"High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

"High Flight"

 Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
 And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
 Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
 of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
 You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
 High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
 I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
 My eager craft through footless halls of air....

 Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
 I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
 Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
 And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
 The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
 - Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

 by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Songs we sing to close the gap

 2021-01-16

Start and finish one short story. How hard can it be?

Songs we sing to close the gap

We were both staring at the water. Watching the blue become a deeper and lighter again as the tide rolled out. He started speaking without turning to look at me. 

“I've always hated the church bells by our house. Now I hate them more.”

I turn to look at him, my father in profile. “You can't mean, that? Pop you and Mom have lived here for forty years. Seaside view, church nearby. I thought you loved it here.”

“You're mother loved it here. I loved it because she loved it. I missed the city like you wouldn't believe.

I had enough real life for one day. Coming from my mother's graveside. 

Red and Blue America Aren’t Experiencing the Same Pandemic

An article from The Atlantic byRonald Brownstein March 20, 2020


Even a disease as far-reaching as the coronavirus hasn’t entirely crossed the chasm between red and blue America.
In several key respects, the outbreak’s early stages are unfolding very differently in Republican- and Democratic-leaning parts of the country. That disconnect is already shaping, even distorting, the nation’s response to this unprecedented challenge—and it could determine the pandemic’s ultimate political consequences as well.


https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/03/how-republicans-and-democrats-think-about-coronavirus/608395/

How do you live love?

I asked a friend of mine, "how do you live love?" He thought about it and responded. His response is below. 
This simple question gave me insight into his world and pointed me in the direction of how I can be a better human being, and accepted the being I already am.

Thanks, Lloyd.

"Raymond,  

Your question brought about a very natural answer,  however,  without creating a context of my answer i feel the answer alone would miss the mark.  

I saw a movie called "People vs The State of Illusion" that has an explanation of what love is and it resonates for me as to how I live Love every day. 

Humberto Maturana (Chillaen Botinist) expression of Love.  

His definition of Love is: It's the act of one person allowing another person to be a legitimate other.  It's the act of profound respect.  

It's the act of me allowing you to be you, and when you experience that coming from me it opens you.  It brings about an absolute level of trust.  

This cannot be rationalized into existence,  it simply is a space of being in each moment.  

I also incorporate into what my definition of Love is: The desire to allow and nurture the   full development and expression of who another desires and has the potential to be. 

When people love each other,  there is an experience of spiritual connection that is natural and palpable. 

How I live Love every day is, I endeavor to take a breath and get present to who I am interacting with, what we're doing and the beauty that we're in this life together, this moment is no accident.  Am i successful in every moment,  no.  Life's a journey and  i have success every day"


Sent from my iPhone"