The Tao of Momentary Thoughts, my 8th book, goes on sale in late November. It is a compilation of vignettes, poems, and poignant quotes. It will be available on Amazon. It will be a good read and make an excellent gift.
My third novel Adelyn: An Epic Journey in the Epic Journeys TrilogyIS AVAILABLE on Amazon. (Above is a 65 second clip about the book.) It will take you on quite a journey! Though the third book of a trilogy, it is also a standalone novel.
One reader from Ohio wrote: In his book, Adelyn: An Epic Journey, Bob navigates the reader through a challenging journey in the time space continuum while exposing both the weaknesses and strengths of humanity. As Adelyn is exposed to the infinite love of The Source, the reader is challenged to understand how personal beliefs and actions often have more to do with cultural rather than spiritual influences. In a time and world filled with political anger and personal indulgences reading Adelyn offers the open-minded promise. It would make a great book study.
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My first two books of the trilogy,To the End of Time and Back: An Epic Journey, and the sequel, What's Next~An Epic Journey can also be purchased through Amazon byclicking here. (Scroll to the correct title.) Your local bookstore can also order them for you. All these books are fine reads for the broad-minded and/or the non-traditional spiritual seeker. What a reading adventure you will have including many diverse ideas, a beautiful love story, adventure, and intrigue. (All three are also available in Kindle version.)
Click here to link to a YouTube radio interview about To the End of Time and Back. (Friend David Riggs produced it for me. To link to his book, click here.)
A number of individuals have sent glowing review. You can read some ofthem in the Forum Section below.
PJ Demographics – Subscribers in 24 states and 12 countries
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Welcome
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, November 25, 2018.
Shot of the hiking trail to Wall Lake
Opening Comments from Bob
My eighth book, The Tao of Momentary Thoughts, is an enjoyable read of vignettes and poems. It will go onsale from Amazon. It will make a great gift to yourself or someone for whom you care.
Adelyn: An Epic Journey is the third in the series and can also be read as a standalone book. Beyond Time and Back: An Epic Journey was the first in the series followed by the second, What's Next ~An Epic Journey. Each tackles topics that impact us all. Any of the three books are great gifts to the open, spiritual seeker and/or the broad-minded individual. Besides, they are an EXCELLENT read! Reader Steve said he could not put down my most recent novel. All three books are available on Amazon.
This Issue: Today, we hike to Wall Lake and enjoy the first vestiges of fall. There are two serious poems in this issue, Cherished Moments and Pain. The first poem is uplifting and asks you to remove the haze. The second poem speaks to something we all experience. Our vignette speaks on a topic whose worth is still being evaluated.
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 November 25, 2018.
My Facebook account to the general public is closed.
Immediately below is a picture of a portion of Wall Lake. It was slightly over a mile hike to get there. The pictures that follow were taken on the hike to and from there.
Two Poems this Month
Cherished Moments
Sometimes we must peer through the haze before we see the real.
Bombardment by continuous news, updates, and social media cloud our vision.
We forget the warm hand that says, “Everything is all right.”
The rose or the tulip, the fall leaves, declaring, “Beauty still exists.”
The silence of tai chi for moments in meditation, refreshing the soul, the unexplainable within.
The laugh of a grandchild, innocence, giving one hope.
Yes, we can cry tears for there is much to do so.
Or, we can embrace the wind that causes the haze to dissipate.
Who does one blame for ongoing, ceaseless pain?
Some say it is God’s fault, others, Karma, still others, “the luck of the draw.”
Environment and diet also enter the medical fray.
What is the source?
If God, perhaps repentance is required– though not necessarily a sure cure.
Karma–do more good.
Luck of the draw, “You are out of luck.”
Diet, eat more wisely.
Environment, hmm!
The reality, blame and healing are not synonymous.
One prepares the battle plan by first loving self and others.
There are no guarantees, only greater understanding within and yes, perhaps healing.
Comment: Pain, whether physical or emotional is never desired. In fact, most fear it. Yet, as one great spiritual leader once proclaimed, "Life is suffering." Pain often becomes the great teacher. How we deal with pain speaks to who we are. A lesson or lessons hard learned!
Bob on the trail
Early fall arrives in Junta Mountains.
Another pic of Wall Lake
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, Adelyn: An Epic Journey (2017), What's Next? ~ An Epic Journey (2016), and Beyond Time and Back: An Epic Journey (2015), are currently available through Amazon.
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Vignette: Social Media
I decided to take a break from social media, primarily Facebook. I was an early advocate embracing it with enthusiasm. My purpose was not only to share with friends but also to market my poetry, books, newsletters, calendar, and tai chi classes. My so-called friends list eventually grew to close to 5,000, the max allowed. The marketing wisdom at the time said that if you really wanted to sell your merchandise or services, you needed a major presence on social media. For me, despite many, many hours of time posting and counting my likes, the years generated the sale of three calendars, one book, and a couple new subscribers to my newsletters. Less than a stellar success! On the plus side, I met a number of fascinating people and was able to link up with friends with whom I had lost contact. However, in recent years I have watched Facebook morph into some very unpleasant nastiness. People I have known to be kind and caring suddenly transform into vicious persons transmitting and forwarding falsehoods and horrendous comments. Even when you point out inaccuracies, they say something like, "So what, I don't like the person anyway." Civility appears to have disappeared. As my minister said on Sunday, "Just because you believe it is true, doesn't make it true." Think for a moment on that. To even make it simpler, "Just because you believe the earth is flat, doesn't make it flat."
I now have a private account open only to family and close friends, people I actually know. Amazing how much more time I have to spend on what I believe are more worthwhile endeavors. Someday, I may reopen my deactivated account. But alas, that day is not now. Wishing you each, peace and joy!
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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. It should fit the overall tenor of this newsletter. Ideally, it should not exceed twenty lines. Please send to bob@poeticaljourneys.com.
Recommendation:
Two Restaurants in the Small Community of Kamas, UT
Hi-Mountain Restaurant and Drug Store Kamas, UT: If you ever get out this way, this mom & pop restaurant has some of best burgers you would ever want to enjoy along with fresh cut fries. The milkshakes are thick and scrumptious. This local favorite has been around for over sixty years.
Mirror Lake Diner, Kamas, UT: "Simple food done right" is the model for this delightful restaurant. The owners Gabe and Betty Morin opened the diner in 12013. He has been in the restaurant industry since his youth. His talents are evidenced in the delicious food served in a welcoming environment. Below is a picture taken during our recent dine there.
“To me, poetry is somebody standing up, so to speak, and saying, with as little concealment as possible, what it is for him or her to be on earth at this moment." - Galway Kinnell
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." - Ghandi
"Mindfulness meditation doesn't change life. Life remains as fragile and unpredictable as ever. Meditation changes the heart's capacity to accept life as it is.” - Sylvia Boorstein
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment." - Henry David Thoreau
"To live is the rarest thing in the world Most people exist, that is all.” - Oscar Wilde
The pictures that follow were taken on the drive to Wall Lake. Fall was just starting.
Bit of Humor
A bit of laughter is healthy for the soul
Animal Joke
My wife and I went to a "Dude Ranch" while in Texas.
The cowboy preparing the horses asked if she wanted a Western or English saddle, and she asked what the difference was. He told her one had a horn and one didn't.
"Well," she replied, "the one without the horn is fine. I don't expect we'll run into too much traffic."
If you have comments, recommendations, or suggestions for the PJ, please e-mail them to bob@poeticaljourneys.com. While I often cannot print everyone's, I personally respond to all. (When editing the comments for publication, I often eliminate the paragraphing to save space.) .
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"Another beautiful edition of Poetical Journeys..!! Renate and I are very grateful for the poem you wrote to honor our 50th wedding anniversary and particularly thankful that you actually included our photo from 1968 in the Vignette section of the most recent edition. We're honored and humbled by your poetry and so very happy that you and Jan are such wonderful friends. – David and Renate from Lehi, UT (Ed.: It has been our pleasure.)
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"Thanks for another beautiful issue of your PJ. We like it all, but often linger over the words of wisdom that are shared, and have a good laugh at the joke. We appreciate being lifted by your work. . ." – Jim and Bonnie, Mt. Vernon, OH (Ed.: Very grateful for those kind words.)
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, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, NC, ND, NY, OH, OR, SC, TX, UT, VA, VT, 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 Sunday, November 25, 2018.
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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