This issue's pictorial focus is on the early arrival of Fall in this area of Utah. There is also a synopsis of a great conference I attended in San Francisco.
My newest novel, What's Next~An Epic Journey, is available to the general public. The book is a sequel to the The End of Time and Back: An Epic Journey. You can purchase now byclicking here. (Scroll to the correct title.)
To the End of Time and Back: An Epic Journey is available via Amazon and Kindle. It will grab you from the start and carry you to places you have never been. The book contains many diverse ideas and is a great love story filled with adventure and intrigue.Questions? Email me. To read more click here. To go to Amazon, click here.
Click hereto link to a You Tube radio interview about To the End of Time. (Friend David Riggs produced it for me. To link to his book, click here.)
A number of individuals have sent some wonderful reviews. You can read some ofthem in the Forum Section below.
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I am pleased to have you as a reader. If you enjoy the PJ, please encourage others to subscribe.
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The next Poetical Journal will be out on Sunday, October 30, 2016.
A bit of red as the colors begin to change
Opening Comments from Bob
What's Next ~ An Epic Journey and Beyond Time and Back: An Epic Journey: Both novels are available on Amazon. What's Next is a sequel to Beyond Time and tackles a topic that impacts us all. Both books are intriguing reads.
This Issue: This issue has a combination pictorial focus, early fall in our area of Utah and the 17th World Congress for Qigong, Tai Chi, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The two serious poems are Our Books and The Tao. The vignette speaks to my attendance at the 17th World Congress.
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Next Month: The next issue will be out on October 30, 2016.
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Aspens beginning to change
.Two Poems this Month
Our Books
Joyce, in her ninth decade, unfolds a ring-bound book, notes in red scribbled between the lines.
“Here is my life, but I have more to write,” she states.
Then she shows a preciously held picture.
The image of a young sailor smiles to the world.
“That was my husband,” she replies.
Her words and images contain the memories of a life well-lived.
We each own a similar book, the pages different but yet the same.
As we write and scribble, may the narration ultimately be filled with peace.
Comment: None needed.
The Tao
Open, feel the wave, the Source of All.
Let it carry you.
Bathe you.
Cease struggling.
Your are merging with the rhythm of timelessness.
In the mist of chaos peace will reign and the dance prolific.
Comment: Interpretation is up to you.
Open range in the mountains so you have to watch for livestock on the roads
Riding the streetcar in San Francisco
My books and products are purchasable online.
My work currently appears in seven books. Four are offered for sale online. To order any of the four, click here. The newest books, What's Next? (2016)and Beyond Time and Back (2015) are currently available through Amazon.
A Respite in Time (2012) This 184 page book consists of vignettes, mostly one or two pages in length, which provide thoughtful comments on life. They have appeared in this newsletter over the years. The costs are $15 (PB) and $24 (HB) plus shipping. To order, click here.
Lit Bit (2011) is a small anthology that includes three of my poems and three of my photographs. The cover photo is also mine. The cost is $10 plus shipping. (No longer available.)
A Slice from the Apple with the Taste of Poetry (2010) is an anthology of poems written by members of the Apple Valley Poets, a very talented group that formed almost eleven years ago. This book contains a wide variety of poetical genres and will appeal to all lovers of poetry. The cost is $10 plus shipping. (No longer available.)
An Oasis in a Cluttered World (2006) is a book that allows you chapter by chapter to immerse yourself in a quiet refuge as you forget the chaos of the world. Through poems, vignettes, and recommendations it beckons you to let go, relax, and savor life’s many riches. The cost is $11 for paperback and $18 for hardcover. To order, click here.
Wisdom from the Journey (2004) As stated on the cover leaf, “My wish is that this reading journey will provide you with a bit of respite from everyday life, generate a few laughs, cause good feelings about yourself and humanity, encourage introspection, and at certain times twinge your conscience on critical issues and thoughts. Upon reading the last page, I hope you will smile and say, That felt good! The cost is $10 for paperback and $17 for hardcover. To order, click here.
The Wanderer: A Poetical Journey (2002) is my first book. You join me on my around the world trip that I took in 2001. The cost is $5.50 for soft cover. (I have sold out of the hardback version. It still can be ordered through Author House.) To order the soft cover., click here.
Supporting the efforts of the Poetical Journal is greatly appreciated! To support, click here.
To view the product page of other unique gifts, pleaseclick here.
Aspens changing
End of season sailboat on the Jordanelle
Vignette this Month: 17th World Congress
Have you ever received an invite, decided to accept, and discover the event opened your eyes to new horizons? In a sense, that is what recently happened to me. As most of you know, I am a tai chi instructor along with a writer and photographer. As part of continuing education, I subscribe to tai chi master Bill Douglas' newsletter which comes out weekly. In early August, I received an issue announcing that subscribers could attend the 17th World Congress for Qigong, Tai Chi, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in San Francisco at a deeply discounted rate. It was being held over the long Labor Day Weekend. After mulling it over, Jan and I decided to attend. The experience opened our eyes to a world that I was somewhat aware but only had an inkling of understanding.
Friday evening opened with a traditional lion dance (see video above) and provided an overview of the speakers to come. A.M. Saturday's agenda included credentialed scientists and physicians from some of the top universities in the U.S. As individuals and as a group they revealed their research on the power of the human mind and the energy that exists to cause miraculous happenings, at least as we currently define such events. During the various breakout sessions, I became more amazed at recent discoveries regarding the positive impacts that qigong, tai chi, and TCM are having on health. Several examples were even given of individuals recovering from Stage 4 cancer. A renown nutritionist trained at Harvard and also a practicing medical doctor spoke on how diet change alone healed previously diagnosed terminally ill patients.
I could go on regarding many issues such as prescribed medications are now the No. 4 cause of death in the U.S. But the purpose of this short vignette is not to share entirely three intense days of knowledge. Instead, should an invitation arrive that may take you out of your immediate comfort zone, let me suggest that you assess and, if the circumstances are right, accept. I am so happy we did.
If you have a guest vignette you would like to submit, please do so. Not only will I enjoy reading it, but if agreeable with you and space permitting, I will print it in a future issue. The vignette should be written in paragraph form and relate a personal story or event. Equally important, it should fit the overall tenor of this newsletter. Ideally, it should not exceed twenty lines. Please send to bob@poeticaljourneys.com.
Red among the aspens
Recommendations
Ad some tai chi or qigong to your life (Read the vignette for more details.)
Practicing tai chi at a roadside rest area in Idaho
Please take a look at the online book and gift pages.
Sparkling mountain stream near home
Rock Cliff near Kamas, UT
Colors peaking out along the mountainsides
–..Quotable Quotes
"Sorrow is how we learn to love. Your heart isn't breaking. It hurts because it's getting larger. The larger it gets, the more love it holds." - Rita Mae Brown(Ed.: American writer, activist, and feminist during early 20th C.)
“Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.”
– Laozi, Tao Te Ching
"This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple; the philosophy is simple kindness." - The Dalai Lama
"It is what I was born for– / to look, to listen, / to lose myself / inside this soft world– / to instruct myself / over and over . . ." - Mary Oliver (Ed.: 20 & 21st C. world renown American poet.)
"We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness." - St. Mother Teresa (Ed.: Recently canonized)
Provo River flowing into the waterfall below
Provo River Waterfall near our home
A Bit of Humor
A bit of laughter is healthy for the soul
A Week's Wage:
The strong young man at the construction site was bragging that he could out-do anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of one of the older workmen. After several minutes, one older worker had had enough.
"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is," he said. "I will bet a week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you won't be able to wheel back."
"You're on, old man," the braggart replied. "Let's see what you got."
The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then, nodding to the young man, he said, "All right. Get in."
............................................................Courtesy of A Joke A Day
17th World Congress for Qigong, Tai Chi, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, San Francisco, Sep. 2-5
On Friday we opened with a traditional lion dance. Since then, we have been wowed with experts, masters, and top in their field authorities with alternatives to traditional Western medicine.
The Friday night banquet had an incredible array of talent including 10-piece Chinese Orchestra, Grand Avenue Follies, and a martial demo by members of the Shaolin Temple. Sadly, I did not capture some of the most amazing feats. Here is a taste.
Along Fisherman Wharf in San Francisco
Ferry passing Alcatraz Island
PJ Forum
If you have comments, recommendations, or suggestions for the PJ, please e-mail them to bob@poeticaljourneys.com. While I often cannot print everyone, I personally respond to all.
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"Read every word, felt every picture, this is truly the best newsletter I have subscribed to. It's more than a newsletter though, it is a journal, a sharing of your life. I look forward to your next journal." - Kasey from Portland, OR (Ed.: I appreciate these very generous comments. I hope you continue to enjoy the newsletter. Kasey is a new subscriber.) ______________________________
"Thanks to your travel posts of your trip to Oregon and Washington last month. We decided to fly to Seattle a couple of weeks ago, rent a car, and tour this beautiful part of the country. You, and Randall Platt, another Pacific Coast writer, inspired us to explore the islands and forests...wow! To name just one highlight would be an injustice! Thanks Poet Bob!" - Helen on Facebook (Ed.: I always love hearing when my newsletter proves useful to a reader. I am glad you enjoyed your trip!)
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" Great issue, Bob. The beauty of the rainforest in our Northwest is breathtaking." - Doug from Galion, OH (Facebook) (Ed.: Thank you, Doug! So true about the rainforests.)
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"Another great issue Bob! Would love to go to that market. Have a good week!" - Bobbie from TX (Ed.: Again, thank you so much! Hope life is going well for you.)
To the End of Time and Back: An Epic Journey Review taken from Amazon
"The new novel, To the End of Time and Back is a skillful account of two lovers on an 'Epic Journey,' racing through time and history to learn life-changing truths. Their spectral mentor, Arundel, sends them through difficult travels, but their relationship endures and remains strong despite physical, and psychological stress. Powerful emotions such as fear, anger and happiness, combine with lust, pain and sexuality to help them learn. Written in verse form, the story is an epic poem, painted to portray the duality of mankind throughout dimensions of human history that is sometimes cruel and horrific. The reader will come to know and understand what is being described and will certainly enjoy the stimulating elegance of the story and the philosophy. A thoroughly enjoyable read that is certain to make you think." - David from Utah
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Other Reviews (They have been edited for length. Thank so much to each of you.)
"I finished your book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was much easier to follow by having the whole thing in front of me, and reading as much as I wanted at a time. I felt pretty weary after bouncing around in time for many hundreds of years, but I was relieved to know that at least part of the world survived 'Armageddon'. What a feat you have performed." - Jim
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"I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your latest book To the End of Time and Back. When I bought the book I had no idea what to expect. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. I had fun reading it from A to Z and everything in between." - Art from Park City, UT
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"Your book touched places deep within my soul. I could read it over and over again, Bob. Job Well Done!" - Bobbie from Texas
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"Well, Bob! I am rather blown away by your book. Finished it yesterday, and it only took four days, which means I was intrigued and wanted to know how the book ends. I'm a slow, deep reader and since my profession is writing and editing, I edit continuously as I read. Can't help it! But this book was worth dropping everything for and reading to the end. I admit to cynicism about your claim that it would change me, and I don't know that it has just yet but it won't be leaving my heart and head for a long time, and change could happen. I'm impressed that the book actually lived up to your claims for it. . . . I'm intrigued by this book because it rings so true, and I am therefore tempted to believe you actually were given the gift of this dictation. But if not and this is fiction, you have written one hell of a book, masquerading amazingly as non-fiction ... which is indeed one of the goals of fiction." - Kimberly
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"WOW! WOW! WOW! I read it in one sitting and found so many things you wrote about 'true' for what I know and feel about past lives I've lived. Actually, the chapter about the Holocaust was something I couldn't bear to read–too sad and painful. (I've always felt that way about that period of history.) . . . it was very well done, Bob. Just beautifully done. I'm looking for the movie. . . I'm sure others will feel connected to this book just as I did. AMAZING. Just AMAZING. I couldn't put it down. There was so much anticipation with each chapter it hooked me from the very beginning. . ." - An Ohio Reader
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"I read your book a couple weeks ago. You are lucky we don't live close enough for me to call you to discuss it! It was interesting and easy to read. I liked the format. It reminded me of Many Masters, Many Lives by Brian L. Weiss (which was not that quick to read). Have you read that? . . . Anyway, kudos on the book -- on all your books. . ." - A Reader from Arizona
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"Your newest release takes the reader to places deep within. It makes one ponder all things about life itself. Many authors have written about reincarnation, but yours goes deeper. Through an eternal relationship between two souls, you describe all the human emotions one can feel. The book takes you to historical times and places around the globe, making you feel as if you are part of the beautiful relationship of A~ and Z~. After reading, they will become a part of you." - A Reader
Reader Demographics
States- AZ, CO, CT, DE, FL, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, NC, ND, OH, OR, SC, TX, UT, VA, WV, and WI;
Canadian Provinces - BC, ON, and QC;
Countries - Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Turkey, UK, U.S., and Venezuela.
.....................................................Changes in this section will be updated each month.
If your state, province, or country is not mentioned, please let me know.
To read some of the back issues of the PJ, go to here.
The next issue will go out on October 30, 2016.
Until next time - joy and peace,
Bob
PJPolicies Guest Poetry: Often readers send me a poem stating they would like it included in the PJ. Many of the poems are well written. Although I enjoy reading them, at this time I do not include guest poetry as part of this newsletter. Instead, I suggest that they submit them for inclusion in the Guest Poet section of my web site. A number have chosen to do so. However, time limitations and quality govern the number that will be accepted. I currently am not accepting poetry from minors. ----------------------------- Guest Vignettes: On occasion, I publish guest vignettes submitted by one of my readers. If a guest vignette is submitted and selected, the author understands that there is no remuneration provided; the vignette will be included in the e-mailed and web site versions; and will remain posted until I choose to remove it from the site. In all cases, the guest vignette remains the property of the guest author who has given permission for its usage as described in sentences one and two.
----------------------------- Privacy: I take it very seriously. Your name will never be sold to a third party nor will we disclose at any time your subscription information. ---------------------------- Unsolicited Mailing: The PJ is never sent unless requested. If you believe you received the PJ unsolicited, please notify me. I will unsubscribe you. ------------------------------ Reproduction and Forwarding: While the material is copyrighted, you have permission to forward all or part of this newsletter. You may also quote from it. Out of common courtesy (We will forget all the legal jargon and requirements.), I would appreciate at least a mention or a footnote. -- Much appreciated!
------------------------------ Recommendations: All recommendations are personal ones offered for your information. I receive no remuneration of any kind from the sources or individuals being recommended – other than when I recommend purchasing my books. Actually, many are never aware of their listing. One may ask, "Why do you provide recommendations for specific establishments or locations, especially since many of your readers are worldwide and may never be able to use the information?" The key word is "may." When I travel, I plan much of the itinerary myself. This planning includes reading and listening to recommendations from professional and personal sources. My wish is that any suggestions provided will assist some readers as they make their plans. (Incidentally, I have already received feedback that readers use them.)
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Practicing tai chi at a roadside rest area in Idaho
