The Navy was not all fun and games. Official orders to report for Sea Duty carried the note that the duty was considered arduous, meaning the Sailor could expect to be deployed away from home base for any length of time, and as often as deemed necessary by the Navy. This was no surprise to the Sailor, especially one coming off of a cushy shore … Continue reading Sea Duty
Leaving the anger-filled pages of Facebook and Twitter and coming to my WordPress blog, is like finding a sun-dappled forest glade, and lying with my back against an oak tree, chewing on a blade of grass, and listening to the leaves rustling in the breeze. WordPress Reader is my sun-dappled forest glade, and your posts are the leaves. Your emotions, expressed in prose and poem, … Continue reading I Am Here
Poor Yoshi. Our 99 pound Great Dane/Labrador Retriever has always been sensitive. It’s become worse since we rescued a little (comparatively; she’s 35 pounds) mixed-breed female in November of 2016. Yoshi is ten while the rescue, Sachiko, is not yet two. Yoshi’s always been light on his paws – twinkle-toes – but is slowing down; Sachiko is all sugar: pure sweetness and high energy. I … Continue reading Mr. Sensitive
I have a difficult time accepting the pseudo-intellectual elite’s (let us call them PIEs) rants against the President. They, as all American citizens, have the right to speak out in protest against his policies. They are as affected by decisions made in Washington, DC as the ninety-nine percent of Americans not making millions of dollars every year to act, sing and dance, track your online movements, … Continue reading PIE-holes
Proofreading your work is the most important action you can perform before pressing the publish button. An error-free post sends an unconscious signal to the reader that you care about your writing. I can’t count the times I have found a beautiful post, especially a poem, ruined over a misspelled word, an incomplete phrase, or another grammatical error. The flow is brought up short and … Continue reading Proofread, Proofread, Poofread
Nope, nope, and nope: not a fan of vulgarity in blog post titles. Keep the title clean no matter how vulgar your writing. At least people will open your essay to read it before discovering you don’t have the vocabulary to choose inoffensive words. There is such a thing as a Thesaurus. Continue reading Writiquette
“Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” G.K. Chesterton I’ve defeated my own dragons. More than that though, I believe in fairy tales. Let’s just say that I can’t walk by a mushroom, or a field of moss, or through a green forest and not keep an eye … Continue reading I Believe
When two hearts break, it’s a compound fracture with all the ugliness of a leg bone sticking out awkwardly from torn, bloodied flesh, a crippling injury that takes a lifetime to heal, if it ever really heals without leaving memory of an exquisitely harsh pain, a bruise of purple and black on the soul, and a reflex action against falling in love again. Continue reading Breaking Up
Like two red eyes, the imperfections in the ruby blinked in the sunlight. He pressed the jeweled medallion to his chest to keep it from swinging on the necklace. The sun burned his back as he walked along the rock-strewn beach hunched over looking for seashells. The best ones he placed in a red, plastic cup that smelled of San Miguel. “Look, Aida.” he called. … Continue reading Sam and Susanna & Tom and Aida
“Because they understand that love is the gift of giving one’s self unreservedly to another; that the giving of love is also the receiving of love, and that the spiritual renewal from the physical act is possible only after the giving up of self to one another.” “I love you, William.” “I love you, Susanna.” Continue reading Love is….
I found the rainbow while you searched for the gold. Continue reading All That Glitters
I am surrounded by nincowpoops, maroons, and gullibulls. Of course, I realize the guy sitting next to me is saying the same thing. Continue reading Looney Tuned
Sam and Susanna Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam They say you don’t hear the bullet that kills you. How could anyone know that? Because, they also say, bullets move faster than the speed of sound. By the time you hear the sound of the bullet in your back, you’re dead. What if you’re only wounded; you’d hear that bullet, wouldn’t you? Well, you’re not dead, are … Continue reading Invocation
I’m not too keen on today’s technology. I love having the library at my fingertips, the history of Rock and Roll on my iPod, and The Great Masters’ masterpieces as my background. Sometimes, though, I feel technology advances too fast, too fast for people to keep up. Technology has made us run when we should walk, look down when we should look up, ignore others … Continue reading Superman
Many summers ago, I went to a church picnic at Rowlette Park in Tampa. I was about thirteen or so. We played softball while the burgers and dogs were cooking. I was a pretty good baseball player and played little league throughout my youth. I wasn’t a pitcher, but a first baseman and centerfielder. I played catcher once when Robbie Ochs was sick, but didn’t … Continue reading Duck
“I think I fell in love with you this morning, dear lady.” “You think you did? You are not sure? Perhaps we should try again. Shall we meet for an apple in the morning?” “I had already planned to meet you for an apple tomorrow. And the next day, and the next, and the next, and every day until….” “Every day until what?” “Every day … Continue reading Susanna Avila
We have been encouraged from our youth to lead from the front, or, in Navy terms, to “take charge and carry out the plan of the day.” It is also phrased “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” I agree, for the most part. The best reason to lead from the front is to achieve a goal, whether a personal goal, a corporate goal, … Continue reading Leave The Pack
“To thine own self be true.” William Shakespeare. If you are not true to yourself, you cannot be true to others. You are only serving them. Do not let others be your master. Continue reading Self
The key to love is undivided attention. That’s all she needs. Is that asking too much? Continue reading The Key to Love
“We had each other, yes, but even that doesn’t describe what we had. We didn’t choose each other, Frank. We found each other. It’s hard to explain.” Sam leaned forward in his seat. He stared at the floor. His hands were clasped, and he trembled. “There could only be one Susanna, Frank. My life began when I met her.” He fell silent as he collected … Continue reading Dream, Love.
I Love you, you love me not. Continue reading Heartbreak
I’ve had it with Facebook. It’s become a forum for posting garbage that nobody gives a damn about. For every decent post and photo my friends post, I have to sift through dozens of other posts that carry the message “I hate you and what you stand for.” I’m tired of photos of women wearing body parts costumes; I’m tired of posts that reinforce the hypocrisy … Continue reading I’ve Had It With Facebook
I don’t often listen to music while I write. I find it distracting. It isn’t that I don’t like music, indeed, I love music and have rather eclectic tastes. I enjoy most genres. My music of choice while writing though, is silence. Silence has its own sound. The sound of the story taking shape in my mind. When I write and enter “the zone,” I … Continue reading Writing Music, or, Music to Write By
William? Yes, Susanna? Why are people so angry? Why are people so angry? Yes. Why are people so angry? Why do you ask, Susanna? Because, William, I see angry people everywhere, and it hurts me. How does it hurt you? Anger hurts my heart. Why does it hurt your heart? Because anger gets in the way of love, William. It does, Susanna? Yes, William. How … Continue reading Susanna Avila VII
I long for intimate conversation Two people, Leaning over cups of coffee. A small table in the coffee house Around the corner. Eyes only for each other, Oblivious to the buzz of life surrounding them. She smiles. I love the way her lips curl, The delicate filigree of her ear, Revealed when she brushes her hair back, The fragrant puff of breath as she laughs … Continue reading The Coffee House Around the Corner
Originally posted on Writing from poetry with a small p.:
The first crack of an open door reveals a low lying sun to bathe in. I am glowing, golden, glorious. The winter ground snaps underneath my heel. Soft soil gives way, clinging to my boots. The dog turns about himself, dancing with new found youth. Truth, clear and fresh, like freezing breath, surrounds me. Late… Continue reading Late December
Servicemembers we lost in 2016. Share this in their honor. From: http://thefallen.militarytimes.com Senior Chief Petty Officer SCOTT COOPER DAYTON, USN November 24, 2016 42, of Woodbridge, Virginia; assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two, died in northern Syria of wounds sustained in an improvised explosive device blast. Staff Sgt. MATTHEW C. LEWELLEN, USA November 4, 2016 27, of Lawrence, Kansas; assigned to the 5th … Continue reading Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen We Lost in 2016
There are times when writing is like a drug. I’m focused. I’m in the zone. The story pours from my mind in a waterfall made of words. I tremble from excitement as I step into the scene. I become the character, I smell the air, hear the traffic, touch her skin, hear her voice. Magic. The spell consumes me. I’m so happy I shed tears. Continue reading The Spell
Why do you love me, William? Because you’re beautiful, Susanna. Is that the only reason? Because you’re a perfect fit in my arms. What else? Because I can carry you as I run. Oh? You weigh less than a feather, Susanna. Oh. Because you’re a wonderful cook. Yes? Because you meet me at the door when I come home from work. Because you sing when … Continue reading Susanna Avila V
I closed my eyes and fell Through a shimmering curtain Of notes that climbed like a spell And blew through my spirit Like music wafting me away On wings of heartbeats As the sun grew full and bright And the moon a crescent smile of white That floated me on a sound of color That trilled through my skin With the breath of time And … Continue reading A Million Times I Love You
Whisper wisp, O Soft and lithe, so Fragile, frail, a Sense, a Sense; Fleet, fly, O Whither gone? But, Always away, a Day, a Day. Continue reading Whisper Wisp, O
Politics used to be local, but technology has brought national politics – and national news – to the local level courtesy of 24/7 news coverage and reporting via smartphones, tablets, computers, and a multitude of TV news sources. Politics infuses nearly every aspect of our lives. In our hunger to be informed, we check our favored news apps constantly throughout the day. It’s no wonder … Continue reading News Unfit to Print
I wonder what kids, when they become adults and recall their youth, will remember? Will they recall the hours spent gazing at smartphones while riding their bikes, waiting for the school bus, dining out with their parents? I can’t imagine spending on a smartphone all the time I spent reading as a kid, playing in the woods, swimming in the pond, fishing the river with … Continue reading Remember
I would rather have learned in Sunday School what I know to be true, than live each day thinking this life is all there is. Continue reading Beyond
My Daughter My heart melted when I saw her pink, chubby face and heard her cries for the first time. I felt no shame at the tears that trickled down my cheeks and threatened to drown my shoes in a pool of warm saltwater. The doctors and nurses were invisible. I had eyes only for my daughter. My life had changed in the last … Continue reading Happy Fathers Day. I wish.
Dreams are bad news. Good dreams or bad dreams, it doesn’t matter. When you awaken you are the same person, only sadder. You wake with less happiness, less hope than before you laid your head on the pillow and closed your eyes and sleep took you to that place you yearn for but hate with hot tears when your eyes open again. The place you … Continue reading Dreams
*Third line of each stanza is read rapidly without pause. Smiles are bright on brown faces I have known, eyes crinkled against the sun; Home is a shack with thatch for a roof and a barrel that caches the rain as it runs; An old woman sifts rice in the shade of acacia as her husband and sons fish from a boat not far from … Continue reading Lamao Limay
My writing window has an area of thirty square feet. From there, I look out over my front yard. I look up from writing to see our mail lady delivering the mail. I watch the FedEx guy carry boxes big and small up driveways and leave them on porches. I watch my neighbor on her John Deere lawn tractor mow her yard while the junior … Continue reading My Neighborhood
She stands on the pier with tears in her eyes; His ship sails away while she waves her goodbyes; She clasps her hands and gives them a wring; Then tugs at her finger and twists off the ring She slips in the clutch she wears at her side; Having glistened her lips, she smacks them wide; Adjusts her jewels and straightens her smock; Her eyes now … Continue reading WestPac Widows
Susanna plucked a shrimp from the paper cone clutched in my hand and held it over my head like a seal trainer. She laughed as I leaned back and opened my mouth. I struggled not to laugh as I wagged my tongue. She brought the shrimp to my mouth and I captured her long, graceful fingers between my lips. She hesitated and gazed at me … Continue reading Susanna Avila III
He gazed upon the sweetest rose; Sensuous flower’s form and feature Arousing finger, eye, and nose; Concupiscent, God’s mortal creature. He breathed o’er bed of planted seed; Halo’d the mound of petaled glory Caressed in skin of purest thread; Morning’s dew tells nighttime’s story. I cherished heartbeat’s fertile bloom; Nourished within earth’s warmest soil, Blushing bride from gift of groom; Parturient glow love’s beauty royal. … Continue reading He Gazed Upon The Sweetest Rose
It’s a long, long, road that I wander, An infinite number of miles, The days only seem to grow longer, With an infinite number of trials. These old boots I have worn through the sole, From a lifetime of looking for me, This long, rocky road has taken its toll, And I still don’t know where it will lead Every mountain range leads to another, … Continue reading Looking For Me
My life bleeds from the pen in blood-red ink staining paper with great swathes of sorrow and towering pillars of joy. I live passionate in this life, laughing and crying, not knowing what lies before me, remembering what lies behind. I capture emotions with the lens of my mind and send them pounding through my veins to plant themselves in my heart where they fill … Continue reading The Writer
I see you, fair of face, You stir me, your green eyes Draw my gaze. I smell you, honey skin, You lift me, your fragrance Fills my head. I touch you, auburn hair, You move me, your blue nails Thrill my spine. I hear you, fancy free, You warm me, your soft voice Pulls me in. I taste you, ruby lips, You kiss me, your … Continue reading Fancy Free
Your appearance The first time Ever I saw you, Startled me, so unexpected, The sight of you left me Speechless, Dumb, tongue-tied; I could not form a sentence. How long Before breath returned, Before I could close my mouth, Smile, Say hello, Not stand like a dolt, Stupefied, but Function like a sentient being? My mind, Flush with thought, Behind my face, Red with embarrassment. … Continue reading Tongue-Tied
Dark and black, the sky Opened as we walked, Thunder and lightning, We held hands, and Looked for shelter As we ran, We laughed, and Your smile showed the way In the pouring rain. Your laughter, thrilled Me with its song; a Shake of your head sent Wet notes of happiness Arcing, from your long Black hair rainbows of Joy splashed me, and I said, … Continue reading In The Warm Embrace Of A Pouring Rain.
We worked at Busch Gardens and saw each other often at the Festhaus. Freyja enchanted me from the beginning. Twenty years old, short blonde hair, bright blue eyes, pale skin, red lips, cherry cheeks: a petite Teutonic Goddess. Freyja worked as a server, while I delivered food and dry goods from the food service warehouse. We were on smiling terms but not much else, although she seemed … Continue reading Revelation
I love to sit on the rocks at Ka’ena Point, and Wonder at the beauty of the sea; I love to stand atop Old Speck, and Gaze in awe at God’s handiwork about me; I love to lie in the open field Near Spencer Pond at night, and Ponder the vastness of the universe Spreading out before and beyond me; I love the simple joy … Continue reading I Love To Sit On The Rocks At Ka’ena Point
The Writings of William C. Pennington 