by Angie Mack Reilly
Stretch.
Stretching a rubber band.
Stretching a muscle.
Stretching the truth.
Stretch a note.
Stretch a line.
Stretch a piece of gum.
Stretch your imagination.
Category Archives: American Poet Angie Mack Reilly
The Untouchable Dream
The Untouchable Dream
Photo and written entry by Angie Mack Reilly
Originally published on Facebook January 15, 2009 at 9:46 PM
I have come to learn that some dreams are touchable and others are not. So how does one distinguish? It is a matter of accessing the risks, the time, and the reality of the dream.
Some dreams are just fantasies not worth pursuing. Others are very attainable through real goals, focused attention, and hard work. I have achieved dreams so far in life. I have had dreams to do recording projects. I have had dreams to grow in my career. I have had dreams to buy a house. All of these were attainable through real goal setting, focused attention, and hard work.
There are other dreams that I hold tightly inside that are not so attainable in my opinion. We shall see. But it is very important for the dreamer to distinguish between fantasy and real dreams. A fool chases fantasies without considering the final outcome. It takes great wisdom to be a dreamer and to choose which dreams are worth pursuing and which are considered only fantasies.
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Why Do We Compete So Much?
Competition for Thought
spiritual musing by Angie Mack Reilly, author and speaker on creativity
How many games would you say that you watch in a year?
You know, football games, baseball games, golf tournaments……
Please pause and think about an actual number. Really.
Now say this.
“Competition.
Has been on my mind at least
*insert your number* times this year.
At least.”
You want your team to win.
You want your guy to win that tournament.
Win.
Win.
Win.
Conditioning to win. Conditioning to win.
We need to consider how much we think about competing and fighting.
It absolutely baffles me that people waste so much time watching competitive sports.
Competitive.
Things that cause parents to attack each other on the basketball court.
Teens shaming a soon-to-be all star player with an embarrassing photo.
People literally everywhere are competing.
Businesses. Political parties.
WE. NEED. TO. STOP.
This is not why we are here.
A house divided cannot stand.
We are not to be competing black v. white, gay v. straight.
Stop. Competing.
We were not called to win over flesh and blood.
We were called to win over principalities and powers.
We were called to fight fear with love.
Love in action.
This.
My dear humans.
Is why we are here. To love in action.
Not to win.
With winning, there is dominion.
Ultimate dominion over another.
We are not called to dominate people.
Hear me.
We are not called to dominate over people.
The sex scandals, the political hate, the corrupt industries.
Almost all corrupt industries.
Not even the church is safe.
The schools aren’t safe.
Is the government looking out for our safety?
Are the pharmaceutical companies looking out for our safety?
Is an unborn child safe in the womb?
Who is safe? The food industry?
Who feels safe?
In order to feel safe from uncomfortability, some of us acquire as much wealth as possible no matter what the cost. You bet we will trumple over the poor. After all, “It’s me, the CEO, versus he, the guy with kids struggling to keep his marriage together because of financial stress.”
How many families have been destroyed?
The love of money is the root of all.
Yes. Evil.
I am calling it that today. And so did you.
Don’t we teach our children to share and be kind to others?
Why does that change?
When does that change?
Now we are teaching our children to fight even earlier through video games, television and handheld devices. We have stopped raising them with the values that matter in a civilized existence.
Neighbors helping neighbors.
Evil is happening at a rapid speed. I see it.
The internet brought us an advancement of education and communication.
But it also accelerated evil.
That is why we need to walk in the light.
I keep reminding myself and now you………
Love in action.
not dominate to win.
Love in action.
not dominate to win.
This is why I love the arts and why you should too.
It encourages community over competition. Kill the arts? Kill the community.
DISCLAIMER: Remember that the purpose of the true artist is, sometimes, to get others to think. Writing is an art form that can be just as minimalistic or abstract as any painting or dance can be. Most of my work is to get others to think. Poetry is an artform. So as you read my work, imagine sitting in a museum and listening. Not everything needs to be literal in life. And we need to quit getting so damn offended and nit-picky over every single word. Social media arguments are sucking the camaraderie.
My poems are actually more like monologues or mini sermons. They are intended to be spoken.
Writing Services by Angie
contact angie@ozaukeetalent.com
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Poem: Winding Journey
Winding Journey
by Angie Mack Reilly
I’m on the winding journey
“Wine, Ding.”
“Whine. Ding!”
“Why in Ding?”
Meandering
Lingering
Wallowing
Swallowing
Opening
Preserving
Observing
Fancy-ing
Swerving
A little left
A little right
Wondering
Wandering
Wondering when wandering
Wandering when wondering
Exploring
Documenting
Winding
Sometimes tight
Sometimes loose
The winding journey
belongs to the pioneers.
Photo of our new friend “Dave’s” sailboat who apparently came from the Michigan side and was waiting for the wind to pick up. My son made a new friend and Dave let our family on the boat for some rare photos. Photo by Angie Mack Reilly, Port Washington, WI 2019
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Being in Water
Being in Water
by Angie Mack Reilly 2019
Being in water is like
receiving a great big giant hug.
Being hugged all over.
A full body hug.
And I guess that’s what I need right now.
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Psalms and the Blues
Psalms and the Blues
by Angie Mack Reilly (c) 2019
For some of us, you see,
music is the only friend
that we have.
Or at least the only friend
that we can trust.
Others of us?
Couple that with faith.
Without that, we are doomed
to die from the sorrow
that consumes our lives.
But the blues, you see.
The blues is emotion.
And sometimes our instrument
is the only one who will listen.
We can’t flaunt our money.
We can’t boast of piety.
Our homes are broken.
Our relationships once soared
and then crashed.
We are disadvantaged.
In some way.
Disadvantaged.
Opportunities have not been
equal for us.
Perhaps we are laden
with grief and sickness
so great that getting ahead
requires more energy
than we have.
People who have the blues
have somehow lost respect
with society.
But are we worthy of respect?
Absolutely.
Yet there seems to be an oppressor.
Or multiple oppressors
in the blues musician’s life.
Evil and oppressive controllers
who want nothing more than
to see the musician tied down.
Yes.
We are tired.
We know that fighting probably
won’t make a difference.
And so we retreat to song.
The song is where we are free.
Free to express whatever feeling
it is that we might have.
King David had feelings.
Son House had feelings.
Both had many feelings.
Authentic feelings.
Sometimes wrong feelings.
But feelings.
To be human is to have feelings.
The similarity between the Blues
and the Psalms is quite astounding.
DISCLAIMER: Remember that the purpose of the true artist is, sometimes, to get others to think. Writing is an art form that can be just as minimalistic or abstract as any painting or dance can be. Most of my work is to get others to think. Poetry is an artform. So as you read my work, imagine sitting in a museum and listening. Not everything needs to be literal in life.
