Here’s a little seasonal Halloween poem, Reign of Terror.
Reign of Terror,
the sick becomes sicker
the hungry hungrier.
Twenty million reasons
away into the night fly
while the land into the dawn cries.
Happy October!
Reign of Terror
October
Spooky Excerpt
It is October and spooky is everywhere, so I decided to share an excerpt from Sunrise Souls, last book in The Dinorah Chronicles trilogy. It is found on page 66.
… but this time I saw the evil energy that embodied her soul gazing through her eyes. A blaze of fire danced in her eyes with the fury of an unholy cadence. I jumped and delivered a lethal kick to her chest as she came charging with the force of a raging bull. We met in mid-air as she fell back foaming in hate, her mouth spouting a poisonous river of filth.
Spooky or Not?
My Favorite Black and White “Spooky” Movies
Horror movies have evolved over time as technology and we as a society have evolve, thus allowing more realistic and gory elements in cinematic horror. I don’t care for today’s horror movies; too violent and bloody, and I have never liked the element of human hurting human as well. I don’t have an issue with nature vs. man or science fiction. However, there are a few black and white horror classics that are worth mentioning. If you have an opportunity, you might want to check them out. Although some might be considered cheesy by today’s standards, there is a je ne sais quoi appeal to these old movies. Here is my list of black and white favorites. Many of the black and white movies have several remakes and have been colorized as well.
The Crawling Eye – 1958
The Blob – 1958
The Birds – 1963
Invasion of the Body Snatchers – 1956
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir – 1947 (mystery mixed with a bit of humor and romance)
More recent in-color films that are worth mentioning due to their classic mystery appeal are:
The Fog – 2005 (there is an older version, but I like this one)
Silver Bullet – 1985
Storm of the Century – 1999
Although I don’t consider these spooky, I admit that I have a taste for cheesy sci-fi movies that are more modern such as Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus (2010), Mega Pirahna (2010), and others alike, even with the bad acting. I have no shame in admitting that. I also love shark and crocodile movies. Jaws (1975) remains a favorite movie that I watch every summer; it is a tradition. Alligator (1980) is a favorite as well.
I hope you get to watch and appreciate some of these, especially the black and white jewels.
Monstrosities
October is finally here, and with it, a few cooler days. We will have our first frost by Sunday, according to the local meteorologist. Those little birds were right once more. Nature knows best. If we would listen to it, we would know best too. I will be collecting what’s left on the veggie garden before Sunday, green or not. The Halloween vibes are louder this year in the stores. There are a few monstrosities on the shelves as well as on the food isles, pricing continues to go up. This weekend we will be cleaning up tons of leaves and branches left by the remnants of Ian. Thank God that is the only thing we have to clean up, because my heart truly goes out after the victims of its devastation in Florida.
Once October arrives, one tends to think of frightful things and pumpkins; it has been engrained in our culture for long. One of my favorite movies, if not my favorite, is Silver Bullet (Stephen King). When we bought this farmhouse, I found an old wooden baseball bat amongst the tall weeds. I cleaned it up and kept it, but I immediately thought of “the peacemaker” in that movie and named it so.
We got another dose of October fright when we went to pick up the pellet fuel. The increase in pricing will translate to $100 more per month ($2 more per bag) on a ton (50 bags/2,000 lbs.). We use about a ton per month. Is this type of heating worth it anymore at that increase? The electric companies are saying that the average customer will see the electric bill go up by $40-$60 a month, depending on who you listen to in the news. Will pellet stove fans revert to electric heating as a primary source? I think a wood stove or fireplace is the best choice, that is, if you chop your own wood. A cord of wood used to be around $250 on the cheap side of things, not anymore.
There are lovely monstrosities as well. A week or so ago, I found the biggest mushroom I have ever seen. It was bigger than my hand, so I had to take a picture and send it to my sister.
All this accelerated increase on the cost of living, a monstrosity, has me thinking and evaluating the way we do things around here, and looking for better alternatives. It looks like the whole nation is about to wake up and reevaluate its path, its core values, and at the home level, the paths we have taken so far, and the need to ponder and redirect our lifestyle.
Fearless
Fearless – Without fear; brave. (American Heritage Dictionary)
The word fearless has been overused, thus becoming a “fashion” word, a word that people tend to use without discrimination, a cliché. It has become almost meaningless, just as the word love, used with disregard and abandonment (of meaning).
The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “without fear.” Without fear does not mean in the absence of fear. One can be truly scared of something or a situation, and be/act fearless in the presence of the object of fear. There is no “fearless” without having known fear. It is a word that I take seriously, rather than “in fashion” because it pertains to something deeper than the outside persona, but more of the internal self, of the condition of the soul, and even spirit.
Fearless is rooted in spirituality, in the condition of the heart. I have been truly scared in some occasions but fearless at the same time. It has only been possible because my strength has come from Jesus, and not from my own efforts or disposition. Faith has a lot to do with being fearless, but also knowing that your supernatural strength comes from God, and that changes the whole meaning of the word.
“For God Had not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:7
October Fright
October is almost here, and with it, the Halloween decorations start appearing in stores and homes. When I was a child I loved Halloween, and as an adult, I enjoyed making elaborated candy bags for the neighborhood kids, as many as a hundred bags, and many times, all of them went before 8 PM that day. I enjoyed seeing the little kid’s costumes, and in the back of my mind I always picked a favorite – the winner for the day. I dressed up for work on a few occasions – alien, ninja, enchantress … Although I don’t celebrate Halloween anymore, (my views of the celebration have changed considerably), I think most people enjoy dressing up for it, and enjoy the day with their kids. In lieu of it, I have decided to post a few four-line poems, quartets.
White Lies
Coward surrounded by white
Eagles left behind.
Rotten soul hiding behind the mask,
slowly decaying, festering in lies.
***
A Broken Touch
Not Midas, nor gold
Broken is the old man’s touch.
Chaos, disarray, disdain …
IT brings forward a broken world.
***
The Boogie Man
Everything he touches crumbles,
taste of decay and desolation.
Lonely soul awaiting fate
Days run short, darkness engulfs him.
Inkspeare 