Goodness

Plodding in the afterglow

through yesterday's mistake,

finding that all is good

and efforts are replaced

by countless grains of

goodness brought

by deeds of selflessness

The sparrow doesn't

know the cost of

wars, plots and schemes;

it flies no less in single flight

along the slender plain to

find it's soul mate and it's 

life, to breathe and live and die

The destitute can all be one

even if though rich,

and life can only begin

when self is lost and

others gain by giving,

love and peace 

@gmcknight 2011

Jessica McHugh, Author

Jessica McHugh is an author of speculative fiction that spans the genre from horror and alternate history to epic fantasy. A prolific writer, she has devoted herself to novels, short stories, poetry, and playwriting. She has had ten books published in three years, including "Rabbits in the Garden", "The Sky: The World" and the first three installments in her "Tales of Dominhydor" series. More info on Jessica's speculations and publications can be found at JessicaMcHughBooks.com.

Welcome Jessica!

Where are you from?

I grew up in Hampstead, Maryland where imagination was essential. Well, I suppose I could've gotten into sex and drugs to combat boredom, but I was saving that for my twenties. 

When did you begin writing? 

I always wrote, but I started writing seriously when I was 19. I worked for 11 hours a day at a perfume kiosk that didn't sell much perfume, so naturally I had to find something to occupy the time. I read a lot, especially macabre short stories. One day, I just started writing my own. I still have that first notebook, filled with not-great but not-terrible short stories and the beginnings of my first novel "Maladrid".

Out of the Woods 

A poem by Jessica McHugh  

I walk the stone-fields of home, watching industry turn alpine 

And craft too many houses with too few backyards. 

The old manor at the foot of the knotted Hampstead hill is gone.

What happened to the squatter, I will never know, 

But I imagine him somewhere below the pavement, 

Knocking on the sidewalk's underside 

And begging for something I still cannot give. 

I stomp and he knocks back, 

Letting me know we are likewise entombed. 

Past the squatter's lot, the bramble-lined paths we cut with sticks-turned-swords 

Are only roads now. 

They turn with an ease that trees refuse

And lead travelers too readily out of the woods.

As a child, I hoped I'd never find my way out.   

Links:

http://www.JessicaMcHughBooks.com

http://www.facebook.com/author.JessicaMcHugh

http://mcnito.blogspot.com

Sanctuary

Catching falling stars while

Standing in the drops,

Soaking me down;

And maybe there are seasons

And maybe time exists

Where mirrors bloom

And reflections digress;

I will meet you there

Changing night to day while

The ibis flies to anchor,

Feeling vulnerable, weak and frail;

And maybe there is forgiveness

And maybe we are free

Where meadows banter

And fauna approves;

I will linger there

Find me in the sanctuary

Laced around the spirits,

Bartering for my life;

And maybe there’s a rendezvous

And maybe this is real

Where falls cascade

And life begins;

I will be waiting there

© Gina McKnight 2011

Jock: Female Jockey Documentary

"Only 11 days left to reach our goal for the female jockey documentary, JOCK. Check out the link, video, and rewards." Jason Neff Jock....

JOCK is a feature length documentary about three generations of female athletes who followed their passion to fulfill their dreams of becoming professional jockeys. Their love for horses and never ending devotion for the sport transformed their lives as much as the face of horse racing for ever.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jockacrossamerica/jock-female-jockey-documentary

Deity

Breathing epic aspirations,

your compassion resonates

in boisterous waves,

unflinching

Imitating heroism,

reflecting weathered effeminate;

your countenance is

velvet and steel,

overdosing on victories,

collecting hearts,

divine

Tenderness and strength

propels universal emotions;

manhood and deity,

a green mirror of ideals,

unyielding

© Gina McKnight 2011

Ivy

Thoughts of you will not stop
they twine roots and vine like ivy,
my being whirls from soft refrains,
knee deep, bold and envy

To be close to you and in your space
amongst the things you hold dear,
grip the things we cannot see,
hope, faith, dreams far and near

The day your eyes reflect in mine,
a pool of blue, a sultry hue,
released and free the soul can live
while being near to you

@gmcknight '11

My Mare Ivy's Mane

"The Frankincense Trail" Guest Writer

Congratulations, Jody, on your new book release!

Thank you for having me as a guest on your book tour!

 http://frankincensetrail.ca/research.html

The Arabian Horse

by Gina McKnight

Through wind-swept deserts to green-laden meadows, the Arabian horse has been prized for centuries from Egyptian royalty and Bedouin nomads to modern-day equestrians.  Known as the ‘keheilan’, meaning ‘pure blood, through and through’, Arabian horses are one of the oldest pure horse breeds in the world.  


Bred to be ‘war horses’ and originating from the Arabian Peninsula over 4,500 years ago, the Arabian horse has been the topic of myth and legend. Bedouin legend retells that Allah created the Arabian from the four winds; spirit from the North, strength from the South, speed from the East, and intelligence from the West.  In the midst of creating the Arabian horse, Allah exclaimed, “I create thee, Oh Arabian.  To thy forelock I bind Victory in Battle. On thy back, I set a rich spoil and a Treasure in thy loins. I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth…I give thee flight without wings.” 


In A.D. 1121, the first Arabian horse arrived in Britain when Alexander I, King of Scotland, presented an Arabian horse to the Church of St. Andrews.  Years later, the breed was introduced by Charles II to British ponies to improve their speed, resulting in great popularity in Britain.  Eventually, the Arabian horse landed on every shore across the globe. International trade increased in 1991 with the collapse of the former Soviet Union, greater Egyptian political stability, and the rise of the European Union.  Today the Arabian horse is one of the top ten horse breeds in the world.  


The Arabian horse is popular for its wide versatility; grace and speed – from cultured dressage dance to competitive endurance races. For hundreds of years the Arabian has been used to refine and improve other breeds.  Distinctive features, such as their concave profile and arched neck, separate Arabians from other horse breeds.  Their perfect symmetry, disposition, agility and influential conformation is showcased by their beauty, stamina and balance. Intelligent, refined and attractive, Arabian horses will continue to mesmerize the world and remain the horse of legends.

Gina McKnight, Equestrian & Freelance Writer, USA
October 30, 2011