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Are you curious about hell? Wonder whether it's a real place, and where and what and how..? For an interesting take on the subject see here:
http://graceandreacchi.blogspot.com/2008/11/welcome-to-hell.html

This is my poem. Please read it and tell me what you think. Note: it's really long.

Reign of Oil

There is no color
The world is dark
Black skies linger on and on till they become earth
To the edge all I see are mountains of coal
A sulfur haze blurs all sight
The only light, a red glow, floats up from deep valleys below
Sounds are immediately consumed by shadow
Black storms forever litter the earth with oil and ash
The earth constantly groans and quakes in anger

I sit chained atop the highest peak—alone to my thoughts
Arms and legs bound, I am forever in darkness
From the crimson depths I hear cries of slander
There is no water for even the clouds mock me
Oil rains down on me
I drink—it is bitter to my tongue and anxious in my stomach

I've been absent on the RWN blog sphere, I figure Relief has some great regular bloggers now, and I've been writing less and managing more... so less writing quirks to blog about.

That said - check out www.silhouettewords.com. We got some great stuff up there: fiction, CNF, poetry.

Also - support the Relief fund... they are a publication incarnation, trying to merge the divine with the human.

Hey! I am looking for feedback on these sonnets I wrote. Thanks!

The Foolishness of God

The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s
Wisdom. For who has silly, salvific plans
from death? What other plans extend this length?
God's weaknesses are stronger than man’s strength
For He is arisen from the dead. (O
Tipsy thoughts, aches and pains torment my head!) So
Pillars of learning bow before the Lord!
Body builder--God’s flab over your washboard!
For none like the Lord has there ever been,
Though weak, he crushes impurity and sin.
No body builder ’gainst his weakness dare stand;
Wise men made foolish in every land!
Thus I will rejoice in the Lord my Savior.

A Sonnet

You are ever more; You are ever more!

For a challenging Christian take on the so-called financial crisis you can't do better than this:
http://graceandreacchi.blogspot.com/2008/10/lady-poverty.html

Hey everyone!

Travis here wanting to let you know that I also have a blog at Wordpress.com. Check it out at travisdoig.wordpress.com

Have an awesome day! Hope to have an actual update soon!

God bless!
Travis Doig

It's been awhile since I've posted... summer has been crazy and I haven't been writing [or philosophizing about writing] as much as I would have liked.

Recently [past few months] I got my first non-internet piece of work published in Relevant magazine. Two friends and my wife wrote about their experiences living in China... I assembled the piece, adding some reflective content of my own and some info about the then upcoming Olympics. It turned out well with only a few edits that I wish would have been [not] changed. And we got paid for it... maybe something normal for you veterans, but uber-exciting for rookies.

Read the first ever translation by an English poet of the brilliant mystical poem about Christ's passion 'The Death of the Nazarene' by the great Iranian poet Ahmad Shamlu. http://graceandreacchi.blogspot.com/

Just out - a new short story - TALITHA CUMI - read it now in ECLECTICA. 'Last summer I was struck down by a terrible sickness and died..' http://www.eclectica.org/v12n3/andreacchi.html '...'Talitha Cumi by Grace Andreacchi... dramatizes a Biblical event in such a way that it becomes a "real" event happening to "real" people. What I like about these stories is that, while obviously religious in their subject matter and tone, they aren't a bit preachy, and yet they capture the very personal, life-altering relationship that I imagine all Christians wish they could have with their Savior. On a stylistic level, Andreacchi's stories are religious parable meets magical realism.'

'My night hath no darkness, all thing shine with light.' Spoken by the martyr Lawrence during his night of torment - you can read my play inspired by his magnificent story, now in 'Dappled Things'. http://www.dappledthings.org/peterpaul08/drama01.php
Read more about St. Lawrence, his history and legend on my blog at http://graceandreacchi.blogspot.com/