Tag Archives: thoughts

Servants of All

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Audio of this poem https://anchor.fm/ann-frailey/episodes/Servants-of-All-e17nu4k

Hints of pending change,

 Reminding wanderers of seasons’ range.

We think we know,

 Sun, rain, sleet, and snow.

Unthought of winds carry hellish storms to the door.

Thoughts crowd into actions—Reactions Roar.

Yet when a timid vine with blossom blue winds up the rail,

All blusters sail.

Stilled by soundless certainty,

Happiness meets joy in perpetuity.

The perfections of simple beauty—

A man’s able strength,

A woman’s gentle touch,

Children’s innocent play,

The frogs’ night chorus,

A deer feeding across the way…

Unexpected truth alters,

Our design

Our challenged wills falter,

Mysteries combine.

Warnings and hints of come what may,

Yet never is, as we say.

See the terrible and tremendous both,

For in honesty lies our growth.

Not gods with plans in hand or self-made giants we,

But servants of all, in humanity.

Books by A. K. Frailey

Historical Science Fiction Novels

OldEarth ARAM Encounter https://amzn.to/2KLhlsN

OldEarth Ishtar Encounter https://amzn.to/2OAkDQF

OldEarth Neb Encounter https://amzn.to/3iGqGlQ

OldEarth Georgios Encounter https://amzn.to/3v7w8oI

OldEarth Melchior Encounter (In Production)

Science Fiction Novels

Last of Her Kind http://amzn.to/2y1HJvg

Newearth: Justine Awakens http://amzn.to/2pq0vWN

Short Stories

It Might Have Been—And Other Short Stories https://amzn.to/2XXdDDz

Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories & Novella https://amzn.to/3dq6q5l

Inspirational Non-Fiction

My Road Goes Ever On—Spiritual Being, Human Journey https://amzn.to/2KvF3Ll

The Road Goes Ever On—A Christian Journey Through The Lord of the Rings https://amzn.to/3rtAy6S

Children’s Book

The Adventures of Tally-Ho http://amzn.to/2sLfcI5

Poetry

Hope’s Embrace & Other Poems https://amzn.to/3cn22X8

Photo https://pixabay.com/photos/autumn-tree-leaf-forest-trees-4460724/

Bow Thy Head

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Podcast https://anchor.fm/ann-frailey/episodes/Bow-Thy-Head-e171con

Humble understanding thy limits make,

Profound reason for honesty’s sake.

The soil seems simple at first glance,

But with myriad life, it does dance.

Head held high, shoulders back,

Our vision focused, true sight we lack.

So certain sure,

We can endure.

Rain and winds, seasons galore,

Our own devises, we adore.

Then lightning strikes,

Poison bites,

Miniscule microbe,

Virus vice-hold.

Warriors’ frenzy,

Leaders’ envy.

Chaos.

Amid tears, the hard ground softens,

Broken hearts.

Not from lofty heights does reason rule,

But from gravesides where our grief may pool.

The Masters of our fate?

No more the ant picks death’s date.

Ozymandias Ruler of All,

Time did decree—all kingdoms fall.

Faith in God no bargains’ decree,

The faith of God—Move mountains, see.

Worthless pagan self-made faith,

Tempter of a demented wraith.

In God Alone,

Humbled Humanity,

True Glory Forever Shone.

Books by A. K. Frailey

Historical Fiction & Science Fiction Blend Novels

OldEarth ARAM Encounter https://amzn.to/2KLhlsN

OldEarth Ishtar Encounter https://amzn.to/2OAkDQF

OldEarth Neb Encounter https://amzn.to/3iGqGlQ

OldEarth Georgios Encounter https://amzn.to/3v7w8oI

OldEarth Melchior Encounter (In Production)

Science Fiction Novels

Last of Her Kind http://amzn.to/2y1HJvg

Newearth: Justine Awakens http://amzn.to/2pq0vWN

Short Stories

It Might Have Been—And Other Short Stories https://amzn.to/2XXdDDz

Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories & Novella https://amzn.to/3dq6q5l

Inspirational Non-Fiction

My Road Goes Ever On—Spiritual Being, Human Journey https://amzn.to/2KvF3Ll

The Road Goes Ever On—A Christian Journey Through The Lord of the Rings https://amzn.to/3rtAy6S

Children’s Book

The Adventures of Tally-Ho http://amzn.to/2sLfcI5

Poetry

Hope’s Embrace & Other Poems https://amzn.to/3cn22X8

Photo https://pixabay.com/de/photos/mann-nebel-silhouette-kniend-knien-1868418/

Imaginative Wonder

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https://open.spotify.com/episode/5JycYwduHmtIRprP2BM45p

Elves and Wood Folk live here. In a late summer morning, birds chirping, crickets humming, green leaves languidly swaying, bushes blooming, hens wandering sedately across the yard—queens of their private domain—and my world is blessed.

I do not trouble my soul with questions on such a morning. I breathe deep and trust in God. That is enough.

Imagination rules over all the troubles of life, and hope lights the path for yet another day.

Yesterday, I was in this same space, but not at peace. My heart ached with the knowledge that my father could hardly speak and will likely never truly speak to me again.

I took my newest college kid to get a required vaccine for a disease I do not understand and cannot see the end of.

My youngest daughter needed blood tests for a strange loss of bone that no one yet understands.

A massive insect attack, sweltering heat, and thunderstorms charged across the land.

Memories of lost loved ones twisted my heart into knotted strings.

I faced a flat line where book sales were supposed to be after a vigorous book sale effort.

I spoke with a gentleman suffering from many losses, who comforted me with the story of Job, a sufferer relieved of despair only after he prayed for his friends.

Together we mourned, and together we prayed.

That made all the difference.

Today, I celebrate my second son’s 24th birthday.

I make ready books and materials for a new school year starting Monday.

A cool breeze and falling yellow leaves warm my soul in light of autumn’s coming glory days.

I celebrate the Life of God with my community knowing full well that not everyone shares the same understanding, but we all long for meaning beyond chaos.

In a wonderfully imaginative picture my middle daughter painted for her brother, set amid the many gifts each sibling gave to their treasured friend, I caught, once again, the spirit of enthusiasm that had all but died yesterday.

An elven figure danced in a wooded glen, whistling a merry tune.

There is life beyond what these eyes can see.

Oh, God of the Universe, when we humans lose our true treasure in the midst of daily toil, fighting the trolls and ghouls of grief and despair, send a gentle breeze in a flowered glen—be it in sight, scent, touch, tune, taste, or pure imagination.

Remind us of Your glory. The Wonder that makes our weary love live anew.

Books by A. K. Frailey

Historical Fiction & Science Fiction Blend Novels

OldEarth ARAM Encounter https://amzn.to/2KLhlsN

OldEarth Ishtar Encounter https://amzn.to/2OAkDQF

OldEarth Neb Encounter https://amzn.to/3iGqGlQ

OldEarth Georgios Encounter https://amzn.to/3v7w8oI

OldEarth Melchior Encounter (In Production)

Science Fiction Novels

Last of Her Kind http://amzn.to/2y1HJvg

Newearth: Justine Awakens http://amzn.to/2pq0vWN

Short Stories

It Might Have Been—And Other Short Stories https://amzn.to/2XXdDDz

Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories & Novella https://amzn.to/3dq6q5l

Inspirational Non-Fiction

My Road Goes Ever On—Spiritual Being, Human Journey https://amzn.to/2KvF3Ll

The Road Goes Ever On—A Christian Journey Through The Lord of the Rings https://amzn.to/3rtAy6S

Children’s Book

The Adventures of Tally-Ho http://amzn.to/2sLfcI5

Poetry

Hope’s Embrace & Other Poems https://amzn.to/3cn22X8

Photo https://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/wald-nacht-fantasie-berge-b%c3%a4ume-6105455/

Chorus

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A poem a day might well keep despair away. I’ve been reading 150 Most Famous Poems published by Poetry House with works by Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and many more. What I find so extraordinary is that while reading, I enter a sort of dreamland, an extra sensory awareness shared by many fellow humans. It’s the strangest sort of community in that we never have to have met or even speak a word to each other, yet we share a fathomless bond.

It’s the images, the juxtaposition of contrary thoughts, even transitions from this world to the other world so smoothly delved that the reader discovers they have entered someone else’s dreamscape, yet, it feels like home.

As William Blake so perfectly states in his poem Auguries of Innocence

To see a world in a grain of sand,

            And heaven in a wildflower.

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

            And eternity in an hour.

Or as George Gordon, Lord Byron reveals in There Is Pleasure in the Pathless Woods

There is a rapture in the lonely shore,

There is society, where none intrudes…

To mingle with the Universe, and feel

What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.

Emily Dickenson hits the mark in her poem Hope is the thing with Feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words…

With shocking insight, Paul Lawrence Dunbar strips our pretense away in We Wear the Mask

We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

To thee from tortured souls arise…

These poems and so many others embrace the sunrise in company with souls alight with mystical spirit. No matter the day or year, highborn or low, city dwellers or country folk, they fellowship in a shared human journey. In a world torn by strife and divided along so many lines, these voices rise like a chorus, reminding me, no matter how painful my steps or proud my goals, I have never journeyed alone.

Books by A. K. Frailey

Historical Fiction & Science Fiction Blend Novels

OldEarth ARAM Encounter https://amzn.to/2KLhlsN

OldEarth Ishtar Encounter https://amzn.to/2OAkDQF

OldEarth Neb Encounter https://amzn.to/3iGqGlQ

OldEarth Georgios Encounter https://amzn.to/3v7w8oI

OldEarth Melchior Encounter (In Production)

Science Fiction Novels

Last of Her Kind http://amzn.to/2y1HJvg

Newearth: Justine Awakens http://amzn.to/2pq0vWN

Short Stories

It Might Have Been—And Other Short Stories https://amzn.to/2XXdDDz

Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories & Novella https://amzn.to/3dq6q5l

Inspirational Non-Fiction

My Road Goes Ever On—Spiritual Being, Human Journey https://amzn.to/2KvF3Ll

The Road Goes Ever On—A Christian Journey Through The Lord of the Rings https://amzn.to/3rtAy6S

Children’s Book

The Adventures of Tally-Ho http://amzn.to/2sLfcI5

Poetry

Hope’s Embrace & Other Poems https://amzn.to/3cn22X8

Photo https://pixabay.com/illustrations/dreaming-night-moon-dream-fantasy-5224816/

Genius Love from Above

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My head is stuffed with thoughts profound,

The puppy’s eyes follow me round.

From cradle to grave,

My brilliance—a knave.

To-do lists organize life,

Duty calls for thrifty wife.

Family, friends, country, space,

A universe of relations

Olympic race.

Mom’s wisdom,

Not so wise.

Answers have not,

Compliance rot.

Trade texts for text,

Offer emoji smile.

So little a thing,

Happiness bring.

Genius love,

From above.

Grace endows a simple heart,

This world to next, we never part.

Books by A. K. Frailey

Historical Fiction & Science Fiction Blend Novels

OldEarth ARAM Encounter https://amzn.to/2KLhlsN

OldEarth Ishtar Encounter https://amzn.to/2OAkDQF

OldEarth Neb Encounter https://amzn.to/3iGqGlQ

OldEarth Georgios Encounter https://amzn.to/3v7w8oI

OldEarth Melchior Encounter (In Production)

Science Fiction Novels

Last of Her Kind http://amzn.to/2y1HJvg

Newearth: Justine Awakens http://amzn.to/2pq0vWN

Short Stories

It Might Have Been—And Other Short Stories https://amzn.to/2XXdDDz

Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories & Novella https://amzn.to/3dq6q5l

Inspirational Non-Fiction

My Road Goes Ever On—Spiritual Being, Human Journey https://amzn.to/2KvF3Ll

The Road Goes Ever On—A Christian Journey Through The Lord of the Rings https://amzn.to/3rtAy6S

Children’s Book

The Adventures of Tally-Ho http://amzn.to/2sLfcI5

Photo https://pixabay.com/illustrations/mobile-phone-smartphone-hand-heart-1419274/

Along the Roadside

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Early this spring, I was taking my usual walk, and I couldn’t help but notice three beer cans in my path. Annoyed, I picked them up. And then I picked up an empty whiskey flask, a crushed cigarette pack, and a slimy soda bottle… By the time I made it home, I had an armload, and I really needed a shower and a change of clothes.

So then began a weekly stroll farther and farther along the roadside, picking up whatever garbage caught my eye. Yesterday, I completely ignored the fact that it was windy and that we had had a rainstorm the night before. I sauntered out with three trash bags in hand. What can I say? It was sunny, and I was feeling ambitious.

Pumped with the sensation that I could at least do this little thing well, I began to pick up bottles, cans, broken car pieces—though I was momentarily stumped when I came to a hubcap and a bumper—couldn’t fit those into my bags.

Cars passed, and at first, I’d look up and wave. Occasionally I could see the face of the person driving. Clearly, they weren’t sharing my joy. On the contrary, they looked either concerned or bewildered.

As I shuffled along and my bags got heavier, I pondered the situation. I tried to see what I looked like from a driver’s perspective. Then it hit me. I could easily be mistaken for a vagrant, someone doing community service for a traffic violation, or a disgruntled do-gooder. After all, my wave and smile had disappeared after the first quarter mile.

By the time I reached the edge of town, I knew I had to turn back. Actually, common sense would’ve had me turn back a half mile ago, but picking up bottles and cans can be amazingly addictive. It’s like finding another prize to add to your collection. You just have to ignore the fact that your toes are squishing in muck, and your hands don’t smell so good anymore.

A neighbor stopped on my return trip and offered to take the bags in his truck, and I, like the complete idiot I can sometimes be, waved him off. I thought I could just finish the north side of the road, and besides, home wasn’t that far away.

Yeah. Right.

Did I mention that heavy rain can turn fields into sucking quicksand, and strong winds over an open field are nothing to sniff at? Well, once my bags were full to the bursting point, turns out that they also equal the weight of a bloated elephant. And lo and behold, I was carrying three bulging sacks, creating a wall that just demanded to be knocked down.

Yeah, I made it home and sorted the cans and plastics, and I even took them to the recycling center. But as I pondered my aching shoulders today, I had to consider why this whole scenario seemed so bizarrely familiar.

How many times in life have I tried to pick up the trash along the roadside of life, and in the process, got a few weird stares and a bit messy? Did I mention aching arms?

It seems that following an inspiration to do some small good in the world does not necessarily equate with enjoying the sensation beyond the first few moments of self-satisfied pleasure. More often than not, I have found that following up on a good-deed involves all sorts of complications and grimy realities I never considered on the outset.

If I listen to my shoulders, I’ll never take a trash bag down the road again. But then as I returned home from the recycling center, a beer can lay there, sprawled on the ground like an intoxicated groundhog, and I knew I’d be back.

After all, it was the only one…

Books by A. K. Frailey

Historical Fiction & Science Fiction Blend Novels

OldEarth ARAM Encounter https://amzn.to/2KLhlsN

OldEarth Ishtar Encounter https://amzn.to/2OAkDQF

OldEarth Neb Encounter https://amzn.to/3iGqGlQ

OldEarth Georgios Encounter https://amzn.to/3v7w8oI

OldEarth Melchior Encounter (In Production)

Science Fiction Novels

Last of Her Kind http://amzn.to/2y1HJvg

Newearth: Justine Awakens http://amzn.to/2pq0vWN

Short Stories

It Might Have Been—And Other Short Stories https://amzn.to/2XXdDDz

Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories & Novella https://amzn.to/3dq6q5l

Inspirational Non-Fiction

My Road Goes Ever On—Spiritual Being, Human Journey https://amzn.to/2KvF3Ll

The Road Goes Ever On—A Christian Journey Through The Lord of the Rings https://amzn.to/3rtAy6S

Children’s Book

The Adventures of Tally-Ho http://amzn.to/2sLfcI5

Poetry

Hope’s Embrace & Other Poems https://amzn.to/3cn22X8

Photo https://pixabay.com/de/photos/schotterstra%C3%9Fe-feldpfad-zaun-hdr-32104

The Stuff of Life

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I am not a shopper.  I am not a hoarder.  I do not enjoy having a lot of stuff.  Thus I sometimes get annoyed with a society which loves to get, collect, and pass along massive amounts of stuff.  To me, a clear environment is akin to a clear mind. When I am busy taking care of “stuff,” I tend to miss out on doing other things—things that I would much rather be doing.

As an example, my youngest daughter came to me recently and asked if she could go out and “meet the rain”.  I had a sudden flashback to when I was a young girl and went out to meet the rain myself.  I remember having a glorious time just standing outside watching and feeling the rain come down and being amazed at the power and glory of nature.  I so enjoyed the raw and primitive reality of a quiet, pattering rain. When my daughter came back inside a few minutes later, she was laughing, and she told me that she had gone into the “deepest, deepest rain.”  I knew exactly what she meant, and I was so happy for her.

Stuff is just stuff; it will not last.  Stuff has a purpose in that we need stuff to eat, to wear, to live in, and the tools of our trade, but still, stuff can become a noose around our necks when we offer up the very purpose of our existence to the maintenance of all of our stuff—stuff that distracts us from God, from experiencing life and other people. Living simply with less stuff takes self-control, and it can be hard to get rid of stuff we have become attached to, but we make choices all the time, and choices involve a spirit of letting go. Our lives are a process of letting go, realizing that people we love will go on ahead without us, and we will have to leave others behind some day.

When my last day comes I do not want to be filled with thoughts about the stuff of life but rather the relationships I have nourished and the life to come. I do not want to be filled with regrets of wasted time and opportunities. My days pass all too swiftly, and I want them filled with more than stuff.

 

Books by A. K. Frailey

Historical Fiction & Science Fiction Blend Novels

OldEarth ARAM Encounter https://amzn.to/2KLhlsN

OldEarth Ishtar Encounter https://amzn.to/2OAkDQF

OldEarth Neb Encounter https://amzn.to/3iGqGlQ

OldEarth Georgios Encounter https://amzn.to/3v7w8oI

OldEarth Melchior Encounter (In Production)

Science Fiction Novels

Last of Her Kind http://amzn.to/2y1HJvg

Newearth: Justine Awakens http://amzn.to/2pq0vWN

Short Stories

It Might Have Been—And Other Short Stories https://amzn.to/2XXdDDz

Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories & Novella https://amzn.to/3dq6q5l

Inspirational Non-Fiction

My Road Goes Ever On—Spiritual Being, Human Journey https://amzn.to/2KvF3Ll

The Road Goes Ever On—A Christian Journey Through The Lord of the Rings https://amzn.to/3rtAy6S

Children’s Book

The Adventures of Tally-Ho http://amzn.to/2sLfcI5

Photo https://pixabay.com/photos/child-protection-umbrella-rain-2956973/