"Reflection of Happiness" by Susan Pearl

I guess I have looked for happiness
   Like all the rest of us,
I looked for it like trying to find a precious gold,
Gold is one of the precious elements that reflects to us our own reflection,
Diamonds, rubies, sapphires reflect to us the light of their own beauty.
I'm glad I looked for happiness like looking for gold.
Because happiness comes from within ourselves and is something only our heart can hold.

"Mister Drifter" Part 3 by Susan Pearl

The first marker is just as I remember it.  A dogleg fork in the rode.  Take the dogleg path and it will lead us to the river.  The river is the second marker. We can rest and get refreshed by the river. The horses can graze on the grassland by the river as I remember it to be.  The wind is at our back.  It seems like hours are passing.  As we top a hill the river appears.  What a welcome sight.  I think the horses are picking up speed on their own to quickly get a drink as soon as possible from the river  It is close to sunset when finally get to rest.
I had put a loaf of bread, a pot and beans in my saddle bag.  Supper will be ready in no time.  There is a mixed felling of relief.  Relief that we can rest but still knowing we are being chased relentlessly.  By the campfire with bread and a bowl of beans I know there is something that has been on my mind all through the ride that the drifter should know.  So I tell the drifter that I know my brother was recently hired by a landowner a county over.  Surely he would not be part of such a ploy because he has been such a good boy.  He had become a fine man standing so tall but could he have been swept away by the pressure and lure of it all?  No, he could not have been a part of such a cruel and deceitful day.
The drifter then asked about what my brother would have done and where he would have gone.  I knew in my heart that if my brother had been entwined in such an evil scheme he would have cut ties with it all and he ,too, would be heading for Arkansas. My brother, also, knows the eight markers.
The drifter told me that we may be getting company then and it would be no surprise to be by the end of day. I replied for us to be very cautious and not shoot at anything we see.  Let me yell out first for my brother to know it's me. The words were barely out of my mouth when there was a shot in the air.  The Drifter called "Who goes there?"  Then I yelled and yelled, "Stop shooting!  I am here.  I am here and I may be your sister.  It is me-- your sister."  Over and over again I cried out.  A shadow moved forward and but stayed quiet.  Then there were four shadows revealed in the campfire light.  There stood my brother and beside him there stood three of the nine.
The drifter stood to his feet and shook hands with the three saying, "I was wondering if I'd ever get to  see the likes of you cowhands again and I'm sure glad I am."  One of the three asked, " What do you think we should do, Boss?"  The drifter answered,  "I think we've got a lot of work to do".
I couldn't believe my ears.  My heart sank as I asked, "You're not going back, are you?"

"Mister Drifter" Part 2 by Susan Pearl

As I see the Drifter Man ride closer I see great concern on his face.  He dismounts his horse to share a quick embrace all the while saying he knows he is becoming a wanted man and the law will be coming after him --so he has to keep movin' as fast as he can.

Oh, Drifter Man, of course, how could you have known with a two year break from the cattle drive trail how many barb wire fences had been put into place.  Landowners not wanting the cattle drive to cross their land--but to reroute such extremely thirsty cattle would prove to be deadly to the herd--a decision you could not allow--so you cut the barbed wires for the cattle to have a drink at the pond.

But it had been a cruel and mean trick they had played on you for they knew what you would do and they had poisoned the pond.  After the first cattle drank from the pond and fell down to the ground bawling in pain and misery--you realized their plot.  So you cut more wires to direct the other cattle to be corralled and not let them get to the pond.  Once the cattle had been coralled then the landowner and his eighteen newly hired hands appeared with guns blazing.  You shouted to the nine not to shoot because that is exactly what they wanted you to do.  To kill a landowner worker would put a bounty on your head and with the cattle all corralled on the landowners land he would have won with a clean sweep.

But you and the nine others would not  shoot.  That's when the landowner shot and killed his own trail boss.  The landowner and some his men left to get the law accusing you of trespassing and murder. His other men followed you to "Shoot and Kill on the Spot".  The landowner has already promised them a big bounty on you.  The drifter said, "I think I lost them back a mile or two".

"Let me ride with you.  I have family in Arkansas! We can outrun the hired hands and we can out run the law.  I know the way.  I know the eight markers and their order to find". So we rode off together leaving it all behind.  We rode as hard as we could and the first marker came into view.

"Meet me in Kansas" by Susan Pearl

Meet me in Kansas.
Meet me on the wide open even plain.  It is there for us to find at the same time.
Let this wide open even plain become for us a frame of mind,
Without any perimeters from within that would block us from seeing equality's shine.

Meet me in Kansas.
Meet me on the wide open most level of plains of what is true-
Keep it on the level-not looking up or down on me and I shall do the same for you.
For anything uneven will obstruct the clarity of this panoramic full view.

On the wide open even plain there is room for all-
The big, the tall, the short and the small,
All of us can meet, and answer this noble call-
To see that we are all equal and this is the life we live
With respect and dignity for each other to give.

And then if we climb to summits, lofty heights known only by a few,
We shall carry within us a proper perspective, a distinct point of view,
Remembering our common ground--the wide open even plain,
Which teaches us, on it, we all stand the same.

"Mister Drifter" an Old West Poem by Susan Pearl

Howdy, Mister Drifter.  Howdy, Cattle Drive Man.
It's good to see you again.
Movin' three thousand head of cattle is an event of muscle, ropes and groans.
I heard there's stones now in place at the river's bend making a new crossing but no one knows who brought in all those stones,-
Mr. Drifter, did you drop those stones in the water for the cattle to have footing and not get stuck in the mud?  You haven't been around for a couple of years so what else could you have done?
You and the nine others had three horses each for the cattle drive
Keeping the livestock safe and keeping them alive.
Is it true you like the nightshift because you would sing to the cattle the whole night through?
--to soothe them and keep them from getting spooked and then a sudden stampede might start, too.
What songs did you sing, Mister Drifter?  Would you lullaby me?
Howdy, Cattle Drive Man.  Do you miss the caress of a hand?
Or are your hands so worn, callused and blistered from the ropes and the reins of the hard ride
  that a gentle touch can not be?
Howdy, Drifter Man, where have you been?
Three years ago you held me in your arms.  I see you in the distance a ridin' my way,
Howdy, Drifter Man, is this the year you may decide to stay?
Or will the Chisholm Trail call you back again-I will know at the break of day.

"Understanding" by Susan Pearl

Sometimes we have to read the story in its entirety before we can understand it.
Sometimes we can understand a story every step of the way.
"Understanding" can be quick, but yet, "understanding" can take a long time to acquire.
Understanding can mean that we have a new perspective to be able to see things in a new way.
To allow for a change in our perspective we may need to change our focus.
Such a change in focus allows us to see something in a new way because we can see the entire picture and correct proportions instead of concentrating on one aspect.

"Spawning" by Susan Pearl

In my humble opinion, the word "spawn " is a word I associate only with salmon.
I was recently listening to a  person talking and I noticed the word choice of "spawn"--
The person said:
"This action will spawn these results" and "  These results will spawn this action"--
So I looked up the word "spawn" in the dictionary.  Yes, it does mean egg production but it, also. means ----"generate".

Some actions of mine generate certain results and some results generate a certain action.
So, I have been spawning without knowing it.


I hope my action of writing this blog
generates (spawns)
the fact of the reader having a good laugh.

I hope the fact of having a good laugh
generates (spawns)
the reaction of enjoying this blog.

"We Will" by Susan Pearl

We will-we will,
We will learn the lessons we need to see
To become better and better
In being what we are meant to be.
It will take work but "we will" get there.
"We will" stay on the road of trust
And not get lost on any roads of fear.
Faith, hope and love will meet our every need.
We will succeed.

We will, We will.

"Perfectly Beautiful" by Susan Pearl

In front of the hospital where so many come and go,
Six fir trees have been planted to form a row.
Five of the fir trees stand straight and tall - pointing to the sky,
But one fir tree is curved and leaning to one side - I wondered "Why"?
It puzzled me in an unusual way like a mystery to unfold,
Or a story that is yet to be told.
Then on a bright sunny morning I had an early appointment at the hospital,
That is when I saw that only on the leaning fir tree a morning shadow does fall.
The tree is by a "staff only" entrance door which is used very frequently,
Above the door there is an extended roof that was built to be an overhead courtesy.
Right there before me, I could see-
That the roof casts a morning shadow on the tree.
So the shaded tree leans towards the west for the east morning light of day,
And that is why the tree is made to lean in such an unique way.
Reminds me -  "No matter what the set of circumstances we have been given
We look to find the best way of livin".
The tree is doing the best it can do with what it has to work with, that's right,
Following the true design of being drawn towards the morning light.
And knowing this to me makes this tree to be a perfectly beautiful sight.

"Glisten" by Susan Pearl

Morning dew and the stars at night glisten,
The stillness of snow and moving streams glisten,
Shiny rocks and precious stones glisten.

Such dazzle seen by glistening eyes-
Shimmering dimensions of reflection.

"Routine and Schedule" by Susan Pearl

When I was young and our children were small I had a busy daily schedule of caring for our children and I, also, did some babysitting occasionally.
The regular daily routine back then was for everyone to take a nap after lunch.

When I was older I had a big schedule of a 40 hour a week job.  That schedule meant being to work on time and to coordinate my schedule with the family schedule of activities and meals. It seemed like no two days were ever the same and it was hard to have a regular routine as I did work weekends. Along with my husband and me the children later had jobs so we all had our own schedule to keep up with,  but we tried each week to be together as much as possible. Those were very busy years.

Now I am older, retired, tired and need to have more rest.
My main daily regular routine right now is to take a nap after lunch.

"What goes around-comes around" in more ways than one.