Ideas (Haiku)

Ideas are cheap

They are a dime a dozen

Follow-through is dear.

When Heaven Met Earth (not mine)

The preacher’s old truck rattled down the dusty lane, sunlight spilling over fields so green they seemed to hum with life. Rows of corn stood tall and proud, their leaves whispering in the summer breeze. Beyond them, a red barn gleamed like a jewel, and the air was thick with the scent of clover and fresh-turned soil.

He slowed to a stop at the fence line, leaning out the window to take it all in. The place was immaculate—every fence post straight, every row planted with a craftsman’s precision. It was, he thought, the most beautiful farm he had ever seen.

The farmer, broad-shouldered and sun-browned, was mending a gate nearby. He tipped his hat as the preacher called out, “Brother, God sure has blessed you with a beautiful farm.”

The farmer paused, resting his hands on the worn wood. His eyes swept over the land—over the fields he had plowed before dawn, the weeds he had pulled in the heat, the storms he had braced against. A slow smile tugged at his lips.

“Yes, He has,” the farmer said, voice warm with sincerity. “And I’m grateful every day.”

Then he leaned on the gate, his gaze steady and a touch wry. “But,” he added, “you should have seen this place when He had it all to Himself.”

The preacher chuckled, but the farmer’s words lingered in the air like the scent of rain before a storm—a reminder that blessings often bloom where human hands meet divine grace.

Character Sketch of General MacKenzie in And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Born December 24, 1873, in London, England into a military family.  His father was a general officer in the King’s army.  He was raised mostly by his mother, but his father had a big influence on young John.  He was educated in private schools and was accepted into Sandhurst, the primary military school in England at the time.

His father saw action in the Zulu War, Anglo-Boer Wars, and the Anglo-Egyptian War.  Young John was greatly influenced by the military.  He had an inborn respect for honor and authority.

He graduated and began his military career at a time when the Boxer Rebellion in China required intervention.  He went on to serve in WWI, in France.

He married Leslie Smith when she was 22 and he was 40.  They lived a happy life together.  He adored her, and she loved him.  Then, a certain Arthur Richmond, Aide de Camp to General MacKenzie, entered their life.  Slowly, subtly, Leslie and Arhtur began a romantic relationship that they kept secret.

The general was not aware of the liaison between Leslie and Arthur until he mistakenly received a letter from Leslie to Arthur, which had been put in the wrong envelope.  It devastated him, although he never let on that he knew.

At an opportune moment, he sent Arthur Richmond on a reconnaissance mission from which he did not return alive.  The general was not accused of malfeasance in this affair and life went on.  He did, however, feel a certain satisfaction in having his wife’s paramour removed.  There was a certain guilt that followed him around, almost like a faithful dog that would not leave his side.  

He never quite felt the same about Leslie, yet they grew older together, each seemingly in love with the other.  She contracted pneumonia and died several years later.

He dealt with the two big blows to his psyche, the betrayals of his wife and his trusted officer, by returning to the relief of morphine. He was wounded in battle, and morphine was used to ease the pain.  At first, it was on occasions, like anniversaries and birthdays, when he was reminded of their relationship.  Then it became habitual and, although he wasn’t completely under the influence of the drug, he used it more frequently whenever he had a bout of melancholy.

The effect of the drug is to cause the user to seem slightly intoxicated.  At this time, he has impaired impulse control, some dependence, and experiences mood changes.  The mood changes are from grief and anxiety to a more peaceful place.  He is not a chronic user but getting close to being so. He assures his supply by bringing it with him as part of his toiletries.

He received an invitation to Soldier Island in the guise of a reunion of former colleagues.  He didn’t get out much since his retirement, his life centered around the Benton Club where he lived.  The idea of a reunion appealed to him, so he made the necessary arrangements to attend.

 

Our Daily Bread (Haiku)

As we travel the road of daily life, alongside others who seem better, worse, or the same, remember--

There isn't a  "them"

We are in this together

There's only an "us"

Determination (Seek and Ye Shall Find- Haiku)

Not seeking comfort,

Seeking full range of motion.

That means, discomfort.

The day then arrives,

When discomfort goes away,

And you move with ease.

Getting to that point,

Required to get to that state,

Determination.

Advice (Haiku)

 

The only advice you need

Use your imagination

God gives it to you

Wassup? (Haiku)

 

Not what you have done

Not what you're planning to do 

It's what you're doing

The Unseen (Haiku)

 

If you can't see it

It does not mean it's not there

On land and on sea.

Buried in the ground

Forgotten from time gone by

Sunk in the deep sea.

It is there.

All those ships that sank in the ocean, are sitting there.  We don't see them, don't think about them, but they are there just the same.  The same is true of our actions.  They happened, some we'd like to forget but they are there just the same.