As I traditionally do, the January issues include some of my favorites from the most recent year which in this case is Year 19. (Both of the header pics are compliments of Deposit Photo.)

A Thankful Good-bye to 2020!

Poetical Journal © by Bob Casey

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Mission: To provide poetical and thoughtful comments on life

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PLEASE! Supporting the efforts of the Poetical Journal is greatly appreciated!
Any amount of donation is appreciated. To support, click on the link and scroll down
. click here.

 
My newest book combines my trilogy into one traditional novel. Additional content has been added. Click on Amazon to learn more. Cost: Paperback $13.99 Kindle $3.50   The Blast Series is the newest series of books. They are actually mini paperback books of about 50 pages. Each poem is accompanied by a colored photograph. The cost is $12 per book. Click on the above pic.

To learn more, click on Amazon. Reviews also appear at the end of the newsletter. Questions? Email me.

Also during the pandemic, I wrote two novels under the pen name Leon Pashi. Both are romantic in style and have a tinge of eroticism. I especially like the second one, Zahin and Anoop. Recently, I received the following rave review for this book from M.L. of Kansas "What a beautiful, eloquently written love story. . . a bright spot during this time of isolation . . . hot, passionate intimacy with incredibly warm tenderness which validated its sacredness."

All my books are available on Amazon. Reviews appear at the end of the newsletter.

Questions? Email me.

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Demographics: No states or countries were added this month. If your resident area is not listed, please let me know.

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VOLUME XIX – Issue 12: Sunday, January 31, 2021 (233rd Issue)

Welcome

I am pleased to have you as a reader. If you enjoy the PJ, please encourage others to subscribe.

If your country is not listed in the demographic section at the end, please let me know so I can update the list.

The next Poetical Journal will be out February 28, 2021. It will start my 20th Year for the PJ.

Not a bad place for a home - Maui (February Issue)

Opening Comments from Bob

This Issue: For the last six years, the January Issue contains some of my favorite sections from the newsletters of the previous year, this one being Year 19. Click here to go to the list of previous PJs for the last year.

Subscriber Residences: PLEASE let me know if your state, providence, or country is not listed in the demographic section at the end. There currently are subscribers in 27 states, 3 provinces, and 13 countries. See complete list near at the newsletter.

Next Month: The next issue comes out on February 28, 2021. It will start Year 20.

My Facebook account is again open for a time.

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PLEASE! Supporting the efforts of the Poetical Journal is greatly appreciated! Any amount of donation is appreciated. To support, click here.

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Gorgeous view taken at the Maui Plantation near Wailuku, Maui. (February Issue)
 

Baldwin Beach, Maui (February Issue)

 

New Desk Calendar

366 pages there–
    witty saying and even a poem or two.
What events will they see–
    wars, suffering, tribulations
    but also smiles, celebrations, and jubilations.
Those days lay ahead
    many containing uncertainty
    and yes, some worries.
Only the prophetic sense
    what might be.
Alas, for now
    we have the precious moment,
    and all it can be.

Comment: As we leave 2020, let's hope 2021 is better. (February Issue)

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The Magnificent Mystery

We breathe in and out
   ... sometimes wondering about existence.
Many seldom question
   ... assuming they have the answers.
But some ask
   ... while marveling at this majestic gift
   ... called “Life,”
“Why is I, me?”
“Why do I tear
   ... when my heart is touched?”
“How do you explain love?”
Or, perhaps should we just live it?
“Where do thoughts start
   ... and end?”
“What does eternity
   ... and infinity really mean?”
Surely, there must be an end.
Many questions
   ... yet to be answered.
For now,
   ... I simply breathe in and out.

Comments: You interpret. (March Issue)

 

Goes with the poem, New Desk Calendar

 

 

Quiet moment on the small beach (March Issue)

 

 

Maui coastline on our way to the Big Island (March Issue)

Grazing land of the Parker Ranch, one of the largest in the U.S. A favorite place of ours! (March Issue)

 

 
808 Uke Jams: Anyone who visits me on Maui are introduced to this fantastic experience. Over a hundred individuals from all over the world attend every Thursday to celebrate the Hawaiian heritage. Jarret Delos Santos is the primary creator of this wonderful experience. Though I don't play well, this is my annual uke time. For the website: http://808ukejams.com/ For a short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIKqXy6uVyU

 

The snow in the valley has finally disappeared. We are having a late spring. (April Issue)

(May Issue)

Bow Lake, Alberta, Canada (July Issue)

Vignette this Month: Annual Return

Some ask me, especially my family, why I return to Hawaii regularly, especially Maui year after year. There are the obvious answers including warmth during the winter months and of course great beauty. For me, these two though important, only touch upon my desires to come here at least once yearly. When I first step on the island, I immediately feel a sense of calm. Even if the airport is busy, the warm breezes and scent of the flowers enwrap me in peace. Life slows down with only the honking horns coming mainly from tourists who haven't yet adjusted to "Island Time." I have been here often enough to spot quickly the tourists who rush around thinking they are still on the mainland. One example is the Road to Hana which has become less beautiful and more crowded over time as mainly tourists in their white jeeps ignore the yield signs at the one-lane bridges fouling up the flow of traffic on a winding, narrow road. (I have issued a few choice words at their rudeness and ignorance.) A friend who recently visited became impatient with the slowness of service in a restaurant. I mentioned to him "relax and savor" the food will be here when it arrives. Another attraction is my Thursday ukulele sessions with 808 Uke Jams which attracts uke enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate musically Hawaiian history and its traditions. Even the church services filled with music are different on the Islands. Basically, I always feel "I have come home." (March Issue)

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Along Lake Lucerne, Switzerland (August Issue)

The Mosel River flows through France, Luxembourg, and Germany, vineyards for miles. (September Issue)

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Ongoing Recommendation

Be safe; be healthy

.........Please take a look at the gift page.

The red roofs of Prague, the Czech Republic (October Issue)

Some of My Favorite Quotes from Year 19

"I do not seek. I find." - Pablo Picasso

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the even nobler art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials." - Lin Yutang

"The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination, but the combination is locked up in the safe.” - Peter De Vries

"Each moment presents what happens.” - John Cage

"This is the first, wildest, and wisest thing I know, that the soul exists and that it is built entirely of attentiveness." - Mary Oliver

 

Aspens on Empire Pass (November Issue)

A Bit of Humor

A bit of laughter is healthy for the soul

I thought we needed an extra laugh.

The lawyer was defending a man accused of housebreaking, and said to the court: "Your Honor, I submit that my client did not break into the house at all. He found the parlor window open and merely inserted his right arm and removed a few trifling articles. Now my clients arm is not himself, and I fail to see how you can punish an individual committed by one of his limbs."

The Judge considered this argument for several minutes then declared: "That argument is very well put. Following it logically, I sentence the defendant's arm to one years imprisonment. He can accompany it or not, as he chooses.

The defendant smiled, stood up and his lawyer helped him unscrew his clients cork arm, and, leaving it with the judge and walked out.

Compliments of Joke a Day

Silver Lake, Utah (November Issue)

 

Tai Chi Corner

Pictured on the computer screen during a ZOOM lesson is Dr. Paul Lam teaching
a move in Yang 24..Due to the pandemic, group in person lessons have ceased.
We discovered a new tool called ZOOM. We have been teaching Yang 24 using
Dr. Lam's online lessons along with my personal instructions. We have also made
use of YouTube.

PJ Forum

None listed

Reader Demographics

States - AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, NC, ND, NY, OH, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WV, and WI     

Canadian Provinces - BC, ON, and QC;   

Countries - Albania, Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Turkey, UK, U.S., and Venezuela.

........Changes in this section will be updated each month.

If your state, province, or country is not mentioned, please let me know.

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Book Reviews

General: JJG wrote: I've read Bob's "To the End of Time" trilogy twice, each time gaining deep and deeper insights into the human condition. The three small volumes hold their own as good stories but also provide a unique glimpse into a new religious paradigm. Would that it could come to be.

Specific Book: To the End of Time and Back: An Epic Journey

David from Utah: "The new novel, To the End of Time and Back is a skillful account of two lovers on an 'Epic Journey,' racing through time and history to learn life-changing truths. Their spectral mentor, Arundel, sends them through difficult travels, but their relationship endures and remains strong despite physical, and psychological stress. Powerful emotions such as fear, anger and happiness, combine with lust, pain and sexuality to help them learn. Written in verse form, the story is an epic poem, painted to portray the duality of mankind throughout dimensions of human history that is sometimes cruel and horrific. The reader will come to know and understand what is being described and will certainly enjoy the stimulating elegance of the story and the philosophy. A thoroughly enjoyable read that is certain to make you think."
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Jim from Mt. Vernon: "I finished your book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was much easier to follow by having the whole thing in front of me, and reading as much as I wanted at a time. I felt pretty weary after bouncing around in time for many hundreds of years, but I was relieved to know that at least part of the world survived 'Armageddon'. What a feat you have performed."
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Art from Park City, UT: "I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your latest book To the End of Time and Back. When I bought the book I had no idea what to expect. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down. I had fun reading it from A to Z and everything in between."
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Bobbie from Texas: "Your book touched places deep within my soul. I could read it over and over again, Bob. Job Well Done!"
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Kimberly from Ohio: "Well, Bob! I am rather blown away by your book. Finished it yesterday, and it only took four days, which means I was intrigued and wanted to know how the book ends. I'm a slow, deep reader and since my profession is writing and editing, I edit continuously as I read. Can't help it! But this book was worth dropping everything for and reading to the end. I admit to cynicism about your claim that it would change me, and I don't know that it has just yet but it won't be leaving my heart and head for a long time, and change could happen. I'm impressed that the book actually lived up to your claims for it. . . . I'm intrigued by this book because it rings so true, and I am therefore tempted to believe you actually were given the gift of this dictation. But if not and this is fiction, you have written one hell of a book, masquerading amazingly as non-fiction ... which is indeed one of the goals of fiction."
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An Ohio Reader: "WOW! WOW! WOW! I read it in one sitting and found so many things you wrote about 'true' for what I know and feel about past lives I've lived. Actually, the chapter about the Holocaust was something I couldn't bear to read–too sad and painful. (I've always felt that way about that period of history.) . . . it was very well done, Bob. Just beautifully done. I'm looking for the movie. . . I'm sure others will feel connected to this book just as I did. AMAZING. Just AMAZING. I couldn't put it down. There was so much anticipation with each chapter it hooked me from the very beginning. . ."
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Reader from Arizona: "I read your book a couple weeks ago. You are lucky we don't live close enough for me to call you to discuss it! It was interesting and easy to read. I liked the format. It reminded me of Many Masters, Many Lives by Brian L. Weiss (which was not that quick to read). Have you read that? . . . Anyway, kudos on the book -- on all your books. . ."
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A Reader: "Your newest release takes the reader to places deep within. It makes one ponder all things about life itself. Many authors have written about reincarnation, but yours goes deeper. Through an eternal relationship between two souls, you describe all the human emotions one can feel. The book takes you to historical times and places around the globe, making you feel as if you are part of the beautiful relationship of A~ and Z~. After reading, they will become a part of you."

Specific Book: Adelyn: An Epic Journey:

Ohio Reader: "In his book, Adelyn: An Epic Journey, Bob navigates the reader through a challenging journey in the time space continuum while exposing both the weaknesses and strengths of humanity. As Adelyn is exposed to the infinite love of The Source, the reader is challenged to understand how personal beliefs and actions often have more to do with cultural rather than spiritual influences. In a time and world filled with political anger and personal indulgences reading Adelyn offers the open-minded promise. It would make a great book study."

Specific Book: The Tao of Momentary Thoughts

Doug from Ohio: ". . . I was not prepared for page 116 Should have been because of the extremely personal nature of the entire book. Please understand that the unusual length of time to finish your book (especially for a binge reader like me) was because it screamed to be read thoughtfully in increments. For me that was 10-15 pages every weekend, often in quiet . . .Thank you for "putting pen to paper" and sharing your soul. Those of us who have followed Poetical Journeys will recognize much of the content. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to share part of your journey really feel a part of it."

Charles from Park City: "Hi Bob….I just picked up your The Tao of Momentary Thoughts.  It’s wonderful . . I love your book."

Ed from Seattle: The Tao of Momentary Thoughts: "I was smiling all the way through the reading . . .I think I will reread it again during the next week. . ."

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PJ Online

To read some of the back issues of the PJ, go to here.

The next issue will go out on Sunday, February 28, 2021. It will start Year 20.

Until next time - joy and peace,

Bob


Bob Casey
Poetical Journeys
P.O. Box 319
Midway, UT 84049

bob@poeticaljourneys.com

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