Monday, May 8, 2023

 

 

 

 

Don’t Look Back…# 1


“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)


Under a black and menacing sky, an eager voice screamed, “Do not look back.”  Sodom did not see the phenomenon; only silence and a pillar of salt remained after the rumble.

 

The Ravens screech their death calls. Who will mourn the woman who chose to turn, look back and suffer death? Will anyone give solace to the strangers from Gomorra, or will they be alone forever?

 

The voice, now like a flute mourns before a funeral feast: all is lost and soon be forgotten. Yesterdays filled with mortal pain, today the sun rises on strength, strong will, and bright tomorrows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©elizabethannjohnsonmurphree


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ A short-short story]

Saturday, November 20, 2021

A Sacred Duty




The old blind man down the road is dying, he is kind and good-hearted, and the neighbors all know his name.  They say that after the war in Vietnam, his Country he would not blame. 

Family and friends all gathered around him in his final hour.  I watched as people would come and go, their hands full of food and flowers.

His daughter arrived, asking me to thank the neighbors for what they had done.  Then she tells me that the old man is holding on to life, waiting for his Grandson.

Her eyes filled with tears; you see, my son is in Afghanistan, and we have not seen him for a year.  My father was in the military, a pilot in Vietnam; he came home, and for that, we were all blessed.  The medals on his walls are evidence of him being the best.

We had only spoken for a moment when the sound of sirens filled the air; it gave us a scare.  The parade of cars pulled up close, doors opened; uniform men stepped out, all with a military flare.

Behind them walked a young man straight and tall, wearing his Air Force Blues, said it all.   They say that he went to his grandfather's bedside, took his hand, and gave him a small box along with a sharp salute.  The young man was proud of his grandfather; this was his last tribute.

In the box were the medals he had been given in Iraq and Afghanistan, "These are for you, Papa, and thank you for teaching me to be a man." They buried him in that sacred place called Arlington, his job as a son, brother, father, Grandfather, and the service to his Country, at last, was done.     

Sunday, November 7, 2021

 

Your Site ‹ The Last Chapter — WordPress.com


Reincarnation

Beyond the clouds, a spirit will soon

Be born, extraordinary, soon to breach

A world unknown.

#MentalHealth #Depression #Rebirth 

Monday, October 11, 2021

On Dying...#1

 Coming to terms with death is not an easy thing.  Cancer is scary!  I am five months into "Chemo" and the treatments are not bad, it is after the treatment that is hard on your body and mind. I have multi myeloma.  Today is an after-effect day, it takes about three or four days to run through my body.  

In the meantime, I am mentally planning projects such as writing and/or watercolor painting.  I would be so grateful if you would support me by purchasing one of my books at Amazon.com, my poetry covers many of the dark days of my life up until now.  I lost a daughter in 2010, Flying with Broken Wings is about her and the life she lead before passing.

Thank you so much


Authors Books at Amazon.com and Barns&Nobel.com

 

https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Broken-Wings-Charlotte-Murphree/dp/1547051329/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=elizabeth+ann+johnson-murphree&qid=1586107137&sr=8-1





 

https://www.amazon.com/Passage-into-Madness-Frenzied-Activity/dp/1688948996/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=elizabeth+ann+johnson-murphree&qid=1586107529&s=books&sr=1-3


 


https://www.amazon.com/Fragments-Time-Bits-Pieces-lived/dp/1981472142/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=elizabeth+ann+johnson-murphree&qid=1586107558&s=books&sr=1-4

 


https://www.amazon.com/Rhythm-Rhyme-Thoughts-decade-poetry/dp/1723433055/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=elizabeth+ann+johnson-murphree&qid=1586107582&s=books&sr=1-5

 


https://www.amazon.com/Echoing-Images-Soul-Journey-into/dp/1500366811/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?dchild=1&keywords=elizabeth+ann+johnson-murphree&qid=1586107627&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmr0

 


https://www.amazon.com/Honeysuckle-Memories-Ann-Johnson-murphree-2014-07-02/dp/B019L4LL1W/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?dchild=1&keywords=elizabeth+ann+johnson-murphree&qid=1586107698&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmr1

 


https://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Poetry-Ann-Johnson-Murphree-2014-06-20/dp/B01A0CW1FO/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?dchild=1&keywords=elizabeth+ann+johnson-murphree&qid=1586107724&s=books&sr=1-2-fkmr1

 



 

 


Sunday, June 13, 2021

 wordpress.com/view/dailythoughtspoetryfiction.wordpress.com



Fear and Pain, a Gift…#336

 
It is through what I call a “brain fog” that I create “Fear and Pain, a Gift”.  I try to gather and put upon paper my thoughts.  I have stopped thinking of a day, one, two etc.; they run together and get in the way of what I want to say.  I send immense love to all of you, so many have kept me in their thoughts, as I have you.  You will never know how precious your prayers are to me.  EAJM

Fear and Pain, a Gift  


What is growing old all about?
It is not a new question for me,
I have given thought to the
Subject since I was young. 
Unloved by my mother, though
I always loved her dearly; she
Was emotionally absent in my
Life; as was my daddy in many
Ways.  So, at the start of this
Flight into the Imagination, the
Answer was Simple.  I would die
Very young!
II.
I did not want to be alone and
Unloved, dying young would
Prevent my fears from coming
Into the light of day; where I
Must face them.  Afraid to face
The truth, afraid to face reality. 
I provided the shell that would
Protect me.  I would not give into
My fears, and never have been
Afraid to die.
III.
Then at a very young age, I was
Married and gave birth to my
First daughter.  I was about to
Take a journey that would give
Me joy, unconditional love.  As
Each day passed I felt the strength
Of a “Warrior”, I was given the
Responsibility to take care of my
Child.  Strength, not decay. Each
Nerve in my body strung with a
Fierce message that it was not in
My youth that I dreamed it would
Be!  The golden days lay within
The realm of being a good mother,
As good as it could be, from day
Break to sunsets glow.
IV.
I soon looked at the world in a
Different light, my heart both wept
And shoved the fullness of the past,
Those years would lay dormant.  If
Not but for awhile!  I was never
Young, I lived in the hot prison of the
Present with a bruised mind and
Body.  What I felt deep within my
Heart would fester and grow, but it
Would never be a part of my being
A mother.  Masked emotion would
Be my past, present, and future.
V.
To suffer was the plan, not one from
Me but from as higher power.  I am
But a hollow ghost, a phantom of one
Who was given the greatest duty? 
The last stage is not one in pain and
Agony, but that of one that has been lifted
Toward the Heavens and on Earth has been
Given the greatest gift of them all, five
Wonderful souls, my children and being
Their mother.  Five brilliant children who
Love me unconditionally. I and my love
For them keeps me moving forward.

Monday, April 12, 2021

 Flying with Broken Wings: The Life Story of Charlotte Jean Murphree: Johnson-Murphree, Elizabeth Ann: 9781547051328: Amazon.com: Books


 


 


Flying with Broken Wings is about the life of Charlotte Jean Murphree. Charlotte was not a famous person, in fact, not too many people knew her, but those that did knew there were many facets to her life. The book tells of fifty-two years of daily testing of her will to carry on and the misfortune she faced. As a baby and young girl she was made fun of by schoolchildren, her progress was slow but she never gave up the fight to overcome her disabilities. As an adult, she fought Cerebral Palsy, Living with Bipolar, Depression, and Schizophrenia disorders. Charlotte lived not only with herself but she endured the “Voices” that lived within her for over thirty years. This book is about her beginning, her middle , and the end of her life.

 

Other Books by author:

·         Fragments of Time

·         A Passage into Madness

·         Asterial Thoughts

·         A Sachet of Poetry

·         Rutted Roads

·         Rhythm Rhyme and Thoughts

·         Reflections of Poetry

·         Beyond the Voices

·         Honeysuckle Memories

·         Echoing Images from the Soul

·         A Journey into the Soul

 

 

©2021.elizabethannjohnsonmurphree

Visit Amazon.com

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_11?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=ann+johnson-murphree&sprefix=ann+johnson%2Caps%2C252

 

Barnes&Nobel.com

Elizabeth Ann Johnson Murphree | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

 


Sunday, April 11, 2021

Monday, April 5, 2021

 

The Essence of Paradise

 

Joyful simplicities are a means to survive, inspiration keeps the soul alive, watching seasons as they have come and gone.  One survives year after year, as the heart continues on the journey to where it belongs.

 

Attend to life’s garden reach for impossible dreams.  Let the mind seek what it envisions, look beyond all of the tomorrows, and do not settle for only what the eyes can see.

 

Learn to shed the skins of time never give up hope, the path leading to dreams will be easier to find, walk hand in hand with a true love during a warm misty spring.  Drink in the aromas of life and it will bring back memories of the essence of paradise.

 

 

©2021.elizabethannjohnsonmurphree

Visit Amazon.com

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_11?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=ann+johnson-murphree&sprefix=ann+johnson%2Caps%2C252

 

Barnes&Nobel.com

Elizabeth Ann Johnson Murphree | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

 

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

 


Bangles and Colorful Cloth for Ma…#316

 


“Prose Dedicated to my Great-Grandmother”

When I was born, you were a young ninety-years old,

your hair pulled tight at the nap of your neck, still

black and bold.  At night, you let it down to braid before

you went to bed; it almost fell to the floor; at first, I would

watch in silence from a crack in the door. 

The night you caught me I was six, you called me into the

room…asking that I bring you a single broomstick. 

I quickly plucked it from mother’s broom, and rushed

back into the dimly lamp-lit room.  You showed me how to

break it into small pieces; when I looked bewildered your smile

showed all of your dark wrinkles and creases. 

It was then that my eyes opened wide as you put the stick right

through the lob of your ears, it's magic I thought; but this is my

Great-grandmother I have nothing to fear.  As a child, I did not

realize that there was a hole, because when I would touch the

bangles on her ears, she would quickly scold.

Just like the time when I tried to sneak a peek at her button up

shoes by raising the hem of her long dress, she did not have on

shoes, there were moccasins on those tiny feet…who would have

guessed.  Yes, I was a child without a care, and I spent many

hours sitting at the foot of her old rocking chair.

I never tire of the stories she would tell, sometimes we cried together

and now I can say, as a child she lived in a white man’s world, she

called it “hell”.  Her parents had walked on the “Trail of Tears”, proud

and strong, with every step wondering where they had gone wrong.

She help raise me and she taught me “The Way”.  When her mind begins

to wander in those later years, I was sad when she would tell her stories

that she only remembered the bad.  This grand old lady dressed in bangles

and cloths of many colors, long braids, and black hair; a great-grandmother

like no other.

She died a few days before her birthday; she would have been one-hundred

and five.  My daddy said, Ma as we called her would have scolded you saying

 don’t you ever cry?  I was fifteen-year-old and the world was bright and

colorful with the artwork of fall, a befitting day to bury a  beautiful and

proud Chickasaw. 

 

 

[Repost]

Copyright©2012.elizabethannjohnsonmurphree

 


Thursday, January 21, 2021

Free Style Poetry - A Life Unrepressed

 A Life Unrepressed

Lighting surges through a war of disrespectful words, tears descending, wet.  In times of uncertainty, an unknown sadness is out of control, a smile, a gesture; or fear clings to a receptive body.  Words may not bring rest or smiles, the soul deep within knows.

There is no one that can unlock the heart, nothing that can be said or felt.  Thoughts, do not reveal or conceal, disguise the lack of sympathy, place blame and criticize.  Alienate the voice, if only for one moment feel free.  Fate, possession, strife, and life.

The genuine self, forced to obey, despite and un-regarded life blind to the hurt of others will embed hate eternally.  The knowledge of life fire and force, walking down a rough path; deep pain.  No spirit, hate has the power to control, nameless feelings that have conceded to a life unrepressed.  Speak and act so no one will know hidden damage floating down to the soul.

The hidden self, inward strife and following demands; in return, a thousand nothings, all-miraculously give power.   Hide in the depths of the soul; echo speaks of pain.  Lackluster eyes stare, glare, and the words unspoken deafening creating fear.  A bolt of tones, frightening, is piercing ears.

No feeling stirs, the heart laid plain, unaware of a life winding down, no meadows of flowers, no sun, no breeze, and the madness is elusive to all.  No feeling, no respite.  In quietness, the war of mocking words; the tears, the sadness. The thoughts of the sea, the crashing waves; soul and spirit sinking within its wet madness and always stay, stay, and stay.

Too late, love revealed itself in death, and the heart has nothing to say.  Living and moving in disguises, alien, until the end.  Life had nothing to possess, strife, identity.  Blind, uncertainty, life no fire or restlessness, a thirst for the mystery of it all, nameless feelings lived in vain.  The loss, the heart lay open for all to see, the hurt hidden twisted among the rubble of pain.  Yet, after all that, there is tomorrow. 

©2021.elizabethannjohnsonmurphree

Visit Amazon.com to see all of authors’ books.

Saturday, January 16, 2021

LOVE DEFINED...

 

Love Defined

 

Love thy face a shapeless flame,

A wonderful nothing it claimed

Did I see, as sensation set itself?

Free.  Love steadily gone, a

Choir of seraphs did I hear, as love

Spent within my sphere.

 

 

©2021.elizabethannjohnsonmurphree

#Love #Free #Seraphs #Amorphous

 

Visit Amazon.com

 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_11?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=ann+johnson-murphree&sprefix=ann+johnson%2Caps%2C252

Friday, January 15, 2021

 

Limiting Time

 

Survival, panorama, prospect, quality of life’s environment, genetics and promises that reveal nothing, the past descends like rain from the sky, washing away all dreams. 

 

Ghost of youth chanting within the soul, paths blocked; evil has spread across the landscape of a lifetime. 

 

Loneliness, love and happiness; limits, boundaries slow down the process of the future.

 

Nevertheless, the future may be shrouded with abundant solitude from where there is no escape.

 

 

 

©2021.elizabethannjohnsonmurphree

 

 

Visit Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_11?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=ann+johnson-murphree&sprefix=ann+johnson%2Caps%2C252

 

Saturday, December 19, 2020

 Author Elizabeth Ann Johnson-Murphree books at: Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.comFlying with Broken Wings covers the life of Charlotte Jean Murphree. Charlotte was not a famous person, in fact, not too many people knew her, but those that did knew there were many facets to her life. The book tells of fifty-two-years of daily testing of her will to carry on and the misfortune she faced. As a baby and young girl she was bullied by schoolchildren, her progress was slow but she never gave up the fight to overcome her disabilities. As an adult, she fought Cerebral Palsy, Bipolar, Depression and Schizophrenia disorders. Within Charlotte lived many, she endured the “Voices” for over thirty years. This book is about her beginning, her middle and the end of her life.

Books by Author: Amazon.com and Barnes&Nobel.com

(In USA and 12 countries abroad)

Flying with Broken Wings: The Life Story of Charlotte Jean Murphree: Johnson-Murphree, Elizabeth Ann: 9781547051328: Amazon.com: Books