I feel like I have stumbled upon a spent battlefield. I am ignorant of all positions, and unwilling to choose sides. All I can do is pick up the pieces. My tears fall on shards of solidarity. So much pain. Why can’t I be a thick mist that permeates everything, gently soothing parched lands and bringing comfort. God, please, just let me be what they need.
Month:July 2009
Constructive Crypticism
Ummm, yeah…
Apparently my page headings are a bit cryptic.
I wanted to make browsing my blog a bit like exploring a fantastic domain (as in a domain name, i.e. isengaurd.com). So the page, tag and category names are such as one would experience while wandering the realm. Here is an explanation of the titles, mainly what they link to and why I names them what I did.
Destinations:
This is a signpost that you might find directing you to different places in the domain. Like villages in a kingdom, each page represented has different things to offer a visitor. The pages are as follows:
About: Self explanatory. It’s about me and my blog.
Listless Drifters: Well, maybe not so listless as they have found their way here. This page lists the users on the site and a few statistics. It’s usually only me, much to my dismay…
Mindwalks: Also fairly self explanatory. This page is where I wax philosophical about anything and everything.
Poems: Self explanatory. Lists poetry I have written and published on the site.
Send a Message in a Bottle: Hehehe, it’s a contact form. Another way to drop me a line if you don’t want to leave a public comment.
Wandering Eyes: As you tour my domain, you will see many different things. This is a photo gallery of my family and places I love. Let your eyes wander over what I hold dear ^^
Next up is Alternate Routes, usually seen as categories on most wordpress documents. It’s a different way to get to the individual posts on the various pages. Kind of like taking the backroads to a favorite hang out in a nearby town. The headings are about exactly what they say they are about.
Obscure Passages is exactly that. They are paths less traveled, but lead to great places.
Lost Days. Hehehehe. Obviously it’s a calendar that highlights the days I post. But as I post so infrequently, most days are not highlighted. They are ‘lost.’ So I named it for the majority 😉
Drifters Passing By is an applet that summarizes who is visiting my domain. All to few, alas.
Mists of Direction is a cloud applet that I really like. All the categories that I post under are listed here. Some tags too as well I think. And like all clouds, its misty, but it takes you somewhere too.
Anyone who reads my posts can tell I like to play with words and use them in unorthodox ways. Plays on words, doubletalk, alliteration, spelling, and usage can all be manipulated to give common words different meanings depending on context. I love word games, and even the title of this post twists things up a bit. But the mood and meaning of the titles is always wrapped around the heart of the post, and it can be said that they set the mindset of the reader.
My father told me that I would never have a greater weapon than the English language. If not for him and this advice, this blog would be very different. Thank you Daddy. 🙂
Out of the Mouths of Babes…
I showed the pictures Cass drew to represent me to my youngest son, age 14. His response? “Ummmm, yeah. A little less Tinkerbelle and a lot more G.I. Joe…”
My Favorite Weather
God,
Thank you for the rain
thank you for washing the dust off my jaded eyes
thank you for the lightning that reminds me of your power
thank you for the thunder that reminds me of your strength
thank you for the wind that reminds me of your presence
thank you for the storm that keeps me humble
thank you for the puddles that bring me joy
thank you for the drops that kiss my cheeks with your loving forgiveness as they wash my soul clean.
My Grandfather’s Tools
In my shop I found a square
I think my parents left it there
it was rusty and unused
“I need this at work.” I mused
It was among some others there
planes for wood, a larger square
They had belonged to my mother’s dad
just a few of the many he’d had
It went to work with me that night
to set a blade, make sure its right
and even though it wasn’t new
that little square was perfect true
My Grampa was a quiet man
He worked a lot with his hands
and to me it just seemed right
To re-employ that square last night
Tools were made better in his day
And too expensive to just throw away
They don’t make things like that anymore
use new things once, then out the door
I think my Grampa would be proud
to know something of his was still around
to know that they are treasured things
true as ever, just like him.