A New Poem

The river talks
Listen, the river speaks to console
water riffles soft over shore rock
gentle flow, soothing for the soul.
Hear an inspired word, motivating,
stimulating, persuading, urging,
giving direction.

Listen, the river whisper secrets,
wisdom of the ages, common sense,
knowledge flows, data streams.
Hear a song, a melody subdued,
a waltz, a fugue, a jazzy riff,
a bluesy note, than a lighter tune.

Listen, the river shouts joy,
gives thanks and praise,
calls out for truth, justice.
Hear a powerful voice declare
in storm, in flood, in crashing wake,
in slide, in sucking undertoe.
Sometimes a life it takes.

For the Weekend

I have an active schedule for this weekend, depending on how well my meds hold up. Saturday is household cleanup and errand day; going for groceries, Howe’s True Value for a new furnace filter, haircut for me, nail trim for Ted at Pampered Pets, and no doubt a few more things I’ll remember as I make my rounds. I’ll try to watch some late afternoon college basketball, or pro hockey; there are several good games on tomorrow.

Saturday is dinner and a movie night with the some of the usual friends. Have not yet decided where we will eat, but the movie will be Walk the Line at the Warren Cinema Series at the Library Theatre. I’m not a Johnny Cash fan per se, but the movie and its actors have garnered quite a few of the top film award nominations.


Walk the Line
Winner: NY Film Critics: Best Actress, 3 Golden Globe nominations incl. Best Picture (musical/comedy). Beginning in depression-era Arkansas, the film traces the origins of Johnny Cash’s (Joaquin Phoenix) sound back to his beginnings as a sharecropper’s son; moves through his wild tours with rock and roll pioneers Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Waylon Jennings; and culminates in his unforgettable 1968 concert in Folsom Prison. Primarily the story of the love that grew over the years between Cash and June Carter (Reese Witherspoon), the film is the result of intense collaboration between director James Mangold and co-writers Gill Dennis, Johnny Cash, and June Carter Cash prior to the death of both Cashes in 2003. “Equally packed with music and frustrated love, 'Walk the Line' goes from compelling to enthralling.” - Mike Clark, USA Today. “Johnny Cash sang like he meant business...'Walk the Line', with its dead-on performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (including vocals) helps you understand that quality.” - Roger Ebert. “A passionate, warts-and-all chronicle of an extraordinary American artist, not to mention a love story that can’t be beat.” - Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle. (PG-13, 136 min.) Paul's View: Amazing, simply amazing! The opening 10 minutes in the empty corridors Folsom Prison is one of the most atmospheric movie sequences you'll ever see.

After church services Sunday, it’s lunch at noon with Vicky at Erickson’s. Probably more college basketball for the afternoon. At 9 p.m. PBS Masterpiece Theatre presents Dickens Bleak House, so I’ll catch that.

Bleak House TV PGAiring in six parts: Sundays, January 22 through February 26, 2006 on PBS(Check local listings; dates and times may vary) An epic feast of characters and storylines, Bleak House is Dickens' passionate indictment of the convoluted legal system that is as searingly relevant today as it was in the mid-19th Century. The court of Chancery becomes the center of a tangle of relationships at all levels of society and a metaphor for the decay and corruption at the heart of Victorian England.Starring Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance, Alun Armstrong, Ian Richardson, Nathaniel Parker, Richard Griffiths, Phil Davis, Joanna David and Carey Mulligan. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/bleakhouse/index.html

Henry VIII, Sinfully Mad!

A recent presentation of Henry VIII on Masterpiece Theatre has evoked a discussion between me and a friend about whether he was “mad.”

From my perspective, Henry VIII was not only "mad", but evil. So severely affected psychologically by his moral, ethical and political corruptions that his thought process and consequent actions, although expedient for his purposes, were destructively irrational, irresponsible and sinful.

His dynastic obsession to produce a son to continue his rule was punctuated by conspiracy and murder; wives A. Boleyn and K. Howard were both unjustly executed, as were a host of others whom he felt were a threat. He ruled mostly through fear and intimidation. He signed death warrants, execution by beheading, like they were party invitations.

He is one of the few figures in history who was guilty, I think, of every one of the seven deadly sins: let's see, pride, envy, greed, anger, lust, sloth and gluttony. I think he qualifies.

Sin creates sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil. Sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce itself and potentially can destroy all moral and ethical sense. Thus, madness results.

And, thus, this poem:


Bound for the
Promised Land

When the roll call sounds
in heaven who will assemble?
All faithful in word and deed,
honest in heart and spirit,
and true to God’s Law.

“ Blessed are the clean of heart:
for they shall see God”

Repentant sinners, reformed
criminals, the non-believers,
the deceivers, the cheats,
those who scorn, souls in
mourn, spirits torn.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”


The oppressed, the repressed,
the dispossessed, the tortured,
the sick and disabled, the unstable.


“Blessed are they that suffer
persecution for justice' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven”

When the roll call sounds
in heaven who will assemble?

Slaying the Dragon

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to slay the monster sitting across the Allegheny River from my place. It’s name is the Warren Municipal Parking Garage, a five-story brick and steel autohaus, painted an aqua blue, that occupies about a block-long stretch of prime riverfront.

In daylight, the color-clash between the muted red of the brick and the aqua blue of the painted steel farming, is quite displeasing. Originally, the steel frame was scheduled to the painted a dark green. But through some snafu, the supplier sent the wrong color.

The contractor was so anxious to complete the project on time that he went ahead and used the aqua blue. In the end, haste made waste, because the completion and opening of the garage was delayed about a month because of drainage problems. It opened last week.

Although the previous view was of a surface parking lot and the deteriorating rear sections of old three and four story brick buildings, the new garage is architectural sore thumb because of the color contrast. It gets worse at night, when all five floors sit in the glow of bright lit making it look more like a sports stadium.

Today is cloudy and cold here, so I’m busying myself doing general household chores and computer maintenance. Other than a medical exam on Wednesday, this week is pretty much routine, although I may be posting several new poems in the next few days.

Just Another Blond?

Is Hillary Clinton next?

Blond-haired women politicians are being elected worldwide. The latest example is Michelle Bachelet, (photo right), who won election in Chile, becoming the nation's first woman president. Bachelet, 54, a former defense minister who leads the coalition that ousted Augusto Pinochet from power in 1990, garnered 53.5 percent of the vote with almost all ballots counted, the government said. Opposition candidate Sebastian Pinera conceded after winning 46.5 percent in today's run-off.

She joins blond Angela Merkel, 55, Germany's first woman Chancellor, who won election in November be defeating Gerhard Shroeder.

But in Finland, Tarja Halonen, a redhead who became that country's first woman president in 2002, faces a runoff to retain that post. Halonen's campaign got an unexpected boost when NBC late night talk show host Conan O'Brian, a Halonen look-alike, began making political ads urging Fins to reelect her because, "she looks like me." O'Brian's ads were even more amusing because his command of the Finnish language was less than perfect.

Quick Fix

Swirling Geese:

I created this graphic image using a photo I took some years ago of Canada Geese in flight.












Warren headlines: www.timesobserver.com

Traditional Gospel hymn: www.mamarocks.com/closer_walk_with_thee.htm

Today's Weather: Cloudy, cold, snow showers, 1-3 inches in higher elevations

Weekend Looks Quiet

Ran a lot of routine errands today; up to Lakewood, NY to Sam's for cat litter, Wegman's for groceries, New York Bagel Company for..., and a browse through Home Depot.

So, I'm going to kick back for a quite weekend of sports and a new season start for "24"; NCAA basketball, and the NHL game, on Saturday; a four-hour season opener for 24. I've been a fan of this series, now in its fifth season, from the beginning. I've only missed a handful of episodes in the past four years.

I'm sure, though, that some socializing with friends will be on the agenda in-between.

The weather is predicted to turn colder with accumulating snow by Saturday night. Welcome back winter!

Have a good weekend yourself.

Bush's New Frau

Germany's new Chancellor Angela Merkel apparently made quite an impression on G.W. Bush during her courtesy visit to Washington, D.C. today.

The Pres. cut short a joint news conference Friday morning, stating that, "I'm going to take her to lunch now".

Or, was it that question from a reporter who heard the Merkel got testy with Bush for apparently using German air space and possibly ground facilities to transport detainees from one country to another.

Check out the links at top of page!!

Photos, essay being published, Springtime in Warren

Several of my photos, and an essay I wrote recently titled Welcome to Hobo Rail, are part of the Winter issue of Artistry of Life, an online literatry magazine.

One photo is of a flock of Canada Geese in flight, which is the artwork chosen by the magazine's editors to compliment Crescendo, a poem written by my good friend Cassandra Robison, who is the magazine's founder, publisher, and editor. The other photo is a fog-bound scene along the Allegheny River. Sandi chose it to compliment her poem Seneca.

The Winter issue is expected to be posted by Saturday. There is a link to Artistry of Life at the top of this page. Welcome to Hobo Rail is available by clicking onto the My Poems & Essays link above.

A warm and sunny beginning to January 2006 is causing my backyard Dogwood tree to produce buds on the outer branches. This happened once before, I think in 2003, with ill affects to the tree. Temps have been in the mid 50's most of this week. Today may hit 60 degrees in some spots. The 14 inches of snow that accumulated from several snowstorms in December is gone, and with it cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

So, if spring has sprung early let it stay, although that's not likely.

This warm spell has allowed me to do some yard cleanup that was left behind when the snow fell. Actually, it feels good to get outside and work in the yard and garden with just light clothing.

In my off time, I've been watching a good bit of the Pennsylvania State Farm Show, especially the equestrian events. The events mostly focus on a Western theme with reining, cutting, barrel racing, team penning, draft horse pulls and the like.

The visit Thursday with my neurologist was a surprise. He focused on what he observes as stress, depression and anxiety in my demeanor, the ways they adversly affect the sypmtoms of Parkinson's, and recommendations on what to do. He suggested I see a psychologist or qualified therapist for evaluation and treatment. No new drugs have been added to my schedule, although he said that maybe a light anti-depressent might be in the future. I meet with my personal physician next Tuesday to review the situation with him.

Since October, the effectiveness and reliability of my medications has decreased. When they work, I'm just fine. When they don't, I am have difficulty walking, and my balance and coordination is off. This leaves me pretty much immobile, sitting it out until the next dose to see what that brings.

Ice climbers at Kinzua Dam

Ice climbing up the cliffs above the Kinzua Dam in Warren is on a temproary hold because a major January thaw, although it remains a popular winter activity. The cliff-face is about 300 feet straight up.

Climbers come from Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada. On the nearby Alleghney Reservoir, ice fishing is well-practiced sport, although the current thaw affects it as well .

I have taken quite a few photos of climbers over the years. This one is a representative image.

Starting the New Year Right!

Well, the post-holiday week saw the return of the Winter Cinema Series at the Library Theatre this weekend with a British adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. A great film. I highly recommend it.

For the past two years, I have watched Book Notes, a weekend presentation on C-SPAN-2. I will skip an explanation of this program here and refer you to the website www.booknotes.org for the details. It is always interesting, covering a wide range of current literature with the presentations given by the authors themselves. Check it out, please

I am working on another Welcome to Hobo Rail style essay. I call it: Black Magic Woman. It is about a reoccurring, vivid dream I had several years ago about visitations from an ancient Toltec shaman, and old faceless woman who appeared to me with advise on the various issues in my life at that time. She has visited me several times in Warren since then, and once on New Year's Eve 2004 when was in Colorado. Some spooky stuff. It will take me about a week to finish it.

I decided that because of the unpredictabity of my medications to temporarily suspend my painting work for the county housing authority. I tried a couple of days to get something done on one apartment, but it's too slow going for me. I get tired faster now. Spent most of my days last week cleaning around the house.

I head to Erie on Jan. 12 to see my neurologist, then the following week a consultation with my personal physician. The discussion with both is whether to add Eldepryl to the equation. It speeds the absorption of levedopa to enhance the effect.