SIDEWAYS EIGHT PROJECTS

I’ve heard of a good marriage being likened to a marathon. This got me to thinking of three things: history, preparation, and discipline.

First, history – According to aspects of Greek history, the first marathon commemorated, and honored in so doing, the run of a soldier named Pheidippides from a battlefield near the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C. According to the legend, Pheidippides ran the approximately 25 miles to announce the defeat of the Persians to some concerned and worrisome Athenians. (The Athenians didn’t yet have access to facebook, instagram, Twitter or Snapchat, and thus were still relying on human power as messengers in long form time.) Also according to the legend, Pheidippides, Not quite in mid-season shape, delivered the message “Niki!” (Victory!) then keeled over and died. (Yes we would later see a derivation of this word for victory become the brand we know today which tell us to “Just Do It!” – NIKE.

Second, preparation – In order to run the greatest races of our lives we must train by constantly running shorter races. (We don’t want to suffer the same fate as Pheidippides) In order to win the wars we must constantly be fighting the battles before us. (Enter in the quote about ‘For want of a nail the shoe was lost…’)This got me to thinking of track events and horse racing.

Third, discipline – Training for the shorter races (and the longest ones) involves training of our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls in preparation for what they must be able to both endure and withstand. Part of this is keeping track of elements of our lives for accountability purposes as well as taking stock of our lives to assess where we are at day to day. Horses wear harnesses, bits, and have reins in their races. We must find the equivalents in our lives in disciplined preparation before, during, and after the races we will run.

———-

On June 9th, 1973 ‘Secretariat’ won horse racing’s coveted Triple Crown.

Yesterday, June 9th, 2018, ‘Justify’ became only the thirteenth horse in history to do the same.

Also yesterday, June 9th, we obtained our marriage license. This was a short race in preparation for the race of a lifetime ahead of us. As luck would have it we’ll be getting married on the thirteenth of next month (our dating anniversary AND a reminder of ‘Justify’s thirteenth place in history)

The amazing folks at The Brewer’s Cabinet helped us celebrate afterwards. There was even collegiate track races on the television behind our booth to further the theme of ‘running the good race’. As the goddess of victory, Athena Nike, would urge us today to ‘Just Do It’, we intended to tie the knot, run the good sprints, fight the daily battles, commemorate and celebrate the individual events, and always keep our eyes on the prize. God has the reins. Our lifetimes are the greatest races we will ever run. We intend to finish strong.

.

#triplecrown #holytrinity #racing #races #battles #wars #marriage #victory #nike #horses #marathon #secretariat #justify #onthisdayinhistory #luckynumberthirteen #13 #poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #poemsofinstagram #dailypoems #micropoems #poetrydaily #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #photography #instapics #photographersofig

The reflection of memory across time is astounding, like marinating in good times that never were. We look back to find our grounding, and somehow find a stirring blur.

.

#memories #time #perception #findings #poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #poemsofinstagram #dailypoems #micropoems #poetrydaily #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #photography #instapics #photographersofig

~ riverside limerick ~

.

Hidden in plain sight,

written with insane delight, not by me, but someone more free, who put their heart out in the light.

.

#heart #limerick #river #light #poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #poemsofinstagram #dailypoems #micropoems #poetrydaily #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #photography #instapics #photographersofig

Not a single one can handle my dark spaces, except the empty page and God above, which is why I’m constantly confiding my graces, and always trying to live love.

.

#darkspaces #God #graces #love #thepoetslist #poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #poems of instagram #dailypoems #micropoems #poetrydaily #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #photography #instapics #photographersofig

The winds of change are blowing in the Biggest Little Nevada, which may seem strange if you’ve never had a chance to visit or give it a second showing in your mind. But, if you’d visit for a time you would find buildings being torn down, different restaurants being tried, new artwork all over town, the only thing crossing the class divide. We have a team moving out, and a new one not long here, all the while Aces fans giving a shout, and people of color living in fear. Rated sixth best in a recent poll, and growing by the day, where having a good time is always the goal, siempre in a Reno as Fu*k way.

.

#reno #renoisrad #renoasfuck #biggestlittlecity #renocreatives #biggestlittleartscity #morearteverywhere #sparks #nevada #homemeansnevada #destinationnevada #travelnevada #silverstate #battleborn #RenoRising #creativity #pictures #artistic #creative #creation #writersofig #writerswrite #writersofinstagram #writinglife #wordgasm #words #sidewayseightprojects #selfpublishing

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

#joy #artistry #sharing #alone #anthonybourdain #connection #friends #family #love #poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #poemsofinstagram #dailypoems #micropoems #poetrydaily #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #photography #instapics #photographersofig

We vote every single day with our dollars, and in so doing pledge our support to a cause. We acknowledge that emphasis through our hollers, and to what we give our applause. We may work out our differences through conversations, and still see the world through lesser eyes. But when we have certain rights on certain days across this nation, I full well intend to exercise.

.

#vote #ivoted #rights #support #elections .

#poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #poemsofinstagram #dailypoems #micropoems #poetrydaily #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #photography #instapics #photographersofig

I’m more cerebral than most blokes, and I thank you in advance for your time. I may say some things that trigger or offend some folks, but that’s okay cause it’s not yet a crime. So whatever these words before you evoke, just know that I’m being real and dropping dime. If you bare with my social commentary and jokes, I’ll do you the favor of making it rhyme.

—-

If you consider it shameful to lack passion for your occupation,

then you might consider yourself blessed to have been so yourself.

And then in looking deeper into another’s situation,

perhaps take at least a page from their shelf.

—

If you believe others simply need to try harder,

and that is the only impediment to worldly gain,

you will not grow wiser as you grow smarter,

and you will not increase pleasure, but spread pain.

—

If you pledge, with your actions, to step on others,

so as to elevate your own station upon earth,

you’ll find an empty room of sisters and brothers,

and a death only days shy of your birth.

—

If you say someone is better, or has more value, than someone,

due to factors beyond the control of all involved,

then I might wonder who, what, and where you come from,

and what, if any, mysteries you might have solved.

—

If you curse the darkness of this world while breaking the lights,

inspiring and moving no one, while expecting to be stirred,

trying to wring profit from perpetuating loss, heartache, and fights,

then you’ve never once absorbed the living word.

—

If you’ve never tasted the love that endures, chases, and persists,

then I wish you a full meal my once and future friend.

For everyone struggles, fights battles, and experiences twists,

and each a one is on a road that will someday end.

— #lifetime #love #if #shape #end #creativity #pictures #artistic #creative #creation #writersofig #writerswrite #writersofinstagram #writinglife #wordgasm #words #sidewayseightprojects #selfpublishing

Due to exposure and awareness,

some know more of the right things to say,

and yet do less of the right things to do.

Expecting others to always know the way,

never mindful of the selfishness that we spew.

Rallying behind those we consider our tribe,

trying to end those who knock at our gates,

unable to focus, unable to describe,

while the meek still labor and wait.

Others are fools, others are taking bribes,

while we are still clicking the bait.

Others are drinking the punch, but each a one imbibes,

and we are creating systems of hate.

Yet we have within what is written the chances,

to do more and be more from what is hidden in plain sight,

For we will not always be able to tip-toe around our fake dances,

and just because it is so, does not in fact make it right.

.

#socialmedia #tribalism #colonialism #networking #predators #prey #pray #systems #power #good #evil

#poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #poemsofinstagram #dailypoems #micropoems #poetrydaily #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #photography #instapics #photographersofig

Wanting does not make it so. Needing does not leave it be.

But oh how I love your glow,

as you put the be in believe to me.

.

#companionship #qualitytime #truckee #downtown #laughter #love #poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #poemsofinstagram #dailypoems #micropoems #poetrydaily #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #photography #instapics #photographersofig