Just a little thanks: Lester, Mark, etc...

[Lipinski]

I don't have much in the way of treasure -though I do have a loyal wife, health, and two crazy corgi dogs -
but I feel it is important to pull from my addiction
a little mix of poem and prose.
>
and to whom should the quill drip the electric ink?
and what do you think this is all about?
why to answer that one must read the following,
I suppose.
<
>>>History<<<
As generals battled with their pawns
and rich folks conducted pomp and ceremony
the scribe sat in scalding heat
or bitter cold.

Doctors got the honors if the patient lived
and sympathy if the body grew stiff
while carpenters and masons fed their families from labor, enduring sweat,
the writer did the best they could
fed by imagination and dreams.

Once in a while, a writer finds success but most often, failure.
Failure?
Yes, as measured by others and even themselves but do you think cavemen were thinking such thoughts
as they painted their poetry in a cave?

Handmade paper and India ink
papyrus and stone tablets
the word,
the words,
the story must be told
embedded into and of the mind reading
at least that is what I was told.

My addiction to the alphabet has given much experience
and there is one thing,
one thing important I have learned;
success is not in money or fame
or adulation
or fans
or anything other than appreciating hard work.

I am the worst critic of writing as I know, KNOW how much work it takes
and I can never tell a writer how 'bad' they are
or that the gist of their contents, well, is a bit stale and old...

Take Mark for example, one who has emboldened writers to continue, sharing his treasure and time
while he too, tries the temper of the demon of writing,
at least this is what I know.

Lester: Based in a basement, wearing a robe; vision of a monk writing by candle,
letter after letter
and spending his time helping others in their writing, fighting spam, helping and guiding;
night after night until the flame has nothing left to melt.

There is Iian, Tao, Moryama, and more
making the empty room more inviting to writers
at least this is what I know.

Words are a very powerful 'thing', of course this is what you know
to inflict pain
seduce lovers
to cry
to hate...

So,
so what?
so, with the above written,
it is dedicated to those of you who have spent so much time fighting for those writing
and it is with heartfelt thanks given by me to those
and so,
not only do I know
once I was told, "Thanks."
Now to pass it on to others
and to those mentioned and not,
t
h
a
n
k
s
may your deeds show in time when there is nothing left of your body to show.

[Lester Curtis]

Wow . . . my thanks to you, sir, and -- you're welcome!