Brief Perspectives – Blunt

My heart full afire
Aching with such great desire,
But hidden remains.

***

Adrift in oceans
Feelings of such depth complete,
Catching undertow.

***

Losing what matters,
Living becomes rigorous,
I must rescue me.

***

Comfortable safety
Challenging freedom gone wild,
Wolves nipping at heels.

***

Who stole the deep sleep?
It could not be a cheap creep,
No, a dream-like you!

***

When the darkness falls
It engulfs unseen places,
Who we may still be.

***

Swift the beating heart
Imagining what could be
Between written lines.

***

A broken needle,
Pine, collected in a shoe,
Quick must be removed.

***

Whoever we are
Often little changes much,
Except with God’s touch.

***

Isolation is
A boon when epidemics
Are loose in nations.

***

I have not known what to write today. It seems like nothing wants to rise up from the primordial soup of my brain. Therefore I turn to haiku, that stable medium that I can concoct out of nowhere.

Reading Harlot’s Ghost has brought me to reading some of the periodicals because the book is too heavy to comfortably walk with in my right hand. Reading Granta, Science, NYT, and National Review on the tablet. It is nice to read the current articles.

Working hard to disable ads on the tablet. Engaged developer mode, but having some problems still.

It was warm enough for short sleeves, even outside, which was a comfortable change.

I hope you have an excellent evening and find enjoyment it whatever you undertake.

More Reading

I finished one book that I have been nursing for a while and three others that I more recently started.

The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy, I read in hardcover, with 453 pages. This is a novel of India with a diverse cast. It is filled with surprises and perceptions of people who though broken, have chosen love. I did not expect it. I highly recommend it and rate it a five. This is the one I carried a while. It seems paper books are a bit more demanding.

Merlin’s Booke by Jane Yolen, was on Kindle, with 176 pages. I am a Merlin fanatic. I will read anything with Merlin. I am not sure I did not read this before, in the eighties. Matters not; joyfully read it. Jane Yolen is an author who weaves stories so spectacularly one gets tangled in the threads. This is one of those tens, I must give a five, because of the current rating scales en vogue.

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, I read on Kindle, with 277 pages. I cannot express how good this novel is, everything about it is exceptional. The characters are so well described, the situations are so well written, the feeling one comes away with like a precious hug. This one is 100% delight, I highly recommend it and give it a way better than five.

Reader, Come Home by Maryanne Wolf, I read on Kindle, with 277 pages. This is non-fiction, see I do read it, it is about research on print and digital media. Our brains are being restructured with our use of screens. If you have children, this might be extremely informative for you. I have felt that there were changes in attention and concentration as I have become part of the digital world. I think this an important subject and the book very well done. I recommend it. Five stars seem inadequate.

When I do these reviews, I am not sure you know, I include the Amazon links in the titles.

No link to this because I am not reviewing it. My current read is Harlot’s Ghost by Norman Mailer, which I have been saving (LOL) since 1991. This one will take a bit as it is in hardcover and over 1300 pages. I knew it would exceed expectations, and I am not disappointed.

I hope you had a fulfilling week and wish you an enjoyable weekend. This is post 56 for the month, and it is not over yet. I have done some other writing today, so I may be back later.

Blessings be upon you, yours, and all you endeavor to accomplish.

Anyway, Love

In bright times laced with smiles,
On long days covering too many miles,
When success breezes in, dreams come true,
At moments when failure occurs, as it will do,
Find yourself constant, love anyway.

Discovering a new love, quite delicious,
Dealing with a terrible loss, needing one solicitous,
Welcoming the advent of excitement with joy,
Finding tedium and boredom in things that cloy,
You have the power within, love anyway.

When tired beyond bearing, yet cannot sleep,
Tempted by whatever pleasures, unable to keep,
Disappointed by those you hold precious, dear,
Facing intense battles, riddled by fear,
Square your shoulders, head held high, love anyway.

Embraces that gladden hearts near despair,
Confidence enriched from many, everywhere,
Friends on whom you can depend,
Relationships breaking to suddenly end,
The brightness and darkness, love anyway.

Love is not a few words, aptly said,
Invite it to live and tuck it in bed,
Love can be defined by no measure,
Love is all, present forever, infinite treasure,
We are our most competent best when we love anyway.

Photo taken in the Chapel at Callaway Gardens. I was there a number of times doing photo shoots.

I was struggling, not knowing what I would write tonight. A phrase leapt out of the novel I am reading, “he loved me anyway.” I immediately thought we should all love anyway. The poem came with some work, but it sure is nice to be loved anyway. I believe unconditional love is in somewhat short supply.

I hope each of you has a productive week, peppered with enough relaxation to keep you fortified for all that comes your way. May you gain the successes you strive for and find peace and love in all your ways. Be well, God Bless You!

@ Jo Ann J. A. Jordan

Recent Reading

The Binder of Lost Stories by Cristina Caboni is available through Kindle Unlimited. The book is 261 pages, but it reads quickly. Threads from the present and past are expertly woven in this tale of book romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it. Were ten on the rating scale, it would easily earn it, as is it is a glorious five.

The Whisper Man by Alex North was read on Kindle and is 350 pages of consummate storytelling with spellbinding horror. Children are our future, but no future should be like this. It reads quickly because the writing is exquisite, but it might chill your blood to the bone. Excellently told, another I would award a ten, but our scales like to end at five, so be it.

The Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper is one of those Kindle books I was not quite prepared for and was taken out beyond the breakers. It came in at 344 pages, but it is so much more than that indicates. You may be aware I shy from politics, this book goes right to the heart of the beast, and what we do not know, well, it is revealing. It is a reasonably fast read, but the taste will stay with you a while. Another one which should be a ten, but it is a racy five.

The Killing Fog by Jeff Wheeler is a First Read on Kindle this month coming in at 404 pages. I think had I realized it fell into YA, I might have taken a pass. That said, the story is enchanting and heroic, classic good against evil. Swords, magic, dragons, villains, a female protagonist. It gets a five.

You may find I often rate fives, the reason being I almost always pick books I know I will enjoy. When purchased books disappoint me, I am usually surprised.

I seem to be on a Kindle kick. I read faster on a device. It is probably because I do my steps while reading, and the screen is illuminated, whereas the shadows affect my vision when I read hardcovers.

Whatever you do, read. It helps a person in so many ways. Also, instill the love of reading in everyone you can.