Tag: Love

Wordy

I Thought I’d Died and Gone To Heaven

An irreverent look at growing up in a parochial, conservative environment in pre-woke era Toronto of the 1950s and 60s.

Just click on “Buy on Amazon” to purchase on line. You can also get this book in audio format. Go to Amazon.ca (Canada) or Amazon.com (US Residents) and type in audible and the book title.

Real cheap. Buy one and support a struggling Canadian author.

 

So, how was your day: blame it on Trump, maybe climate change, because if the ice had not melted near Trondheim, this would not have happened. No, tariffs are to blame. Insurance scam is my bet on this.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1953D3SgQy/?mibextid=wwXIfr

And we all know there are plenty of them around.

An excerpt from my book: I Thought I’d Died….

Words! What is in a word? My kingdom for a word! A horse
it may be but a horse is only a word that by any other name is
still a word. Words declare wars, they garner peace. Words can
be hurtful, they can be playful. Words describe words as in
spiteful words, hurtful words, insightful words. We can have a
war of words, crosswords, or them’s fightin’ words. Words can
be theatrical: we can have a play on words. Word is the law. It is
the word. Words are prophetic. Words can be the gospel truth. So
sayeth the word of the Lord. Words inspire, they transpire. Words
transcribe: you have my word on that. Failing that, can I have a
word with you? But words are not enough. That’s why we have
lawyers. Words can also be despotic, or chaotic. A single word
can inspire poetry, lyricism.

And when a few words are taken together, we have a phrase.
And when a couple of phrases are linked together we have, in a
word, a sentence. And when a group of sentences are grouped
together we have, in another word, a paragraph. And to describe
or summarize a paragraph, we can go right back to the beginning
of this word-train of thought—to paraphrase!

We can combine words to make quotable quotes: some
profound, some sublime, some simplistic, some stupidly clear:
“To be or not to be—that is the question.” That may be, but
on Jeopardy it is the answer!
“If things are good in moderation then they must be great in
excess.” My favourite.
“If something is worth doing, then it is worth overdoing.” My
other favourite.
“Baseball is 100 percent physical. The rest is mental.”
Adapted from Berra.

Yet words are not enough when communicating. Context and
understanding are crucial. Without context, meaning is confused
to the point of ridiculousness. Let me try to illustrate this by
something that I learned in school:
Take the word nit. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary
defines nit as a stupid person, a louse. Then add the letter k
before the n and you have knit. Yet the word nit from the word
knit is a whole different kettle of fish. And what is that anyway: a
kettle of fish?

Now, let’s take the word wit: defined as someone with a
sharp sense of humor, a player of words perhaps. As in, “That
man possesses wit. He has a sharp mind.” But then add the letter
t before the w and you have twit. Or combine the word nit with
the word wit and you have a nitwit. But nit and twit together does
not sound quite right—nit-twit?

Nonetheless, given that a nit is already defined as a stupid
person, and wit is someone who has a sharp mind, then nitwit
defiles all logic in a descriptive sense except perhaps to define
someone who possesses a stupid wit—which in itself is
oxymoronic. But dimwit already has that locked up. Yet what is
really frustrating about the undercurrent of this word is that
dimwit is the opposite of someone who has a sharp wit. So, that
being the case, let’s call him or her a blunt-sharp person!
To make matters worse, a twit could be someone who has a
sharp wit, and is still a nitwit or a dimwit. So why can’t we call
him or her a nit-twit? Or a dim-twit? The bottom line is that
nitwit or dimwit sounds better. The other bottom line is that
English words are just downright confusing without context and
a shared understanding of the contextual environment we are
communicating in.

Who ever thought that a single word like please, in context,
could be so humorous? Yet Henny Youngman made a comedic
career out of four simple words and a pregnant pause: “Take my
wife… please.” Yes, the word timing says it all.

Shakeyjay is out of sight, out of mind and outa here.

Have a great day.

Kevin: He Is My Brother

Available through Amazon.ca or  .com or .uk or . whatever.

My Brother passed 24 June 2019.

An Ode to My Brother “Kevin”

 

Kevin was born, the fourth child, sworn

In Gods’ true family, a baby’s destiny

Rejoice-full stares and thankful prayers

Of a healthy child, of a mother mild

At coming through, the process true

The laughter sought, begotten naught

Of the miracle there, a lifetime bare

For all to see such a healthy deed

 

As Kevin grows, there’s something throws

My parents off, their happiness tossed

For something’s wrong, the mind’s not strong

A normal test, stagnation rests

Amid the wires, short circuit fires

The body’s good, with thoughts that should

Be normal fare for all to share,

But horrid thoughts of retard brought those tears to their eyes

 

Kevin grew, his body true,

With a childlike stance, pure innocence

Not violent nature, more godlike creature

He laughed and played till nature stayed

His friends away at an early age

They grew apart for their thoughts were smart

For Kevin stayed a certain way

His body grew but nature threw a curve his way

 

I knew of him, a brother’s whim,

Though smart I’m not to that life a lot

My ignorant ways, those selfish days

My life to live, and little to give

My Dad was there to share his cares

A life protected, Dad’s love projected

They were pals you see and fun to be

For around the home all sports were known

 

But nature came, struck down that game,

My dad was gone, forever done

His fractured heart, its damaged part

A life cut short, so young, so “mort”

His pal’s alone, confused, and thrown

Aside you see, society

Understanding less, his best time guest

Was forever done, forever gone

 

I woke up fast to a lifetime cast

My mother’s burden to raise him further

For Kevin’s mind, so childlike finds

The wrestler’s madness became Kevin’s gladness

His thoughts were busy, wrestle-mania frenzy

It kept him sharp and today he’s smart

Of thirty-years of wrestling fears

Adrenalin rush, stark madness crush

 

The Sheiks a bust, Laredo lusts,

The pencils fly into the eyes, the crowds all cheer.

Hulk charges thus, Rick Flair’s not just

Stone Cold you see, his heroes be

The wrestling greats, alive he waits

For the next excursion, the Sky-Dome version

Wrestle-Mania Eight, Summer-Slams, can’t wait.

His life so simple, his dolls his symbols

 

To comprehend my lifetime trends

My worries there, my foolish cares

I think of him, our “Tiny Tim”

A life so precious, his thoughts so gracious

I see him often, my burdens soften,

His outlook ‘s clear, no worried fears

For he ain’t sharp – no matter smarts

His life is dear to those few so near

 

I am so lucky

To have him

As my brother

© John Morrison, 2004

Red Jewel

Red Jewel_cover_KDP_hardback

An excerpt from my book Red Jewel:

…As I said this Ruth turned toward me. Slowly, ever so slowly she moved
her head toward mine. Her arms came up and touched my shoulders. I
did not know what to think or do at that very moment. I followed her
lead. Our eyes met. She smiled aff ectionately at me, then, instinctively,
we embraced. We were drawn to one another, naturally. We kissed. A
sweet short kiss followed by a long, warm touch. It was wonderful. I was
becoming aroused.

“I will not be leaving you Ruth. Not ever. I will be back. I promise you.”
Saying nothing she smiled at me with her eyes, with her mouth and
with her expression. She stroked my facial features and my hair with her
soft hands.

“Promise me Nigel? Promise me again and again.”

“I promise Ruth.”

“I think I love you, Nigel. I do love you.”

She loves me? I thought. She loves me. What does that mean?

No response. I said nothing.

What a wonderful afternoon we spent together. Walking back to
Kingswear hand in hand: playful, laughing and boasting in jest, stopping
from time to time to embrace. Time…and the world around us stood
still. The walk to the lower Kingswear Dartmouth ferry melted away —
too quickly. As she boarded the ferry to Dartmouth, I stood there and
watched her go. In her giddy way she jumped up and down…for joy…as
she waved goodbye to me over and over again until she was out of sight.
For the first time in my life, I was extremely happy. Happy!

Click on the Red Jewel link at the top of the page for more information about Red Jewel. Available through Amazon.

A Peaceful And An Easy Feeling

An excerpt from my book, “Red Jewel.” Read more from the links above.

“The moon? Oh, the moon. By now it was a large bright orb that appeared on our eastern horizon just after sunset, rising. How bright it was and a welcome sight. It will be our companion until the early hours tomorrow. You could read a book by it and its pale light gave the color of the sea around us a silk-like, midnight blue colored texture. And under the moonlight the boat’s phosphorescence came to life, glimmering and sparkling bits of plankton that transformed itself magically into sheets of translucent but shimmering diamonds or star-dust running down the hull from the bow to the stern. Like a sorcerer’s mix this phosphorescence transformed the boat’s bow wave into a magical mix that was exquisite and breathtaking to look at. It was God’s manifestation of His physical presence in this world. A reminder. Our stern wake took on a paranormal ghostly appearance as it snaked its way astern then dissipated into the nothingness and magnitude of the dark blue seas behind us. It was as if God was telling us to take note, as his presence is revealed to us by the mysterious and miraculous sea world around us.

With the moonlight upon us the night was no longer an ominous threat. Then, as the night progressed, and the moon rose higher and higher, it carried a golden ring that made its radiance brighter in intensity. It was so bright and clear that I thought I could make out the American Flag that was planted on the moon by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin back in 1969. Or is that the man in the moon I am seeing: an expression that was clearly defined as he or her smiled down upon us. And at sunrise the sky revealed a rising sun in the east and a translucent, pale looking moon to the west. It was magical. It was transcendental as it was very spiritual. Looking out into the infinity of the universe and of its perfection and complexity I know with certainty that there is a God.

It was during these times, in the middle of the night, that I found myself miles and miles ahead of myself or mentally distant from my current reality. This is what occurs to you at sea in the middle of the night with only your thoughts for company. I stare at the moon and study every nuance of its surface consciously while unconsciously my mind drifts away into the past where I am able to remember minute and insignificant details of my life with renewed clarity and understanding and peace. No longer am I afraid of what or how life may present itself to me but looked forward to all that life has to offer. For now, in this beautiful setting of God’s given and most powerful elements of sea, wind and sky; and the stars and planets that form all of the constellations, I can recognize a true powerful and living God and thank him with all of my heart for all of his blessings that he has bestowed upon me. I look to my future with assuredness, anticipation and confidence. It is in this moment of time and space, and clairvoyance, on this boat in the middle of the central Pacific Ocean, that I am filled with elation and happiness. It is an unbelievable feeling of wellness and joy and one that I have rarely experienced in my lifetime.

Then or now.

And without a moon? A gazillion pricks of light appeared. You sit there in your element as if you were on a plain of fluid bobbing around and trapped inside of an inverted bowl. Above you were millions and millions of stars forming a canopy of infinity that is only limited by the relatively minuscule and human visual boundaries from the eastern horizon to the west, and from the northern limitations to the south. It was an eerie sight, and feeling, attempting to visualize infinity: The Alpha and the Omega. A mystery of life itself. You couldn’t even attempt to measure it or define it. And from within the bowl, the stars appeared like some celestial audience that was watching our every move and trek across their world and their universe.”

And that is why I firmly believe there is a God. I see his presence all around me, in all of our visual landscapes. That…that reality brings me a peace. A peace in a world that is firmly out of control. A world in which one’s spiritual beliefs and values can get one persecuted…or in our current vernacular…cancelled.

A beautiful song:

 

And another song that puts a smile on my face.

 

Have a great day.

No worries for God is in control…of everything.

Check out my books through the links above. They are available through Amazon.

Thanks.

www.johnmorrisonauthor.com