My most recent novel, What's Next~An Epic Journey, is available on Amazon or can be ordered through your local bookstore. 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.) Either book is a fine read for the broad-minded or the spiritual seeker.
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 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.
Vignette this Month: A Deeper Understanding of Freedom
Recommendations
Quotable Quotes
A Bit of Humor
PJ Forum
PJ Demographics – Subscribers in 22 states and 12 countries
PJ Online
PJ Policies
Subscription information
Welcome
I am pleased to have you as a reader. If you enjoy the PJ, please encourage others to subscribe.
If your country is not listed in the demographic section at the end, please let me know so I can update the list.
The next Poetical Journal will be out on Sunday, May 28, 2017.
Wild flowers growing among the rocks of the Colorado National Monument
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 for the spiritual seeker and/or the broad-minded.
This Issue: This month we pictorially travel to Colorado. There are two very serious poems this month, Personal Marathon and Are We Listening?. The vignette is a unique one, A Deeper Understanding of Freedom.
Subscriber Residence:PLEASE let me know if your state, providence, or country is not listed in the demographic section at the end.
Next Month: The next issue comes out on May 28, 2017. The pictorial focus will be on New Mexico.
To follow me on Facebook, click on Poet Bob, and ask to befriend me.
A must visit if you are in the Grand Junction area is the Colorado National Monument. Many drive by and never realize it exists.
Two Poems this Month
Personal Marathon
The man sits in the wheelchair, the legs no longer working– now dependent on his aging wife.
She smiles graciously appearing to accept her fate.
What journey has he traveled to end seated and dependent?
As a young man robust and fit, he never envisioned this fate.
Alas, time catches us all, sometimes gently, other times cruelly.
No matter how fast we run, it is never fast enough.
Only at the finish line do we all win.
Comment: I was seated at the Southwest Airlines boarding gate and watched as a man and wife arrived for the early boarding process. From my brief observations and watching them interact, I wrote the above poem.
Are We Listening?
A spec among billions this little planet we call Earth– 27,000 light-years from the Galactic Center.
This terra firma, for now, all we have.
Such diversities exist on our small atoll.
Skin colors of varied shades claim the land.
Cultures still to be numbered, and fauna and flora yet to be discovered.
Despite signals, many only worry about the insignificant, drowning in their minutia.
Billions are spent on diets while whole populations starve.
Greed remains the golden calf worshipped at the expense of the multitudes.
Our home sends ample warnings that eviction is in store should we disregard the hints and messages that we have chosen to ignore.
Comment: No comments. My thoughts are self-explanatory.
Quiet downtown Grand Junction, CO. Note the sculptures in the flower bed.
I really enjoy the beauty of wildflowers that seem to pop up on mountainsides, places where you wouldn't expect anything to grow.
The deep cliffs visible in the Colorado National Monument
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.
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.
National Monument tour continues. You can easily drive it in less than 90 minutes.
Vignette this Month: A Deeper Understanding of Freedom
This month, I will take you to a deeper intellectual level unique for this section. The topic focuses on freedom, perceived and real.
I currently attend St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Park City, UT. The rector, The Reverend Charles Robinson, has a profound mind who constantly challenges me with his weekly lessons. These are vastly different from the traditional ones I have heard preached from a variety of pulpits over the decades. I am printing a small excerpt from a message he gave on March 19. If you find it mentally stimulating as I did, click on the link at the end to read more.
"Freedom, . . . stands in contrast to determinism or the absence of freedom. Someone is either free to choose or bound by determining factors. The truth, I suspect, is somewhere in the middle. It is found in the acknowledgement that our freedom is limited, at best, if it exists at all. Jean-Paul Sartre notes . . . that we are born with a great deal of our lives already determined. He notes . . . that we do not choose the economic class into which we are born, nor our nation, our family, the extent of our capacity to relinquish our strongest and deepest appetites, our predispositions to certain diseases (think genetic heritage), our race, our geographic location with its unique challenges, our language and the structures, traditions, culture and policies of our society. Add to this the schools in which we are and are not placed in childhood, the ways we are treated and the things we are taught by our families and influential adults, the totality of our life experiences as well as our DNA, genetic structure and our psychoneurological (brain) development. Or, as the neuroscientists will point out, "No two brains are exactly alike." We consciously chose none of these things; they we all chosen for us. . ." To read more, click here.
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.
Trees grow out from the rocks - Colorado National Monument
. . . and more
Recommendations
Here are two for Durango, CO.
Carver Brewing Company: Yes, breweries can produce great breakfasts as we discovered in Durango. Some of the best pancakes I have ever tasted.
Dreams of Tibet is a fascinating store to visit if you have any interest in incense and that part of the world. I spent over 40 minutes there including a number of purchases. The owners also operate the restaurant, Himalayan Kitchen which I did not have time to visit. Both establishments are just a few storefronts from the Carver Brewing Company.
Please take a look at the online book and gift pages.
Downtown Durango is a fun place to visit–some excellent dining. There is an excitement in the air, especially at night.
River that passes through downtown Pagosa Springs
Pagosa Lake provided a great place for an impromptu picnic.
Quotable Quotes
"The Great Lesson is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that it is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's backyard." - Abraham Maslow
“There are times when one feels close to drowning in the mystery of life itself.” - Joyce Carol Oates
"I'm not crazy about reality, but it's still the only place to get a decent meal." - Groucho Marx
"You don't have to wait for happiness, because there's no time but now to be happy. You don't have to go somewhere else, because there's no place but here to find it. You don't have to do something else, because there's nothing more to it. You don't have to get something else, because everything you already have is enough. You just have to be happy." - Karen Maezen Miller
"True love is not for the fainthearted." - Meher Baba
.......Chimney Rock points into the sky–this area had deep spiritual significance to area Native Americans.
Million Dollar Highway, CO: There are many tragic stories about this beautiful highway. In 1963 a minister and his two daughters were traveling to preach at the congregational church in Silverton. An avalanche swept them to their deaths.
A Bit of Humor
A bit of laughter is healthy for the soul
Do Not Talk to the Parrot
Rhonda’s dishwasher quit working so she called a repairman. Since she had to go to work the next day, she told the repairman, “I’ll leave the key under the mat. Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I’ll mail you a check. Oh, by the way, don’t worry about my bulldog. He won’t bother you. But, whatever you do, do NOT, under ANY circumstances, talk to my parrot! I REPEAT, DO NOT TALK TO MY PARROT!!!”
When the repairman arrived at Wanda’s apartment the following day, he discovered the biggest, meanest looking bulldog he has ever seen. But, just as she had said, the dog just lay there on the carpet watching the repairman go about his work.
The parrot, however, drove him nuts the whole time with his incessant yelling and name calling. Finally the repairman couldn’t contain himself any longer and yelled, “Shut up, you stupid ugly bird!”
This was a view of the Deer Creek Reservoir as we departed for Colorado.
In late March, I enjoyed presenting a half-day tai chi workshop for some of the Utah instructors. They are .........................................a wonderful, dedicated group of teachers.
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. (On editing: I often eliminate the paragraphing to save space.)
_______________________________
"As usual, an outstanding job so beautiful it makes me long to visit or live there." – Kathleen from Portland, OR (Ed.: Thank you, Kathleen. Yes, Hawaii is definitely one of the more unique states with a special "Aloha Spirit.")
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
______________________
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
______________________
"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
______________________
"Your book touched places deep within my soul. I could read it over and over again, Bob. Job Well Done!" - Bobbie from Texas
______________________
"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
______________________
"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
______________________
"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
______________________
"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, CA, 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 May 28, 2017.
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.)
Subscription: To unsubscribe, click on your individualized unsubscribe e-mail at the end of this newsletter. (Not appropriate for this web page.)
