Adventure Poems
A Bittersweet Experience
by Evelyn Judy Buehler
I was in my backyard sunning, while lost in warm daydreams,
Enjoying red raspberries, while listening to the birds sing.
Lying on afternoon chaise, in the golden midst of hot July,
As I watched mauve butterflies, and lazy dragonflies go by.
Charmed by the bluest of skies, and the fragranced fresh air,
I felt that surely, there was not a better place anywhere!
The flowers were so lovely, and the grass was so deep green,
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A Silence So Serene and Chill
by Oscar Auliq-Ice
In the stillness of the night
A whispering breeze takes flight
Softly rustling through the leaves
A gentle melody it weaves
The stars above shine bright and clear
Like diamonds in the atmosphere
A peaceful calm fills the air
As though time has ceased to care
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A Melody Beyond Compare
by Oscar Auliq-Ice
In the darkness of night,
With only stars for light,
I wander through the trees,
Whispering secrets on the breeze.
The moon above shines bright,
A beacon in the night,
Guiding me on my way,
As I wander and sway.
......
A Moment Too Beautiful to Pass
by Oscar Auliq-Ice
A leaf falls softly from the tree,
Drifting gently to the ground below,
Its journey ends, but it's free,
To dance and play with the wind's flow.
The sun shines down upon the earth,
Glistening on the dewy grass,
The world awakens with new birth,
A moment too beautiful to pass.
......
Adventures of King Robert the Bruce
by Max Plowman
King Robert the Bruce's deadly enemy, John of Lorn,
Joined the English with eight hundred Highlanders one morn,
All strong, hardy, and active fearless mountaineers,
But Bruce's men attacked them with swords and spears.
And while they were engaged, a new enemy burst upon them,
Like a torrent of water rushing down a rocky glen:
It was John of Lorn and his Highlanders that came upon them,
So the tide of battle was too much for them to stem.
......
An Enchanted Doorway
by Evelyn Judy Buehler
I was a sophisticated, world class traveler, like merry wind in green trees.
I had seen hottest deserts and rain forests, where songs will never cease.
I had traveled by planes and by trains, by luxury ship, fast car and camel;
And I had roamed mountains and valleys, like the comet, taking a gamble.
I had visited myriad cultured nations, meeting diverse, interesting people,
Like divers beautiful, sultry colors, with which the artist stains gilded easel.
Since I'd had various adventures, I was anxious that one day I'd be bored,
......
Finding My Hemingway
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
- Ernest Hemingway
I wanted to find my writing style
And I wanted to learn from the best
I figured I’d start with Hemingway
And from there, I would find all the rest
I followed him from Paris to Pamplona
To run head-on with Papa and the bulls
......
Running With the Bulls
by Jeffrey Pipes Guice
The Feast of San Fermín: July 6 - July 13
The encierro (Spanish for a bull run) begins with runners singing a benediction. It is sung three times, each time being sung both in Spanish and Basque. The blessing is a prayer given at a statue of Saint Fermín, patron of the festival and the city, to ask for the saint's protection and is translated into English as "We ask Saint Fermín, as our Patron, to guide us through the encierro and give us his blessing." The singers finish shouting, "¡Viva San Fermín! and Gora San Fermin! ('Long live Saint Fermin,' in Spanish and Basque, respectively). Most runners dress in the traditional clothing of the festival, which consists of a white shirt and trousers with a red waistband (faja) and neckerchief (pañuelo). Also, some hold the day's newspaper rolled to draw the bulls' attention to them if necessary.
A first rocket is set off at 8 a.m. to alert the runners that the corral gate is open. A second rocket signals that all six bulls have been released. The third and fourth rockets signal that the herd has entered the bullring and its corral, respectively, marking the end of the event. The average duration between the first rocket and the end of the encierro is two minutes and 30 seconds.
The encierro is usually composed of the six bulls to be fought in the afternoon, six steers that run in a herd with the bulls, and three more steers that follow the herd to encourage any reluctant bulls to continue along the route. The function of the steers, who run the course daily, is to guide the bulls to the bullring. The average speed of the herd is about 15 mph.
The length of the run is about 957 yards. It goes through four streets of the old part of the city (Santo Domingo, Ayuntamiento, Mercaderes, and Estafeta) via the Town Hall Square and just before entering into the bullring through its callejón (tunnel). The fastest part of the route is up Santo Domingo and across Town Hall Square, but the bulls often separate at the entrance to Estafeta Street as they slow down. One or more would slip going into the turn at Estafeta ("la curva"), resulting in the installation of anti-slip surfacing. Now, most bulls negotiate the turn onto Estafeta and are often ahead of the steers, resulting in a quicker run. Runners are not permitted in the first 50 meters of the encierro, an uphill grade where the bulls are much faster.
Every year, between 50 and 100 people are injured during the run. Not all injuries require taking the patients to hospital: in 2013, 50 people were taken by ambulance to Pamplona's hospital, nearly doubling in 2012. Goring is much less common but potentially life-threatening. In 2013, for example, six participants were gored along the festival; in 2012, only four runners were injured by the horns of the bulls, with precisely the same number of gored people in 2011, nine in 2010, and 10 in 2009, with one of these last killed. As most runners are male, only five women have been gored since 1974. Before that date, running was prohibited for women.
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When does reason trump extreme adventure
by Dr. Robert Ippaso
What price adventure
When the risk outweighs the venture,
No dishonor not to start,
Merely you just being smart.
If compunction is the cause,
That adrenaline rush which draws,
Take a breath and think it through,
Is the only one affected - you?
......
Fortuitous Journey
by Evelyn Judy Buehler
I was a prominent theoretical physicist, relying upon beautiful mathematics,
Like devout gardeners everywhere, rely on butterscotch sunshine dramatics.
Rose days were spent inventing theories, to address pure astral phenomena,
And testing the raw theories, such as what causes far-off, supernova trauma.
The indescribable thrill of discovery, imbued sunny, halcyon hours of delight,
Like the secret thrill of watching flocks of redbirds, rising up to golden flight.
My friends lolled on the lawn, in balmy, brighter days of spring and summer,
......
