This is our final installment on our three island tour of Hawaii. We will focus on the Big Island.

 

Poetical Journal ©by Bob Casey

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Mission: To provide poetical and thoughtful comments on life

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VOLUME XXI – Issue 5: Sunday, June 26, 2022 (250th 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 July 31, 2022.

The view from our condo for the week

...Opening Comments from Bob

This Issue: This issue is the third installment on our recent visit to Hawaii. Our focus this month is on the Big Island. The two poems are Messages and Rebirth. Enjoy!

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 July 31, 2022.

To become a friend on Facebook, click on this link.

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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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One of the largest banyan trees on the the Big Island. Note the hanging roots that will eventually take root in the ground.

Two Poems this Month + Bonus

Messages

Messages come in many forms.
In days of old
      a telegram caused a hand to shake,
      good news or a nightmare,
      “We regret to inform you. . .”

Emails, texts, messenger
      now reveal
      the wanted and unwanted

But life-changing ones
      arrive in other myriad ways.
A jab on the side
      hint of problems within.
The touch of lips
      open doors to joy.
Seeing the homeless
      twinge the conscience.
Parched lands announce
      that something must change.

Choosing to heed or not heed
      will determine one's fate.

 

Bonus Poem: On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram I have been running a daily series of my poems accompanied with an appropriate picture. I will show a favorite in this section each month. This poem first appeared in VOLUME III ISSUE 3 - Sunday, April 25, 2004
(32nd issue) This poem has had over 20,000 hits on my site and yearly has been one of the most popular viewed.

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Hawi is a small resort town at the northern tip of the island,

Vignette this Month:

(No vignette this month.)

Not an uncommon sight on the Big Island. The black lava is turning brown and will eventually turn to soil. It
can take a hundred plus years for the transformation.

The South Coastline, beautiful view despite the clouds.

Recommendations

Papajac's, Hilo, Hawaii

We were looking for a place for lunch and appreciated the classy appearance of the restaurant. We were not disappointed. We both ordered soups, the minestrone and kombucha squash, and split a chicken salad sandwich. The side was homemade potato salad. Everything was delectable. In fact, the food was so good I ordered the cheesecake to go. Other factors added to our dining experience: 1) our server, the owner's granddaughter, did everything she could to make our dining experience enjoyable; 2) the owner came to our table and struck up a conversation, and then to our surprise he comped us two glasses of wine; and 3) the simple classy layout of the restaurant including table cloths and clean cloth hand towels in the bathroom provided the sense of a gourmet restaurant at bargain prices.

Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi

Jan and I have dined at this small restaurant many times and never had a bad meal. Many products are fresh and organic.

Royal Thai Cafe in Kailua-Kona

We were desperate to find a place to eat having just arrived on Island. Based on the recommendation of a local, we tried this friendly mom and pop restaurant. What a delicious find! Sadly, we tried to eat there a second time and discovered the restaurant was closed for a month as the owners would be gone for a month. However, we will definitely return for a second visit on our next return to the Big Island.

Please take a look at the online book and gift pages.

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The Big Island: We stayed on the Kona-Kailua side which is arid and dry. This island is also the newest with numerous
lava flows, hence an abundance of black lava. It is also the largest (210 mi. circumference). All the major Hawaiian Islands,
if laid as puzzle pieces, would fit within its boundaries. Above is one of many beaches available for enjoyment.

Quotable Quotes

"“I would always rather be happy than dignified." - Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” - Nora Ephron

"“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” - Jane Austen, Persuasion

"“How wrong is it for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself?” - Anais Nin

 

A Bit of Humor

A bit of laughter is healthy for the soul

I Can Guess How Many

Once upon a time there was a shepherd looking after his sheep on the side of a deserted road. Suddenly a brand new Porsche screeches to a halt. The driver, a man dressed in an Armani suit, Cerutti shoes, Ray-Ban sunglasses, TAG-Heuer wrist watch, and a Pierre Cardin tie gets out and asks the shepherd, "If I can tell you how many sheep you have, will you give me one of them?"

The shepherd looks at the young man, then looks at the large flock of grazing sheep and replies, "Okay."

The young man parks the car, connects his laptop to the mobile-fax, enters a NASA Website, scans the ground using his GPS, opens a database and 60 Excel tables filled with algorithms and pivot tables. He then prints out a 150-page report on his high-tech mini-printer, turns to the shepherd and says, ‘'You have exactly 1,586 sheep."

The shepherd cheers, "That's correct, you can have your choicest sheep from the herd."

The young man takes one of the animals which he likes most and cute from the flock and puts it in the back of his Porsche. The shepherd looks at him and asks, "If I guess your profession, will you return my animal to me?"

The young man laughed and answers, "Yes, why not?"

The shepherd says, "You are an auditor."

"How did you know?" asks the young man.

"Very simple," answers the shepherd.

" First, you came here without being wanted. Secondly, you charged me a fee to tell me something I already knew. Thirdly, you don't understand anything about my business... now can I have my DOG back?"

Compliment of A Joke A Day

 

br2

Memorial honoring the landing of Captain Cook on January 20, 1778

Tai Chi Corner

An instructor workshop I attended via ZOOM. Contact Bob for a name of an instructor near you.

PJ Forum

If you have comments, recommendations, or suggestions for the PJ, please e-mail them to bob@poeticaljourneys.com. I personally respond to all. (When editing the comments for publication, I eliminate very personal comments and edit for spacing.

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"Happy Birthday!  Many more!  Hope you and Jan are well. . . . Please stay well and Happy Memorial Day!" - MK from Fredericktown, OH (Ed: Thank you for the best wishes and updates from Ohio. MK let's me know what is happening to our friends from her area.)

"My gosh so you have written so much since I met you… will I ever catch up? . . ." - Kathleen from Portland, OR (Ed: I always enjoy hearing from Kathleen. She is a brilliant poet.)

"Loved those farmers markets on the islands. Cool stuff, weird veggies and friendly people.  Thank you for sharing." - Renate from Nevada (Ed: Thank you for sharing. Renate has visited the Islands several times and speaks from experience.)

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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 to 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

Blast Series: Review by Janice M. regarding Blast Book Four: . . . I loved the book.  There were so many ideas floating around in my head from your writings, and I understood everything you wrote about.  I saw the visions while traveling through the pages. Thank you for your inspiration. . . ."

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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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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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, July 31, 2022.

Until next time - joy and peace,

Bob

 


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

bob@poeticaljourneys.com

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