Photographer unknown

I received this photo in an e-mail recently, and it shows a perfect sense of timing to create a very happy feeling photograph. I don’t know who took it or where it was taken, but it may not matter that much, really. Just smile and enjoy it.

Sometime you can live a lifetime in a quick second glance, and what if I …

E.T. 

Seconds Count

Your big brown beautiful Spanish
eyes reached deep into my soul,
wanting more;
but seconds count and the entire
affair lasted less than a minute before
you passed me (or I passed you).
The image of your fine black hair
framing your face will remain in my mind,
I can only wonder how much of a
different person I would be if I
stopped long enough to see the possibilities.

The Jingle

“It’s a crime to rent;
 but a house you buy
with Diablo Realty
is money … well spent!”

This slogan was repeated on the radio.
Slowly the song went to my head.
It revolved constantly in my mind
I couldn’t sleep when I went to bed.

The music for the words
has a simple easy beat
and the rhythm of the jingle
makes me move my feet.

I know a house costs too much
now for me to own, but whenever
I hear their number
I feel like dialing the phone.

I wish I had never heard that
jingle for real estate.
It has become a thing
I just love to hate.

Battles of Fire and Ice

The battles of fIre and ice
are fought on the faces of the earth
and the depths of the mind.
Heat freezes moments into memories.
Ice forges the forces of fate.
When the fighting stops, you can see
through. the confusion, smoke and debris
it’s clear everyone has made a sacrifice.
They’re not all counted yet, but it’s
clear some will pay the final price.
Then the fighting resumes with another
unpredictable roll of the dice.
It’s back to the battles of fire and of ice.

Save the Trees

The environmental movement that began in the 1960s is still alive and growing into the 21st century. You can express your support the movement by downloading this poster image taken by Mike Hall, and use it to express your concern for the environment.  To get the full image, click here or click on the thumbnail photo.

Save the Trees

Bulldozers destroy the earth
as they tear down the trees.
They up root life for a variety
of animals, including you and me.
Trees and plant life provide
food and shelter for families,
most of which we never take
the time to really see.
There is an exchange of
chemicals which make it
 easier to breathe when we
 fight to save the trees.
The root systems of plants
and trees protect soil from flowing
from open fields to the sea.
The biggest threat is from
man and his ambition for money.
Once the owner of some land,
the person is not free to
build or destroy as he please.
The original tenants have
a right to live and to be
part of nature’s closed economy.
It’s called ecological harmony,
and it starts with saving the trees.

                      Photos by Mike Hall

Everyone loves a parade!

Shirley, Indiana, had reason to celebrate Aug. 16, 2008.  It was the 18th Founders Day Celebration, and it all started with a parade down Main Street.  The town of nearly 900 people had a bike rodeo, and the annual fish fry among other events along with several yard sales  in the community to complete the day.  It was a great day weather wise.  The small town, near Anderson, Indiana, between State Route 234 and State Route 109, has Main Street as the boundry between Henry and Hancock counties, meaning students are friends, but yet  the children go to different county schools.

This town is representative of the other small towns around it, with signs of stabiity and pride in their community.

 The Same Old Road

  Photo by Mike Hall  

The Same Old Road

It is the same old road,
mile after mile,
with or without the windows down,
even as the kind and name of the road changes
from a two-lane county road to a five-lane one-way
thoroughfare, because it’s the path from
where you are and where you think you are going,
and we never seem to stop.
Except when we are about to run out of gas,
and like a video game, we get a boost of more energy
to continue on our way.
When the path is the same, the trip is not the same since it is
a different day, different people driving, and a thousand
other variables you can not control.
One thing stays the same. It is the same old road.

 This poem was written after we took “the long way home” from a weekend camping retreat at a nearby park in the Indianapolis area, and took the county, country roads where corn filled the fields until we reached the outskirts of the city.  It was good to have a detailed Indiana map with us, but I don’t think we could ever get lost for any length of time.  We completed our objective- to get home, one way or another.

School is starting up soon, and students will be making new friends and dealing with others. If there are any teenagers reading this, maybe you will be in this situation.

 The Double Valentine

      Alex sat down at the kitchen table, and just looked at his breakfast.  “You need to eat something, especially for the first day at the new school,” his mother reminded him.  He looked out of the window.  It was a cold day outside with temperatures in the low 60’s.
 “Cheer up, son.  You’ll be making friends just like you have before. No problem,” his father reassured.  His father worked for a computer service and repair company and his father was promoted to a sales director of a new district.  This meant a new house, new neighborhood, new school, and new friends.  He didn’t like being the new kid on the block.
 The move from Galveston to Brownsville was like several other moves Alex faced in his 12 years of life.  No moss grows on a rolling stone.  Alex felt as empty as a blank sheet of paper without a pen.  What made his situation worse was the timing.  Moving in late January meant packing in December, and this made Christmas just as exciting as packing and leaving.  He did, however, make up for it since he did receive some expensive presents.  They were just more things to pack to him.
 “You better finish soon.  The bus will be here in 20 minutes,” his mother reminded him.
Any problem of his was just as much her problem.
   “Making friends is as easy as pie,” she said with an encouraging smile.  Her pointed finger of her right hand gently touched his lips, and he could not resist making a smile.  He soon finished breakfast.
 Once on the bus, a boy with curly red hair named Leo introduced himself as soon as Alex sat next to him in the small bench seat.  Leo noticed Alex was in four of his classes when he looked at the new schedule.  They instantly became friends, and Alex got a preview of the new teachers and classes before he actually arrived at Faulk Middle School.  On the bus, he got a look at a certain girl talking at the back of the bus.  “Her name is Yvette,” Leo said.
 Along with Leo, Yvette was in several of Alex’s classes.  Most of the time she talked with a girl whom Leo said was named Karla.  Both girls were about the same age, height, weight and both had the same smiles.  Karla was a good friend of Leo’s, too.
 Alex and Leo were talking about all sorts of things in gym class, especially Yvette.  Suddenly, from across the room, a taller and strong boy walked up to the two boys.  He looked coldly into Alex’s eyes and simply stated, “Stay away from Yvette.  She’s my girlfriend.”   He paused, and sensing no reaction, walked away.
 “That’s Robert, a seventh grader,” Leo said.
 “That’s trouble with a capital T,” Alex remarked.
 “I’m sure Yvette likes you.  I can tell by the way she looks at you.”  Leo comforted. “I know! I’ll talk with Karla to find out for sure.  I’ll see her at lunch, next period.”
 “Karla?”  Alex asked.  He was introduced to many people that day.
 “The one who hangs around Yvette all the time,” Leo explained.
 “Oh yeah. That’s Karla.”  The bell rang for the next period, which was lunch, and in a blink of an eye, Leo reported to Alex.
 “You lucky dog!”  Yvette and Robert broke up last week, he started.
 “Robert doesn’t seem to think that,” Alex said. 
 “You have her in the palm of your hand, Alex.  You just have to let her know how you feel.  You have to tell her yourself, though.  Not me.”   Leo paused.  “Valentines Day is coming up soon.”
 “I could do something like…” Alex started.
 “Like a very cool card with a love poem or something,” Leo suggested.
 “Yeah, but what about Robert?”
“Follow your heart,” Leo said.  “Maybe Karla needs a card from me, too.  Could I borrow your poem?” 
 “I’ll get you another one,” Alex laughed.
  The boys did send their Valentines and both found their girlfriends.  Robert started to go with Tanya, the new eighth grader at the school. 

  Photos by Mike Hall

A sea lion suns itself at the Indianapolis Zoo on Saturday Aug. 9, with mild temperatures making it right to a pose for the photographer,  The mild weather also brought out the thousands of people who came to the zoo that day to see the people and the rest of the animals.

   Courtesy photo

Captain of my Ship

I am the captain of my ship,
Facing a violent, stormy sea,
But I’m not the only one
Along this perilous journey.

The winds are calm now,
But it doesn’t fool my crew,
Because they are not new
To the challenges ensued.

We’ll fight monsters along the way,
As we chart the virgin sea.
Course decisions are up to me,
And it feels good to think I’m free.

However I know I’m not the master.
Someone else controls my destiny.
There’s a plan already set for me,
And discovering it is my reality.

I am the captain of my ship,
Facing a violent, stormy sea.
Who and what I am in life
I believe is my responsibility.

To read this poem in Spanish, click here.