11/14/2017 0 Comments The tide pullsAbram barely rippled the surface as he pushed the boat through the darkness. As he turned it toward the East and into the Pamlico, the rising tide pulled him toward Washington and the cabin that was a refuge and a prison at the same time.
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10/8/2017 1 Comment Open Wounds and Fairy TalesChuck Cooper recently released a book of poetry and has generously allowed me to share a poem with my readers. I hope you enjoy it. If you would like to purchase a copy, it is available on Amazon.
SUBLIME LIFE The sun shown on a flat river, No ripples, no waves, no insects, no fish Just placid, stolid water sitting, Maybe even pooling. There was no way to tell, If the water came or went. It was a river to be sure, It had both in and outlets, Slipping a serenade beneath the surface, Sublime and meandering. On a journey home, But to the casual observer, nothing was betrayed. Life can be lived this way, when it is lived well. Sacrifice can be sublime with time, In truth, in life, Without pomp, circumstance, or strife A simple expression of values held deep. Leaders lead. Barkers screech. Those who do, do, Not for credit from men, But perhaps the love of men. For the love and expression Of a person’s own values Is truly all there is, And that is a life of sacrifice: To trade a piece of you, in time, thoughts, and talent, Elbow grease, even work. All those things you have to trade, For something that is good in your own eyes And given freely, to see your values expressed And no one can ask anyone for anymore. Greater love there may well be, But not in this world. You, who have given of yourself And asked a price, Are engaged in trade, not sacrifice. What is the cost of sacrifice? If ever there were such a thing, Such a day, or a night to give What you could give, and then more. Would it be worth the power of being, Of knowing yourself to be, Who you are? Is there a cost to sacrifice, If it is done well and true, Away from the eyes Of those who don’t know you? What makes men great? Is it sacrifice, virtue or values To oneself or another? Is it creation, that pinnacle of existence That is so common and yet so divine. Is creation even valued anymore? What makes men great? Is it achievement, Or glory or humor, or a mask, that ability to be Someone else, anyone else, in any situation? Or is it simply to be oneself Under placid waters All these things as one Unnoticed, unremembered Slipping along, a life lived well. Thomas Gray had words for you. That you lived was enough; That you lived well, was sublime. 9/15/2017 0 Comments Taking the Road Less TraveledSometimes it pays to take the road less traveled.
I left off when we were full of hope, counting down the mile markers to the North Carolina state line. The traffic did not move faster, but we knew it would speed up soon. We crossed the line and stopped again at a rest stop full to capacity. The Floridians were still following us and they were joined by the Georgians and the South Carolinians. There wasn’t enough room for us all, so we sat on the highway watching our 4:30 ETA turn into 6pm and then 7:30. Years ago, we would sit there and wait not knowing how much time we were losing until we arrived at our destination. But in this time of constant connection and GPS’s, we watched every minute disappear. I asked for an alternate route and we were given three. One was a detour toward the coast and Wilmington which was the equivalent of the traffic we were already in and the other was a back road through Cape Fear country, land of sandy soil, vineyards, and cotton fields. He was done with traffic, so we crossed our fingers and took the exit toward Elizabethtown. “I’ve been there before,” he said, “on a firework run to South Carolina.” “I know they have a Tractor Supply Co.” “It’s too small for that, but you will love it.” “They do, I promise.” “We’ll see.” He looked at me with doubt in his eyes. I might not be good at taking time off but work I know and that includes where my business partners are. I was beginning to doubt the GPS though as we took turn after turn. It was if a 4-year-old had connected the dots and sent the design to the highway department to number as county highways. The ride was a peaceful one despite the GPS’s trustworthiness being in doubt. The scenery was beautiful and he was right when he said Elizabethtown would be one of my favorite spots of the trip. Most importantly we were finally making time. And yes there is a Tractor Supply. |
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November 2019
CategoriesAll Chasing Irma Family Life In The South Living In The South Photography Travel Writing All photos on the website are taken by Tammera Cooper and remain her property.
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