My Friends & their poems, photographs or art.
Although it may appear that all of my friends are named, James :), there are many others as well. To have your picture, art, funny, poem, etc. on 'My Friends' page, send me a blog please or email me.
Jim 'The Poet' Wilson
One Corner - Three Countries
I stood in the castle courtyard high on a hill
In Freiburg im Breisgau, a Bavarian town.
Tucked away un the southwest corner of Germany
And I saw three countries at once.
I looked to the south to Heidi's Switzerland
Neutral with no need for a Navy,
With clocks, cheese, and bak accounts
While the people look to/or from the mountains.
I looked west and saw Pierre's France,
Scarred by the two World Wars
With its' berets, champagnes and Citroens
While people search for their joie de vie.
I looked where I stood and saw Helmut's Deutchland
Trying to forget all wars,
With lederhosen, wiener schnitzel, sauerkraut and bier
While people search for sanity in a nuclear world.
I stood on German soil in American shoes,
I saw three countries, but my heart saw home.
James Webb Wilson 1966 Dec 31, 2009
I stood in the castle courtyard high on a hill
In Freiburg im Breisgau, a Bavarian town.
Tucked away un the southwest corner of Germany
And I saw three countries at once.
I looked to the south to Heidi's Switzerland
Neutral with no need for a Navy,
With clocks, cheese, and bak accounts
While the people look to/or from the mountains.
I looked west and saw Pierre's France,
Scarred by the two World Wars
With its' berets, champagnes and Citroens
While people search for their joie de vie.
I looked where I stood and saw Helmut's Deutchland
Trying to forget all wars,
With lederhosen, wiener schnitzel, sauerkraut and bier
While people search for sanity in a nuclear world.
I stood on German soil in American shoes,
I saw three countries, but my heart saw home.
James Webb Wilson 1966 Dec 31, 2009
TOGETHER AS A TEAM
Allusions, hints, trust and innuendo
Seem to light the way we go
To share as signposts for those who follow
Through the mist of mossy hollow
Around the bend and across the bridge
We shall climb atop Bald Mountain’s ridge.
Alluring suggestions that touch our souls
Give us our purpose and set our goals
For words are bigger than they seem
When hitched together as a team.
We marry our thoughts to our deeds
Remembering the faith of our mustard seeds.
Side by side up the mountain trail
THE SOJOURN OF FAITH SHALL NEVER FAIL
To reap a harvest a hundred fold
In all the stories we have typed
Out of real life’s tales and trials
We generate joy and grant warm smiles.
James Webb Wilson © Dec 18. 2009
Allusions, hints, trust and innuendo
Seem to light the way we go
To share as signposts for those who follow
Through the mist of mossy hollow
Around the bend and across the bridge
We shall climb atop Bald Mountain’s ridge.
Alluring suggestions that touch our souls
Give us our purpose and set our goals
For words are bigger than they seem
When hitched together as a team.
We marry our thoughts to our deeds
Remembering the faith of our mustard seeds.
Side by side up the mountain trail
THE SOJOURN OF FAITH SHALL NEVER FAIL
To reap a harvest a hundred fold
In all the stories we have typed
Out of real life’s tales and trials
We generate joy and grant warm smiles.
James Webb Wilson © Dec 18. 2009
James Beckett
That Mouse
the upheaval has already started
me and a mouse will soon be departed
i already flooded one half of the house to catch that damn sneaky little mouse;
the other half i set on fire ... to catch my little heart's desire.
that damn little mouse can sure run fast...but at this pace it won't really last.
i am hot on his heels before he gets away...even if I have no house at the end of the day.
The Forgotten
humanity,everyday i see you on the street...always hungry for something to eat
and still there are many who do not know
what love and compassion are really for...manic depression and psychotic dementia just to name a few
if you lived on the street you'd be there too...so many come and go with nearly a blink
.born at the top and to the bottom they sink...for all the ones that are not wanted and loved anymore
useless empty shells of life,not knowing any more, what love is for
ambulances running up and down trying to save them yet...
but in the end, gone and well forgotten,even before their graves are set.
the upheaval has already started
me and a mouse will soon be departed
i already flooded one half of the house to catch that damn sneaky little mouse;
the other half i set on fire ... to catch my little heart's desire.
that damn little mouse can sure run fast...but at this pace it won't really last.
i am hot on his heels before he gets away...even if I have no house at the end of the day.
The Forgotten
humanity,everyday i see you on the street...always hungry for something to eat
and still there are many who do not know
what love and compassion are really for...manic depression and psychotic dementia just to name a few
if you lived on the street you'd be there too...so many come and go with nearly a blink
.born at the top and to the bottom they sink...for all the ones that are not wanted and loved anymore
useless empty shells of life,not knowing any more, what love is for
ambulances running up and down trying to save them yet...
but in the end, gone and well forgotten,even before their graves are set.
James Turner Harris
Don't Fence Me In
(humorous combination James's doing :)!)
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.
(humorous combination James's doing :)!)
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.
Bessie Stringfield
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=277 One of my 'unsung' heroes was a nurse, Bessie Stringfield, who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame several years ago. A woman of color, Bessie decided, during WWII, to volunteer her services to the U.S. Military and carry sensitive war messages.
Many service stations in the south refused to allow her to refuel which, unfortunately, resulted in her having to push her bike often. Yet, she continued to serve her country!
I wrote to tell Bessie how much "I" admired her courage and determination despite all the odds against her. We became friends.
That Christmas my son disappeared--Dec. 1992, Bessie hand wrote and sent a string of letters to keep my HOPE beaming brightly that Doug would be found alive.
I sent her a Christmas present and, later, was told how excited Bessie was when she showed her necklace to her friends at church. It was the first Christmas gift she'd received in years!
Doug's remains were found Feb. 4th, 1993 and, when I returned from buring my son, my letter telling her that Doug was found, murdered, bounced back to me marked 'Return to Sender'.
Shortly thereafter I received a letter saying Bessie, childless, having no one in the end--had passed away.
Her friends sent me a picture of Bessie in a separate envelope. After her will was read, I received yet another picture. Bessie left instructions for them to give me HER favorite picture of herself as I was her dearest friend at the end of her life.
Many service stations in the south refused to allow her to refuel which, unfortunately, resulted in her having to push her bike often. Yet, she continued to serve her country!
I wrote to tell Bessie how much "I" admired her courage and determination despite all the odds against her. We became friends.
That Christmas my son disappeared--Dec. 1992, Bessie hand wrote and sent a string of letters to keep my HOPE beaming brightly that Doug would be found alive.
I sent her a Christmas present and, later, was told how excited Bessie was when she showed her necklace to her friends at church. It was the first Christmas gift she'd received in years!
Doug's remains were found Feb. 4th, 1993 and, when I returned from buring my son, my letter telling her that Doug was found, murdered, bounced back to me marked 'Return to Sender'.
Shortly thereafter I received a letter saying Bessie, childless, having no one in the end--had passed away.
Her friends sent me a picture of Bessie in a separate envelope. After her will was read, I received yet another picture. Bessie left instructions for them to give me HER favorite picture of herself as I was her dearest friend at the end of her life.
John Foster
John Foster
The oak tree by Matsuo Basho:
The oak tree:
not interested
in cherry blossoms.
The butterflies dance
Brilliant colors of rainbows
Rippling like water
butterflies in flight
brilliant rainbow colors
ripple past the pond
Fountain spray
Opened door's light
Bring prisms to the night
The sky
the sea
endless winter night
Janice Kennedy
The Day the Earth Shook
The earth trembled, the earth shook,
tens of thousands of lives were took.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Many cried and some continued to scream,
it was a terrifying, nightmarish kind of scene.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Flames of fire broke out here and there,
Smoke and falling rubble filled the air.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Walking anywhere was no longer safe,
Everyone was looking for a familiar face.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Children and animals were running around,
their homes had crumbled to the ground.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
It shook with a mighty and furious force,
lives had been horribly changed, off course.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Yet, a candle of hope in their midst, they lift,
as through the rubble and broken stone they sift.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Even though so many of them had died,
within them their love for God still abides.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
A small, yet glorious shining light,
a light that will continue to burn bright.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Hope still remained in their hearts,
the day their whole world fell apart.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
A gratefulness prevails with the spared.
Reach out to them with your prayers.
Most of them no longer have a thing,
still they have a song to sing.
This little light of mine,
they will continue to let it shine.
It is a faith that dwells internal,
for hope burns eternal. . . .
(C) Joyful Jan Jan. 2010.
The earth trembled, the earth shook,
tens of thousands of lives were took.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Many cried and some continued to scream,
it was a terrifying, nightmarish kind of scene.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Flames of fire broke out here and there,
Smoke and falling rubble filled the air.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Walking anywhere was no longer safe,
Everyone was looking for a familiar face.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Children and animals were running around,
their homes had crumbled to the ground.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
It shook with a mighty and furious force,
lives had been horribly changed, off course.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Yet, a candle of hope in their midst, they lift,
as through the rubble and broken stone they sift.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Even though so many of them had died,
within them their love for God still abides.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
A small, yet glorious shining light,
a light that will continue to burn bright.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
Hope still remained in their hearts,
the day their whole world fell apart.
The day the earth shook, in Haiti.
A gratefulness prevails with the spared.
Reach out to them with your prayers.
Most of them no longer have a thing,
still they have a song to sing.
This little light of mine,
they will continue to let it shine.
It is a faith that dwells internal,
for hope burns eternal. . . .
(C) Joyful Jan Jan. 2010.
Leonard Granger
-----Love thy neighbor as a brother. (an award winning true story)
Two years ago we were in need of a bull on the farm and after searching we found just the perfect animal. It was a Beefmaster, 2 year old, with all its shots, dehorned and a perfect answer to our needs, however, the price was more than we expected. After discussing it a couple days, we purchased the bull from the photographer at the Vacaville Reporter, who raises Beefmaster cattle. The prized bull has become the leader of our cattle herd and his offspring look just like him.
The other day while I was working in the garden, a neighbor lady, called to me that she saw a coyote in her back yard. She was concerned he would carry off my small dogs, so I put them in the house. I have seen coyote in my pastures and the cows are caving now, but the big bull. now weighing over 1500 pounds, is their protector.
About 3 months ago, a gentleman who has cattle in a pasture adjacent to mine, came over to the farm with his young daughter, to see if I had a bull for sale. I showed them a yearling bull and they said they would be back, but they didn't have the money right now.
Last Saturday morning it was still summer, the man and his young daughter came over with money, they had saved for the young bull. It was 3 months older, and the value had increased somewhat, however, I agreed to our original price, but explained it was still too young to service his herd. They said tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, he would get help and pick up the young bull. I would prepare a bill of sale and give it to him when the bull was delivered.
We went to town on one of our goof off days, shopping and looking around. Later that evening I called the cattle for a feeding of hay by clapping my hands, my voice is getting too old to make a cattle call. We noticed the young bull was in my pasture but the prized big bull was gone. About that time, my bull sounded off from another neighbors pasture, so we went over to ask how my bull got in their pasture, thinking the buyer took the wrong bull. He said, men were doing something with my fence and they put the bull in his pasture. It was now dark, and my bull would stay where it was until later.
That night I prayed about what to do , and the same answer came to me over and over. The next morning, I told my sister in law, who is living with me, since I lost my wife, and she said, "If that is what the Lord says, do it." Sunday was one of those plus 100 degree days and the neighbor never came for the young bull or called.
Monday morning, rather early, while I was working in the garden, he and his brother arrived. He started to tell what had happened and I said wait, I have the bill of sale for you. I went in the house and brought out the document for him. He read it and his face broke into a big smile, he gave me one terrific hug. I had just transferred my prize bull to him at a fraction of what it was worth. This young neighbor family, needed a bull that they could use now, not wait until the yearling was older. He said my big bull had jumped the fence and he with help, had repaired it so my other cattle would not get out.
Later I was talking with another neighbor, who watches our farm when we are gone, and his wife said you did what was right. Her husband added, Len, I can never figure you out. There are great people living in the country and I pray it never changes. Just hope the young bull will fill his fathers place, as protector of the cattle herd.
Two years ago we were in need of a bull on the farm and after searching we found just the perfect animal. It was a Beefmaster, 2 year old, with all its shots, dehorned and a perfect answer to our needs, however, the price was more than we expected. After discussing it a couple days, we purchased the bull from the photographer at the Vacaville Reporter, who raises Beefmaster cattle. The prized bull has become the leader of our cattle herd and his offspring look just like him.
The other day while I was working in the garden, a neighbor lady, called to me that she saw a coyote in her back yard. She was concerned he would carry off my small dogs, so I put them in the house. I have seen coyote in my pastures and the cows are caving now, but the big bull. now weighing over 1500 pounds, is their protector.
About 3 months ago, a gentleman who has cattle in a pasture adjacent to mine, came over to the farm with his young daughter, to see if I had a bull for sale. I showed them a yearling bull and they said they would be back, but they didn't have the money right now.
Last Saturday morning it was still summer, the man and his young daughter came over with money, they had saved for the young bull. It was 3 months older, and the value had increased somewhat, however, I agreed to our original price, but explained it was still too young to service his herd. They said tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, he would get help and pick up the young bull. I would prepare a bill of sale and give it to him when the bull was delivered.
We went to town on one of our goof off days, shopping and looking around. Later that evening I called the cattle for a feeding of hay by clapping my hands, my voice is getting too old to make a cattle call. We noticed the young bull was in my pasture but the prized big bull was gone. About that time, my bull sounded off from another neighbors pasture, so we went over to ask how my bull got in their pasture, thinking the buyer took the wrong bull. He said, men were doing something with my fence and they put the bull in his pasture. It was now dark, and my bull would stay where it was until later.
That night I prayed about what to do , and the same answer came to me over and over. The next morning, I told my sister in law, who is living with me, since I lost my wife, and she said, "If that is what the Lord says, do it." Sunday was one of those plus 100 degree days and the neighbor never came for the young bull or called.
Monday morning, rather early, while I was working in the garden, he and his brother arrived. He started to tell what had happened and I said wait, I have the bill of sale for you. I went in the house and brought out the document for him. He read it and his face broke into a big smile, he gave me one terrific hug. I had just transferred my prize bull to him at a fraction of what it was worth. This young neighbor family, needed a bull that they could use now, not wait until the yearling was older. He said my big bull had jumped the fence and he with help, had repaired it so my other cattle would not get out.
Later I was talking with another neighbor, who watches our farm when we are gone, and his wife said you did what was right. Her husband added, Len, I can never figure you out. There are great people living in the country and I pray it never changes. Just hope the young bull will fill his fathers place, as protector of the cattle herd.
Standard Tracking Code
