Last week I discovered that my brilliant Auntie Glen has cancer. We don’t know the stage or the required treatment yet but what we do know is that if anyone is going to fight this bastard she will! Auntie Glen is a huge-hearted human songbird with great inner strength. Her humour an warmth are are legendary and this post is dedicated to the power of her positivity.

Whole Heart

The power of your heart

Could put some folk to shame

You’ve always had the art

A fearless, dancing flame

A lover of humanity

My nightingale, my Aunt

You add light to the gravity

With you there is no ‘can’t’

A constant in my life

How you light up the room

Find humour in the strife

No time for doom and gloom

You are the Queen of Darts

And positive’s your game

The power of your heart

Could put some folk…

When you leave I become

the sea gull begging salt from

from the briny air.

My veins are a winding tunnel

beneath a deep purple sea.

I channel you in the snow owl’s

perpetual call  that  awakens the

sleeping night and the phantom of

your hand at the linen across my hip.

Your shirt hangs  from a closet door

in the buttery sunlight and I become

so small I could slip inside the lining

of your chest against the warm skin

where I long to be.

art by Anuraag

Oh, to have feet,
like that of a deer
I’d be able to move
without having fear.

I could then scale,
whatever the height
for I would have . . .
God’s power and might.

Oh, to have feet,
like that of a doe
I would not dread
I would just go.

I could then climb,
whatever the distance
for I’d have God’s strength
when met with resistance.

Oh, to have feet,
willing to in God trust
my legs would be . . .
inclined to adjust!

~~~~~~~~~

Habakkuk 3:19

“The Lord God is my strength,
and he will make my feet
like hinds’ feet, and he
will make me to walk upon
mine high places.”

King James Version
Public Domain

Copyright 2019
Deborah Ann Belka

The light M5 Stuart remained in use as a main battle tank for much longer in the Pacific than in other theaters. It was better than the Japanese Type 95 Ha-go light tank. The Type 97 Chi-ha medium tank had a more powerful 47mm gun, but much thinner armor (only 25mm at its thickest), so the M5 and M5A1 could fight it on at least equal terms.

Being outfitted with a Ronson flamethrower which replaced the main gun. 20 tanks were converted for US Marine Corps in 1943. They were used to great effect on Japanese strong points and caves that proved a tough nut to crack for the advancing Marines.

In Europe, Allied light tanks had to be given cavalry and infantry fire support roles since their main cannon armament could not compete with heavier enemy armored fighting vehicles.  However, the Stuart was still effective in combat in the Pacific…

Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that I am not one to try and be ‘cool!’In fact I find the whole concept of aspiring to such a soulless label quite repulsive! It is our quirks, imperfections and differences that make us loveable and memorable. Why on earth try to work so hard at being an image of an acceptable normality which doesn’t even exist?

Me-Producing

Current. Cool. On point. On trend.

These sayings drive me round the bend!

Let’s not pretend there is a norm

that we’re more ‘in’ when we conform!

Fresh and dope in vogue and sick

These phrases empty, far too slick

Implying we should not stand out

Just pull that perfect selfie pout!

Within us all lie vast extremes

Don’t standardise our hopes and dreams

It matters not the style or colour

Without our differences life’s duller

The meanings that these labels…