HAPPY 4th of JULY !!!

 

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(HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE 4TH EVERYONE! BE THANKFUL FOR OUR FREEDOMS) - Hope you enjoy the below poem I wrote in 2017 as part of a 4th of July Theme at Spillwords Press Spillwords.com

 

“Ode to the United States Military”

         (Happy 4th of July)

(Written by Phyllis P. Colucci) - (2017) 

         (aka "FictionTarot")

 

Ode to the United States Military

Happy 4th of July America!

Happy Independence too!

We would not have our freedoms

If it weren’t up to you

God Bless the Red, White and Blue

And the Military who stand by you

They fight with valor to protect your land

They respect your flag, and hold your hand

There are those, of whom, from faraway places

Aim to destroy our home and God-Blessed spaces

Yet our men and women in various uniform

Rise tall and proud to confront their faces

The US Military has no fear

They are on a mission far and near

Whether overseas or in the States

Their loyalty lives, no matter their fates

So unselfish are their spirits, hearts and minds

Brothers are they - all colors, all kinds

They leave parents, spouses and babies behind

Many tears are shed as they serve mankind

So how do we thank these superb troops?

          With smiles and handshakes?

          Allegiances, salutes?

I know one way we can show we care

I know one way we can show we’re there

Just hang “Old Glory” in front of your home

          Let her fly, let her soar, let her dance, let her roam

          Her stars and stripes will travel far

Our Military will see it; they’ll know who we are

So enjoy your barbecues, and embrace your freedom

Just remember those who have paid the price

Happy 4^th and God Bless you, wear a smile, please be nice…

          And do thank a Veteran – not once, but twice!   

Sleepy Hollow (Tarrytown, New York) - "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (Author Washington Irving)

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Good Day All:

Would love to share this with you...June 30th (yesterday) was my birthday, and this year my Son asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. I responded that I wanted to visit Sleepy Hollow in Tarrytown, New York, and look for "The Headless Horseman" (LOL)! - then I would love to have dinner at LaNonna's Restaurant on Kent Avenue, in Brooklyn, New York, for some really fine, delicious Italian food with a classy atmosphere as well (both inside and outside in the restaurant's front garden)... So that is how I spent my birthday; and I had a fabulous time thanks to my sweet, generous, handsome Son. 

...Unfortunately, I never found the Headless Horseman during our search around the Old Dutch Church and inside the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. However, I did find Author Washington Irving's grave and his family's gravesite. I then thought, perhaps, I can dig him up and possibly rewrite "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" together with him (since I am a writer), and since I was unable to locate the Headless Horseman. We could change the plot around a bit and come to some agreement on where the Headless Horseman may be right now in current times...Of course I am just joking and I absolutely loved "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" as Washington Irving wrote it. May he rest in eternal peace with all of the other great writers who have gone before him. 

I learned Mr. Irving actually wrote this piece abroad, in England, although the setting took place in Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, New York, where Mr. Irving resided until his death on November 28, 1859. (He was born April 3, 1783 in New York, New York, into an affluent  family; and was the favorite and last of 11 children.)

(CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS OF OUR ADVENTURE, BELOW):

 

...On Poetry and Fiction - Just "One Word" Away (Lighthouse)

 

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     One word becomes one idea, becomes one sentence, becomes one poem, becomes one story. It must start from just “one word”. Today my one word is “Lighthouse”.

 

                                                 (PHOTOS FROM PINTEREST)

 

                    

 

 

"Lighthouse"

A lone structure of inanimate beauty

So haunting, so eerie; and wanting to be seen

She calls out through light and darkness

She stretches her radiant fingers

   across misty harbors and raging waters

Conversing with the echoes of foghorns

 

She hides within the shadows of the sea

Casting her mysterious glow

Whispering to quaint boats and opulent ships

Inviting them to voyage free

    in the waters she must oversee

Guiding them to safety

Directing them past me

 

She spots me standing upon jagged rocks

   that glisten under the ghostly moonlight

She shines her light upon my pale face

    as I salute her with glee

My curious eyes fall victim to her smile

    while she nods with class and grace

Like the Goddess I strive to be

 

I am in awe as I smile back timidly

    eager to curtsy to this wondrous Queen

Until a lonesome seagull enters the scene

  distracting me from my nautical dream

With eyes wide open and mouth agape

    I fall victim to her spell

Beneath darkened skies

    and crashing waves

I am calmed by the sound of a ship’s bell

 

My weakness turns to strength

    and my heart begins to sing

        to the rhythm of the harbor breeze

            and to sights and smells of tangled seaweed

My cheeks are kissed by the salted lips

    of a loving ocean spray

        and my life is blessed by the endless love

      of a brilliant Lighthouse

A lone structure of inanimate beauty

So haunting, so eerie; and wanting to be seen