So, you look at those captains and then at yourself
and you wonder: “Why them, and not me?”
As you paddle along in your pitiful state,
a canoe you hope no one will see.
But there’s just enough room for those trusted to you
for safe passage, provisions, and tare.
So, you keep to yourself, and you follow the shore,
making passage for those in your care.

So, you look at those captains and then at yourself and you wonder: “Why them, and not me?” As you paddle along in your pitiful state, a canoe you hope no one will see. But there’s just enough room for those trusted to you for safe passage, provisions, and tare. So, you keep to yourself, and you follow the shore, making passage for those in your care.

Style Used
American landscape tradition featuring dramatic wilderness, sublime nature, and detailed realism celebrating untamed American scenery.

See More

So, you look at those captains and then at yourself
and you wonder: “Why them, and not me?”
As you paddle along in your pitiful state,
a canoe you hope no one will see.
But there’s just enough room for those trusted to you
for safe passage, provisions, and tare.
So, you keep to yourself, and you follow the shore,
making passage for those in your care.
So, you look at those captains and then at yourself
and you wonder: “Why them, and not me?”
As you paddle along in your pitiful state,
a canoe you hope no one will see.
But there’s just enough room for those trusted to you
for safe passage, provisions, and tare.
So, you keep to yourself, and you follow the shore,
making passage for those in your care.
Now, those captains must learn what the river will do
when it makes that great turn out of sight.
How it dashes them up on the rocks of the shore
How it spins to the left and the right.
It beats them and breaks them and crushes their pride
Leaves them dizzy and sick and all jumbled inside
‘til they’ve all but forgotten that glorious ride
lying flat on their deck in the sun.
There they lie, drying out in the sun.

As you round the point where the river was bent
and survey the great wideness ahead,
you can see all those captains alone on their decks,
beat and broken and very near dead.
Then the current takes hold and there’s naught you can do
as it drags you down into its maw.
Headed straight for those rocks, you make ready to crash
but at last, you rise up, roll and yaw.

Going back and away, then forward again,
fearing each time, the rocks will prevail!
You’re trapped in a cycling, circling tide,
in an eddy withstanding a gale.
But each time you circle that great whirling tide
and you’ve not hit the rocks or been thrown to the side
and you’re kept from the falls, cascading and wide,
for the eddy’s small mercy give praise.
Give the merciful currents your praise!
Now, those captains must learn what the river will do
when it makes that great turn out of sight.
How it dashes them up on the rocks of the shore
How it spins to the left and the right.
It beats them and breaks them and crushes their pride
Leaves them dizzy and sick and all jumbled inside
‘til they’ve all but forgotten that glorious ride
lying flat on their deck in the sun.
There they lie, drying out in the sun.

As you round the point where the river was bent
and survey the great wideness ahead,
you can see all those captains alone on their decks,
beat and broken and very near dead.
Then the current takes hold and there’s naught you can do
as it drags you down into its maw.
Headed straight for those rocks, you make ready to crash
but at last, you rise up, roll and yaw.

Going back and away, then forward again,
fearing each time, the rocks will prevail!
You’re trapped in a cycling, circling tide,
in an eddy withstanding a gale.
But each time you circle that great whirling tide
and you’ve not hit the rocks or been thrown to the side
and you’re kept from the falls, cascading and wide,
for the eddy’s small mercy give praise.
Give the merciful currents your praise!
Out where the river runs wild and free
and only the brave dare row;
where the rapids are deep, and the challenge is fresh
and it takes them where it means to go.
With breakneck speed, grinning into the wind,
standing straight on the bow of their craft,
just a glimpse now and then of those captains you’ll catch
flying by, near capsizing your raft.

They’ve no time for advice to those standing on shore
or to aid the ones just wading out,
for their task is to pilot this current, they think,
and it’s all they can do to stay out of the drink,
and their lives could be gone in the space of a wink
should they lose but a moment to doubt.
Standing tall, they never must doubt!
Out where the river runs wild and free
and only the brave dare row;
where the rapids are deep, and the challenge is fresh
and it takes them where it means to go.
With breakneck speed, grinning into the wind,
standing straight on the bow of their craft,
just a glimpse now and then of those captains you’ll catch
flying by, near capsizing your raft.

They’ve no time for advice to those standing on shore
or to aid the ones just wading out,
for their task is to pilot this current, they think,
and it’s all they can do to stay out of the drink,
and their lives could be gone in the space of a wink
should they lose but a moment to doubt.
Standing tall, they never must doubt!
First century Jerusalem at the "gate beautiful" to the temple grounds.  Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
Place this text in the foreground of my newly generated Vintage Film Burn image…

“Dawn, gentle, beginnings of a new day lighting our paths and illuminating our way….

I’ve always thought of you with love and warmth and hardly questioned why… always felt a special bond that’s led to years of friendship  and smiles…

I found in you the gentle spirit of a certain truth and could NOT look away because in you I saw proof…..of HIM…”

Also include an image in the background of a soft sunrise seen over an ocean’s horizon 


A Dawn to Remember….by JPRussell
In days to come I stood amazed, walking through that forest, at the blazing symphony of color it brought forth, seemingly just for me.  I grew to love my friend’s words in a new way, through the astounding beauty of the spectacle he knew was coming when he said them.  I was young then, and didn’t know I had many autumns ahead of me.
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.

No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;

for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.

They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Compassion is bearing someone else's burden as if it were your own.
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11, KJV)
“Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)” (Ephesians 6:2, KJV)
“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4, KJV)
Combine these three commandments into one picture please.
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Compassion is bearing someone else's burden as if it were your own. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel which means God with us.
A cosmic nebula
New York City
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than
I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes goes so little that there’s none of him at all.
He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close behind me, he’s a coward you can see;
I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
Now, we’ll all have our time on the rapid
And we may end together, alone,
going ‘round and about in an eddy
bruised and broken and soaked to the bone.
But the eddy keeps silent the wild current’s call
alongside those now grateful captains and all
we are given reprieve from a death at the fall
as we move to and fro’ in the spin.
We stand safe, as the spin takes us in.
An Asian Slice
At the dark end of an alley on a moonless night,
A youth squats low to the ground, turned toward the wall with his face in his lap.  Someone might think he’s sleeping.  He’s smoking heroin.  Soon he’ll fall over and soil himself, and stay right there until dawn.

Back at the neon-lit mouth of this dark alley, 
hookers walk back and forth, hurrying to get past the alley, either for fear or because is smells so bad.  Eyelids, all painted golden, Asian whores always look like they’re made of candy.  Candy it is; but a snarling cat awaits its prey.
In days to come I stood amazed, walking through that forest, at the blazing symphony of color it brought forth, seemingly just for me.  I grew to love my friend’s words in a new way, through the astounding beauty of the spectacle he knew was coming when he said them.  I was young then, and didn’t know I had many autumns ahead of me.
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
A young couple with two children stand in front of a wall-sized world map, facing the map.  The young father is pointing to somewhere in Africa.  The young mother is wearing a backpack and one of the children is a baby that she's carrying in her arms.
An Asian Slice
At the dark end of an alley on a moonless night,
A youth squats low to the ground, turned toward the wall with his face in his lap.  Someone might think he’s sleeping.  He’s smoking heroin.  Soon he’ll fall over and soil himself, and stay right there until dawn.

Back at the neon-lit mouth of this dark alley, 
hookers walk back and forth, hurrying to get past the alley, either for fear or because is smells so bad.  Eyelids, all painted golden, Asian whores always look like they’re made of candy.  Candy it is; but a snarling cat awaits its prey.
An Asian Slice
At the dark end of an alley on a moonless night,
A youth squats low to the ground, turned toward the wall with his face in his lap.  Someone might think he’s sleeping.  He’s smoking heroin.  Soon he’ll fall over and soil himself, and stay right there until dawn.

Back at the neon-lit mouth of this dark alley, 
hookers walk back and forth, hurrying to get past the alley, either for fear or because is smells so bad.  Eyelids, all painted golden, Asian whores always look like they’re made of candy.  Candy it is; but a snarling cat awaits its prey.
A young couple with two children stand in front of a wall-sized world map, facing the map.  The young father is pointing to somewhere in Africa.  The young mother is wearing a backpack and carrying one of the children on her hip.
Kadar 6.:Same young rural female entrepreneur with brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a simple green dress, standing in front of her family farm gate. On a wooden table in front of her are jars of bean spread, glass jars with layered bean salads, and small eco paper packages of traditional bean seeds with labels. Warm afternoon light, optimistic atmosphere, cinematic comic illustration, semi-realistic style, detailed, storytelling panel, consistent character design, same face, same hairstyle, same clothing.

Add a speech bubble.

Speech bubble text in Serbian (ijekavian, Latin script). Use EXACTLY this text. Do not translate:

"Prerada i umnožavanje sjemena znače veću dobit."
Kadar 7:Same young rural female entrepreneur with brown ponytail and green dress, standing together with other young farmers in front of a rural cooperative building. They are smiling and holding a tablet showing online shop statistics. There are promotional banners, workshop tables with tasting samples, and rural tourism elements in the background. Bright hopeful atmosphere, cinematic comic style, semi-realistic illustration, detailed, storytelling panel, consistent character design, same face, same hairstyle, same clothing.

Add a speech bubble.

Speech bubble text in Serbian (ijekavian, Latin script). Use EXACTLY this text. Do not translate:

"Biljni genetički resursi postaju osnova ruralnog razvoja."
Kadar.:Same young rural female entrepreneur standing confidently next to a chalkboard with a written business formula. She is smiling proudly in front of her farm landscape at sunset. Warm golden light, inspirational mood, cinematic comic panel, semi-realistic illustration, detailed, consistent character design, same face, same hairstyle, same clothing.

On the chalkboard write in Serbian (ijekavian, Latin script). Use EXACTLY this text. Do not translate:

"10 ha × premium cijena × direktna prodaja × prerada = 100 000 KM godišnje prihoda"

Add a speech bubble.

Speech bubble text in Serbian (ijekavian, Latin script). Use EXACTLY this text. Do not translate:

"Nisam izmislila ništa novo. Samo sam sačuvala staro — i pametno ga iskoristila."
Now, we’ll all have our time on the rapid
And we may end together, alone,
going ‘round and about in an eddy
bruised and broken and soaked to the bone.
But the eddy keeps silent the wild current’s call
alongside those now grateful captains and all
we are given reprieve from a death at the fall
as we move to and fro’ in the spin.
We stand safe, as the spin takes us in.
Wing Sun is a 10 year old Malaysian boy. We see him from the back as he stands, looking down the street in the evening. The scent of mooncakes and burning lantern oil fills the air in the street in Petaling Jaya where Wing Sun lives.  Everything is aglow with the soft light of lanterns, their colors reflected in the puddles left by the afternoon rain.  At least 6 vendors have pulled their carts up onto the sidewalks on both sides of the street, selling moon pies and other special treats.  
Several of Wing-Sun's neighborhood friends, some younger than he and some a little older, were standing around in a circle, waiting for him to come outside.
"I have STREET CAT ENERGY. 
You've been warned."

Include a black cat.
Inside an informal church in London.  Wing Sun's father has been invited to attend with his counterpart from the office.  He doesn't have anything else to do on Sunday morning, so he goes along.  we are standing in the back of the room.  There are many people of different ethnicities, the Pastor is standing up front alongside a worship leader with a guitar, and a young black woman, facing the audience.  The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, but Wing Sun's father feels a little uncomfortable.
20because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
a group of young children holding up signs
a young man leaning against a brick wall