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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

Ohio farm boy I am

Proud nephew of my uncle Sam

Rough edged hewer of

Songs for folks

Some simple,

Some not,

With crafted phrases

And finger strokes.

My surname

From Ireland.

Ocean waved to Penn's woods.

Then 1803 land granted farm

Where casts my family's

Seed in soil

To anchor my past.

I left acres of corn

Called by the muse

To search this land

Find sweeter ears

And sing to them

Of the sun, the sky,

And the blues.

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Malcolm, AMAZING. Clever. YOU!!!

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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

Thank you.

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augmented man's avatar

Malcolm, there is a sincerity and empathy in your words that moves me.

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Crystal-lee's avatar

Ooo I love this! Succinct, and thoughtful and definitely a great summary of the ______ ought years! ♥️ love you

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Love you more

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David Holzman's avatar

Oooh! They're going to fight about who loves the other the most! Or maybe just bask in their love for each other! I say, go for it!

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

We are still all gushy about it. LOL

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Jun 10, 2024
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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

I am happily married to Crystal-lee.

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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

Ohio farm boy I am

Proud nephew of my uncle Sam

Rough edged hewer of

Songs for folks

Some simple,

Some not,

With crafted phrases

And finger strokes.

My surname

From Ireland.

Ocean waved to Penn's woods.

Then 1803 land granted farm

Where casts my family's

Seed in soil

To anchor my past.

I left acres of corn

Called by the muse

To search this land

Find sweeter ears

And sing to them

Of the sun, the sky,

And the blues.

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Morgan OCailleigh's avatar

In my opinion, you win E's contest. Hands down, feet over, spinning head and smiling face. Glorious Gloria....🥰

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Thanks, Morgan. It’s going to be a difficult task because there dare some crazy good entries.

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Leon Brown, Jr.'s avatar

Gloria, although I won't be participating in the "Your Life Story in 81 words" contest, I have to say that YOUR entry is fascinating and fabulous!!

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Thank you, Leon.

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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

I hit both the comment box and the balloon.

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

🩷

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Caro Henry's avatar

Third time lucky at marriage. My present husband rocks my world. We've had our bumps but strive to keep our connection alive and vibrant. I am privileged to be a mother to a remarkable daughter who is a confident and beautiful lesbian. I wish she would discover a love that is as fulfilling and profound as the love she gives to the world. I wrote web code, but now my poetry, short stories, essays, and novel writing help quell my anxiety.

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Caro, I am enamored by your poetry.

“In the vast abyss of the night,

Stars ignite, casting their light.

Mysteries woven in their glow,

Whispers of souls that used to know.

They twinkle, distant and far,

Guiding us through life's memoir.

A reminder, amidst the scars,

Of why we wonder, what we are.”

Fascinating and so original.

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Caro Henry's avatar

Thank you for liking my little poem.

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Laura La Sottile's avatar

Wonderful!

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Lee Anne Collver-Richards's avatar

Well-Traveled

A Bio-poem for E.Jean Carroll’s 81 word elevator life-story

By Lee

A Light Writer from a Martha Beck School of Radical Transformation

Jiggling

You appear,

When I lift

Hand to charm

Hoping

Someone will see

A loved beauty

From an era

I never knew.

Even when I lived there.

There’s a faint odor,

A bitterness,

To wriggling, snow-white,

Yet no-longer-baby flesh

Revealing its Truth of birth.

Ego running?

Stop it!

I wiggle you in the mirroring afternoon sunlight,

Let go.

Vanity is vexation.

I smile.

Look within.

Permitting this body

Freedom

To choose Love.

A more impeccable

Now

In authentic kindness.

#CeaseFire

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Wow! Your poem beautifully captures the struggle with vanity and ego, urging us to embrace authenticity and kindness in the present moment.

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Lee Anne Collver-Richards's avatar

Thanks Glo🌹

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Carol Ann Conners's avatar

I love your writing, Gloria!

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Thank you, Carol. I appreciate your taking the time to read it.

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augmented man's avatar

Each word pulses with life, as we capture our essence in a mere handful of lines. What a journey you inspire, encapsulating the universe in a heartbeat, encouraging us to do the same.

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Jun 24, 2024
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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

You mean her Substack? It’s @ejeancarroll

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Jun 11, 2024
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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Incredible journey yet well lived. Hugs, Loreal

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Jun 9, 2024
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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Lan, thank you for sharing with story with me.

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flo chapgier's avatar

Lan, I loved your story ! Wonderful you did for your son, I am,sure, and so awesome you loved another real love story, I still live with my husband after nearly 40 years, but a love story with another woman is something so wonderful and so supporting.

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Flo, your husband is a very fortunate man.

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flo chapgier's avatar

Lol. I am not so sure now

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Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

That’s mysterious!

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David Holzman's avatar

Very interesting story, but I'm not sure what you mean by a "power take off," and I'd like to know. And in the third full line, you write, "May 1979 I was president my Bachelor of Science Degree." I think you mean "presented," not "president".

Thanks, --David

PS: I often make mistakes like these online. The latter one may be something you can blame on autocorrect.

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Jun 11, 2024
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David Holzman's avatar

I'm sorry about your father.

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Jun 10, 2024
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David Holzman's avatar

What is the tbd? Don't assume others know your acronyms unless they are in common parlance, like DNA, MPG, MPH, and HIV, and unless you know that they have only one meaning, unlike ICE, which among car nuts stands for "internal combustion engine."

Obscure acronyms do to the flow of prose what a dead cow does to the flow of a stream.

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