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Category Archives: humanity
One Spoke
I am but one spoke in the wheel.
I carry only a small portion of the load.
The wheel could function without me.
It sustains itself as a whole.
I am but one spoke in the wheel.
I do my part.
I carry my share of the load.
I hold strong.
We are but spokes in a wheel.
We support one another.
We rely on one another.
We work together to carry a load that
none of us could sustain on our own.
Without each spoke,
the wheel weakens.
Without us all, the wheel would collapse.
The vehicle’s motion would cease.
We cannot steer the vehicle.
We must rely on other mechanisms to
choose our direction.
We must trust in others, as others trust in us.
Together, in faith, we make the journey.
The Daily Post weekly photo challenge: Weathered
tenacity
Sometimes growth isn’t about new beginnings and fresh starts.
Sometimes it’s about perseverance through tough times,
when stagnation would be so much easier;
giving up easier still.
Sometimes growth comes with refusing to wilt.
The Daily Post weekly photo challenge: Growth
All that Sparkles
All that glitters is not gold.
Sometimes what sparkles is priceless!
The Daily Post daily prompt: Sparkle
in honor
You look so young
smiling nervously for the camera
quite handsome in your new uniform
A farm boy called to fight in a war
a world away from the Oklahoma crossroads
where you grew up
You told us about the time
you got shot in the arm
You said the nurse was really nice and
the needle didn’t hurt too much
We laughed at your joke
but knew you escaped heavy combat
only by a twist of fate
and a revised timetable
You came home and raised a family and
taught us to appreciate life
No lectures; you taught by example
We learned civics and civility and
truthfulness and trustworthiness
We learned to honor the honorable
and to try… try… not to judge
I’m not the most stalwart patriot
but I cry at parades
when the flag bearers pass by
in their crisp uniforms
and I hold my hand over my heart
in respect for the flag, and I
remember that some fathers or mothers,
sisters or brothers, sons or daughters
didn’t come home
and I vow to raise my family, and
teach them civics and civility and
truthfulness and trustworthiness
… and honor
and again
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A Photo I Wish Didn’t Exist ~ Repost
I am reposting this important photo because the original post cut off the message of the photographer, Justin Hofman. Please read his comments below.
This photo was posted by photographer Justin Hofman on Instagram, with permission to share.
Justin writes:
“It’s a photo that I wish didn’t exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it. What started as an opportunity to photograph a cute little sea horse turned into one of frustration and sadness as the incoming tide brought with it countless pieces of trash and sewage. This sea horse drifts long with the trash day in and day out as it rides the currents that flow along the Indonesian archipelago.
“It’s a photo that I wish didn’t exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it.”
~ Justin Hofman, photographer
“This photo serves as an allegory for the current and future state of our oceans. What sort of future are we creating? How can your actions shape our planet?
“Thanks to @eyosexpeditions for getting me there and to @nhm_wpy and @sea_legacy for getting this photo in front of as many eyes as possible. Go to @sea_legacy to see how you can make a difference. ”
A Photo I Wish Didn’t Exist
This photo was posted by photographer Justin Hofman on Instagram, with permission to share.
Justin writes:
“It’s a photo that I wish didn’t exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it. What started as an opportunity to photograph a cute little sea horse turned into one of frustration and sadness as the incoming tide brought with it countless pieces of trash and sewage. This sea horse drifts long with the trash day in and day out as it rides the currents that flow along the Indonesian archipelago.
“It’s a photo that I wish didn’t exist but now that it does I want everyone to see it.”
~ Justin Hofman, photographer
“This photo serves as an allegory for the current and future state of our oceans. What sort of future are we creating? How can your actions shape our planet?
“Thanks to @eyosexpeditions for getting me there and to @nhm_wpy and @sea_legacy for getting this photo in front of as many eyes as possible. Go to @sea_legacy to see how you can make a difference. ”
Remembering 9/11
Photo by Peggy Lemmer. All rights reserved by the photographer.
Not Bride nor Groom
You’re not his bride.
He’s not your groom.
You’ll never tango;
that dance takes two.
Beware the rose
clenched tight in your teeth.
It still carries thorns
the groom slyly bequeathed.
You claim vindication
to the near-empty church,
saying it’s you who has left
the groom in the lurch.
The groomsmen drift off,
gifts must be returned,
future in-laws sent home
by the bride sadly spurned.
The bridesmaids, too,
dressed up all the same
try in vain to save face
in the scorned bride’s name.
But they hike up their dresses
another wedding to seek
before the guests notice
how the bride’s bouquet reeks.
As break dancers take
to the reception hall floor,
the tango strains follow
diplomacy out the door.
Wedding crashers line up
awaiting a feast.
They’ll not go home hungry;
they will feed off the beast.
And so your romance
with clandestine ties
is unraveling now
before everyone’s eyes.
The moral is simple
for all those misled:
know with whom you are sleeping
before climbing in bed.
“He’s not my bride, and I’m also not his bride or groom”
~ Russian President Vladimir Putin, in regards to Donald Trump. (9/5/2017)
“It takes two to tango. It seems to me, our U.S. counterparts for now are performing solo breakdance moves.”
~ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (9/1/2017)
What Rhymes with Stanza? 