The Two Most Noble

The Two Most Noble

I awoke from a dream in darkness at 4:42 am with two companions so near I could hear their breathing, and feel their warmth press in upon me. I remember two houses in which I had lived a considerable portion of my life. I consider two lives, one lived, one living, and two lives lived, now reminiscing. I feel the air of autumn evening drawing in, exhaling, feeling a presence I can only describe as freedom, and liberation. That is how I might finally describe God in context. With empty drawers full of memories I watched one love walk away in tears, another approach with open arms, and a smile from ear to ear. I know desire so strong it makes me ache inside, yet another lifts me up like no earthly source can do. 

And so I consider the two most noble creatures on earth God has given man. Like my Mother the horse reminds me of steadfastness, strength, endurance, and perseverance to the end. Brave in battle, faithful in, and beyond the storms of life.

Like my Father the dog is ever the finest companion there is. With a big bold heart within, a wary eye for danger, and a loyalty beyond human comprehension. A dog will only leave you in death, but will always leave a tear of remembrance in your mind's eye.

And so I leave you all who are struggling with one thing or another a small inkling of clarity through this fog of life. Consider all you have been through, the good, and bad. Be thrilled you have endured like the horse. Take time to stand in a pasture of tall grass, and graze till your hearts content. Run through the woods like a hound on the scent knowing your Master waits patiently while you journey this life. And be so joyfully amazed that you are living a life so bold as the two most noble beasts!

D.A. Wittler 11/26/20,,,,. 

Clear October Sky

A few thoughts: 

A Clear October Sky.

I watched the sky at night all Summer

A morning star came closer

Her counterpart facing 

from the opposite direction.

I counted all my blessings

In good times, and bad

Cherished every friendship

I ever had

And carried one of the truest

To a place our loved ones go

When they have won a final race

Where laurels fall upon their heads

And heaven gains another soul

While we remain in silent suffering

Counting the toll

Reminiscing from our store of treasures

When life was newer

Our cares so far away.

And then came October

Autumn awakened from her slumber

Frost formed upon the pumpkin

And the breeze grew cooler in an instant

With a question in my heart

I quietly queried

Where did my Summer go?

I feel it in my bones

I hear it ringing in my ears

I grow more tired than before

My spirit settles low

The grey upon my crown thickens

Receding in a widows peak

I wonder

Where is it reaching?

It is a clear October sky

I long for

Though youth is fading like the morning

A simple life of living

Not simply achieving

I've seen the top

Observed my horizon

Now descending knowing

A finer vintage I have become

With grapes from Sumner growing

Somewhere else for now

My memory holds fast

My heart beats hopefully

For greater things to come

And deeper loves to know.

D.A. Wittler 10/3/20

The Things We Leave Behind

A few thoughts: A work in progress in troubled times.

The Things We Leave Behind

Naked, and crying

Our trail of tears begins at birth

Light, and sound prepare us

For the best, and worst

With everything in between

Just learning, growing

Following, and leading

Rising, descending

Like a sunrise

A sunset falling

Spectacular in living color

Fading into twilight

Leaving mere breadcrumbs

For the next generation.

So now I'm asking

What are these things

We leave behind?

Memories, clothing

Trinkets in a desk drawer?

Love, caring

Hugs behind a closet door?

Make the longing linger

The pain of passing simmer

Like a stew on a stovetop.

These things we leave behind

Like a spirit hovering

A prayer confessing

All in a day's work

And hopefully we can say

We lived, we loved

We overcame, and conquered

And never forgot to live 

Along the way.

D.A. Wittler 9/23/20,, ,.

Extraordinary Times

A few thoughts: Living in Extraordinary Times: 

Folks, we are indeed living in extraordinary times. I don't need to remind anyone of the current situation with the crisis in health, civil unrest, and of course politics. None of these are "business as usual" kinds of issues. The fact is the very fabric of our society, culture, and nation is at risk of being torn apart. And so I ask, search your heart, probe your mind, connect with the essence of your soul. Seek clarity, find wisdom, be courageous! Be attentive to God who tells us: "Be not afraid, for I am with you always."

We all know change is inevitable, but there are some things that are meant to stand the test of time. Our forefathers set in writing a vision, and foundation for generations to build upon certain inalienable rights, and freedoms. These come at no small price as we have seen much bloodshed, tears, sweat, and hard work to provide for our children, and so on. Let not your heart be troubled, stand United, speak your mind, and do not be fooled by temptations of hand outs by those who say they have your best interest at heart. The world offers order in the midst of choas, but let the faithful beware that freedom is not free, and the soul is not to be compromised by promises man cannot keep for his own sake. Our higher power asks only that we love one another, trust, and hope in the great I Am who leads all to life eternal! Keep the faith y'all, it is the one thing that will save us from the desires of the godless who wish to rule under one giant thumb.

Amen

D.A. Wittler 8/20/20

Middle Ages Knight

So your armor has gotten a little rusty, and your sword isn't as sharp as it used to be. Your shield is now considered "second hand" because it has received so many hits. Your horse has died, or it has run off, and you don't have the gumption any more to track it down, or your loyalty just won't let you buy new. Your chain mail weighs you down from all the battles you have won, and lost.

 But in spite of all that bad news, you still get up every morning, feed the dog, pat him on the head, and do everything you used to do, but with a little less purpose than before. The castle needs a good cleaning, but you allow a little more dust, and nostalgia to fill the grand hall. But all in all, you're still that grand night in shining armor who stopped someone in their tracks once, and showed them how love is supposed to be, but in time changes to where that someone must become a little more sword to lean on, and less a burden to be carried. Yes indeed, that is me, and life must go on, and there are other castles to keep!

Witt

(For Joyce)

The Starving "Man"

A few thoughts:

You know, if I could change my tune, and erase all of the mistakes I have ever made in my life, would I? And who would I be today without  that score of self knowledge? My song would not sound the same, and that would be a shame, especially to those I love most.  Change is inevitable, but not without a few bumps along the way. Any journey worth the time, effort, and willingness to learn from trial, and error is not really a journey at all, it's just a frivolous endeavor devoid of meaning, and sustenance. It is like a starving man taking his first bite of food in days, and then gorging himself on bread  until he dies from over indulgence. What did he learn? and how did that experience make him perhaps a better person, or at the very least more appreciative of what be had to eat before? 

Today, our institutions of higher learning have somehow forgotten their place, and become cafeterias of the over indulged, and harbingers of a lost generation.  

Well, I say to you who are listening, play your tune,  make adjustments along the way, and treat the world to the masterpiece you were born to sing by the worn out strings, and countless hours of effort that went into each note you play!

Amen

More Than a Memory

More Than A Memory

(For Gene)

I remember so clearly 

First days of friendship 

School days and discoveries 

Like it was yesterday 

Now you are gone

And I wonder…

Does a forest remember?

After a storm

In calm 

after the  storm

Even though it is broken

Torn down and fallen

Trees returning

Standing tall once again

More than a memory

Former glory

Nature restored.

Is that how life is?

After a heartache 

 When you are battered and torn

From the inside out

You wonder

Can I live again?

And I look yonder…

Does a farm field remember?

Winter wheat resting under blanketed snow

Spring hail in a thunder storm

Even though it is flooded

Washed away, and swollen

Corn returns with tall tassels 

More than a memory

Former glory

Bounty returns.

Is life like that?

After the mourning

Taps calling

A volley for your service

Finally resting 

In a garden of stone…

I wonder

 Can we live again?

Saying goodbye 

 Brother, soldier, and  friend. 

More than a memory

A smile

A laugh

Sound of your voice 

Echoing inside of myself

And I wonder…

Does your spirit remember?

D.A. Wittler 5/13/20

 

A Few Thoughts: Untitled

A Few Thoughts: Untitled

Don Maclaine wrote a song about Vincent Van Gogh. Have you heard it? Have you listened to your heart? Can you see today a little more clearly? Does yesterday even matter any more? 

Now, do you care about tomorrow?

 Vincent said, " Sorrow is a small beginning." I am beginning to realize that I cling too tightly to sorrow these days, yet, there is hope come the morning where light dispells darkness, and awareness changes doubt to reason. But we don't need light to see, we only need a heart worth feeling, and no thought of what we are suffering, only that we become enlightened a little more on our journey through the suffering rather than becoming stuck within it, and sinking. We must rise above it, and realize that love never ceases as life does; it merely changes as the seasons, and we grow with each ring we earn like the tree outside our window, beautiful, tall, and free!

In Memoriam

04:30:

In Memoriam: Eugene Arthur Sadler; 

Son, Brother, Soldier, Friend!

Can't  sleep knowing I'll  be taking a man I have known for over forty years to his final resting place in just a few short hours...

But the worst of the storm has passed, 

Those dreadful tears have done their worst, 

And the pent up rage of knowing

Becomes my saving grace...

To all who are lamenting

In darkest hours like these

Those lost days of youthful exuberance

Rekindle in a wink of an eye

With every re-telling beside the flames

In a camp fire come morning

Becomes a spark for a new day dawning

As the embers glow

We shall remember nothing is lost

Only time we could have spent

And witnessed a slower decline.

So live as he would wish

And hope as he now knows

That we shall all gather once again

Lift a glass

And laugh at all our suffering

From the past.

Amen

D.A. Wittler 5/9/20

Reflections Amidst a Pandemic

A few thoughts: 

Reflections Amidst a Pandemic:

 (A work in progress)

I think about the miles 

these dogs have trod, 

and a flag unfurled 

I dream about a time 

of great upheaval,

and a people longing for freedom.

 

I feel the absence of a soldier

in the field, 

and a mother's prayers uplifted. 

I hear a gentle chimming 

of the hours, 

and the chorus of a windswept symphony

On a loney journey echoing;

It's origin dangling from a front porch.

I know loss,

and a friend struggling

Just to keep his heart beating

Silent faces peering 

from behind fear

Of a pandemic spreading.

In all this 

I know faith continuing

Flags still waving,

and a people clinging to each other

Proclaiming:

"This too shall pass."

D.A. Wittler 5/3/20

Thoughts On A Sinking Ship

A few thoughts about a sinking ship:

I think the analogy of a boat is more like a sinking ship. No matter where people were on the Titanic they were all in peril. There were not enough life boats to rescue everyone. People on the bow went first. The band played amid ships, and those left on the stern deck went down with a rush pulling them into the frozen depths. And all the while a few shocked souls watched in horror as their loved ones took a last breath. Yes, some of us are still working, sustained by a pay check. Some fall through the cracks, and depend on family to keep them afloat, and still we lose neighbors, friends, and family to this silent menace, but we are all on this sinking ship together no matter where we sit, stand, or view the horror of the carnage left behind in the wake of an iceberg barely visible from the surface. Take heart, and know that even in the worst of times we can all have faith to carry us to safer shores. Amen, and God Bless all!

Where the Cardinal Goes

Where the Cardinal Goes

(For Mom)

On a clear blue morning

I saw him perched precariously on a metal limb

Head held high 

Chest bared in brilliant crimson red

And in my silent mourning it occured  to me

"Mom?"

Where does the cardinal go

When the heart needs comforting 

When life seems lesser than when you were here?

In my silent prayer I know

Where the cardinal goes

He finds his mate

Settles in to a common space

A nest they have gathered together

To cultivate

A new generation

Another chance for life to renew itself

Though my sorrow ebbs, and flows

My spirit soars to

Where the cardinal goes.

D.A. Wittler 3/13/20

Windward Sons, Great Coaches, and an Artist of Life

A few thoughts: Windward Sons, Great Coaches, and an Artist of Life.

We received a letter on Friday from my son Ryan who is about to begin the midway point in Marine Corps training. I have come to realize that he is a windward son because he has chosen the difficult path against what most young men his age would choose, but in the end he will be stronger, and more able bodied to face any obstacle life places in front of him. The same could be said of his brother Aaron who is learning, and growing in his own more traditional way; work, save, explore possibilities, and build gradually at his own pace. 

Ryan says it's like his Drill Instructors are easing up one minute, and jumping down their throats the next. Believe me, any former service member, or student athlete knows this feeling. It is because they have reached a point where being a novice gives way to being a serious student of "the game." Drills, conditioning, fundamentals, and mental maturity start to kick in, but not without constant pressure to gain proficiency above, and beyond. Like great coaches who strive for perfection, life teaches many lessons, often times throwing obstacles in our way to test us of our worthiness, or courage to strive on.

Now, I'm  finally getting to read a good book about some of the greatest coaches of Notre Dame football, as I am constantly looking for ways to encourage my sons through this most challenging time of their lives. Since martial arts is a part of Marine training, I sought guidance from one of the greatest teachers/philosophers in Bruce Lee. He changed the world in regards  to opening up the ancient arts of the Far East. As a student of philosophy as well, Lee melded together what he knew of the physical art with the discipline of the mind. This is what I gleaned from a brief study of his life, and work.

Become like the caterpillar

Prepare, 

Grow, 

Dream, 

Emerge, 

Stretch your wings, 

Fly on your own power 

This is what it means to be

An Artist of Life

A student of the soul.

Paint your canvas like a perfect scene before you 

Is it a deeply hidden meadow amongst the trees?

Or can it be seen for miles around

Like a journeyman's dream 

With limitless possibilities?

It is up to you

According to the life you lead;

Choose wisely,

Be true to the heart within

That beats the drum 

And leads the way.

D.A. Wittler 3/8/20

God Bless!