This link will take you to an absolutely beautiful poem which is related to the one I have just completed and will be posting soon.  This blog is truly wonderful.  http://ivonnemontijo.wordpress.com

visit and enjoy

Ever wonder about the origin of Memorial Day?

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation’s Civil War dead by decorating their graves

The Civil War ended in 1865. Over 620,000 people died, out of a population of only 32 million. Lost was a generation of sons, fathers and husbands; daughters, mothers and wives.

The spring of 1866 saw women in the South and North starting to decorate the graves of lost loved ones. This spread.

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers, declared in General Order No. 11 that:

“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land… We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. … Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

Thus the first widely observed Decoration Day was held on May 30th, 1868, three years after the war ended. The ceremonies were held at the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, which was across the Potomac River from Washington DC. It once was the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee, and had been seized to become the Arlington National Cemetery. Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant and other Washington officials presided over a gathering of 5,000 of the living, surrounded by the tombstones of over 15,000 war dead.

The main speaker was General James Garfield (who later became president of the United States). “I am oppressed,” Garfield said, “with a sense of the impropriety of uttering words on this occasion. If silence is ever golden, it must be here beside the graves of fifteen thousand men whose lives were more significant than speech and whose death was a poem the music of which can never be sung…We do not know one promise these men made; one pledge they gave; one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected by one supreme act the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country, they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts and made immortal their patriotism and virtue.“

After the speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the Grand Army of the Republic made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Garfield’s eloquent expression of the national reverence for its heroes prompted similar Memorial Day observances all over the country. By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America’s wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)

Memorial Day is now celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually. It is celebrated throughout the country at other cemeteries holding the dead of war. Parades are held, as are community picnics.

Memorial Day – Never Forget… Always Honor.

Thus it is so very appropriate that we not take for granted the supreme sacrifice so many have given… their lives… to preserve our American freedom.

This article compliments of :

http://rossputin.com/blog/index.php/memorial-day-never-forget-always-honor

A coyote cries

A sad lonely cry

Is she all alone

She cries to the sky

*

The cry is sad

For I hear her everynight

There is a hint of sorrow

It doesn’t sound right

*

Talk to the animals?

I make no such claim

All could hear

We listen the same

*

There is a desire

A kindness of heart

A willingness to sit

Keep your ears sharp

*

Hear with your body

Not just your ears

Tune into your senses

Developed over years

*

The animal within

Lost in time

Resting dormant

Man too refined

*

No longer in need

Of primitive instinct

Too far removed

No longer linked

*

The missing link

An evolving earth

Everything is change

Forgetting our birth

*

In the beginning

Naked we were

In the ways of the world

Not just at birth

*

Dependent on senses

Out of touch with nature

Much better than beast

Unless there’s a wager

*

Lust for money

And many fine things

Destroying the earth

At any means

*

Shouldn’t there be a limit

How much more does man need

One day to destroy the earth

Over a planted seed of greed

*

Greed was not born within

It evolved over time

It will be the link

Appearing in crime

*

Man was so smart

The earth he killed

And all that lives

Forever stilled

*

Veins in the earth

Inner connecting

The roots of our being

Man was neglecting

*

Before man’s time

Carefully engineered

An underground transit

Kept us rooted here

*

Dependent on each other

All life connected

Bred out of man

Evolved and rejected

Renee Robinson

Sifted memories

Cookie cutter dreams

Breadcrumb paths

Fairy tale cream

Simple and pure

The mind of a child

Hunting in their room

For a cat gone wild

We should adopt the idea

A few hours a week

Wish upon a star

Tickle some feet

Play with your boy

And your girl too

Cut loose and be free

Sing Black Eyed Sue

Relieving some stress

Forgetting your troubles

Is good for your heart

And get a few cuddles

Simple and pure

The mind of a child

Cut loose and be free

Let the mind

Go WILD

Renee Robinson

Victorian Doll

With your yellow face

A soul that glows

Tiny feet that pace

Into his room

Every night down the hall

Something sinister

A sick booty call

Cursed by her husband

Living inside

That tiny body

A ghost hides

For her cheating ways

Her soul is blocked

Until forever ends

In this doll she is locked

Porcelain face

Cracked with wrinkles

Have taken their toll

Spidery sprinkles

Sexual slave

Till forever ends

Forever to pay

Immortal sins

Renee Robinson

I miss the wolf

I miss his howl

I miss his eyes

I miss his prowl

Under a moon

Liquid movements

Sexy moves

The sky afire

The sound of drums

Beating in time

Beating hearts

Rhythm entwines

Taking in

All of my needs

Molten desire

Spiritual seeds

Into your den

Make me yours

Part women

Part wolf

Mingling spirits

Making love

Dancing souls

Wings of a dove

A new lifeform

Flying toward

Another world

Where we were born

The wolf and the woman

A love that is solid

Fierce like the wolf

Soft as the woman

Two souls

Meant to be

Together as one

Like you and me

Renee Robinson

What is on the other side of the fog?

Does anyone truly know?

I do

I came from there

I was in its icy grasp

I was held prisoner

The fog is all I’ve ever known

It is not a thing but a being

It breathes.  It moans.

It takes.  It owns.

Once in the grasp of the fog

There is no escaping

You must help me to get rid of it

Before it comes for you

It will keep taking

Blood is what it is after

No one is safe

No one at all

Please, come help me

As many as will

Be not afraid in numbers

The fog can not take

It is too weak to fight an army

Only choosing one victim at a time

So assemble! Come with me now!

Bring your weapons

We are out to destroy

This file being from hell

We will put him back into his grave

Next to Lucifer

For whom he was made

We assemble and leave

We are going to take down the fog

Together we venture in

The fog gathers around

Breathing and enshrouding us

Soon we can now leave

We can not go any further

The icy fingers of the fog

Has them all in his grasp

Sacrifices to my King

For I am his daughter

I laugh as they struggle

I watch as my master accepts them

One by one, sucking out each life

A vampire of the fog

My master, my lover

Renee Robinson

I came here for a healing

Did I make a mistake?

I thought your hand was offered

A healing touch that made me quake

I fell in love

With your gentle touch

Now you say it was a lie

You never cared much

Truth be said

You never cared for me

Tricking me into coming here

To cage and molest me

Why, are you doing this?

What have I done?

I have followed your command

Each and everyone

To give birth to your seed

When I thought you loved me

What will I have?

A version of you or of me?

Never touch me again

You disgust me

I was in love with you

God, so help me

You said this was a garden

Meant to make me well

These vines tied me up

You are sending me to hell

I did not give you my soul

How can you take me?

Doesn’t God know?

Won’t he release me?

My flowers have died

My fire is gone

The monster lives

His seed has spawned

Renee Robinson

All I wanted was a nice quiet place.  Pleasantly small.  Not taking much space.  Just a spot, I could call my own!  An escape from what I call home.  Pain everyday, in need of a laugh.  An escape getaway, not in my path.  I give up,  the beast won’t let go.   It is like pulling teeth.   A cancer-disaster show.  A quiet place mostly pain-free, does not appear, to be in the cards for me.

However, I am tricky.  This beast doesn’t know.   I will outwit him and steal the show.  I simply close my eyes.  I dream of a place.  With the man who I love, I can feel his embrace.  Tightly, we hold.  We kiss and we hug.  Things are getting hot, when I felt a bug.   I slapped it away, not a big deal.  We continued to kiss and each got a feel.  We kiss and hug.  With our hands we explore.  When nibbling his neck, I felt something more.  At first I was excited, for what he had planned, but I was pecked again–and not by my man

I see wet feathers and the bill of a duck.  My first thought was “Why now?  We were ready to F@#k!”  I stared at the duck, the duck stared at me.  It was demon-possessed.  It  just had to be.  She twisted her head in all directions.  Looking more like Regan succumbed with possession.

I looked at my man, my man looked at me.  This was  not what we planned as I laughed pain-free.   The duck moved our blanket, and to our surprise.  She had a nest with eggs, a total of five.

In spite of it all, I had a great time.  I went home with my man to share some fine wine.  We continued what we had started, earlier that day. A romantic time with the pain washed away.

Renee Robinson

We started out as one

We used to play in the water

We laughed and splashed

We had so much fun

*

Me always with you

You always with me

A shared DNA

Beginning history

*

Time changes and emerges

Improving all the pits

Evolutionary puberty

Demolishing adolescent zits

*

Improving and diluting

Checking all the links

Throwing out the weak

Tossed us out!  That stinks!

*

We didn’t even rate

For a hope to improve

Immediately expelled

Like bowels that moved

*

That did not stop us

We are determined

To walk upon the earth

Even as vermin

*

When no one is looking

We sneak back in

Under the dirty laundry

Of nature’s sin

*

A pile of rejects

Kicked out of the Bible

Unfinished projects

To be recycled

*

And so it went

Throughout generations

To be tossed, but slipping back in

A sneaky migration

*

Finally we were accepted

Sliced through the heart

Unbearable pain

Forever we part

*

He went his way, I went mine

No longer in a cell

Imprisoned in time

*

We were spliced and diced

Amputated at the heart

Each born into the world

Several years apart

*

The horror of birth

A frightening scene

Erased our minds

Who could be so mean?

*

Through the years we grew

Never knowing each other

Yet a piece was missing

The touch of a lover

*

Later in life

We found each other

An immediate attraction

Like a heart with a flutter

*

Only to find

We shared much more

Desires burned

Our hearts poured

*

A sharing of self

Deep and real

To find we are the same

Knowing how the other feels

*

A beautiful gift

To open in time

Savoring each other

Reunion of mind

*

A union of souls

Torn apart through time

A blessed occurrence

Rare and sublime

*

The meaning of happiness

I known through him

Finding my missing heart

In the form of this man

*

We’ve always known each other

Though we just met

A treasure of heart

My missing part

Renee Robinson

http://weheartit.com

Smokey Shadows

Long liquid fingers

Snaking out

Taking all that lingers

Living in death

Feeding off smoke

Immortal roots

Fatality joke

Death never dies

Its numbers are growing

Eternal demise

Every cloud of smoke

Every luminous shadow

Death could be hiding

Ready to swallow

Drinking the life

Out of  the shell

Taking your essence

While he laughs

In Hell

Renee Robinson

Filed under: Art, dark poetry and stories, Death, My Poetry, Nae's Nest Tagged: bones, hell, skeleton, smoke, tree ]]> http://naesnest.me/2012/05/25/smokey-shadows/feed/ 2 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 akismet-d3f8c50af6d04b3b567d62db8e33a777 http://naesnest.me/2012/05/25/hail-thee-the-king/ http://naesnest.me/2012/05/25/hail-thee-the-king/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 10:32:20 +0000 Nae's Nest http://naesnest.me/?p=5903 Keep reading →]]>

None is as strong as the spirit of the

Albino Frog

Don’t let his gentle appearance

Fool You

He is as lethal

as

Satan

Do Not Dare to frown

He will smite you down

He demands to be treated as

A King

Among the forest

He is royalty

His venom is the strongest

Ever Known

Just one drop

Your mouth will foam

Slowly cooking from

Inside Out

Within seconds

You will die

If the King

You shall see

Treat him with respect

For if you fail

The King to hail

His venom he will

Inject

Renee Robinson

I dropped the sun

It rolled off the earth

Spilling its wondrous glow

I followed the  path

Feeling God’s wrath

As I chased its golden flow

I hitched a ride

On a wise old owl

Trying to capture the sun

The owl was angered

With my neglect

Dropping me

While he turned

Tail to run

Without the sun

The fog rolled in

With thick

Dark

Black clouds

A chill in the air

Cried in despair

Like a damp cloak

The sun is choked

Its victim encased

Forever

Within its folds

Renee Robinson

This is appalling. A parent can have a child removed from their care for having an innocent photo of the baby streaking through the house. However, a baby is placed in a washing machine and it becomes a bad joke on the Late Show. Even an “idiot” isn’t this stupid. No one has to be told “Never put a baby in a washing machine” Surely there is more to this story than we have been told. Children’s Services MUST be itching to arrest both of these child abusers. For that matter, I would think the mother would be investigated as well. If I were the mother of this baby, I would have pressed charges –hands down. This baby could have died. Drowned or even electrocuted. It angers me. If this baby continues to be in the care of these same people, the next headline could very well include the words “infant dies”.–Renee, Nae’s Nest http://naesnests.wordpress.com

Spirits calling to take me away

Time draws near

Heaven’s angels begin to cry

Raindrops falling thick with tears

Making love on a bed of leaves

One last time

Before I am forced to leave

To a lowly forbidden place

Destiny planned before my time

Fire mixed with the blood and wine

I hear them chanting out my name

The curse lifted off this land

My soul washes with the rain

Mixing in with the sand

When you need me

I will be the wind

I will live inside a castle

That you make out of sand

Renee Robinson