Tony's New Favorite Song

This is a new primary son.  It has quick become Tony's favorite.  I was subbing in primary and this song brought tears to my eyes and I almost had to stop conducting.

My Poetry: Living Between the Light and the Shadows (original)

Found this copy of the song lyrics I wrote,  I reused this with different lyrics in "Your Heart Will Burn."  But this is the original, written before I went on my mission.
Living between the light and the shadows

The lines and the curves

The right and the wrong.

Wanting to be somebody good

                To do what I should

                                To know… the way.

But life goes on.

                And I sit and I cry

                While wondering why…

                                                                Why Lord?

Living upon the edge of the morning

                The crest of a mountain

                                The tail of a breeze

Singing the lines of a sweet song

                Which longs to be free

                                But doesn’t rise from my throat.

And life goes on.

                And I sit and I cry,

While wondering why

Why am I here lord…

                                                Oh why?

But somewhere... 

                Inside of me I know

                           That someday Me you will show

                                                Just why I am here.

But till then…

                Life

                   Goes

                      On.

My Poetry: As I Traveled to Her

As I Traveled to Her

 

As I traveled in my ship,

Looking through the window I saw the moon and the stars.

I saw the lights of the city

Their reflection on the glass.

 

As I traveled to see her I felt alive.

I felt every emotion I knew—as to her side I went:

I felt nervous; I felt hate;

I felt love; I felt anger;

I felt home; I felt happy;

I felt envy; I felt sad…

 

As I traveled that errant voyage,

Going to and fro along my way,

I realized I would never arrive to her side;

Her face I would never see again.

I wrote this probably in that period after mission and before I met Sheri.  I don't know why I wrote ship, reminds me of a space ship or something,  

Poetry I like: Sin Llave (Without Key)

Todo el Amor en Poemas: Antologia: Ellas, Grupo Editorial Tomo, Mexico City, 2005.

I cannot recommend this book.  It is not very much about love, and more about love making, so I found myself having to skip over much of the book, and still not finding much which I would say was really about love.  In fact, just one poem touched me.  This poet is from Spain.

Sin llave

Me tienes y soy tuya. Tan cerca uno del otro

como la carne de los huesos.

Tan cerca uno del otro

y, a menudo, ¡tan lejos!...

 

Tú me dices a veces que me encuentras cerrada,

como de piedra dura, como envuelta en secretos,

impasible, remota... Y tú quisieras tuya

la llave del misterio...

 

Si no la tiene nadie... No hay llave. Ni yo misma,

¡ni yo misma la tengo!

 

Ángela Figuera Aymerich

 

Without key

You have me, and I am your; So close one to the other

like muscles of the bones.

So close one to the other

and, at times, so far apart!

 

You tell me, at times that you find be closed,

like from hard stone, surrounded in secrets,

impassable, remote... And you would like yours

a key to the mystery...

But no one has it... thee is no key.  Not even myself,

I don't even have it!

Senior Year Utah State: Geology, Spring Quarter 1981

 

I graduated from USU in 1981.  Why I was taking a 101 level course my final quarter before graduating could be explained by my fear of collage science and math courses.  I was looking for an easy way to get my math requirements our of the way.  Geology qualified as a physical science credit.

I enjoyed geology.  The new kind of material stimulated my thinking.  I found the study of rocks interesting; particularly geological formations.  I was fascinated in thinking about how the geography around developed; which rocks were older, and how the geology had changed. 

Geological deformation fascinated me.  These included : anticlines (frownie faces in the rock layers); synclines (smiley faces); mono clines (sort of curvy lopsided faces) and faults. 

I also enjoyed studying formations, and how sometimes the oldest rocks got thrust up and the younger rocks pushed down—so a mountain doesn’t always have the young rocks on top and older ones on the bottom. 

I also enjoyed studying erosion and the formation of deltas, alluvial fans, dunes and such things.  The formation of valleys and how rivers and mountain evolve, the falling away of rock through freezing or chemical erosion leaving balanced rocks, pedestals and arches, and the formation of deposits in the sea making atolls, bay bars and lagoons.

We also studied fossils and dinosaurs, which I found less interesting.  We talked about some basic techniques to find oil which was interesting.

One thing I liked about the class was being able to do well in the class with relative ease.  I figured this was because most of the students were newer and not as experienced as I in terms of taking tests and studying effectively.  I sort of let down for the final however.  I figured I didn’t need to study hard and do well because I had done well enough on the other tests to slide through. 

We went on an end of the class field trip.  The professor took us around and we looked at fossils, faults, synclines and other fun things.  We looked at the banks of the old Lake Bonneville on the hill sides, with alluvial fans and benches.  The professor was older, but he enjoyed running and climbing.  He took us up Logan Canyon where we found trilobite fossils in the rock.  It was all good.

Oh My Father, Seminary Pictures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6catCzmP2-o
We were able to sing many religious songs as part of the choir, and this is one example.  We even sand at a stake conference.  I remember we sang this song, as well as Battle Hymn of the Republic at the conference.
I highlight some seminary teachers, activities and council in this presentation.  Seminary was a big part of my world, and represented one class each year.  I had Brother Scholes as a sophomore, Brother Stevenson Junior year and Brother Lundahl Senior year.

My Poetry: Desert Road

Desert road, strait as an arrow
Lingering on; like an endless narrow
panorama of brush, rocks, happen-stance
Desert nothing, the bore has me entranced.

But from that lonely road I've seen
A hawk take flight, the beating of eagle wings
Coyote and antelope across the road have raced
Wildlife spots this barren waste.

And on this desert people have lived
But some with no livelihood have fled
Abandoned relics whisper their cry.

But also spotting the barrenness those who've survived
Those who have fought the land, and held.
Held onto their way of life--won't let it die.

This is a Duckwater era poem, when we lived on the desert.  We are one of those families who fled.