ago.
Ron
A Highly Unusual Life … Yum (Poetry) - 2/7/2016 1:32:37 PM
Now did this lad also drink rum? Just wondering... Nice rhyming!
A Highly Unusual Life … Yum (Poetry) - 2/7/2016 8:58:55 AM
I do like the story, and wonder if there is any truth in it. Unfortunately, of those that take this path with a wanderlust and creative abilities, very few end up with being able to make a living with their creative talents.
And, I have to differ with the others. In your attempt to use this rhyme scheme, your rhyming sometimes seemed to be forced. Since I write rhyming poetry, I find myself facing the problem quite often. That's why I try not to follow rhyming schemes.
Ron
A Highly Unusual Life … Yum (Poetry) - 2/6/2016 10:03:07 PM
I like this rhyme pattern, wasn't familiar with it, it seems you have done it well, and kept the "story" moving along. I also love how you show that those less fortunate were some of the best people you've met. I know someone like this, and he's made life a wonderful journey. Enjoyed.
When I Was a Young Boy in the 1950s … (Poetry) - 2/6/2016 4:10:54 PM
They were days of freedom and friendships. Your reminiscing in this poem is a trip back to a time when neighbors were friends and kids really did not want to sit alone with a technical "companion." Boys had trucks, cars and cap-guns, and girls could play school or cut out paper dolls and enact their lives. Why can't parents limit the screen-time and teach their children from little up that the world is around them, not just in the little boxes they love so much?
Excuse the rant....see what you made me do?
Thanks for sharing...I really enjoyed it!
Connie
A Highly Unusual Life … Yum (Poetry) - 2/6/2016 2:54:31 PM
Life is perhaps the most rewarding teacher of them all...
Thanks,
Chris
Kindness Repaid (Poetry) - 2/4/2016 9:39:19 AM
Man, a whole little movie played out in a poem. Great story.
Dan
Kindness Repaid (Poetry) - 2/4/2016 9:00:14 AM
A wonderful story poem that is so realistic it had to be true. Brought back memories of my early years in the poor part of a tough town where half the kids went to reform school as a prelude to prison, and half the kids, with strong family backing, went on to college and better lives.
And, in high school, we Northerners had an influx of "pipe liners" from the South. Those folks became friends and added a lot of color to our junior and senior years.
Ron
The Heartfelt Cypress Knee Stump (Poetry) - 1/24/2016 9:09:16 AM
Simply lovely. I can't help thinking that this is a true event.
You made me think of the time I bought a gift for my teenage nieces while on a visit. We were in a record store and they wanted me to buy Saturday Night by a flash in the pan British group that prompted Howard Cosell's ill-fated one night stand variety show, Saturday Night. Anyway, I bought them a greatest hits album by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young instead. They wouldn't speak to me for some time after that, but my brother enjoyed playing the album for himself.
My nieces have long forgiven me for my transgression. I don't know if either of them has that album or not. Perhaps my brother still does without a record player to play it.
Ron
The Heartfelt Cypress Knee Stump (Poetry) - 1/24/2016 6:22:32 AM
Harry, very touching and I can personally relate to this , although not totally as I haven't kicked the bucket yet, at least not today anyway.
Dan
The Heartfelt Cypress Knee Stump (Poetry) - 1/24/2016 2:30:23 AM
How charming and heartfelt your words are...
A long road travelled from teenage years to 50's...
I'm sure this will now be a gift dearly treasured..
Best wishes,
Diana...
The Heartfelt Cypress Knee Stump (Poetry) - 1/23/2016 6:34:02 PM
I am sure she did, having once missed the opportunity. A nicely wrung poem, straight from the heart.
John
The Heartfelt Cypress Knee Stump (Poetry) - 1/23/2016 3:22:22 PM
Heart warming and a poem many of us will find hitting close to home.
Thanks,
Chris
When I Was a Young Boy in the 1950s … (Poetry) - 1/9/2016 11:21:42 AM
I tend to agree with you about that last stanza. Play created socialization and character. Play today is all organized and directed by adults, mostly at school and after school activities.
I grew up in the frigid north of Central Wisconsin, but the only difference from your experience was that we didn't need fans except on the dashboards of our cars. And of course, we had lots of snow and winter things to do outdoors that kids like you from the south only occasionally lucky enough to have, like sliding down the nearby hill on a piece of cardboard.
Ron
When I Was a Young Boy in the 1950s … (Poetry) - 1/8/2016 5:08:55 PM
You wrote my life back in the sixties (fifties) what a blunder also, Harry. Oh, yes, things were a hell of a lot different during the Eisenhower years, for sure.
A Baby’s Laughter (Poetry) - 1/8/2016 8:45:32 AM
Strange, although you seem to show the difference between infant laughter and adulthood, I've never analyzed my laughter like that except, perhaps, when I saw myself being rather foolish on a video.
While talking to my 91-year-old mother recently on the phone, I have found that her voice has become rather high-pitched and childlike and she laughs at the end of every line.
Ron
Obama’s Coming for Your Guns … and Other Lies (Poetry) - 1/2/2016 11:43:40 AM
And stupid. Stupidity reigns high in conservative circles like the tea party. For their ideology requires rejection of knowledge and critical thinking. Educational institutions
are considered hotbeds of Obama communism unless they are for-profit schools sucking federal funds for promises of tuition for job.
Everyone needs to quit giving into them and vote.
Ron
Obama’s Coming for Your Guns … and Other Lies (Poetry) - 12/31/2015 9:06:19 AM
Well said! I think that the tea party is the worst thing to happen in politics, and republicans in general are full of it.
Michael D.
What Sometimes Happens When … (Poetry) - 12/30/2015 7:09:46 AM
I just read an interview where the interviewee said that owning guns for many is a sexual obsession. It's like who's got the largest or the most. The average male gun owner has eight guns. Statistics show that a gun in the home for protection, whether locked away or not will: 1) be taken away from the homeowner by robbers 2) be taken in a burglary 3) accidentally shoot the gun owner or someone in the house 4) be found by children and accidentally shoot someone 5) be used in anger rather than self-defense.
I agree that people shoot people and not their guns. But we have to determine if a person merely has a gun for hunting or self-defense, or, if they have a gun obsession and/or some mental disorder that would eventually lead to misuse of guns. We register cars as deadly weapons. Why not guns?
I taught class and sometimes encountered very angry and irrational students. I can see no good in students carrying guns into my classroom. When I hunted in the woods and someone was shooting wildly in my direction, it was scary enough.
Ron
What Sometimes Happens When … (Poetry) - 12/29/2015 4:38:32 PM
Truth! Your direct poetry with a special message just keep getting BETTER! May your New Year be fill with delight, Happy and BRIGHT!
Blesssings, John M.D
Awaiting the Approaching Storm (Poetry) - 12/28/2015 1:25:40 PM
Lived and worked in Dallas for years, then ole Shreveport in oil field core analysis for 15 years, really liked the area, beautful east Texas too and being able to get to Dallas to see the "Boys" play, of course they have made it hard on us fans this year, ughh!
Just waiting on spring training and to see what "banny" and the Rangers can do this year.
When I lived in Dallas in my youth, I remember mass city wide depression when the "Boys" would lose, a loss was a like a bad storm itself that passed through the city.
Awaiting the Approaching Storm (Poetry) - 12/28/2015 7:23:36 AM
An interesting real-time story poem. You are right about the danger in this storm. We got a half inch of rain here in Houston and it was over. Seemed to have been worse of your way and much worse in the Dallas area with 11 deaths and in the Arkansas/Kentucky/Tennessee areas with flash flooding and 15 deaths.
Is not the way to top off the holidays with disaster in the face of a coming winter. I certainly hope that it would never happen to anybody… But it does.
Ron
Awaiting the Approaching Storm (Poetry) - 12/27/2015 5:35:56 PM
Nope, I imagine the Dallas final score won't be diddly-squat if the tornado strikes where you live.
A Small Child’s Question (Poetry) - 12/27/2015 7:58:30 AM
A very good question posed by a child. Your poem shows great empathy for those oppressed. Most would, if given a choice, wish to stay in their homeland.
It seems that people gravitate towards simple solutions for complex problems. For example, in your poem, you mentioned Sunni extremists. Yet, one of our greatest fears that engenders hatred is toward the country of Iran, a Shia state.
Ron
“Magical” Animals (Poetry) - 12/19/2015 1:15:16 PM
The 20th century with all of its images, movies and songs like, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." Have all contributed to the mythology that children love but is so preposterous to think. You are carrying on the tradition into the 21st century and beyond.
Ron
Ornaments of Our Life (Poetry) - 12/11/2015 11:39:24 AM
What a wonderful tradition your wife has created by her collection! I could see this poem being turned into a classic Christmas story.
Ron
Ornaments of Our Life (Poetry) - 12/11/2015 4:56:58 AM
A couple that shows interest in Christmas
passed and present, a lovely story, how wonderful!
Thanks for sharing, Harry!
Ornaments of Our Life (Poetry) - 12/10/2015 2:02:28 PM
Nice reminiscing for sure, Harry. Yes, such a wonderful thought process throughout your life together. Sweet!
Lesson of Anne Frank for Current Times (Poetry) - 12/6/2015 12:43:11 PM
Forget Jerry Bolton's bigoted statement. To date, and it's been at least four years, not one single Syrian refugee has been linked to any terrorism.
You are absolutely right in informing everyone in your poem that the United States rejected many Jews fleeing the Nazis for reasons very similar to those used today to avoid taking responsibility for those innocent people just trying to save themselves. Most refugees, if given the choice, will return to their homeland as soon as it is safe enough to go home.
Ron
A Terrible Beautiful Day (Poetry) - 11/26/2015 10:37:07 AM
TO MOURN A LIGHT THAT HAS MOVED TO A BETTER PLACE AND TO BE GRATEFUL FOR HAVING KNOWN THAT LIGHT...BRINGS US TO THE BITTER SWEET TIME OF A 'BEAUTIFUL DAY'. HAPPY THANKSGIVING! LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS
A Terrible Beautiful Day (Poetry) - 11/1/2015 1:47:49 PM
Not many can say they were able to come to the bedside of a dying father who is 97. You were fortunate to have him through several generations of the family. From your poem I can see that it was a moving experience to be there when he died.
My father contracted one of those deadly bacteria that inhabit hospitals after routine surgery on his heart valve and a bonus bypass at 85. Over four months, he recovered twice, partially and then succumbed the insidious infection. I was only able to see him once around October 15, but he lingered on until he was moved from the hospital and died only with my mother present.
Ron
A Terrible Beautiful Day (Poetry) - 11/1/2015 6:17:52 AM
Harry,
I am so sorry for loss. I remember vividly watching my Dad lying in a hospital room hooked up to machines fighting for every breath. Those days are burned in our hearts. Let us think of the good memories we have and they are whole and happy now in the arms of Jesus.
Love and blessings,
Linda
A Terrible Beautiful Day (Poetry) - 11/1/2015 4:40:36 AM
Ah . . . I hail from a little town about sixty miles north of Shreveport, called Taylor, Arkansas. Sad that we have to write these poems about death, especially concerning someone close to us. Sorry for your loss.
South African Lion Farms (Poetry) - 10/16/2015 8:53:45 AM
I'm not sure a poem reaches people as well as a well-written article. But your poem sure reached me with the utter insanity of canned hunts that are held almost everywhere these days as big game animals become scarce in the wild. The idiots that think they can become big bwanas by shooting animals in a barrel are really diluted.
It will take a lot of education, especially of Chinese and other Asian peoples with ridiculous medicinal and sexual potions to stem the tide of large animal poaching.
In the meantime, we writers are obligated to alert the world of practices that treat animals more as commodities than our brothers in the food chain.
Ron
South African Lion Farms (Poetry) - 10/15/2015 3:29:56 PM
Canned hunts of any kind are pathetic and even more so as you said when the "hunter" goes back to his friends and boasts and brags of his superior hunting abilities. Shame, shame.
My Wife Watching “Wheel of Fortune” (Poetry) - 9/19/2015 11:18:43 AM
I really like this little bit of humor. I'm sure your wife likes it, too. Especially that revelation in the last line.
Wheel of Fortune is my mother's all-time favorite show. She always scheduled our evening meal around it so that she could guess the answer to the phrases before any of the contestants even figured out what consonants to pick. It would've been my joy to see her on the show one day. But she never wanted to venture to the places where those shows aired.
Ron
The Peculiar Nature of Man (Poetry) - 9/5/2015 10:01:03 AM
Beautifully written and strikes home so well. Patriotism takes on all forms. The German people were certainly duped into believing. I worked for a German sailor after the war. He was unapologetic and said that he was part of a great Navy, although he defected to Canada and then the United States after the war because as he said, "I don't like the politics of reconstruction in Germany right now…."
While most of the people, like the "silent majority" in the United States, went along with the Nazi party line, we tend to forget, or not know, that 10 million non-Jewish Germans were killed or imprisoned in concentration camps. Of those that went along, they probably grumbled and complained just like so many do in this country, and left the "powers that be" continue with their strong rhetoric and narrow ideas.
Ron
The Peculiar Nature of Man (Poetry) - 9/4/2015 2:07:52 PM
Hard for me to get into a gentle Nazi soldier's persona . . . I guess it happened here and there, but have trouble conjuring such a man in my thoughts.
HGTV and Me (Poetry) - 8/14/2015 5:48:39 AM
That was really cute… Especially the feminine side. ;-)
I've been watching those shows too, and since I have always dabbled in design and even designed and built my own home, as well as modifying the one I'm in, they are quite interesting. You really covered all the bases. What's really strange is peoples' obsession with stainless steel appliances and granite, etc., countertops, ripping out what exists even though it is probably fine with a few minor decor changes. I also see a lot of tile floors that are perfectly good torn out for other tile floors, at great expense. Landscaping always seems to be secondary and just for "curb appeal." But then, I've always been quite conservative, opting for more expensive elements that pay off in the long run, are not faddish, reduce maintenance, and conserve energy and water.
Ron
The Death Queue (Poetry) - 8/13/2015 7:50:08 AM
An interesting perspective. While I have many relatives including siblings, I have no descendants. So, I guess my queue is very short, and always has been very short. ;-)
Ron
The Death Queue (Poetry) - 8/12/2015 5:32:02 PM
I hear you talking. As an "oldest living family member," I'm looking death in the face and he is getting the Bronx cheer and the friggin' finger.
The Foolhardiness of Youth (Poetry) - 7/24/2015 7:35:27 AM
Loved it! Very creative.
When she heard that we had been hunting mice as teenagers, a neighbor lady mentioned to my mother while we were listening that she would make a pie of mice if she had some.
The next time we went out hunting among some old stumps, we killed about a half dozen mice and put them in a paper bag. When we returned home we knocked on the neighbor lady's door and showed her the bag of mice we brought for her to make a pie with. All she did was scream. ;-)
Ron
The Black Experience in Old Dixie (Poetry) - 7/10/2015 11:59:56 AM
This is a superb narrative, Harry, told from the point of view that few others have had save only the Blacks who lived it, endured it, and died from it. Save only. My first encounter with a Black was a lady who lived down the street. She gave me peanuts and sang songs and told me stories. She became my best friend. She was such a good teacher that I never had to go through the "hate" stage in order to meet a Black person on equal terms.
The Black Experience in Old Dixie (Poetry) - 7/10/2015 10:42:58 AM
Ron, thank you for reading my work and posting your thoughtful comments about my poem. I appreciate your words of support for this piece. It has received a lot of views, but yours is the only feedback received.
It will be a great day, should it ever arrive, when people only see others as fellow humans and don't dwell on the pigment in their skin.
Thanks again for your review.
The Black Experience in Old Dixie (Poetry) - 7/10/2015 7:53:09 AM
Very telling and timely. I'm a white man from the north, but wish that I had written such a wonderful piece about what I know and have experienced both in the north and in the south.
Racism may not ever be totally stamped out. There are always those who, through their convoluted minds, will think that one race is superior over another. But, in the long run, with intermarriage becoming more and more prevalent and accepted, we will all be a pleasant shade of brown and will no longer think that we may be black for "one drop of blood" but be proud of our DNA heritage like so many are now beginning to find out. Archaeologists and other scientists have found that most Europeans, and not Africans, have 1 to 3% Neanderthal DNA. Neanderthals have always been considered to be a subhuman species. But it is obvious from DNA that Neanderthals interbred with modern humans who came out of Africa and are part of most Europeans and Asians. That may explain some of our brutish behavior.
Thank you for posting this monumental piece. I hope others will comment as well.
Ron
A Matter of Some Debate (Poetry) - 6/19/2015 4:51:11 AM
Thanks for the comments. The answer is this is an acrostic poem.
A Matter of Some Debate (Poetry) - 6/18/2015 8:45:00 AM
Throughout history, correct choices haven't always prevailed. It's always a winner that prevails. Probably, the height of discord in this country came with the onset of the Civil War where brothers actually fought against one another. I guess that's why social progress takes so long. The strong survive and the strong are not necessarily right.
Ron
A Matter of Some Debate (Poetry) - 6/18/2015 7:50:29 AM
I'll say it's politics and religion.
Michael D.
A Matter of Some Debate (Poetry) - 6/17/2015 12:34:19 PM
Hah! Ya got me confused . . . The subject to be avoided could be sex, money, faith . . . Those three . . . Maybe . . .
Great Morning to Run Our Errands, Eh? (Poetry) - 5/23/2015 3:22:10 AM
Try... "Just singing in the Rain".... And a little dance...that should get her smiling again!
Diana....
Great Morning to Run Our Errands, Eh? (Poetry) - 5/22/2015 6:33:57 AM
You are lucky that it wasn't 6 inches, like you are probably going to get today. Some of those areas you drove through might have flooded your car like so many in East Texas and Louisiana lately with all the rain we've been getting.
We have a trip planned to San Antonio on Sunday with a 70% chance of rain. I'm not too worried about driving in rain on our Interstates, but they have been known to be shut down if some of these rivers get any higher. I can hear my partner yelling at me already about "Why did we have to go in the rain?"
My answer will be… And she won't like it… "Because you always have your shop open on Saturdays, even over holidays and you insisted that we only take two days of rushed travel over the Memorial Day holiday, not allowing any other, more sensible, time to travel." But then, women operate on emotion, and not good sense.
I also do not have good sense. I cannot hold an umbrella and electric wheelchairs are not supposed to get wet. It's a good thing the Wildlife Park at the Natural Bridge Cavern is drive-through, but the Riverwalk isn't. I might get very wet.
Ron
Enough Rain Already! (Poetry) - 5/21/2015 11:46:36 PM
...and look at California, they are instituting the National Guard to deal with the extreme drought conditions...and people out there, some of them, not all, are STILL watering their lawns...plain stupidity on their parts...while the rest of the country gets soaked...NJ must have gotten some of your rain yesterday/Thursday or was it because I just waxed my car the day before...yep I caused it, I can take the blame...-e-
Great Morning to Run Our Errands, Eh? (Poetry) - 5/21/2015 11:41:00 PM
But the rain can be fun, though I find myself in just the same situation regards heading to the shore, I used to love to walk in storms on the beach, but now when it rains I stay in my apartment...are we getting old...no that can't be it, can it...? -e-
