A new day,
     A new way,
          A new life,
               A new strife,
                    A new dove,
                         A new love,
                              A new hope,
                    A new way to cope.
                         A new home,
A new place to roam.
A new sorrow,
     A new tomorrow,
          A new knowledge,
               A new college,
                     A new hate,
                          A new debate,
                               A new run,
                     A new thing done.
                          A new pond,
A new far beyond.
A new sweeping,
     A new reaping,
          A new best,
               A new test,
                    A new rhyme,
                         A new time,
                              A new reason,
                    A new, open season.
                         A new tom-boy,
A new bundle of joy.
A new cot,
     A new pot,
          A new pan,
               A new can,
                    A new want,
                         A new taunt,
                              A new ability,
                    A new sightless visibility.
                         A new top,
A new time to stop.
A new toy,
     A new joy,
          A new glass,
               A new grass,
                    A new pen,
                         A new sin,
                              A new forgiveness,
                    A new thought of newness.
                         A new realization,
Without new relation.

(from journal entry for May 8, 1980)

You put your head on my shoulder;
     I put my heart in your hands.
Together we can brighten the world,
     And spread peace throughout all the lands.

Friends, friends, friends,
     We can be friends together;
I'll be your friend 'til the end.
Friends, friends, friends,
     We don't have to worry 'bout the weather,
And forever I'll be your friend.

I don't mind if you cry on my shoulder,
     If you don't mind if I open my heart.
I don't mind if you ask me to counsel you,
     But don't use me and tear me apart.

Friends, friends, friends,
     We can be friends forever
Yes, Earth's peace on us depends
Friends, friends, friends,
     We don't have to worry, no, never,
And forever I'll be your friend.

(1980)

[Again, this is from my Junior English (III) journal. I later set the words to music, but can't remember the tune exactly. I would say that this was probably inspired by Michael W. Smith, but his song "Friends" didn't come out until years later.]

Children playing,
The first breath blown;
The man on the freeway,
     The fist you have shown,
Cashier at the market,
          Voice on the phone;
Dinner burning,
               Tension has grown;
One last breath for screaming,
                    Ka-POW!

No more balloon.

(May 6, 1980)

[This is an excerpt from my high school journal.]

It happened again today and so I said something. Probably shouldn't have, but I did. Let me start with my two "change pet peeves".

The first is related to my years in an after school job. I was taught to "count change back" to the customer. Clerks today think they are counting back change, but unless they are more than forty years of age, they are probably just counting back the amount of change their machine tells them the customer is supposed to get. Shall I educate the younger readers of this tirade? As a clerk it is your responsibility to count back the change (not once but twice). Here's the example: Your customer gives you a $20 bill for a sale of $12.27. Your computerized cash register will flash to you that you should return $7.73 to them in change (trust me the math is right). Your job as checker is not to take the machine's word for it, but to "count back" change. To do this you should start with the amount of the sale ($12.27) and count the change back to yourself from the till--pennies (28, 29, 30); dimes (40, 50); 2 quarters (thirteen dollars); ones (14, 15); and a five (that makes 20)--that's $7.73. Then you count (the same way) back to the customer, which shows the customer that (1) you know what kind of cash they tendered to you, and (2) that you know how much change to give them, without really needing the register to tell you more than the amount of the original sale in the first place.

Which leads me to my other issue (the one that happened today--at a national fast food joint that will remain nameless here). At the drive through window, the clerks have been trained (I assume, because they always do it this way) to tell you how much change they are supposedly putting into your hand and then stack bills, register receipt, and top it off with a fistfull of change. Why does this irk me so? Because stacking the change the way they do often causes the coin-change to fall between the window and your car. This isn't so much if there are only a few pennies, but if the coin change is the better part of a dollar, you don't want to have to try to retrieve it from the space between the building and your car.

So, I said something--probably shouldn't have, but I'm tired of it. It may save 2 to 3 seconds of time, but it aggravates me. Why don't you just give me the change, then do a second hand-off with the bills and receipt. Thanks for listening.

The empty room: open door
     Ready to be filled with
Bright happy faces
     Memories of events gone by
          Souvenirs of places.
Shades drawn darkly --
     Want for sunshine
Need for laughter . . . singing . . .
     Someone kind.

To laugh, to cry,
     To hope, to wish,
To live, to die
     No one to talk to
          No one to love.
Open the windows
     Brighten with laughter
Open door; empty room --
     Darkness prevails --
          But why?

(20 October 1980)

Okay, so here's the deal. I have several shelves of books that I have accumulated over the years (many before I ever met the Blushing Bride). Some are even near and dear to my heart. At the same time our family is in need of some funds in a rather immediate fashion. A host of these books have been gathering dust on the shelves for more years than I care to admit. A mountain of them were even languishing in storage while we lived and worked overseas.

To make the two ends work together, I will be offering a great many titles for sale, but since it is a fundraising effort I can't let the books go for a song and dance. My pricing should be fair (but probably won't be competitive, again, the point is to get raise funds for our family need). My first blush out of the gate will be to list several of the authors whose work I have and will be parting with (some reluctantly). As time permits, I list individual titles--unless people are into just buying the author's work. Most titles will be first or second editions (book club editions will be priced considerably less), and many are signed (and/or inscribed) by the author.

To answer the main question--why not use e-bay or Amazon.com? Well, I am using those outlets for some general sales, but most of the titles I'm offering in this fashion would be more suited for personal contact from collectors and bibliophiles.

So, now to the authors included:

Steve Brewer (many early Bubba Mabry mysteries)
Bill Brooks (several western titles--these will go pretty cheap as most are paperback)
Sigmund Brouwer (I have many of his fiction titles for older readers, not too many children's titles)
Susan Rogers Cooper (many Milt Kolvak titles, several E.J. Pugh titles, and all of the Kimmie Kruse novels)
Bill Crider (I have almost all of his mystery titles, including Dan Rhodes, Carl Burns, Truman Smith, and Sally Goode)
Kinky Friedman (all but the last few of his mysteries)
James Grippando
John Grisham
Stewart Kaminsky (many of the Toby Peters titles--several of these are book club editions, but in excellent condition)
Lisa Scottoline
David J. Walker

I also have a number of short story collections to sell. Tune in often for more detail on the books that must go. If you like some of these authors ask for a particular title of theirs and I'll let you know if I have it.

I'd tell you her age, but then some of you would make comment about me instead of wishing my beautiful Blushing Bride a wondermous birthday. So, instead I'll just say, "Happy Birthday, my Love!" (she's *29* today!)

for You my Lord, this is, for You my Lord.
my voic i lift in song of praise.
You are my strength. You are my life.
You help me see that i need You.
Almighty God, that's who You are
none other can be higher than You.

     i ask You to help me get You back on the trhone
     back into the place You belong,
     back onto the throne of my heart.

i speak of myself too often my Lord.
i brag and put all others down.
for You my Lord, i sing this song
help me to put all others first
but put You, Lord, above the rest
for none other can be higher than You
     i ask You to help me get You back on the trhone
     back into the place You belong,
     back onto the throne of my heart.

(1980)

I'm not very good at saying
     What I've got upon my mind.
For better ways I now am praying
     To say these things the words I'll find.
You have brought me
     Up and taught me
Things I know were meant to be.

I am not the only kiddo
     That you've helped to grow up right.
I've still got to grow, and you know
     Your strength will help me win the fight.
This my tribute
      However minute
Is to you and my family.

(1980)

Let's go bi-lingual today with a poem I wrote in my second-year of high school Spanish (translation after the original work)

Tu eres mi Reina
     Mi corazon pertiene a ti.
Tu eres lindacita
     cuando te veo.
?Por que siempre recuerdo?
     ?Por que no ha olvida?
Porque tu eres linda, y
     Tu eres mi Reina.

You are my Queen
     My heart belongs to you.
You are most beautiful
     When I look upon you.
Why do I always remember?
     Why can't I forget?
Because you are beautiful, and
     You are my Queen.

(1980)

(Mighty Oak of Faith)

[I live in Illinois now. For all of my friends who like to ask if I get to Chicago much, I made it there once (an anniversary trip with my Blushing Bride). We live some 250 miles from Chi-town. I have learned that those who live in the immediate area (Chicagoland) think the world revolves around Chicago, and that those who live throughout the rest of the state care very little for the metropolitan area that holds about 2/3 of the population of the state. At any rate, since I am a resident of the state of Illinois, I thought I'd present an IL-themed poem for today and you'll recognize several of the references in this poem by one of the greats.]

I am a human being
     Created in God's image.
I am a form of life
I am new to the world
      Not fully understanding.
I am young.
I am a child
     Learning as I grow older.
I am _ _ _ _ _

(1978)

Open up your eyes,
     Look into the skies.
          See the beauty around you,
               And feel it all around you, too.
Way up in the air
     There ain't nothin' but care;
          Care for the beautiful sky
               Just where the little birds fly.

Spread your wings and soar;
     Get up off of the floor.
          Fly around just like me,
               Thru the limbs of every tree.
You may not think it's right,
     But don't get mad and uptight.
          Perch yourself on the rail.
               Get in out of the rain and the hail.

Look for the good, not bad.
     Otherwise life is so sad.
          Raise yourself from that sack.
               Give yourself a pat on the back.
This may not seem to have meaning
     But at least it keeps us from leaning
          Too heavily on each other,
               But keep on lovin' your brother.

I'll help you to do what you need
     We will be friends, I know, yes indeed.
          We're out on our own together,
               Everything is clear but the weather.
Takin' some chances once in awhile
     Makes people think that we got style.
          Hopin' and prayin' but someday we'll die
               But just for this time spread your wings and let's fly.

(1980)

I will start by saying that I have been a customer of Amazon.com almost since the company's inception (I remember the first two or three years, when they sent you a gift for being a customer--before they started pushing the brick and mortar guys out of business). I also attempt to sell a few of my old books that are just taking up space as an independent seller. I've got no great beef with the company. I will also say that I'm online more often at Barnes & Noble since I was given a Nook instead of a Kindle (note to publishers, don't settle for just Kindle editions--give us Nooksters a chance too). Having said that, I wonder what will happen when a David publisher takes on the Amazon Goliath. You can read and be the judge here.