A September musing

The Gold Country of California

Today I had a visitor, a fellow old timer who lives down the hall from me and keeps company with one of our ladies.    He was out for a walk and saw my door open, which means company is welcome.   I was at the computer so when he came and sat in my walker and looked at the screen I was able to show him my blog and a few other interesting tidbits on the computer.   We had a long discussion about Hurst Castle which I always meant to visit but never did get down the California coast to visit there.  I wanted to, but something always came up that deterred the prospect of a visit.  He had been there several times so he regaled the history and in word pictures described the wonders of the Castle and its surroundings.    We discussed books and authors and we both had read Louis L'Amour.  He still owns his leather bound collection and I gave mine to son Michael.   They were absolutely wonderful reads and I thought that all he had done was tales of the West.   Not so, I was enlightened, surprised, absolutely mind boggled, when he  brought me up a book to read...a loan....and I sat and read it from cover to cover...a book of poems written by Louis L'Amour.  

The book is called "Louis L'Amour Smoke From This Altar"  a Bantam Book/December, 1990.   All I can say is go and buy it and keep it by your bedside.  I guarantee you will read and re read it. . .it flows...a man of words  which will make you laugh out loud and cry a tear or two.    It is wonderful.

Here is a taste. . .
Called.. . "Secret Pass"

Those hills remember me, for I alone
Sought out their solitudes and silent ways;
The harsh, forbidding cliffs and canyon maze
Recall each step I took, each path, I've known;
No trees are there, but barren butte and cone,
And empty aisles where long, lost shadows graze---
Or wind-worn monuments that marked my days
with all the voiceless eloquence of stone.

If only I possessed their fortitude.
Their somber freedom from this searing pain!
If only I could lose in solitude,
These hollow useless hopes that still remain!
If only I could find my  heart subdued,
And cease its sounding on that old refrain!

You can almost see the novel coming out of his brain and heart.    No wonder he was a successful writer.

So that is my musing for today.   I enjoyed a special hour of reading and just wanted to share.

Take time to go to the library and see what they have to wile away some of those lonely winter days that will be coming up.  Maybe not lonely, just not as busy as the spring and summer days.    If you do decide to try a bit of poetry by L'Amour, drop a note and let me know how you did or did not agree with my surprise of his hidden talent. . . a poet. . . I just thought he wrote cowboy stories...which he did...great ones.   Yep, A L'amour Fan for sure!!

Go.....be a cowboy......smile......enjoy and  I am betting you will read some of the poems out loud, and more than once.

Happy Trails to YOU as Roy and Dale would say.   Hugs to all