U.A.E. Port Thoughts

I awoke this morning fresh listening to the news updates and a thought came to mind:

1. Has anyone considered the World Trade Organization's possible influence on the decision to allow the U.A.E to take over six of our major ports? All politics aside we are moving rapidly toward a better globalization of the world market place, and if we ( U.S.) are allowed to set up shop in other countries why can't the same be done for others?

2. Now, let's consider the security risk at hand. We do not have a viable security plan in place besides the Coast Guard and private company security.The main factor is making money; time spent checking every vessel and goods container is money lost. What is our buffer right now for security? Money. A rich tycoon nation like the U.A.E can afford to take on such extreme cost required to meet the security demands of our ports. Terrorist will try our weaknesses whether the owner is eastern or western. Do you think Saddam-like or Bin Ladens' people give a damn about whose standing guard?

3. I am torn, too, by the very notion of a foreign country running our ports, but it has nothing to do with what foreign country.

Home Is Where the Heart is...

I've been gone a long time now from home (Detroit), all the family I know have family of their own almost grown if not already, too. I think back to that warm June night when I left to stay over in an old downtown hotel before jetting off to Air Force basic training. I wondered what would become of me and my wife of 2 years then. What a whirlwind of memrories flocking my finger tips, but I won't write all of that down. Let's see we went to England for 3 years where I traveled to Germany, Italy, and Africa. We lived in Charleston, and Sumter South Carolina for a 6 year stint minus a year for me spent over in Korea. Next we moved to the Little Rock Arkansas area for 5 years followed by about two years in Germany where we ventured over to Belgium, and France. Now here we stand just outside of St Louis 19 years later. The question remaining in my heart is where is home? I carried a safeguard statement for years you know "Home is where the heart is..." Well my heart is all over the world now for I've met a lot of people that became close like family. Yet somehow I still look back to Detroit and miss a lot of family for no matter what I say that is my home.

Follow-up on Pilgrim Temple Event

I must say that I enjoyed myself at Pilgrim Temple CME on the south end of East St Louis. Pastor Clark was inspirational, and everyone made me feel at home. As promised here is the transcript from my inspirational thoughts presented to the audience in two parts:

I opened up with a short confession of the fact that I had not been to a church in three years. I presented this poem for part one:

For Coretta Scott King

I saw a dream shine on us
She bought gifts for many today
A hopefulness like no other
A child of God
Graced us with her selflessness

This dream our dream
Never did it subside
Or give way to new lights
It flashes still in our hearts and minds

The many steps she took
All over the history books
Cannot be appreciated fully
Unless you see how God works

Coretta inspired many
A center in the Jerusalem of America
Unyielding drive for social change
A love for all people
Holding onto the "I have a dream" still

The second time I went up to the podium I caught the children's choir off guard by asking them to participate in one of the poems:

These Feet

We step faithfully
Like spring dreams constantly sprout
We were planted here
Still stepping
>>>Choir response (CR) These feet!

These feet give us hope
Our brave nights enlighten days
Dry tears on petals
Still stepping
(CR) These feet!

Coretta flower
Sailing onward in our hearts
No one can stand still
Still stepping
(CR) These feet!

Give glory to God
For cold and hot clouds above
Drench ourselves in love
Still stepping
(CR) These feet!

We smell crops growing
Our harvest is tomorrow
Celebrate today
Still stepping
(CR) These feet!

Descendants of peace
Stand on assured roots of time
See no boundaries
Still stepping
(CR) These feet!

Mother's charisma
Hugging the world joyfully
Raising summer fields
Still stepping
(CR) These feet!

We cried yesterday
So God smiles on us today
Promised forever
[The choir surprised me by exclaiming "These feet!" one last time.

I made a brief comment, and continued with:

So I Am

Our feet are like gold
Priceless dreams of steam
Rising to new heights

We will truly be more
Walking steady in God's light
To be a soldier

Our hands are priceless
The seasons forever change
So we can be bold

We're not colors
Reflections of inner light
We are God's flashlights

I ended by stating that when we walk into a room people should ask "Who turned on the light" for if we don't have that affect we need to go back out and come in again. I presented a brief history of my writing chronology, and passed out my website address (at the request of my unofficial agent Mr. David W. Brown, Jr.)