Journey of Transition Volume 1

Alton PhD Sears

Description

The first of five Volumes that span 41 years and contain approximately 3600 writings combined into five volumes. This Volume is a compilation of 5 original booklets, Something of Feeling-1969, Alton's Gift-1997, Who and More-1997, Altonism's-1997, and Precious-1995.

They are thought-provoking, inspirational, amusing and nurturing, and embrace art, prose, poems and vignettes.

Sujets

• Poetry

Informations

• Publié par: eBookIt.com
• Date de parution: 21 février 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781456609719
• Langue: English

Extrait

A Journey
o f
Transition
Volume 1
 
By Alton Sears
 


Copyright © 2012 by Alton Sears
 
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
http://www.eBookIt.com
 
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0971-9
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.
 
About The Author and Books
I would like to introduce myself to you. I was born October 16, 1932 in New Orleans, Louisiana. I joined the Air Force at the age of nineteen, and during my tour of duty became addicted to heroin. After my discharge from the service my life turned around. Unable to read, I began teaching myself using a dictionary and the Reader’s Digest. At the age of thirty-five I wanted to write poetry. I was introduced to the Dean of Students at Cal-State Los Angeles. The Dean took an interest in me and set up a battery of tests that proved that I did not possess the basic knowledge of rudimentary grammar.
The Dean informed me that if I were to study remedial English at Santa Monica City College, I would be given a probationary period at Cal-State Los Angeles. I completed and passed the course in my second semester. In my second quarter at Cal-State Los Angeles I met an instructor who taught me to write, and one year later, in 1969, I published a book of poetry called, Something of Feeling . During 1970 I was forced to end my academic pursuits due to personal illness. I later became a Certified Addictions Counselor and became employed by the United States Navy as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor. I remained with the Navy until my retirement at age sixty-four in January of 1997.
I have continued writing poetry since that time. In the year 1997, I produced and published the accumulation of poetry I had written since 1969 into four volumes of poems. Since I have been selling my works, the public has been very receptive and I have had numerous repeat customers.
Some of the comments regarding my work are as follows:
“I read one of your books; I was so touched that I cried.
When I read it again, I cried again!”
“I have been using your books as a part of my daily meditation.”
“I have never read a book that the author let himself be so vulnerable.”
Another feature of my books is that they appeal to all age groups. At my book signings I have watched as people stop to read my poems out loud to one another, seemingly lost in my verse.
Since then I have had the good fortune to have written nineteen more books, making twenty-four in all. The latest one merited the same response as the earlier ones. The book I wrote in 2009 is in volume 5.
That was then. What prompted me to put what I now call booklets into volumes was when I went to a rehabilitation school for the blind (I had become legally blind in 2008). At the school I met another author who suggested I make chapters of what I had written and put them into larger volumes. I considered this for a while but it was not until I was invited to share about poetry to a fourth grade class where I heard and felt the profound effect that it had on the students. It was at that time I realized that what my author friend said was true.
Since I like to tell stories here is the one about the class. I told the teacher who drove me to the school (and the teacher of the class) that I would start by talking about creativity. I spoke about the many types of creativity: painting, sculpture, designing clothes, art of many kinds and how it improves our imagination. Then I said to them that my creativity is writing poetry, but as you can see on the cover of these books there is artwork, which I also created. So many times we are able to do many kinds of creativity. Now I would like to share with you some of my poetry. Because I am visually impaired I will need your help. I then asked the question “How many of you like to read?”, and many hands went up. I passed out several of my books and told them to find what they would like to read and then read it. Then I asked one of the teachers to start us off. She read and without hesitation the students began to read. Forty-five minutes later, I asked the students if they would like to discuss what they read or did they want to continue reading. They wanted to continue reading. I could not see them clearly but could feel their excitement.
When the class was over the teacher came up to me and said “That session was amazing”! Later, while the other teacher was driving me home she expressed the same sentiment. She said, “That was amazing, you should have seen how their faces lit up when they were reading”. It was at that point I realized that I wanted to bring into fruition my complete works of poetry into a 5- volume set called “A Journey of Transition.”
- Alton
 


 
 
 
Foreword
The beginning
Is always uncertain
So is the road ahead
 
Something of Feeling
1969
 

 
 
 

Who Am I
 
I am the rose, from whose veins
 
Evolve the glory of the earth
 
I am the sun whose light is not
 
Obstructed by the shadow
 
I am the sea whose might
 
Is drawn from every stream
 
I am the sand, whose shift
 
Is with the wind
 
I am nature’s flow who is
 
Near being, and near full
 

 
 
Communication
 
We touched, and that mingling
 
Was the simplicity of life
 
But for years we will complicate
 
The essence of being
 
 
Expression
 
The three ways of expression:
 
The fixated, the conscious
 
And the masters
 

 
Believing
 
Y ou are you and that makeup
 
Is without dishonor
 
May you walk proudly and
 
Unafraid
 

 
 
How Can I
 
How can I treat myself well, oh Lord
 
When I have detested in me so much?
 
How can I find the path to discover
 
What you have shown me in many ways?
 
How can I, who knows many weapons,
 
Lay them down and search for peace?
 
These are my thoughts, as I come to you.
 
My Lord
 
 
Rewards
 
When you can find deep joy
 
And pay in manner for the
 
Depth of it
 
Then you will know the
 
Rewards of yourself
 

 
 
 

Perpetuating
 
Love is the momentum of things built,
 
The lacing of fiber and words,
 
A section to put a crown on…
 
The crown that ends giving love the finale
 
As the curtain closes.
 
And what governs the heart
 
Is not that it succeeded,
 
But out of its success
 
It takes the glory and begins anew
 
From the beginning
 

 
The Designer
 
The Wonderful world of color!
 
What you a designer could do;
 
There’s shades of black
 
And shades of white,
 
There’s even yellow and brown.
 
The wonderful world of color!
 
Oh what you a designer could do,
 
If only to find there’s other worlds
 
Expanding designs in you.
 
 
Together
 
I know what joy does to the heart
 
It lets free its wings
 
And opens the soul
 
To let us be human together
 

 
 
 

Rejections
 
I came upon a gentle teaching
 
From out of sadness a way so found
 
Rejection is but a thought in keeping
 
For rejection is never now
 

 
 
Attitudes
 
This day I write like yesterday never existed
 
Like only today the bleeding began
 
Subdued until now
 
Tomorrow the endless vacuum starts
 
Unless I come to grips with the pen giving life
 
With greater fear behind me
 
I can admit I’ve failed
 
No yets or buts or even outs
 
There are different tears instead
 
With open pores that senses swell
 
There sheds another light
 
The attitude forever resounding
 
There’s lesser fear ahead
 

 
 
 
Apology
 
Fear, that resigned state of compromise
 
That lingers still in wait;
 
Fear, that state of seeming protection,
 
For it is better still to dream;
 
Fear, that which prepares us to accept
 
Reality, but hastens still to ponder;
 
Fear, the impediment of living in the dead
 
Fear, that hindrance of Oneness, is caution.
 

 
 
 

Today
 
Today I loved you well
 
In every room, on floor or bed
 
Sometimes standing
 
Nothing said
 
Today I loved you well
 
Then tiring
 
I loved you tender
 

 
 
 
Quitting
 
I stand quitting, on a mountain top or field
Listening for wind or still, night or day beginning,
With a tear of joy cupped in my eyes.
Then when life inspires me, I go
As a server of its answer.
 

 
Dignity
 
You toss your head as I had never seen before;
Perhaps a concept born
Then you committed to your eyes
The firmness of your belief
As you directed them to me
Slowly I grasp the dignity of human nature
Moving quietly, waiting for man
 

 
 
 
To You
I loved myself, but not too deep,
And with this I did love you
I lived the view of Love I knew
And with each gain...I did repent
I saw with you the broadening of me
As you plied another depth,
It was one by one you brought me through
The knowingness of me
Yes, each of you have left a depth
A sign there is and ending
And I shall secretly praise you
For the woman you have prepared me for.
 

 
 
 

Movements
My life enchanted, improved by hope
With a glimmer of reminders;
A Childs s swift move. Let free of caution
A breaking of restraint to be surprised.
To see a star not feeling separate
But sharing a brief glow.
The ocean breaking
With a noisy chant
And then receding
As if drawing peace.
Movements
Reminders of nature’s force.
 

 
 
 
Knowing
 
In the annals of our thought
There is answer to our beginning
Look you into yourself when you are spent
Can you not accept?
Look you to man or woman when you are spent
Can you not give them pardon?
Only through thought and distrust of yourself
Can you bid them die
Look you when you are spent
Have you not called your enemy
In the tone of brother?
 

 
 
 

Blessings
 
Your eyes flickering
Told me what lay inside.
Your breast upraised
Gave a touch of its beginning.
O that I can see you
With my eyes heaven calling,
As warm licks of flame
Draw you to me.
Com