A Poet and his Tropical Fish

Besides drinking eggnog and telling fibs about intended New Year’s resolutions, it is a time when some – okay most – of us dream of tropical islands, warm tradewind breezes and ocean surf lapping rhythmically against white sandy beaches ...

Living in the not-so-tropical north, Poet Jim Bennett has created a more practical way to imagine himself in those balmy climes – at least, while he feeds the many colorful fish in his tropical tank.

Is it then an oxymoron that Jim’s poems reflect the cold and deep snow

of his native Canada?

I say not.

His words reflect not his dreams, but his innermost feelings; 

the mark of a true poet.

About Jim Bennett’s evocative writing:

Cold Comes Through

Life is about loss. In the end, we all die. Yet we may face illness and reduced capacity, expected and unexpected, with fear or courage, faith or despair. These fifty poems are about that experience....

Behind the Lime Kiln

This collection is about relationships. These poems were written for human beings living in today's world, that is, for us, and thus for you.

Hard Landing

Fifty-seven unique, sometimes scary, experiences. This selection of poems is not for children, nor is it for squeamish adults. The collection probes unique personal problems of different lives in difficult situations.

The Scroll of the Violin

These poems cover a range of philosophy, religion, belief and unbelief: religious poems, atheist poems, questioning poems, and answering ones.

Jim Bennett’s poetry books can be found at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Bennett/e/B005HSHNLE/

Print versions are available from the Lulu Store in paperback and as e-pubs:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?contributorId=1103364

I urge you to visit Jim Bennett’s website where you will find some great images and also a few interesting observations about life in today’s Canada.

http://jim-bennett.ca/

Authors and Their Water Buffalos

Now, that I have your attention (I am not putting you on either), I would like to introduce you to Dr. Stewart McFarlane, Author of the wonderfully spiritual book:

  

Of Mice and Zen.

Animal Encounters in the Life of a Wandering Buddhist

Stewart McFarlane lives in Thailand.

These pictures are of his lovely wife Phai who used to work with those gentle beasts on her family's farm.

Now, Stewart and Phai have given their hearts over to stray puppies. 

Here are their latest rescues:

“This is about a brave little puppy who pretty much rescued himself, then helped rescue his brother and sister.

Last week he tagged along with my pack of four dogs at the reservoir near our home in Thailand. He was very friendly to me and the dogs. Full of scabs, ticks fleas etc. He wouldn't be left behind, so we brought him home, then straight round to the vets for blood tests and a clean up. He is clear of internal parasites etc, and will start his injections tomorrow. He seems to take everything in his stride and loves all the dogs & my family. He is about 3-4 months and is a charmer.

Sometimes you meet a dog and something just clicks and you know you cannot give them up. We are calling him "Long Ma" which roughly means "Origins unknown". Our rescued Bangkok street dog, "Soda" (11 months old) has appointed himself the guardian and playmate of Long Ma, with Pepsi our German Shepherd, as their leader. 

Back at the reservoir, our brave little puppy led us to an abandoned house, where we found his brother and sister, in a really bad state. No sign of their mother. I figured there would be other puppies around, but had no idea where to find them. Long Ma led us straight to them. They were really shy with humans, but are getting more confident with hand feeding. My two regular dogs and two others belonging to my sister in law, have already befriended them and are letting them get access to food first. I have already administered heart worm tablets and front-line. Since they are already sleeping in a house, with open access (ie no doors or windows), I am letting the 2 shy puppies stay there for now, but I have cleaned up and de-flead the rooms, and got them a comfy treated mat to sleep on. They are lovely puppies and will make fine dogs, given love, attention and some training.

Now we have daily doggie picnics at the reservoir, so Long Ma and his siblings can play together, and start getting used to people and a variety of dogs.”

Alpha Dog "Pepsi" Overseeing Picnic Protocol

And guess what? True to this animal lover’s tender heart, Stewart tells me now:

“They are all with us at home now, and are settling in well and getting stronger.”

(Obviously, they know a good thing when they found it).

Boss puppy Long Ma already learned how to stay and sit, and all are coming back to the whistle but – more importantly – Long Ma found a good place to snuggle with Stewart’s daughter Geem. (Now, there is a "wild" dog if I ever saw one...)

In his book, Stewart reminds us:

 Respect all animals and remember that dogs and humans belong together.

The domestic dog is an ancient companion of humans, and it is possible that domestication was taking place as we ourselves were emerging as a separate species. This helps us understand the close and symbiotic relationship between dogs and humans. I think it is reasonable to say that our attitude to animals and to nature is part of what defines us as humans.

When we are in harmony with nature and treat other species with respect, we elevate ourselves as human beings. I believe this is a spiritual and ethical matter. Of course, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and many indigenous and ancient religions endorse this attitude, but I think it applies whatever your personal belief system.

Respect for nature and kindness to animals are, I believe, fundamental human values, just as respect for and kindness to other people should be. I hope that the stories which follow help to illustrate that belief as it is actually lived, and hopefully, does so in an entertaining way.”

Stewart also tells me (probably in deference to Pasha) that there is a cat story in OF MICE & ZEN and some basic information on the cats of Thailand and that they have a literary history there.

And, since his book’s title mentions MICE, he shares his latest encounter:

“I was coming back from a long walk in the hills with my five dogs.
I stopped off to feed two stray dogs I have known since puppies. They live on waste ground near my house, and sleep in the shade of a huge tree. As they tucked into their meal of rice, mince and kibble, there was a rustle in the tree, and three tiny mice dropped own from the tree and came running past the dogs' noses and were sniffing round my feet for food.

The amazing thing is, these dogs ignored them. I would have expected stray dogs to gobble them up with their breakfast. But they just sniffed the mice & carried on eating. I got some rice & biscuit for the mice and put it away from the dogs. They happily tucked in. These mice seemed to know me and have obviously been feeding on the dog leftovers for a while. I have been used to seeing the mynah birds flying down to pick up the scraps, but I hadn't noticed the mice before.”

Obviously, the gentle world of Stewart McFarlane embraces all of God’s creatures, Great and Small.

Thank you, Stewart. We all do need reminding sometimes.

* * *

Learn more about Dr. Stewart McFarlane and his life:

http://www.taichi-exercises.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewart-McFar...

When a Cat has An Episode

I have handled a lot of kittens and cats, and not only love-demanding lap-kitties like my Pasha. At the shelter, they came in scared, defiant, and – yes – sometimes hissing and lashing out until they realized life was better in a warm cage with lots of food than cowering hungry in a ditch.

But never before did I have a cat go completely berserk on me. Once again as many times before, the now adult sleek cat came to visit for a few days. He has always been a bit jerky, and so I gingerly tried to pick him up to check him over as I always do to make sure he came alone (if you get my drift).

Out of the blue, he began to scream (yes, scream), and literally flew through the house like a deranged banshee. He wound up on top of the kitchen cabinets and while the hair on my neck stood on end, I tried to calm him, speaking softly, reaching up with tempting treats. But every time I looked at him, he went into this psychotic behavior racing back and forth, screaming.

(Perhaps an ancient Ba - with big ears -  took over his little soul)

It lasted all day until I finally gave up and went to bed (early). The next morning, there he was, lying at my feet together with my own two cats. La-di-da – when’s breakfast?

Considering that this used to be the sickly kitten I had ‘diapered,’ for heaven’s sake from when he was nine days old, and that he often comes to spend time at my house when his ‘mom’ is traveling, this odd incident left me shaken. And Pasha was totally confused, to say the least.

Sadly, the little bugger just might have bansheed himself out of this one baby-sitter...

Sola, Perduta, Abbandonata

Listening to Maria Callas sing the famous aria 'alone, lost and abandoned' from Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, I realize that this was exactly how I felt last night during this icy winter storm. Outside, everything was encased in a sheet of ice; the neighbors were holed up (just as I was), and the tall pines are still leaning ever more ponderously over the house, bent to the breaking point under their icy mantles.

 If it weren’t for my two furry buddies, Pasha and Lilliput, I’d be packing my bags and driving south; Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica; any place free from the wrath of ice and sleet. Wait! I can’t even get out of my frozen-shut garage door. Bummer!

How could I have so miscalculated my research on Arkansas. To me, this was The South: languid, balmy, full of hospitable people with sweet tea, mint juleps and a stronger accent than I have (so they say—of course, I don’t believe it).

Don’t be too harsh with my rash decision to flee the crowds of Southern California. As I said, I had done my research and other than falling in love with a huge Palladian window that made me buy this house sight-unseen, all those wooded hills and lakes looked good to me (the price was right, too). The annual Arkansas average temperature was touted as being 65 Fahrenheit. The thing I hadn’t realized was that this mild “average” temperature was derived from 103° in the summer and some minus 20s during these infamous ice storms. Duh!

“I can do that,” I gloated to my West Coast city friends who repeatedly asked me, ‘Haven’t you seen Deliverance!’ (Poor Arkansas. It does have an undeserved “mountain-folksy” reputation.)

But today, ‘the morning after,’ the sun is out and everything is looking up; albeit the temps are still way below the freezing point. The birds are pecking away at their sunflower seed – and there come the squirrels. Funny how the jungle drums work around here.

So far, we have not lost power, and I dragged in lots of wood and have kept the fireplace going all night. Alas, tonight is another night...(lousy paraphrasing, I admit) – and another bout of freezing rain is predicted.

I was just having a little moan. I feel much better now ...

Pasha and I are Hunkered Down

Pasha, Lilliput and I are hunkered down (that's what the Weather Channel tells us to do).

It may look pretty right now, but as the ice accumulates on the trees - especially the tall pines all around my house - bad things might happen at any time. It is 3 AM and I am up, dressed, and in my boots with all doors unlocked in case we have to make a quick get-away. Wouldn't want to be caught running out of the house in my jammies.

That's why I think I'll postpone my Friday-blog hop celebration until I can breath easier; apparently not until beginning of next week.

Until then, be safe everyone - and, as always, thanks for stopping by.

And Speaking About Elephants

I belong to a Goodreads Group called "All About Animals," where animal-loving readers and writers come together exchanging thoughts, news, and reading/writing habits.

Someone there posted the link below that speaks about new funding for an elephant-survey. Of course, a survey is one thing; preventing poaching actively is another. We can only hope that this is the beginning of the end of the African elephant slaughter.

Please, take the time to read it.
http://www.eturbonews.com/40353/microsoft-billionaire-fund-pan-african-elephant-survey

Every year, tons (yes, tons) of contraband ivory are seized by customs and other authorities to be destroyed...alas, too late for the magnificent elephants who had to die for it.

Authors and Their Elephants (Really)

Reading about “Bad Elephant Far Stream,” I guarantee you, it will bring tears to your eyes. How could an “advanced culture” (quotes fully intended) such as we think we are be so thoughtlessly cruel? But we are.

Author Samuel Hawley lets me tell you about his first fictionalized book about a circus Elephant named Topsy. Don’t be deceived by the fiction-label of the book.

Topsy was real.

So was her plight of being tortured into performing for a circus.

ABOUT THE BOOK

  

Bad Elephant Far Stream is an animal story for grown-ups, a novel about the odyssey of a circus elephant, told from her own perspective, through her own eyes. Inspired by the true story of the circus elephant Topsy, the subject of the 1903 Thomas Edison film "Electrocution of an Elephant," it begins in the forests of Ceylon in the late 1860s with the capture of a baby elephant known to her own kind as Far Stream. She is taken to America chained in a ship, a journey of several months, and sent to the Adam Forepaugh Circus in Philadelphia. There, Far Stream embarks on a new life under the big top, appearing first as "Baby Annie," then, when she grows bigger, as "Topsy," part of Forepaugh’s famed elephant dancing quadrille. She crisscrosses North America for thirty years with the circus, experiencing hardships, kidnapping, escapes and adventure. But when she comes to outweigh her keepers by a factor of forty--it's hard not to hurt somebody. It's hard not to be "bad.

"Bad Elephant Far Stream" on Amazon

Visit the "Topsy the Elephant" website

Samuel Hawley's bio intrigued me because of his love of wild animals, and his having not only been born but also having spent time in East Asia. 

Here he tells us this about himself:

"I spent most of my working life—the part where I actually earned some money—as a college and university instructor in East Asia, where I was also born and grew up. I had long wanted to be a writer, however, after retiring from teaching and returning to Canada in 2007, I devoted myself to that full-time.

What I’ve written so far has been pretty eclectic: a history of a cataclysmic war in 16^th-century Asia; two books on late 19^th-century Korea; a book on the land speed record in the 1960s; a biography of a Canadian sprinter and Olympic champion; and, most recently, my first novel, Bad Elephant Far Stream, based on the true story of a circus elephant known as Topsy.

On a personal note, I like to travel and have been to quite a few places, especially in Asia. Right now I’m looking out the window of my home office here in Kingston, Ontario, at the first snow of the season, a good four inches and it’s still only November. And I’m thinking: Next year, we’re going south.

Circus Elephants in the Nineteenth Century

In doing research for Bad Elephant Far Stream, I collected a great many newspaper reports about circus elephants that were executed after having attacked or killed someone. Such creatures were frequently referred to in the press as 'bad elephants' or 'wicked elephants,' hence the title of my book.

Many of these 'bad elephants' were males who had been seized by mutsh madness and couldn’t control themselves. To give just one example, there was Romeo, the star attraction with the Adam Forepaugh Circus from 1867 to his death in 1872.

Here is a selection from a newspaper report written fifteen years after Romeo’s death recalling his 'treachery' during his troubled lifetime and the harsh treatment he received. It gives a good idea of the view that many people harbored of elephants back then—that they were vicious and would kill you if not kept thoroughly intimidated."

UGLY ELEPHANTS

Thrilling Stories of Their Wickedness in Captivity

The worst elephant that ever walked in a circus parade in the United States was Forepaugh’s well-known big elephant Romeo. He was as full of mischief as a monkey, and as dangerous as a dynamite mine. He was not bad in spells, but always bad, and his attendants never knew when his big trunk was going to swing at them with the force of a battering ram.....

Whenever an especially violent fit of temper seized Romeo, it was necessary to throw him and beat him into submission. The throwing was accomplished by fastening block and tackle to the chains on his hind legs and drawing those members up under his big body until he was compelled to let himself down. Once down, he was chained tight and held, while a dozen men would surround him and thrash him with poles until he trumpeted ‘enough.’ It frequently took hours to beat him into submission, and he was often kept lying on the floor for three or four days before he would give in....

(The Independent, Calliope, Iowa, Feb. 10, 1887, p. 8.)

Hawley continues:

"Stories such as this can be hard and even upsetting to read. I therefore don’t dwell on them in Bad Elephant Far Stream. The mistreatment is there—it was a fact of life for Topsy and her kind and cannot be avoided—but it is for the most part toned down.

My goal in writing the book wasn’t to publicize and trumpet about elephant mistreatment back then, but rather to portray the life journey of another creature, a nonhuman creature, in a believable and compelling way."

Learn more about the real elephant Topsy

Buy "Bad Elephant Far Stream" on Amazon.com

Visit author Samuel Hawley's website

* * *

Thank you, Samuel Hawley, for sharing your love and passion for nature’s majestic creatures. While we will never be able to save them all, there are enough people out there who do care enough to save as many as they can; innocent creatures caught in our increasingly over-crowded world that would otherwise be lost.

* * *

As an Interesting Aside from me:

Did you know there is an elephant sanctuary right near me in Arkansas? I was amazed and, of course, had to go and see for myself. It was wonderful to see how well these animals were loved and cared for, and to listen to their stories (and to see the new baby).

You have got to check out Riddle’s Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary:

http://www.elephantsanctuary.org/

* * *

Authors and Their “Moo to Meow” Passions

Author Cathy Unruh

Cathy's blog is tellingly entitled: “Moo2Meow.” Through it, she passionately combines her love of writing and reporting with a fierce advocacy for all animals, from farm to family room.

Her passions are best highlighted by some of the quotes from her blog as she invites us to join her “in making this a more compassionate planet for all living creatures. Our earth and its inhabitants need all the kindness we have to offer. Let’s share some today!”

And this one:

“... we are capa­ble not only of turn­ing our empa­thy down but also of turn­ing it up…Empathy is like a mus­cle that becomes stronger as we use it. Here’s to a great work­out.”

That says it all, doesn’t it. What gems - except for the reminder that I missed gym again this morning; oh, I know, she speaketh in parables.

Her own 'Meow' Fred inspired her to write this cat-thriller filled with depth and humor:

Taming Me:  Memoir of a Clever Island Cat

And for today, Cathy leaves us with this thought:

“Get to know a cow. Hug your cat. A big heart does a body good.”

Believe me, my friends, "try it, you'll like it."

Because she means it.

Visit Cathy Unruh at these sites; I promise you, it is time well spent.

Blog

Buy

Facebook

Twitter

Website

YouTube

It happened Fifty Years Ago

Rather than celebrating for our Friday Blog-Hop, I am going to recall something that sadly happened fifty years ago.

I had just returned home to Austria from my year in Moscow, and was on my way to get a job at the 1964 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck. The evening before I was to board a train there, we watched television at our favorite inn. The shock reverberated through our little village; as it did indeed throughout the world.

As this is the 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination, I thought it would be appropriate to share my poem about JFK’s June 26, 1963 visit to Berlin. The ‘cursed’ Wall finally came down on November 11, 1989.

Peace: War’s Abandoned Grave

From its cachéd acorn womb

the seedling sprouts through pungent moss,

soon greened by a rambunctious spring’s exuberance.

The Westwind, taking pity, laughs and heaves

and trembles off the would-be devourer of tender leaves.

The sapling climbs toward the tranquil summer sky,

shading the meadow by the river,

until the Eastwind, cold and blustery,

defeats the balmy climes

and heralds in this city’s soon-to-come heart-breaking times.

Branches at half-mast, the tree holds silent vigil

against the rapings by lust-driven Ural-hordes.

Its meadow barren, flowers vanquished under iron treads,

the oak, denuded in the smoke-veiled morn’,

breathes acrid mist from the River Spree, forlorn.

 

Amber tears drip from the tree’s strafed bark

as the proud city, quartered by its raucous victors,

writhes in shredded ruin, a graveyard of the living dead.

A people torn apart, despaired,

as brother now must fear the brother whom war had spared.

A saw’s rasping bite takes hold;

the last tree topples at the cusp of dawn.

The oak’s green planks strain vainly toward freedom

from deep within the cursed Wall.

A fire-blackened church accuses, a grim reminder to them all.

The pendulum of time reverses.

Survivors hail their former foe.

To these living dead, abandoning their graves of war,

as if he were a citizen, but keener,

a young world leader avows peace with:

“Ich bin ein Berliner!”

* * *

From “Moments of the Heart, A Book of Poems and Short Prose”

Authors and Their Inspirations

As another post about authors and their animals, Pasha and I are happy to introduce the inspiration and entire fan section of Author Julie Flanders: 

Happy, but definitely not yappy Clancy, and languid, sanguine Nate who knows a thing or two about comfortable spots.

   

Not only is Julie Flanders an avid supporter and spokesperson for animal rescue, she also believes in ghosts (actually, I don’t know that for sure, but she does write about them). Her soon-to-be-published novel is set on one of my favorite islands on the East Coast: Martha’s Vinyard.

The Ghosts of Aquinnah

will be released by Ink Smith Publishing

on December 5, 2013

Here is a preview to whet your whistle:

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time. Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.

By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains. Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind. She shakes her head.

For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul.

Why? ...Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.

What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

Hannah finds out. But, it’s not at all what she expects ... Instead, Hannah unravels a century old murder.

* * *

Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a life-long love affair with the ocean and has spent more summer vacations than she can count on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.

When not writing, Julie can be found reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and being acting in animal rescue groups.

* * *

Find Julie at:

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads