Tennyson Transcends Time

A Few Thoughts: Tennyson Transcends Time.

 Through his epic poem, Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson speaks to me in these troubled times. For the pacifists among us, no harm be done, but for the patriots who writhe at this current chain of events in our nations history; take heart!

God bless!

Come, my friends,

’Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Prosperity, Poverty, and Providence

A few thoughts: Prosperity, Poverty, and Providence.

I felt the steel cold breeze upon my cheek this morning as I left work. It had been a long night, and I was longing for my warm safe bed waiting at home. Anxiety quietly crept into my thoughts as I took to the icy roadway, and the 45 minute drive ahead. I turned on the radio to distract the toxic mixture of hope, and dread playing out scenarios in my head, but I knew the answer would be: "Just deal with it, and move on kid." Lord knows I will try, but it is hard not to remember the past, the images, and the lessons it has taught me.

I grew up quite fortunate in a land of limitless possibilities; two hard working parents, and a household full of kids where grandma, and grandpa lived just up the street. I was a crossing guard in sixth grade. We put up the flag every morning, and took it down before dark. I learned to tie knots, respect myself, God others, and the rule of law as a Boy Scout. Indeed, I lived in a land of the free, and home of the brave. 

I served overseas, and saw the prosperity of a free Europe I knew had been stained with the blood of my brothers a generation or two before me. I remember the smell of rot, and decay in a small Honduran village where poverty reigned over a populace stricken with little opportunity, and an uncertain future.

Now, as I recall a distant frigid winter between battlefields long before my time, I hear an echoing belief in divine providence being recited in a humble prayer offered up to heaven. A disciplined soldier kneels before his maker pleading for an answer to spare a ravaged army from despair.

Today, I saw a patriot take leave, and fly off to warmer shores to contemplate another course.  My heart went with him into the clouds until my sight of him was diminished, but my vision of hope remains; my dreams of providence sustains. Godspeed Captain, my Captain.

D.A. Wittler 1/20/21

Our Valley Forge

A few thoughts: Our Valley Forge.

If you love history as I do, and even if it is not exactly your cup of tea, read about George Washington, especially about the bleakest days of the Revolutionary War. 

Valley Forge saw the Continental Army encamped for the winter. They were freezing to death, starving, and on the verge of mutiny. The Continental Congress had seemingly forgotten them, and the sacrifices they had made for the cause of independence. 

In the midst of this utter despair, General George Washington ventured out to the woods behind his winter lodgings. He took a knee, and bowed to his higher power to ask for the divine providence he so fervently believed would carry them to victory. He was out of options, and his back was against a wall of desperation.

It is written that the Mother of Jesus came to him in this dire hour. She called him "Son of the Republic" and reassured him that he would lead the way to victory. 

I believe we are presently experiencing our own Valley Forge. A pandemic has kept us hunkered down as a January chill creeps into our bones. We are fighting wars abroad, and our national spirit wanes between extreme political ideology, moral, and ethical decay. Our government has put into question the trust we place upon its shoulders. So, what now?

I find myself bringing these concerns more, and more to a higher power as did George Washington. I hope in the cause of justice, and the healing of all our earthly ills so that we may weather the storm to experience a new Spring, and a brighter future for our Republic.

God bless!

Witt

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