The Bus to Abilene

Twenty-Thirteen!  It comes and goes, shakes and snows and again then here we are!  What a conclusion!  I hope your twenty-thirteen reading experience was a majestic unfolding of thought for fruit and nourishment to heart and mind.  

The Second Annual Book Thanksgiving has already come and gone and with perhaps even more success than the last!  All in all we had about 10 book enthusiasts show up, including one person from across the country! 

In the past few weeks I have been reviewing my notes from many of the books I read this year, reflecting and musing, it has been a great year of reading.  I discovered many new things about myself as a reader, learner and listener, as well as all kinds of fascinating facts, histories, stories and beauties.  I am nearly overwhelmed by the new worlds book open to me, it is truly humbling and inspiring.  I pray I may honor the information and authors I read and listen to, in word and in deed, till death due us part.

And with all that said, here is my annual book poem, composed of quotes and paraphrases from books I read this year.  I included a few book review links which were inspired by books I reviewed on OneBookWiser,  Enjoy!  And if you wrote a book poem, I would be honored if you shared it in the comments section of this blogpost!

Who's on The Bus to Abilene?

In 1790 only 3% of Americans lived in cities,

And only 3% of those Americans likely knew it, 

In 1816 the world experienced 

"The Summer that Never Was" 

which would have been a difficult 

year to understand that

The sun can make you take off your coat 

more quickly than the wind,  

An ample supply of wood is imperative 

when a single ship may take 

as many as 75 acres worth of trees, 

but skin does so much in so little space,

Because of photography 

there is a whole territory no longer being painted

And if Flattery is telling the other person 

exactly what he thinks of himself,

a photograph may be more 

"flattering" than a painting is,

If the only material that can withstand 

the unheard-of stress and heat of gunpowder

is metal, what does that say 

about the time we keep in metal circles,

facing up on our bony wrists,

illumined by the circle in the sky,

Just as a good reader is demanding of himself,

so too the Warrior uses Silence as his art, 

and meditation as his sword, 

to cut through illusion, 

for if you know yourself and your enemy, 

you will not lose one in a hundred,

We have dropped in the ocean,

Many plastic bottles we still carry,

and we produce more trash in our houses 

when we own cans that can house more trash, 

but Observe the moonrise and sunset long enough 

and you will be able to predict a lunar eclipse.  

Although there is considerable evidence, 

that depressed people, though sadder are wiser.

The heart is like a parachute 

it only works when it is open

So also, the way to know thyself 

is to love someone else

If Aristotle proved the earth was round,

by pointing out the curved shadow 

cast on the moon by the earth, 

and The Stethescope was invented 

due to one mans modesty, 

why was the Eifel tower 

saved because it could make

 a great radio tower,

while The pony express 

went bankrupt in less than one year, 

even though the horses didn't?

We have developed the convention of reading silently, 

this allows us to read widely, but less well, 

so how are we to understand 

when we read that In the West, 

The "Hellburner of Antwerp" was the first time bomb, 

While in the East silence was golden

Just as the mind imposes tension on the body

so do we make our own sandwich 

when we pack our own lunch

and a great deal of the world's wisdom

 is contained in manure. 

The shepherds presence changes the behavior of his flock,

so also Mother Teresea recovered the image of God in people.

and We should be at each moment a living flame of prayer

Therefore may we read books, not too fast, not too slow 

And if birds are hitting your window, draw a hawk silhouette on it,
 to save them.