Guest Author, Anne Raftery

As audiences are to performers, so too are readers to writers, often providing recommendations which lead to the writer’s improvement. Such has been the case with Anne Raftery. In addition to becoming a good friend and an essential visit on trips North (Connecticut), Anne has provided to us her poetry over some years, a glimpse of which Anne provides to you as one of our Guest Authors. Inspiring! Many thanks, Anne!

I felt a bit like the Karate Kid/“wax on, wax off” as I contemplated the prospect of being a guest blogger for Mary and Forrest’s online publication.  Forrest has been “Mr. Miyagi to my Daniel” for the past 20+ years. Mary has been my guru as to how one lives a giving and caring life. To put an image to our relationship, she has been the “Dorothy to my Tin Man”.  So with that in mind, I ventured with great trepidation into this opportunity but with an even greater feeling of privilege and honor that Forrest and Mary opened the door.  

I could go back to the beginning and talk about how our friendship started and grew into what it is today, but I am led instead to the inscription written in my treasured copy of “The Sixty-Minute Poet” by Forrest W. Heaton:  

Dear Anne 

Fun with this is our wish for you - 

Fun writing poetry your whole life through! 

Love, Mary & Forrest

May, 2013

With those 17 words, I pivoted from my vision of writing the next great American novel or memoir and discovered the glory and gratification of poetry.  I am not sure how family and friends feel about what the Heaton’s unleashed in me when they received my “work”, but it was a true gift to me to not only be inspired, but empowered to write.

I went through my catalog and picked out a few.  Random in topic and when I wrote them, I went with my gut and here we go.  

--------------

Forrest gave me an assignment in 2015 and this was the result.  Felt like a good place to start.  He asked me, “Why do you write poetry?”

I write a poem…

When I need to turn fireworks into one shining star.

When I need to turn a thundering waterfall into one raindrop falling onto a calm lake.

When I need to turn overwhelming sadness or grief into the sensation of peace and faith.

When I need to pray.

2/2015

This one spoke to how important it is to share what is in your heart with the people who are in your heart.

I heard there was a rainbow

I heard there was a rainbow

It brought joy to all around

But did you know where the rainbow ends?

My home, my heart, my soul

All because you let me know you saw a rainbow

9/2015

This came to me when I felt solutions to climate change, political strife, and general world discord were slipping through my fingers.  

We said we would remember

We said we would remember

But then the sun came out

The ocean drew us back

The rolling hills called our name

We can’t leave this beautiful place

We can’t change the way we work

We can’t change the way we play

What we do can’t really hurt that much

When we head to the beach

When we are mesmerized by the mountain view

When we contemplate what’s next

We must remember

The good news – we are resilient

The bad news – we are resilient

We must look beyond ourselves

Our world is suffering 

We said we would remember

We said we would learn from our mistakes

We said we would take more care

We said we would remember

9/2018

This was my first poem writing attempt after I got Forrest’s book, close in time to when my mother died.

She goes there

She goes there

When sleep overcomes her, she goes there

When life overwhelms her she goes there

When she needs a quiet place, she goes there

She prays that the next time, she will go there

Is there such a thing as without her?

There was alone, then there was with her

There was a flurry of children and he missed her when he remembered to

There was quiet, then, he was back with her

There is now deathly quiet, he is without her

Next

Is there a thought behind giving up?

Is there a dream behind moving forward?

Is there time to think?

Is there space to dream?

6/2013

Anne and Mary at Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, Noank, Connecticut, 4 June 2015

Guest Author, Marsha Larsen

Mary & I moved from our home in Fearrington Village just a quarter mile to our apartment at Galloway Ridge in 2018. Approximately 550 residents live at Galloway, no small challenge to get to know them and remember their names. Two of those residents are Marsha & Cliff Larsen. We met them soon after our arrival and have come to know them as good friends. Amongst other talents, Marsha is an established writer, having five books (four for children and one non-fiction) published in the last eight years. When she heard about our recently announced Blog Guest Author program, she immediately volunteered “Yes” and we immediately replied “Yes.” As you know, our Blog focuses on Parks, Poetry and Planet. Reading Marsha’s article below will help you focus both on the loveliness of her story and the diversity of our planet. Thank you, Marsha!  

---

Hands down, the most interesting folks I’ve ever met have been on the trail.  Or nearby, as in this essay.  Ordinary people, not famous at all, but each a vivid example of the range of us humans. I’ve revived this piece, written 20 years ago, to show we’re all part of Earth’s life and therefore a part of each other.  It’s time to remember…and connect.

Native Country

It was the first week in October, and Cliff and I were driving back to New Mexico from southeastern Utah where we’d been hiking for a few days.  Cliff detoured just before the crossing into New Mexico.  We decided to drive the 6 or so miles to Four Corners Monument, the only place in the United States contiguous to four states: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico.  It’s  rather desolate, not at all like the picture I had in my head every time I looked at the Four Corners on a map—a cozy little pinpoint that belies the real-life vastness of that basin between the Chuska Mountains of Arizona and New Mexico, the distant La Sals of Utah and, of course, Colorado’s Rockies.  As I stood right on the magic spot, facing northeast, my ten toes in Utah and Colorado, and one heel each in Arizona and New Mexico, I breathed in the magnificent freshness and listened to cloth whip in the wind, the four state flags, the Navajo flag, the Ute flag.  We were in Indian nations too.

Back on U. S. 64, we headed almost due east to Shiprock, a major Navajo town in the eastern area of the gigantic “rez.”  The landmark rock, after which the town is named, looked like a sailing ship to early white travelers.  Landlocked Navajos understandably named it differently: “Tse Bitai,” meaning “winged rock.”  They know eagles, not oceans.

I don’t know how to pronounce Navajo.  I’ve been to poetry readings by Navajo poets where they spoke in their native tongue.  But I still have no clue to the mouth-feel of that complex and lovely language.  What is the role of the tongue and the lips in Navajo?  There was a town we’d been seeing on signposts, “Teec Nos Pos,” and in my head I’d been saying “Tee-eck No Po,” combining German dipthongs with French dropped consonants, the little I remembered from high school language classes. 

We’d just passed Teec Nos Pos, and I was still practicing variations silently as we drove along.  We saw an old Navajo woman up ahead, standing beside the road with her packages and holding up a dollar bill.  Obviously she was trying to hitch a ride.  Cliff looked over and asked, “Should we pick her up?”  I said, “Sure.” 

I got out of the car to help her—it’s quite a step up into our 4Runner.  It was immediately apparent upon greeting her that she spoke no English.  But she knew we were giving her a ride, so she let me hold her packages for her as she ably hoisted herself into the back seat.  After woman and cargo were settled, I jumped in and we took off for Shiprock, her only possible destination, about 25 miles away.  She handed forth her dollar bill.  I pushed it back, saying ridiculously, like an actor from a 1950s’ cowboys-and-Indians movie, “You keep.”

I knew from the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico that they allow some moments of quiet upon meeting a new person—they like to “feel” who you are before you speak.  I was hoping that our Navajo passenger could feel who we were and that she could feel safe with us.  I was acutely aware of her presence in the back, as was Cliff.  I started to turn off the Eric Clapton tape we were playing but decided against it.  I began to notice her smell, just a little-old-lady smell, homey and rather acrid but not unpleasant.  She was being quiet too.

Then a paper bag began to rustle.  And in addition to her smell now, there was the green fragrance of peppers.  And more rustling.  I didn’t want to look back for fear of embarrassing her.  So I fantasized about what she might be doing—perhaps eating a snack or a breakfast sandwich of some sort. (I had felt the shape of round bread in one of her packages.)  Or perhaps sorting through produce she intended to sell in Shiprock.   In a low voice I started to sing along with Eric, “Tears in Heaven.”

Suddenly her brown hand appeared between the bucket seats.  A large hand of great character and integrity—a hand of hard work and experience.  There was a small white piece of paper too, an old-fashioned receipt.  She was handing it to me, backside up.  I looked back and smiled at her, then took it.  “Thank you,” said the preprinted message in faded red.  Cliff glanced over.  “Turn it over, maybe her name is on it.” 

“Bessie Hayes,” I read out loud, then looked back at her and asked, “Are you Bessie Hayes?”  

“Bessie Hayes, Bessie Hayes,” she nodded enthusiastically.  I reached back and shook her hand, introducing myself as well as Cliff.  She took my hand firmly in both of hers and shook back, then reached forward to Cliff, who also shook her hand.  The whole time she was smiling in what can only be called a shy and childlike manner, and when she released my hand at last, she giggled delightedly, evidently pleased that we’d received her communication.  How clever of her to search among her things for the receipt with her name on it!  I took pad and pencil from my purse, wrote “Marsha and Cliff” on it and handed it to her while saying each name and pointing to myself, then Cliff.  She tucked us away in her paper bag and we rode on to Shiprock, Bessie and Cliff and Eric and me.  And the smell of ourselves and green bell peppers.

As we drove into Shiprock, Bessie said in her heavy accent, “City Market!”  It was the grocery store at the intersection of U. S. 64 and U. S. 666, where we were to turn to go on to Farmington.  Cliff turned in and pulled over to curb in front of the market.  I got out and opened the back door to help Bessie.  As she was gathering her things, she began to speak in Navajo, making motions at her eyes over and over again.  “Eyes?” I guessed out loud.  Then, “Sunglasses?”  I was not getting what she was trying to communicate.  Finally she stopped speaking and slowly got out.   As I held her packages for her and watched to see that she did not fall, I particularly noticed her shoes—old white high-topped sneakers which she’d laced only half-way up.  All in all, she just looked poor and old, but we also knew she was a woman of intelligence, strength and good humor.  

After we’d left her, I told Cliff about her pantomime and wondered out loud what she’d been saying.  A few more miles down the road and it dawned on me.  Bessie had wanted me to take off my sunglasses.  She’d wanted to see my eyes, and I was sorry that to her we had not really “seen” one another.

Since then I’ve wondered what she will do with that scrap of paper with our names on it.  She could not read, but she knew what the writing was.  And of course she knew the significance of people giving their names; she’d given us hers. “I begin with my name, I give you who I am.”

I’ve since learned that “Teec Nos Pos” means “trees in a circle” in Navajo.  I like to think of them with their branches touching.

Guest Author, Rick Smith

Recently, my college roommate and long-time friend, Rick Smith, phoned to propose an idea. Smith is a reader of our Blog and aware of our recent post advising a “break” while I concentrate on achieving remission or cure from my Apr21 diagnosis of Hodgkin Lymphoma. Smith proposed we invite a “Guest Author” to write a Blog post, perhaps one author a month, for the next few months so that readers don’t fall off due to the lack of posts. We wholeheartedly agreed.

Attached is Rick’s Guest Author post. Rick is a retired thirty-one year employee of the U.S. National Park Service. His career was exemplary, including being a Park Ranger, Assistant Superintendent, and Superintendent in a number of Parks and Regions. Rick reminds readers that, as they begin to emerge after perhaps a year-long lockdown due to Covid-19, should they be considering going to one or more national parks, they be aware: 1) dogs (should they have them with them) are not allowed on any national park trail and must be cared for, and 2) the parks and employees are still limited by Covid-19. You will need a reservation at most parks to get in. Rick reminds all that the great outdoors is a wonderful place to heal and national parks fit that bill to a tee!

It’s an honor to write a guest blog for my old college roommate, Wally Heaton, or, as  most of you know him, Forrest, and his lovely wife, Mary.  They always begin their blog with a poem so I will also.

I’m not a poet

And I know it.

Instead, I will begin with a famous quote from Stephen T. Mather, the first Director of the US National Park Service in 1916:: "If a trail is to be blazed, send a ranger; if an animal is floundering in the snow, send a ranger; if a bear is in a hotel, send a ranger; if a fire threatens a forest, send a ranger; and if someone needs to be helped, send a ranger.”

I spent 6 years of my 31 years as an employee of the National Park Service (NPS) in Yosemite.  Since few of you have ever had the opportunity, I thought I’d try to give you a feel of what it’s like to be an NPS ranger.  I spent the first couple of my years between Badger Pass, Yosemite’s ski area, and Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite’s high-country camping and climbing area.  I can’t imagine a better assignment.  At Badger, I managed a 5-person professional ski patrol plus whatever volunteer National ski patrol showed up.  Badger is a small area, perfect for families who wanted their kids to learn to ski.  As  EMTs, we dealt with injuries both minor and gruesome.  The latter we stabilized and sent them to the hospital in Yosemite Valley.  Since I was responsible for lift safety, I had to ski a bit every day.  I will always be thankful for the American taxpayers who gave me the opportunity to ski 140 days a year.

During the summer, it was off to the high country.  Tuolumne had a huge campground, 500 same sites.  With that many ice chests, it was a perfect place for Yosemite’s black bear population.  I estimate that I spent at least 3 nights of every week darting or trapping bears.  We would haul them off to some isolated spot in the park.  I swear some of them made it back before we could drive back.  

Alas, all good things come to an end and in my final year, I was assigned to be the night shift supervisor in Yosemite Valley.  Every night at 5:00 pm, my crew spread out over the Valley to keep the peace.  Part of the crew was assigned to campgrounds where disputes often arose between those who wanted to hike a 6 am the next morning and those who wanted to party all night.  And then there were the bears.  Let me tell you one story of Rick and the bears.  

We had been on the lookout for this particular bear as it often broke into cars to get to the food inside.  One night, my patrol person radioed in, “He’s here in Lower Pines Campground.  Since we had been after this bear for some time,I already had a dart preloaded with the proper amount of the drug.  When I got to the site, my heart sank.   There was no moon, and it was darker than the inside of a cow.  But it was too good a chance to pass up.  I asked two people to shine their flashlight on the bear.  Since this bear had been a bit aggressive, I wanted something between the bear and me.  Luckily, there was a motorcycle at the site.  I set up behind that and fired.  I saw the dart hit the bear.  As always, the bear ran away.  They usually drop within a minute.  Not this one.  He kept running, never to be seen again.  I was mystified.  

I finished my shift at 2 am, and while asleep, my phone rang.  It was the Chief Ranger’s secretary.  She said, “Can you come to the office right away?”

I pleaded, “Edna, can’t this wait?  I only got to bed a few hours ago.” 

She said no, “Jack wants to see you right now,”

When I arrived at the office, the Chief asked me, “Did you shoot out someone’s windshield last night?”

I replied that no I hadn’t.  One of the guys in the office held up one of those clear plastic windshields that you often see on motorcycles.  There was a round hole in it.  In the dark, I didn’t see it.  Now I knew why the bear didn’t go to sleep.  There were dribbles of the dried up drug on the windshield.  The way the dart work is that as soon as it hits something solid, a plunger pumps the drug out.  The windshield had served that purpose.

I offered to buy him a new one.  He replied, “Are you kidding, man?  When I get back to to the Bay area, this windshield is going to be famous.  It posed as a bear.”

After the summer, I accepted a promotion to the Albright Training Center where Forrest and his family visited me.  But, I will never forget Yosemite.  It is truly one of the jewels of our National Park System.

Smith & Heaton running the Yampa, a wild, westward flowing river, flowing through Dinosaur National Monument Colorado to the Green, May 1997.

Taking a break?

Greeting readers! My name is Izzie Myers. I have assisted Mary and Forrest in the writing/graphics of our now five-year old Blog. So glad you are reading!

I am writing today to share with you all that we are going to take a break in writing the blog. We ask you to please stick with us and we look forward to being back with you soon.

Thank you!

Happy Spring!

Deb Haaland?

Mother Earth

Stopping burning coal and oil that release greenhouse gases

for some will prove difficult to do.

But wind and solar will soon take over and transform all but a few.

If there were a time to turn federal land management over to caregivers of Mother Earth,

The time is now, and it is happening now, 500,000 acres in re-birth!

Deb Haaland, U.S. Representative, 1st Congressional District, New Mexico,

Native American, confirmed Secretary of the Interior, her stand:

“I’ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land.”

© Forrest Heaton March 2021 

For at least a year, we’ve been following Deb Haaland, Democratic Congresswoman from New Mexico, Native American, tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo. The Biden-Harris administration nominated Haaland to be Secretary of the Interior, the first Native American Cabinet Secretary. Today Haaland was confirmed by the Senate to be just that.

As the Washington Post reported 25Feb21, “Alexander Stuart, the third interior secretary, once declared that the United States’ mission was to ‘civilize or exterminate’ native people. The Interior Department has done much to carry out that terrible mission, with the seizure of tribal lands, forced assimilation of Native American children and much more.” The nomination and confirmation of Deb Haaland to encourage her 70,000 plus employees to begin to right these wrongs and protect these lands is huge.

Re-becoming?

A Nation of Healing and Hope

From a Moment of Silence,

To a Nation of Hope;

A Re-dedication of purpose,

Healing, world scope.

© Forrest Heaton 22 February 2021

Knowing where our minds are now and trying to intuit where at least a few of our reader’s minds may be, we write this blog. It has been a year since COVID-19 has turned most of our world’s lives upside down. Prior to coronavirus and prior to the previous administration, the United States was esteemed to be the leader in democratic values of the free world. Assisted by the ineptitude of the prior administration, our worldwide leadership began to morph into insular failure. Regarding coronavirus, the United States is now listed as dead last of all the nations in Covid-19 response. President Biden, tonight, 22 February, spoke to the nation from a flag half-staffed White House candlelight ceremony honoring the 500,071 U. S. citizens who have died of Covid-19 in the past year. This has been a difficult time for all of us. We write this blog post to join President Biden in honoring those who have gone before, but, at the same time, join President Biden and Vice President Harris in re-dedication, climbing back from profound loss to profound achievement, defining a new purpose, re-becoming a nation of HOPE.

Happy Valentine's Day

Classic love poems as read by Forrest Heaton….

When we tried to post our blog Tuesday, the website on which we post would not accept any photos nor revisions. We let it go, poorly presented because we hoped our readers would at least appreciate the heads up to make sure they saw Gorman’s inaugural poem presentation (some did and let us know). We believe the website’s issues are resolved and thus are presenting the poem and photos as Part I (19Jan21) and Part II (20Jan21.)

Part I - day before Biden-Harris U.S. Inauguration 19 January 2021

Unity & Hope

Recommend you get to know this gal

You’ll see her tomorrow on stage

First U.S. Youth Poet Laureate

Amanda Gorman, age twenty-two, poet-sage.

Five poets have read their works

Frost, Angelou, Williams the first three

Alexander, Blanco, tomorrow Amanda Gorman

“The Hill We Climb” . . . Unity & Hope.

Part II Inauguration Day 20 January 2021

Did you see her read today?

From darkness she brought light.

And have you read her poem she read?

Great poetry this gal can write!

In afternoon and evening coverage,

With the president she equally shared quotes.

Like the day-closing fireworks her work illuminating

Our path to America’s Unity and Hope!

Forrest W. Heaton 20 January 2021

Hope & Unity

Hope & Unity

Recommend you get to know this gal

You’ll see her tomorrow on stage

First U.S. Youth Poet Laureate

Amanda Gorman, age twenty-two, poet sage.

Five poets have read their works

Frost, Angelou, Williams the first three

Alexander, Blanco, Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb”

Her message . . . Hope & Unity.

Forrest W. Heaton 19 January 2021

Auld Lang Syne

It is the time of year again for us to reprise our prior year’s blog post giving readers/singers a bit of history about the poem/song Auld Lang Syne (and a bit of help with the lyrics). 

Do y’ know what y’ll be singin’ tonight night at midnight? 

Aye, if y’ like most, it’ll be Auld Lang Syne.  But, ask aroun’: few will know it’s a poem by a fellow named Robert Burns.  An’ fewer still will know what all the words mean.  Read this brief post and impress y’ friends!

Robert Burns (1759-1796) is recognized as Scotland’s greatest poet and greatest son (most recognized, most revered).  In addition to writing original poetry and songs, he was also a superb collector of earlier Scottish poetry and songs.  Scholars feel Auld Lang Syne is based on earlier Scottish poems/songs but is mostly Burn’s poetry.  Having written the poem in 1788, he then put the poem to a widely recognized Scottish folk song and published it in 1792.  Not only did it become instantly popular in Scotland (where their New Year’s Eve celebration is called Hogmanay), but it quickly spread around the world as revelers sang out the old year and in the new.  Different resources offer varying lyrics; those we’ve presented here are (we feel) close to Burns’ original intent as well as close to what you hear sung today.  (We’ve put in parentheses in a few spots a brief description in English what his Scottish brogue was saying.)

AULD LANG SYNE (Old long since, long long ago, days gone by, old times)

 [1]           

SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT, (Should old acquaintances/old times be forgotten,)

AND NEV-ER BROT TO MIN? (And never brought to mind?)

SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT,

AND DAYS OF AULD LANG SYNE?

[Chorus]

FOR AULD LANG SYNE, MY DEAR, (For the sake of old times, my dear/my friend/my friends,)

FOR AULD LANG SYNE,

WE’LL TAK’ A CUP O’ KIND-NESS YET, (We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,)

FOR AULD LANG SYNE.

[2]

WE TWO HAE RUN ABOUT THE BRAES, (We two have run about the slopes,)

AND PU’D THE GOWANS FINE; (And picked the daisies fine;)

BUT WE’VE WANDER’D MONY A WEARY FOOT (But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,)

SIN’ AULD LANG SYNE. (For/since auld lang syne.)

[3]

WE TWO HAE PAIDL’T I’ THE BURN, (We two have paddled in the stream,)

FROM MORNIN’ SUN TILL DINE;

BUT SEAS BETWEEN US BRAID HAE ROAR’D, (But seas between us broad have roared,)

SIN’ AULD LANG SYNE.        

[4]

AND SURELY YE’LL BE YOUR PINT-STOUP, (And surely you’ll buy your pint cup,)

AND SURELY I’LL BE MINE; (And surely I’ll buy mine;)

AND WE’LL TAK’ A CUP O’ KIND-NESS YET

SIN’ AULD LANG SYNE.

[5]

AND HERE’S A HAND, MY TRUST-Y FRIEN’, (And here’s a hand my trusty friend,)

AND GIE’S A HAND O’ THINE; (And give me a hand of thine;)

WE’LL TAK’ A CUP O’ KIND-NESS YET,

SIN’ AULD LANG SYNE.

[Chorus]

Help reduce the Coronavirus Blues?

Help Reduce the Coronavirus Blues

There are three December walks we recommend you try,

All three under brilliant December night sky:

Three spectacular events for you to choose,

To help reduce the Coronavirus Blues!

© Forrest W. Heaton December 2020

Although the recent news is good regarding coming vaccines, we’ve suffered through almost a year of worldwide illnesses, deaths, and medical and economic upheaval. All of us need to find ways to mitigate the negative aspects of this. Our recommendation: walks to deeply inhale the fresh air, take our minds off of these events, at least temporarily think about, even celebrate, events we rarely see or learn about: 

- The Geminids Meteor Shower 4-17Dec 

- The Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn 1-21Dec 

- The Winter Solstice 21Dec

Although internet searches can provide helpful and more detailed information, a 3 ½ minute NASA Jet Propulsion Labs video is a good beginning introduction to these three events.

Making purple?

Now to Rebuild Our Nation

It’s a few days past Election Day, November, two thousand twenty,

Rarely has a nation suffered so much when its coffers are so filled with plenty.

Crises: Health, economy, racial justice, climate, ideological polarization.

But the election is mercifully, thankfully over. Now to rebuild our nation.

Amidst red and blue blending, re-building, making purple . . . coming together at last,

Drawing on our strengths, through inspired leadership, putting each crisis in our past.

A ton of new thinking is required of us as we write this new chapter and page,

And, success by success, hopefully re-achieve . . . leadership on the world stage.

© Forrest W. Heaton, Chapel Hill, NC, 8 November 2020

We wrote the above poem Sunday 8 November, five days following the election, feeling better that more Americans voted for a new administration than voted for the current one. Still, we realized the number who voted for the current administration presented an extraordinary challenge for the incoming President-elect/Vice President-elect/& team and for our democracy. 

We’re writing these paragraphs seventeen days following the election, the current White House occupant refusing to concede, attempting to overturn the election, federal/state/local government enablers, for the most part, remaining silent as our democracy is threatened and world position is trashed. Nevertheless, we stand by the poem, pledge our continued full support to the Biden/Harris team, and pray. 

Many disturbing items were covered (and are still being covered) on television following the election. We did find, however, one we thoroughly enjoyed. It was created two months pre-election and aired post-election by the Biden campaign in hopes of easing a divided nation. The approach utilizes placing people inside frames, a concept originally developed by artist Lorraine O’Grady in 1983, the campaign correctly asking permission to utilize her concept and O’Grady giving her blessing. We hope that at least a few of the current administration supporters find in this two-minute video some reason to rethink at least a portion of their position. For the rest of us: enjoy!

Hello Darkness

This, dear friends, is a good news story when most of us are much in need of a good news story. It turns out that a well-known entrepreneur, inventor, investor and philanthropist, Sanford “Sandy” Greenberg, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Johns Hopkins University’s Wilmer Eye Institute, published in July 2020 his memoir entitled “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend: How Daring Dreams and Unyielding Friendship Turned One Man’s Blindness into an Extraordinary Vision for Life.” We knew none of this story . . . and wouldn’t be surprised if at least a few of you were unfamiliar with this story as well. But the story weaves through a poem which we believe almost all of you will know. First, the poem: 

“Hello darkness, my old friend . . .”

The Sound of Silence

Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain . . . still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone, narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp,
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light . . . that split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw . . . ten thousand people, maybe more,
People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share . . . and no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.

"Fools!" said I, "You do not know . . . Silence like a cancer grows.”
“Hear my words that I might teach you … take my arms that I might reach you.
”But my words like silent raindrops fell . . .
And echoed . . . in the wells of silence.

And the people bowed and prayed . . . to the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed its warning. In the words that it was forming.
And the signs said “the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls . . .
And tenement halls”
And whispered . . . in the sounds . . . of silence.

Paul Simon, 1963 &1964 

With the collaboration of Art Garfunkle (covered later)

We believe this to be one of the most poignant poems written in English in the twentieth century. Credit goes to author, Paul Simon, with credit also to Art Garfunkle, although that part of the story will unfold below. Having turned the poem into a song, they recorded the song with Columbia Records, releasing it in October 1964 in their debut album titled “Wednesday Morning, 3AM.” The recording was a commercial failure. They disbanded, Simon returning to England, and Garfunkle returning to Columbia University where he was a student. A few months following, a Columbia Records engineer/producer (without Simon’s or Garfunkle’s knowledge) overdubbed the track (which originally was acoustic [unamplified] only) with electric instruments and drums and released the remixed version as a single in September 1965. Within three months, the song was Billboard Number One. They hastily reunited, recorded their second album entitled “Sounds of Silence” with this as the lead song. My Albion College roommate, Rick Smith, learning I didn’t know who Simon & Garfunkle were, was in town for a visit and had taken me to the local record store in Washington DC to buy the album for me in September 1966. I still have the album. And, Smith & I still have each other in our lives, sharing calls a couple times each week. 

Adding another twist to this story, it was Rick’s wife, Kathy, who advised us just recently of Greenberg’s July 2020 memoir and the unfolding story of the poem’s/song’s lyrics. Mary & I purchased and read Greenberg’s memoir. To say his memoir is an inspiration is a gross understatement. Further, having spent my lifetime playing guitar and singing the songs of the times with friends at parties, as well as a lifetime of writing poems and song lyrics myself, this story is right up our alley. It is a stunning story. 

As to Art Garfunkle’s collaboration with Paul Simon on the poem and song, Greenberg and Garfunkle were roommates at Columbia University, having met in their first week at Columbia in 1958. They developed a strong friendship which included having made a pledge to each other to always be there in case the other was in need. In 1960, Greenberg’s eyesight began to fail. He became blind, became deeply depressed, and left Columbia not intending on returning. With no notice, Garfunkle flew to Buffalo, talked Greenberg into returning to Columbia, and guided Greenberg out of depression and back into life. Garfunkle referred to himself as “Darkness”: “Sandy, Darkness has come to read to you again.” “Sandy, Darkness has come to help you get to class again.” Greenberg graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and, following a Marshall Scholarship at Oxford, received his M.A. and Ph.D. at Harvard and M.B.A. at Columbia, married his high school sweetheart, has three kids, has had an unbelievable career, and has written an extraordinary memoir. 

Garfunkle took all these stories about his times with Greenberg to his high school friend, Paul Simon. The United States is blessed with an amazing number of extraordinary poets; they are called singer-songwriters. Paul Simon is among the very top. Simon used the stories as inspiration as he wrote the poem and then the song. Folks, it doesn’t get any better than this for me! What a grand story! There’s not enough space here to relate more but we encourage your own internet research and perhaps reading Greenberg’s memoir. “Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again . . . .”

Can dreaming help?

For the most part self-distanced in our apartment since February and seeing fewer family and friends, one could get a bit depressed. Having come across a poem I wrote on a trip Mary & I took to Paris ten years ago, we found ourselves thinking about the time when we will be able to travel again. In the meantime, perhaps dreaming about that travel can help. We invite you to dream your way through this poem with us.

Paris . . . Time Slips By

When coming to Paris, myriad choices dare us,

One must narrow them down to a few.

With not many days, consider the ways,

Your interests to joyfully do

With each other,

Each trip focus just on a few.

With guidebook in hand, we took in Rodin,

A sculptor of bronze and of stone.

His collection now housed where he lived and espoused

His great talents amidst a great home:

Hotel Biron,

Where his gifts to the world are now shown.

The Burghers of Calais, they gave their lives,

They gave their lives a-way.

Auguste Rodin, he re-turned their lives,

He re-turned them to life in clay

And bronze,

To live a-nother day.

Camille Claudel, she loved Rodin,

He forty-four, she just past nine-teen.

She sculpted the loss she had seen

And lived,

She sculpted what might have been.

Thus, all too soon, it is after noon,

To the Seine, les bateaux passing by.

Autumn leaves falling down, sparkling yellow and brown;

Another interest we will try,

Time slips by,

Long shadows from autumn Paris sky.

© Forrest W. Heaton October, 2010

The Mature Age, 1913 bronze casting at the Musée Rodin.

Your spirits lifted by a tree?

Spirits Lifted By A Tree

Crises of health, economy, climate, justice

Weigh heavily on our minds

One keeps on the lookout for

Helpful mental finds

Ken Burns in his series on “National Parks”

Presents mental find for all to see

Chiura Obata’s life-long lifting of spirits

From a thirty-seven-hundred-year-old tree

© Forrest W. Heaton 12 August 2020

Chiura Obata (1885-1975) was a well-known Japanese-American painter whose story caught the eye of Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan as they developed their acclaimed book and film “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.” Obata emigrated from Japan to the U.S. in 1903, going on to become a renowned artist, primarily of nature in the Sierra Nevada. From 1932 to 1954, Obata was a faculty member of the University of California at Berkley and, during World War II, was interred at Topaz Japanese-American Internment Camp, Utah, for a year. This became a period of struggle, conflict and inspiration for Obata. 

We believe if you were to use this brief write-up as encouragement to learn more about Obata’s life, you would find inspiration from his work and words as well. Speaking about his work, his granddaughter, Kim Kodani Hill, had this to say about her grandfather in the Burns film: “One subject that he loved to paint again and again was the sequoias. For him they were the great vertical line that connected heaven and earth. And for him he saw the life of a person in these trees. And no matter the storms and trials of life, these trees survive with great dignity and great strength.”

“Glorious Struggle” 

Chiura Obata, Glorious Struggle, 1965, sumi on silk, 36 x 22 inches, Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

(Dayton Dalton in Burns film) “Years later, in remembrance of his struggle, Obata would paint “Glorious Struggle,” the image of a tree in Yosemite’s High Sierra whose own struggle to survive seemed to give him strength and hope in his darkest hour.”

(Smithsonian American Art Museum) “In Glorious Struggle a sequoia forest endures a violent storm, an image of fortitude and perseverance Obata hoped would inspire younger generations of Japanese Americans. He described the picture’s symbolism in a 1965 lecture:

“Since I came to the United States in 1903, I saw, faced and heard many struggles among our Japanese Issei [first-generation immigrants.] The sudden burst of Pearl Harbor was as if the mother earth on which we stood was swept by the terrific force of a big wave of resentment of the American people. Our dignity and our hopes were crushed. In such times I heard the gentle but strong whisper of the Sequoia gigantean: ‘Hear me, you poor man. I’ve stood here more than three thousand and seven-hundred years in rain, snow, storm and even mountain fire, still keeping my thankful attitude strongly with nature – do not cry, do not spend your time and energy worrying. You have children following. Keep up your unity; come with me.’”

What can I do?

The Environment - What Can I Do?

Want to help the environment?

Search: “The Environment - What Can I Do?”

Then build daily habits

Of just one . . . or a few.

© Forrest W. Heaton 27 June 2020

A number of readers have written over the past three months advising they are mentally exhausted from their coronavirus physical isolation and consequent mental overload of bad news from multiple crises—health, economy, race, politics, climate. Some have advised they are finding the action recommendations in our Blog posts helpful in mitigating the bad news mental overload and giving them a feeling that they are “doing something about it.”

That gave us a thought about some easily researched yet often overlooked suggestions, action recommendations regarding many of the items in the daily news in which you might have a strong interest. So, we’ll give this a go and see what we learn from you. 

For many of us, our brains have a swift response when we come across a recommendation we’ve read or been told before: “I already know that . . . nothing new here.” However, we think you’ll agree it is one thing to think “we already know that” and quite another to ask ourselves: “Have we built that recommendation into our daily habits?” One example: we know that for better health, we need to drink at least eight glasses of clean water every day. The question is: “How many days this week/month did we do that?”

That said, and if you’re willing, let’s try to examine one issue—the Environment—with a list of potential actions for you to consider. You may already be doing many on the list. If there are items on the list that sound like a good idea that you have not built into your daily habits, give it a try for the next few weeks. After trying your best to develop them into daily habits, look back in a few weeks and ask yourself two questions: 1) “How am I doing on that list?” and 2) “Is my working these items into my daily habits giving me a bit of a mental lift?” We can promise you that, even if it’s not helping you, your actions are helping the environment!

To view the list of potential action items, click the below link. We’d love to hear from you about this post. With a bit of encouragement, we may develop another with a similar approach but on a different topic. Many thanks to all!

Reader Surprise! Unbeknownst to us, while we were writing this blog post, good friends, Folkert & Helga Herlyn, living in Koln Germany and readers of our Blog, were writing to us, telling us of their recent work to help the environment by installing additional solar on their vacation home in Stroodorp Netherlands. We had just completed our post, intending to blast 12 July. On receipt of their email and realizing including a portion of their note with photos would be of interest to most readers, we emailed our draft for their review. They immediately gave us permission as well as provided additional information. Many thanks, Folkert & Helga! Here’s a brief summary of what they had to say: 

“. . . . Through eBay I bought solar panels and the inverter and aluminum pieces to build the support structure for the proper angle to the sun. With that in hand, I installed the 6 voltaic panels and other material for 1200 € instead of using the offer of 3400 € from a shop. It was fun working too. Now I produce enough extra electricity power for the Tesla when staying in Stroodorp (1,5 MWh/y). There is more already (installed 2013) on the main roof to compensate for house use. . . . we have to do something to save the earth. My dream is to get the power from the sun or the wind and bring it into the socket of the garage for the consumption in the house, the car and the heating. . . . We have in Germany the option to buy green electricity from the grid for less than a cent extra per KWh. . . . I calculate once a year how much my footprint was (websites available) and buy for the rest compensation (support to foresting in Latin America or Africa). This is only about 100 € per year. In the end, we are climate neutral since three years.”

Do you know just how important YOUR vote is?

The Great American Outdoors Act

Worried they’d lose November vote,

Republican Senators finally wrote,

A positive environmental bill.

The Great American Outdoors Act,

Now heads to the House for them to act,

“Bipartisanship” on The Hill?

© Forrest W. Heaton 19 June 2020

Do you know just how important YOUR vote is? Please read through this blog post to learn a bit more.

Were we in a non-polarized political environment, we would be unconditionally celebrating the Senate’s 17Jun20 passage of Senate 3422 The Great American Outdoors Act, then intending passage by the House of Representatives, then presidential signature. As it happens, however, whereas the content of the bill has been encouraged by environmental groups and us for years, it is clear to some (certainly us) that the motivation for Republican senators’ passing this legislation and presidential support is strictly political—their eyes on November’s elections.

In our opinion there is nothing “bipartisan” about Republican support of this legislation. They are keenly aware the American public is strongly in favor of legislation to offset the negative effects of the climate crisis while Republicans from the president down have been unwilling to even agree the crisis exists let alone enact mitigation legislation. Secondly, the bill’s sponsor, Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, is facing a strong Democratic challenger in either John Hickenlooper, former Colorado Governor or Andrew Romanoff, former Colorado Speaker of the House. The League of Conservation Voters, one of the U.S.’s most effective environmental advocacy groups, has given Gardner a lifetime environmental legislation/action score of 11 percent. By helpful comparison, the League gives Colorado’s other senator, Democrat Michael Bennet, a lifetime score of 89 percent. Trump lost in Colorado in 2016. Mitch McConnel is using this legislation as a strong attempt to not lose the current Republican U.S. Senate 53-47 majority in the November election.

Putting politics aside, as enthusiastic supporters of 1) strong legislation/action to mitigate the climate crisis, and 2) strong legislation/action in support of our U.S. National Parks, we celebrate the content of this bill and encourage its passage by the House and signature by the president. To learn what the bill includes you can search U.S. Senate S.3422 - 116th Congress. Here’s a brief outline:

- Establishes support for deferred maintenance projects on federal lands. (The NPS maintenance backlog, growing for years, is currently estimated at $11.9 billion.)

- Funded FY2021-2025 by 50% of federal revenues from oil/gas/alternative/renewable energy on federal lands/waters; not to exceed $1.9 billion for any fiscal year. 

- Utilized for priority deferred maintenance projects by NPS, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Education.

- After years of temporary LWCF funding, the bill makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent. 

Takeaways:

- White House/Senate Motivation. The endorsement of this legislation by the White House and U.S. Senate has nothing to do with bipartisanship and everything to do with Republican Senate majority preservation. 

- Environmental Support. In spite of the politics, each of the environmental groups we support, particularly the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), are fully in support of this legislation.

- Good News/Bad News. If the House passes this legislation, this will be very good news for the climate and the environment. If the House does not pass this legislation, this will be bad news for all.

- Temporary vs. Permanent Funding. Only the LWCF funding is marked permanent. Experts we queried advise they interpret the balance of the bill could be rescinded by the current president were he and his Senate majority re-elected.

- Your Vote. Those of you who join us in mitigating climate change/protecting the environment have a huge opportunity this November to:

- Vote out climate change deniers/environmental degradation.

- Vote in Senators and a president to renew America’s leadership in worldwide environmental protection/climate change action.

. . . seize this opportunity?

To Live What These Words Say

1619, twenty kidnapped black Africans,

Purchased by whites, Jamestown Colony;

2019, 400th Anniversary,

Of brutal racial inequality.

“All men,” Jefferson wrote, “are created equal,”

But we have looked the other way;

Now 2020, we can seize this opportunity,

To live what these words say!

© Forrest W. Heaton 9 June 2020

Since the 25 May 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of four members of the Minneapolis, Minnesota police, the U.S. and the world have witnessed an historic outpouring of long-pent-up anger and grief via televised worldwide demonstrations protesting America’s systemic racism, inequality and police brutality. In 1619, a ship named the White Lion carrying kidnapped Africans from what now is Angola sailed into Jamestown, Virginia Colony. Approximately 20 blacks were purchased by the white Jamestown colonists launching 400 years of racial injustice in what has become the United States of America. 

In all, the trans-Atlantic slave trade ran from the early 1500’s to the mid-1800’s, enslaving twelve million Africans: 5 million to Brazil, 3 million to the Caribbean, 400,000 to North America. This was illegal/amoral subjugation of one race by another for the sole purpose of free labor. All agree witnessing these May/June 2020 protests, the causes and emotions run long and deep. Resolution will be a large and complicated challenge. But most witnesses agree: this opportunity for these reparations/resolutions must not be missed. We have a lot of work to do.

While in Houston for George Floyd’s Memorial Service 8May20, Joe Biden was asked his feelings about the protests and the overall situation. Biden replied: “All the young white men and women marching with all the young black men and women gives me hope!” We agree. We feel “hope” is the key ingredient on the journey to reparations/resolutions—sustaining us on the path through disappointment, failure, lack of leadership to celebration, success, inspired leadership.

If you’ve not already seen it, we encourage you to click the link below to view Joe Biden’s 5-minute video remarks at George Floyd’s 9 May Memorial Service in Houston—honoring George Floyd’s life, uplifting the Floyd family, inspiring hope for citizens of all nations, and encouraging all of us in the United States of America to action to correct these 401-year wrongs. We have a lot of work to do.

George Floyd with his daughter Gianna (undated photo)

What might it be like . . . ?

National Service

What might it be like to join National Service,

Resolve Health Crisis with passionate crew?

A lifetime of pride, learn much on the ride,

Resolve Economic Crisis too!

© Forrest Heaton 17 May 2020

This is a follow-up to our 16, 24 & 30 May “Four Necessities” posts. In those posts, we stated there are four necessary action requirements for responsible leaders worldwide at the federal, state and local levels of their respective countries:

1 Trust the scientists.

2 Tell the truth. 

3 Strengthen government effectiveness.

4 Develop cooperation—domestic & international.

These four action necessities apply to the TWO simultaneous worldwide threats facing the planet’s 7.8 billion people—1) Climate Crisis and 2) Coronavirus Crisis. Today’s post, the last of four on our “Four Necessities” topic, deals with the coronavirus crisis, putting forward a potential solution we feel has merit and we present for readers’ review.  

A Consensus Approach. When dealing with a threat both complicated and worldwide, finding consensus as to approach presents a challenge. Considering the myriad cultural/historical differences worldwide, there may not be need for such consensus. Countries can learn from each other what works well and what does not. One approach which seems to have secured acceptance by many of the world’s scientists/public health officials is: The end points of this health crisis depend on: 1) Testing, 2) Contact Tracing, 3) Treatment, 4) Vaccine. Solving the health crisis is the only way to solve the economic crisis. 

A Consensus Solution. As with approach, there will likely be no consensus as to solution; some nations will follow others if they feel the results warrant and the conditions are favorable for replication. We feel there are two givens on this journey: 1) all four of the “Four Necessities” need to be followed by as many world leaders as possible, 2) this has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with protection/enhancement of life. With regard to the United States, our over 100,000 deaths to date demand we rid this issue of politics and begin to deal with it as Americans.  

Potential Solution. 

1) Testing/Tracing/Treatment/Vaccine. Individual countries’ preparations for and responses to infection outbreaks/pandemics can be done well or done poorly. Space here does not permit a thorough analysis of the status and difficulties of this issue. However, we wish to present one instance where a country seems to have gotten both their preparation over the last seventeen years and their response to the 2020 pandemic right on both counts—Taiwan. 

On 26May, CBS reported: “The streets of Taiwan are bustling, restaurants are open to diners, schools only shut down for two weeks in February . . . . With a population of nearly 24 million, the island has had just seven coronavirus deaths, and thanks to rapid contact tracing and testing, fewer than 450 total Covid-19 infections.” Taiwan’s 7 coronavirus deaths in a population of 23.8 million come to 0.03 deaths per 100,000 population. In contrast, in the same period, the more than 100,000 U.S. coronavirus deaths in a population of 331.0 million come to over 30 deaths per 100,000 population—one thousand times the rate in Taiwan!

As part of our research preparing these four posts, we included in our reading John Barry’s “The Great Influenza,” a heavy, well-written analysis of the influenza pandemic of 1918/19 which killed between 50 to 100 million people worldwide. Barry makes it clear the lessons have been there for 102 years—lessons to be learned . . . or ignored. For Taiwan, those lessons are now bedrock public health instructions/behaviors followed daily by Taiwan’s citizens, scientists, public health officials and government. It can be done!

2) National Service. In early April, while preparing to write this quartet of posts on “Four Necessities,” Mary & I had settled on National Service and Testing as our preferred solution to both the Health and Economic Crises. Since then we’ve been getting some powerful outside support:

• Senator Chris Coons: 22 April U.S. Senate introduction of “Pandemic Response & Opportunity through National Service Act.” 

• David Brooks: 7 May New York Times article “We Need National Service. Now.”

• Joe Biden: 24 May issuance of “Testing Strategy” in which Biden calls for expanded Federal Govt. assistance to testing and a U.S. Public Health Job Corps—“100,000 people including AmeriCorps and Peace Corps volunteers and laid off workers . . .” (See Sheryl Gay Stolberg’s 28 May New York Times article “Biden’s Testing Strategy.”) 

Americans of all ages want to see this pandemic successfully resolved. Many, from young through retired, might seize the opportunity to make a personal contribution to the successful resolution of this pandemic were it organized and managed in the right way. Receiving appropriate pay to sustain themselves, they can focus their energies on the tasks at hand. Many of the potential volunteers for a new National Service program currently have the time to do this—some coming out of retirement, some being among the currently laid off/furloughed, some taking a year off during college, some taking a year off before going to college. For a host of reasons, we feel this should be a voluntary vs. a mandatory program. 

The ball is now rolling, David Brooks’ attesting,

Senator Coons’ “National Service Act;”

Add in Joe Biden’s “Strategy for Testing,”

Through @Voices4Service we can act!

How to add your support. To learn about Voices for National Service, with your curser on “About Us,” click on “Our Coalition.” If you might consider becoming a member, click “Become a Member.” To contact your Senators and Representative, with your curser on “Take Action,” click on “Contact Congress.” 

As the poem says, you will feel the refreshing difference of moving from watching to taking action! Thank you!

Public Health: One, Economic Recovery: Two

Public Health: One, Economic Recovery: Two

Unprepared for this crisis, the world is in shock,

All will be different, no turn back clock.

Appearing as one crisis, it is actually two,

Public Health: One, Economic Recovery: Two.

 A gift has been given to those who survive,

For Better Country/Better World . . . survivors can now strive.

© Forrest W. Heaton 14 May 2020

This is a follow-up post to our 16 & 24 May Four Necessities posts. In those posts, we stated there are four necessary action requirements for responsible leaders worldwide at the federal, state and local levels of their respective countries:

1 Trust the scientists.

2 Tell the truth. 

3 Strengthen government effectiveness.

4 Develop cooperation—domestic & international.

These four action necessities apply to the TWO simultaneous worldwide threats facing the planet’s 7.8 billion people—1) Climate Crisis and 2) Coronavirus Crisis. Today’s post deals with the second of the two: Four Necessities – Coronavirus Crisis. And, as the above poem describes, for effective resolution, the Coronavirus crisis needs to be addressed in two parts as described below.

Coronavirus Crisis – Part A) Public Health Crisis. Knowledge of this virus is a work-in-process as is the worldwide results reporting. An estimated 5.5 million people worldwide have contracted Coronavirus. Of those, an estimated 347,000 have died. As of this writing 26May, the U.S. leads all countries in Coronavirus deaths—current average of various estimates: 98,000. Think about this: the U.S.’s 331 million people represent 4% of the world’s population . . . yet our Covid-19 deaths to date represent 28% of worldwide Covid-19 deaths! Recent modeling advises that if the U.S. Federal Government had acted just two weeks earlier, an estimated 50% of the U.S. deaths could have been avoided—the lives of 54,000 people could have been saved! If this post were to spend even a moment on our perceived list of U.S. Federal Government inaction/fragmented action and how it likely has led to a significant portion of these deaths, this post would become a “rant.” No thanks. This space is focused on successful resolution of this crisis.

Coronavirus Crisis – Part B) Economic Recovery Crisis. Witnessing the highly contagious nature of this virus and resulting staggering illnesses/deaths, the nations of the world implemented quarantines/social distancing to reduce transmission. These locked-down economies, although partially successful in pandemic containment, have been devastating to worldwide economic (and mental) health. Through 31 March, approximately 46 million Americans had been laid off or furloughed, approximately 30% of the U.S. labor force. Repairing this damage will be complicated and, unfortunately, take much longer than currently forecasted.   

A review of one potential solution will follow next week in our final of four posts on this topic.