The writer of this book has also written and directed two movies – Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99. His treatment of the book is not much different in how he evokes images of jarring violence and graphic gore. Here, such intensity is combined with snappy writing and colorful characters. The book tells a story about a disgraced detective, Jules Bettinger, who is transferred to the “armpit” of America. This is a place where crime is the mainstay; it’s safe to say the ratio of crime-fighters to criminals is comparable to one person’s chances of winning the lottery. Not wanting to see his family live in the same city where he works, Bettinger suffers daily through an 85-mile one-way commute from home to his “new” police headquarters. But his work is even worse. He soon finds himself in trying to solve a double homicide that causes a string of events of increasing violent consequences and shocking climax.
Spring Forth!
Spring, I entreat you,
Cast out this shivery clime!
Shine forth your warmth, long overdue;
Flowering buds are ready for showtime.
Still Charming after All these Years
Opening Spring Fling in Florida – Part 3 of 3
South of Jacksonville,
Northeast coast of Florida
Sits St. Augustine.
Colonized by Spain,
Oldest city in U.S.,
Briefly British ruled.
Flagler spurred its growth,
Menendez spread religion;
Their legacy shows.
Orlando
Opening Spring Fling in Florida – Part 2 of 3
Our return to an expanded Disney Springs.
(sung to the tune of Abba’s Fernando)
Can you hear the gasp, Orlando?
I remember long ago when souvenirs were less than this
On a fire sale day, Orlando.
You’ve come a long way from a few shops to miles of chains
I could hear the constant ka-ching,
And sounds of consumerism from all over.
They are so many now, Orlando.
Every hour, every minute a sale is made
My eyes are glazed, Orlando.
Every turn I make, there’s a character from the past and present,
And I’m a little ashamed to say,
The sights and sounds still impress me.
Opening Spring Fling in Florida
Part 1 of 3
My family and I had our own mini-celebration just a week before Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on March 29th. We went for a brief visit to Florida, where we stayed with friends and, among other things, went boating in Kissimmee, bopped around in Orlando, and enjoyed the beaches and downtown sites of historic St. Augustine. This was our way of welcoming the new season with faces turned to the sun and arms open wide to embrace the warm weather (even though we experienced two more nor’easters upon our return home). Not to be deterred, our recent memories of good times mixed with sunny days and beautiful evenings will be presented here and in the next two posts. It’s just a reminder for those up north that spring will soon feel like spring!
Kiss-a-me, Why Don’t Ye?
Water-sprayed hair,
Laughter fills the air,
As old friends toast,
Listening to Margaritaville
And other oldies from the ‘70s,
Eighties, and 90s,
O, Sun, kiss-a-me,
Why don’t ye?
Part 2
Part 3
Time Balm
Image: Pixabay
Give it time . . .
Time will tell . . .
This too shall pass . . .
Time heals . . .
Patience is a virtue.
Egged On
Eight-year-old Freddy’s current purpose in life is playing tricks on his five-year-old brother, Jack. In the early morning of Easter, Freddy sneaks outside to the henhouse to place a ceramic egg he made as a school project in one of the hens’ nests. He runs back inside the house and creeps upstairs to wake up Jack.
“Hey, Jack,” Freddy whispers to his little brother, as he shakes him. “Get up.”
Jack’s eyes flutter.
“Jack, you just missed the Easter Bunny.”
Jack stirs and struggles to sit up. He still believes in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and most of all, the Easter Bunny. He moans, “That’s not fair. I missed it again.” Rubbing his eyes, Jack looks at Freddy and says, “Why do you always get to see all the magical stuff?”
“I told you last night to get up early today so you can see the Easter Bunny delivering the eggs.”
Jack swings his legs down to the side of the bed. “What’d you see? Tell me!”
Freddy pulls Jack by his arm. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
Together the two brothers dash downstairs and outside to the henhouse.
“Whoa! I’ve never seen an Easter egg like that.” Jack races over to the hen sitting atop a red-colored egg trimmed with gold lines and swirls. The hen clucks and flaps her wings as Jack reaches under to take the egg.
“I’m going to show this to Mom and Dad!” Jack runs outside with the egg, slamming the screen of the henhouse behind him.
Still inside the henhouse, Freddy cracks up and thinks about his next trick.
“That’s not funny.” A voice squawks at him. Startled, Freddy looks around at the hens. To get away, Freddy tears away outside and sees Jack coming around from the side of the wooden house.
“April Fools!” Jack laughs at Freddy. “I did get up early, but I heard you leave so I looked outside my window and saw you carrying something red in your hands.”
Good Friday
Psalm 22: 28-29
All the ends of the earth
shall remember and turn to the
Lord;
All the families of the nations
shall bow down before him.
For dominion is the Lord’s,
and he rules the nations.
[Note: The image was photographed from America’s Most Sacred Acre in St. Augustine, FL.)
Such a Tart
Pretty as you please,
Laid out luscious and sultry,
Looks are deceiving.
They may seem alike
But each brings her own delight.
Watch out for those tarts.
Afterwar
Image: Pixabay
Brother-in-arms
Greeted with open arms,
Briefly disarmed
By disarming the ones you love.
But nighttime sounds of armaments
Break through the arms of Morpheus;
Can’t keep the memories of war
At arm’s length.
Thank you for your service*
And how you brought us peace,
Shouldn’t we do more
To help pick up your pieces?
*Title of a thought-provoking movie, which is inspired by true events. The film follows four soldiers returning home from Iraq and their struggles in trying to settle back into civilian life. Main cast: Miles Teller, Amy Schumer, Haley Bennett, Scott Haze, and Beulah Koale
Karina Pinella 
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