Poem for Rainy Day

Rufus McDougal, one of the original brothers in the unchartered Lambda Sigma Chi fraternity, reflects on what to do when the weather changes.

Poem for a Rainy Day

Things really aren’t that bad.
I shouldn’t make myself sad.
I have a roof over my head,
and my room with a warm bed.
I have enough food to eat, and
a job that keeps me on my feet.
I have a portable TV so I can
watch the shows I like to see.
I have stationary so I can send
letters to my far away friends.
Tomorrow the rain will go away.
I’m sure it will be a better day.

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A Visit to the Verb Shoppe

D R I L L I N G;
Constant drilling.
S C R A P I N G;
Scratching scraping.
T E N S I O N;
Rotating with the drill.
F L AS H I N G;
The chrome tools blind me.
L I G H T I N G;
Brightly glaring in my eyes
F I N A L LY;
Have some water.
The tooth is filled.

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La verdad, demasiado

Para ver la versión original en inglés, haga click aquí.

La verdad, demasiado

Naked,
desnudos,
crudo,
la verdad es descaradamente expuestos para
el público para ver y escuchar a través de
tecnologías que cambian constantemente.
Complex,
relacionados,
conectados
los problemas pueden ser a rayas a un simple
respaldada por una solución fundamental
la creencia en la verdad.
Mentiras,
el engaño,
manipulación
que se descubran en el proceso, mientras que
la búsqueda de la verdad, y los
responsables sean castigados.
Con cuidado,
constantemente,
diligencia,
de la búsqueda de la verdad sigue
en tiempo de paz como en tiempo de guerra,
porque tenemos que saber que existe.

Photos by Mike Hall converted into brushed paintings are in the ArtBrushed Photo Gallery. Download art for free.

Maison Mobile

Maison Mobile

Elle est vêtue d’un pull-over noir, même si c’est 85 degrés.
Tous les vieux, femme sans nom, ou sera jamais avoir,
est transporté dans sa maison mobile. Elle se déplace son monde
en poussant les roues usés d’un panier d’achat
laissé à l’abandon, loin de son aire de stationnement. Elle est une
ressemble beaucoup à la charrette, et elle défend son prix avec un
vieux couteau de cuisine terne, mais efficace. La charrette, qui
une fois glissé sur les allées ciré, roule maintenant plus de craquage
trottoirs et rugueux, les rues inégale. Elle est une
collectionneur d’antiquités moderne, et elle aime la vie
d’une cigarette, ce qui lui sort du rouge vif
lèvres. La Nuit est un temps pour se reposer d’une autre journée de la vie.

Pour lire ce poème en anglais, cliquez ici.

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Drug use increase trend needs to be reversed

As a youth minister of a church in charge of a rather large youth program, I am disturbed when I see things like a recent national study which showed more teenagers are using alcohol and marijuana. A study by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America released the updated report the week before March 7, 2010, when an AP story by Jennifer C. Kerr, said the increases reverses a decline that started in 1998.

Here’s what Sean Clarkin of the research group said, “I’m a little worried that we may be seeing the leading edge of a trend here. Historically, you do see the increase in recreational drugs before you see increases in some of the harder drugs.”

The number of teens in grades 9 to 12 in the past month was 39 percent or about 6.5 million children, up 35 percent.  In 2008, the rate was 5.8 million children. The same group of teenagers reported smoking marijuana in the past month was up 19 percent, according to the report.

One way to stem this trend is to look at the causes, and this study cited factors due to the ailing economy. With parents working more hours, parents have less time with their kids.  I can see that with my programs. After-school programs have also closed, and the church can help this group, too.  The report said fewer teenagers were working, leaving idle time.  Also funds for prevention programs have dropped, the study said.  It is the role of the church to help fill these voids, and much of the programs I deal with have drug prevention components.

One of the study’s most disturbing trends indicated parents’ attitude toward increased use of alcohol and marijuana.  Parents are expected to be role models to their children, and when some adults indicate through their actions that drinking and smoking pot is acceptable, the results of the study are inevitable.   This leads to another disturbing indicator from the study…almost a third of parents of youths 14 to 19 say their teens have used drugs or alcohol beyond an experimental level.  Nearly half of the parents waited to take action or didn’t do anything to correct the situation.

I admit the economic times are very difficult; however, there is really no excuse to endanger the futures of our children, who hold our later lives in their hands, with the burden and pain of drug and alcohol abuse.  It is time parents, the church, schools, the government and society in general work to reverse this trend of an increase in drug abuse.

Peace be you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” -2 Peter 1:2

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.

Richard the Snowman

(Photo by Mike Hall)

Richard, the snowman, attempts to push away warmer temperatures on February 21, 2010.  He might have been successful, since the colder temperatures continued for a few more days, until he was all  melted by March 8, 2010.

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Inspector 34

I used to put on the stickers-“Inspector 34”
And sent the rejects back to the floor,
But for the past 10 long hard months
I don’t do this anymore since all the
Work went out of the door
To another factory in another country.
Finding another job has been hard
As the prices of rent, food and gas soar.
They said they moved to save money.
Maybe , with help, I’ll get lucky and
get the winning ticket in the lottery,
but I’d rather work like I did before.

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Fotografías

Para ver la versión original en inglés, haga click aquí.

Fotografías

Ese no soy yo, la verdad.
Es una imagen de mí,
Pero eso demuestra lo que solía ser,
¿Y cómo yo era una parte de
Mi vida, mi hoja de vida, mi historia.
Yo era una persona diferente entonces,
Cuando yo no sabía las cosas
Y yo tenía más pelo en la cabeza.
Yo era tal vez un poco más delgado entonces.
Ahora puede darse el lujo de estar mejor alimentados.
Ahora, los cambios son evidentes para ver,
Pero yo no podía ver el bosque entre los árboles.
Estaba reaccionando a lo que yo pensaba que era la realidad.
Me gustaría tener todos los libros que leo,
Pero con todos mis cambios y movimientos,
Más cosas importantes se mantuvieron,
Al igual que el álbum de fotografías
De esta persona que solía ser.

Where has Elias Tobias been published? Read for yourself at Poetry Credits.

Histoire de Solitude

 Histoire de Solitude

Un cri en écho d’un passé lointain.
Un enfant qui a faim tend une main ridée.
Crys Un petit enfant, sans mère,
La triste histoire de solitude est racontée.

Une tempête de neige gèle tout ce qui est parlée,
Un clairon sonne jamais d’être entendu.
Un mortel silence entoure la bibliothèque publique,
La triste histoire de solitude est racontée.

Pour lire ce poème en anglais, cliquez ici.

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Pride and Prejudice

In the course of human events that affect the world, such as the earthquake and the aftershocks in Haiti, children quickly become among the victims of that tragedy.  With many children without parents, one natural reaction by the world is to adopt these homeless children.  One religious group was arrested for doing that, perhaps in the wrong way.  As a parent, I can feel for couples who have room in their hearts and their homes to help these foreign children.  One thing must be considered goes beyond the current situation … their future.

As an Afro-American, I have experienced the negatives of prejudice not only by people of other skin color, but by those of my own who have, in their own way, tried to bring out the pride in my race.  Knowledge and respect for the past is important, but a false pride does not put me above anybody else.
My wife, Diana, is Hispanic with roots that go back to a rich Spanish genealogy.   Although often mistaken for a “white” person, she has experienced discrimination in her own world.  Our two children, Mason, 12, and Melisa, 10, are living in a world much different than what Diana and I experienced and I believe in many ways it is a better place concerning obvious discrimination efforts.

As parents, we are making efforts to let more children know about their cultural heritage so they can appreciate who they are.  There is still discrimination, prejudice and problems for them to face on their own in the future, but I would like them to have pride in who they are and what they can accomplish.

Organizations that follow the procedures and rules have begun the process to adopt the infant and young children of Haiti, and it is a fact that the chances of these kids having more secure, healthier lives increases with adoption by families in this country.  One of the things that is unique to Haiti is their culture and a general positive attitude for life.  Will these children, taken from this environment, still retain a happy view of life, once a child of America and its villages?

The answer depends on the way the new parents love and raise them.   A better education and better health will lead to one aspect of better lives for these children being adopted, but contact with relatives from their native country will keep them grounded without prejudice and a sense of pride in what they can achieve as adults.
Peace be you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” -2 Peter 1:2

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

Want to know more about the members of Lambda Sigma Chi? Click here to meet the members of the unofficial fraternity.