In the hills of Kentucky

In the hills of Kentucky echo my father's childhood memories. A child's dream lingers there, tucked away under summer's sun and midnight stars. He said goodbye to McKee, otherwise known as Jackson County. Leaving for neon lights even though that place he once called home was always felt in his heart. The root of my family as I know it is buried there up on a hill.The markers are obscure from passers by. Rarely do visitors come now. Faithfully, every year Granny would take a trip down home to lay flowers on the graves in hopes of not forgetting those who have gone on to their new home. I visited there several times as a child and I fell in love with the landscape. It was like stepping into my families past. I didn't grow up there, but sometimes I wish I would have. It's a beautiful place surrounded by hills and mountains. Regrettably, as I grew older the trips became less and less. Life just takes you away sometimes. The letters we want to write, the phone calls we want to make or the trips we want to take just seem so out of reach by what I call living. I miss papaw's good humor and his banjo picking. He's long gone now, but I remember him well. The people there are a priceless people. I can still smell the firewood burning and the crickets singing at night. As a child I hated to leave when it was time to go home. I couldn't get enough of that place. The meals were like a thanksgiving feast all year round. If you left hungry it was your fault. Ain't no use being shy if your hungry. From time to time I go back there in my mind, which is quite often these days, and think about the things I fondly remember about that place. It was a privilege for me to be able to visit when I did. Now, it is a part of my childhood memories that I hold on to dearly. I thank God for creating that place and giving me the opportunity to see the landscape with my eyes at full attention to the scenery laid out before me. It's a place rich with history and humble beginnings for many families. It's a home away from home. And one I'll never forget.

The Master Poet

The Master poet seems to be absurd at times with words
with broken wings-
he cannot become true divinity.
Must he explain himself before the masses?

Serpents gather to lounge and tongue amongst themselves.
But the poet, the master, he collected knowledge
in this state of being.
Solitude.

Unafraid, but not unaware
in his dark paradise

Dancing ghosts, dancing words,
dreams the poet.

At nearby moon,
to be among the living
unfolding words dramatically spoken.
The face, the eyes so revealing.

Writing has become his religion.
The cure for his broken wings.
But did he really have broken wings?
A light in his darkness-
his fears become non-existent.

Timing is everything

There is a process to every event that takes place in our lives. It will either break us or make us stronger. I prefer the latter. There is something to learn in every situation that keeps us moving forward. To reach that goal depends on choices and timing. Timing is everything.

The purpose of the gift is not mine to keep

After ten years in hiatus I have decided that it was time to share my writing again. I have not had anything published during those ten years until recently. After all, Life is worth living and is meant for giving because you can't take anything with you when you leave. It's certainly does not mean that I am any more important than the next person, but I have something relevant to say. I have written much about things that I feel are important to me and Humanity in general. We have all been given a gift and it is up to us how we choose to use it. If we keep it to ourselves it will only serve us. There will be no return because we did not invest it in someone or something. How can I reap if I don't plant or sow? There will be no harvest. How selfish I once was until I knew that my gift, talent or ability was not mine to keep, but it was for the purpose of helping others. Perhaps if one doesn't think too hard or try to elaborate some scientific intelligent method of reasoning for life we might find that that gift can change someone elses. To think that the dysfunctional and traumatic things I experienced in my life could help someone else was unfathomable at one time. You see my friend, someone out there is where I used to be.