writing

The Writer

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The Writer:

Like a fat bird on a skinny branch, the story idea held a tenuous grasp on my mind. One big bounce, a winged maelstrom, and it was gone. “Think think think.” I tapped my forehead three times in beat with the word. “What was that about? Oh! I remember…”

The Story:

Mary woke suddenly to three loud knocks on her apartment door.
“Coming!” Her lips felt puffy as the words were squeezed out of her toothpaste-tube-mouth. She swung her legs over the side of the bed into what she thought were her slippers, shuffled to the door, and opened it to Jessica, whose eyes darted between Mary’s face and feet. “Are those comfortable?” Jessica asked, a note of concern in her voice. “Oh,’ Mary said, “I’ve got his shoes.” Jessica chuckled, and as out of it as Mary was, she got the joke. “No, smarty pants. Not ‘issues,’ HIS shoes.” Jessica smiled and shook her head slowly. “Sweetie, you’ve got both. Let’s get you dressed and we’ll go get some coffee.”

To be continued

© Joel Tipple

Do Write

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Writing out your thoughts
can make them stand up;
letters possessed of value
or ideas that need to be mucked.
Sometimes those notions
flitting through your nogin late at night,
are best allowed to continue their flit,
traveling where they might.
Just let em go land on
some other hapless scribe
recording for posterity what another writer might.

There are innumerable combinations
of letters and symbols
for humanity’s communications,
so there may never be an end.
But fashion forward or fashion not
from writers’ minds they’ll continue to rend.

© Joel Tipple

Some days

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Some days
poetry ideas form a parade through my mind,
one right after the other
like a dozen baby elephants
each holding on tightly
to the tail of the one in front of it.
Some days they’re locked in a portable jail that is being
watched over by an unusually large gorilla with a perpetually bad attitude.
Try to guess what today was like.

The Battlefield

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2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NASB)

On the battlefield of my mind
where the sounds and sights and smells
of this old world unwind.
Well, the battle won for God would sure be fine,
on the battlefield of my mind.

There’s no question what artillery
this soldier should employ,
cause Jesus fought Satan with
the firepower of scripture,
on the battlefield.

Let’s give the Lord the high ground
Let Him command the field
This day and the ones to follow
let us see what they may yield.
This holy war is fought on battlefields
in the hearts and minds of men
Raise the flag of our God
and sound the call
of victory.
© Joel Tipple

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

A Yard of Adventure

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In my yard
for I am six
is great adventure
sailing ships
full of ants
oh so brave
who cling to life rafts
made of eggs
flower borders
with bits of glass
from castles broken
many years past
this bit belonged
to a maiden fair
perhaps she held
this bit there
a cup for tea
passed round and shared
next put on cloak
you’re Robin Hood
chased by the Sheriff
but you’re too good
hidden in
your grove of trees
with your men
a family
adventures many
like books you’ve read
then Mom calls
and it’s time
for dinner
bath
more books
then
bed

Completely Entirely Exactly

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Complete: 1. Having all necessary or normal parts, components, or steps; entire: a complete meal.
Entire: 1. Having no part excluded or left out; whole: I read the entire book.
Exact: 1. Strictly and completely in accord with fact; not deviating from truth or reality: an exact account; an exact replica; your exact words.

When your standard is
to be complete
that’s all the stuff
on the blueprint sheet
well, to be most plain
and to get to the meat
most simply put, complete
is all and all is complete.

Then the other day I received a wire
and if you must know the subject was
the lyre. It’s music is melodious,
its aficionados stuforious
I’m stuck in this story and I’m not
often a crier, but I must hear it all
and by that I mean entire.

Now I know what you’re thinking
I’ll try to say with tact
this is not what I did before in Vegas
it’s not an ex act. You just can’t have any
errors and by that I mean exact.

To Read

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As a child
it amazed me
that people
could write things
almost as incredible
as the stuff in my mind.

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Do you mean
you can write those things down,
and people will read them,
adding their own sounds?

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It’s hard to find words
to describe
how much words
mean to me.
It’s like living in a city
that grows
new streets every day.

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I hope growing up
doesn’t mean
I stop loving
the words in the books…
the stories in the books…
the adventures in those books…
that I read today.

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© Joel Tipple

Persistence, Realization, and Horse Sense

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I’ve

come

to the realization

through hard work

and persistence

that there is nothing

altogether common

about what is generally known

as horse sense.

Whether the topic

is children

or far east policy

or angels

or indeed, horses

nothing short of enthusiastic

application of curiosity and desire

will spell the difference

in success or failure

of the courses.

Just thinkin’

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Early on in our relationship, I found out that my wife could read my mind.
Okay, you’re thinking, that’s just a wife thing. I mean, guys are pretty obvious, right?
The thing is, she really has a knack for it. I don’t begin to understand how it works, but
when I figured out it was happening, we had to come to an agreement. The agreement was
that if I thought something that wouldn’t exactly be conducive to marital bliss, but didn’t
say it out loud, she had to give me credit for not vocalizing what was on my mind. That’s fair,
don’t you think? Thank the Lord, she’s held up to her end of the bargain. At the same time,
my thought life is better than it was when I was younger. I thank God for that too.

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Psalm 139:1-6

I’ll be there

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Recently we put some bird feeders and a goldfinch thistle sock in the dogwood tree, along with a bird bath underneath it. They take some daily upkeep, but the return in entertainment has been huge. A bird splashing enthusiastically away is hilarious. I extended the perch on one of the feeders and so started getting many of the larger birds that don’t usually get invited to these things. As a result, there are several different birds that show up daily. There are the various songbirds, at least three pairs of doves, and a crowd of six or more of some very large birds that I have yet to identify. They show up like a biker gang with bad intent, gobble up as much as they can, and leave. On the bird feeder with the extended perch, there is one on either end, with a 3rd on the roof. Comical. This morning I was watching a blackbird pecking away at the ground, when a smallish juvenile walked up, squatted in front of the other bird, and opened its mouth wide. The bird equivalent of a teenager showing up and demanding to be fed. I don’t have the appropriate photo to go with this story. I’ll try to add one tomorrow.

dare me to follow you
I’ll be there and
for the time bear it too and
I’ll be there and
trust for a little time more
I’ll be there and
find what’s there in store

wait till Spring time
wait till Spring time

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morning giving birth
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sun warming earth