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    Alliances
    Alliances
    Alliances
    Ebook107 pages1 hour

    Alliances

    By Doug Hodges

    ()

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    About this ebook

    The most any Author can hope for, is imparting part of themselves with their words ... The most any of us, the readers, hope for, is an escape from the moment ... When this happens, true magic is made. Doug Hodges ... weaves his magical world from his experiences, beliefs in life and mother earth ... Doug is on a life quest ... Like the majority of people, he is a work unfinished, what sets him apart, he knows this. He remains in contact with his spiritual guides ... and ... together they take us away ... While most of us are afraid to be different, Doug wears this skin comfortably. He allows all of us to think, wonder, and dares us to change the paradigms of our individuality ... If you have not read Dougs work yet, what are you waiting for!
    - The Author D. Everett Newell 4/08/2013
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateSep 27, 2013
    ISBN9781491822395
    Alliances
    Author

    Doug Hodges

    I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil, with my first poem written in the fifth grade. This led to a career in Colorado newspapers, which lasted more than twenty years, though in a variety of capacities. I once wrote an historical column, titled The Trail’s End. This tied my love of words in with my love of history, a deep-seated yearning flowing throughout my life. A need to blend the humanity and emotion of raw life with the cold stone of fact, the idealism of win and loss with the blood and bone reality of violence being a lose-lose proposition, trying to find that spiritual truth among the physical fact. In 2014, a good friend invited me to share a trip to Gettysburg, which reawakened a long-dormant civil war seed. From this journey came our collaborated book, Bob’s Gettysburg Saga & Poetry. Upon its successful publication, we decided that Bob should visit other historical sites and chose the Alamo for his next venture. Unfortunately, my friend was not able to participate in this endeavor. So I continued, trusting that the spirit of Bob’s creator would find its way between the lines. Following Bob’s section are a couple of obituaries I penned some time ago. Completing the volume are a couple of Western tales. I hope the reader may enjoy this collection of historical reminiscence as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now, on the backside of sixty, I reside in the Rio Grande Valley with my wife, who is also my personal editorial department (all errors are still mine, she will be quick to note), three dogs, and a parrot. My wife taught high school English and communication (speech) for over thirty years. When not writing or visiting family, we like to sit around and discuss words and language.

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      Book preview

      Alliances - Doug Hodges

      AuthorHouse™

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.authorhouse.com

      Phone: 1-800-839-8640

      © 2013 Doug Hodges. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

      Author photo on back cover by Linda Rubio.

      Unless otherwise noted, all works, herein, are the author’s. Any ‘worked’ images were accomplished with Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.

      Published by AuthorHouse 9/27/2013

      ISBN: 978-1-4918-2132-9 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4918-2239-5 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2013917508

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

      and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Table of Contents

      Title Page: Dragon - Wooden Carving, San Antonio, Texas 2008

      Image: Howling - Savannah, Georgia

      Prologue

      Image: Restaurant

      The Return of the Nemesis

      Old Year 2012

      Noah’s Raven

      December 2012

      Camo’d

      December 13, 2012

      Bronco and Raven

      January 12, 2013

      Image: Cemetery above Alma

      Silver Heels

      March 1, 2013

      Image: Coyote

      With those of a like and precious faith

      New Year 2013

      On A South Padre Island Beach

      2000

      Washington Goes to Gettysburg

      2013

      The Gun at Pickett’s Charge

      June 4, 2013

      Taxiing Along The River Styx

      the end of July 2013

      Dragon

      10/10/76

      Afterword

      the Voice of Coyote howls on …

      howling.jpg

      as given to

      Doug Hodges

      As always,

      for the Great Spirit,

      who started me on my way,

      and for Linda,

      without whom ….

      This book is dedicated to

      Thelma Mitchell,

      one of my most loyal followers.

      She will no longer be reading

      these stories, but,

      perhaps now,

      she may watch them unfold as they happen.

      Prologue

      when I was a younger man

      I roamed the high barren mountain peaks

      traversed through hidden valleys

      lush and alive, yet

      oh, so silent to the noise of man.

      I followed crystalline streams and mighty rivers,

      heard the thunder and roar through depthless gorges.

      I entered in to the secret places

      of the earth and explored therein,

      like some swallowed Jonah.

      the pathways of the world were more than a map;

      there were the very veins and arteries of my life,

      my bonding with the natural and spiritual elements

      of existence.

      now, I ponder these things …

      I, who am what I am,

      because of these things.

      I still move,

      more slowly and not so far,

      not as adventurous and no longer reaching.

      I move, now, like the gentle wind,

      where I am meant to go,

      in whatever way I am led.

      like Mary, I treasure the the great mysteries

      within my heart.

      however, now and then,

      a story pops out,

      demanding to be shared;

      an image, a taste, a melody

      from long ago,

      and I do feel

      these riches were given to me

      to pass along,

      and this is what I endeavor to do.

      I have Coyote and Raven and the others

      to aid me, to tickle me, to entice me,

      to help bring out those nuggets so long buried,

      as well as guide me to the new riches,

      which ever abound around.

      I am grateful and humbled

      and never cease to be amazed

      that I was chosen to impart such treasures.

      I have been ever-blessed

      not the least with my beloved helpmeet, Solospeak …

      given to complete myself,

      given to guide me, to keep me on some unseen track,

      to encourage me and keep me safe and sane.

      ergo, dear readers,

      you who have chosen to enter my realm of whimsey,

      you who have dared to sample these gifts

      from God and the Spirits …

      this ore, long hidden,

      refined through time and mind and action,

      vignettes and images and notes,

      to these, you are heartily welcome

      and may you enjoy your journey

      Doug Hodges

      Brownsville, Texas, 2013

      building.jpg

      Restaurant - East of Cd Valle,

      on the road to

      Tampico, Mexico, 2006

      The Return of the Nemesis

      i

      Elysian Fields

      It was in the fall. Coyote was renewing himself high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The sun was bright and warm, the winds crisp, cold and cleansing. Icy streams tinkled like silver bells while the Aspen sang their haunting, enchanting, never-ending song. The trees likewise blessed Coyote with a vivid, visual, landscape of multi-hued leaves as they joined the tall grasses of the high high meadow in swaying and dancing with the breeze.

      On to this scene, one day, burst Lonesome, the dog; a German short-haired pointer, to be exact, and an old friend of Coyote. He was the color of a fir tree trunk and carried a longish tail, the underneath of which was white. He looked for all the world like a white-tailed deer as he pranced and gamboled through the woods.

      Not today. Today, lonesome ran pell mell, looking for Coyote. Usually, he moved as quiet as the deer, a ghost like the wind, and was never seen until he was standing next to you. Now, he was crashing, and smashing his way through the wood and underbrush like a maddened bear. Coyote heard him while he was a mile away and so was not surprised to see his friend come charging into the meadow clearing. The hardship of the trip was apparent. Lonesome’s normally sleek coat was a mass of scratches, blood, sweat and slobber.

      Coyote! Coyote … let me catch my breath. Lonesome panted, slinging foam about. They … they told me you … were up here. … met Old Elk and Coon … a couple of the Deer brothers … playin’ poker just down the next valley …

      Easy Lonesome. replied Coyote, leading the dog to a large flat rock. Sit down; relax, get your breath. You’re here, now; so am I. A minute longer of suspense won’t hurt anything.

      No, Coyote, replied the big dog, that’s just it. There’s no time.

      The dog grabbed Coyote and looked him in the eye, The Rat’s returned!

      It was as if the world hushed, paused and froze. In Coyote’s mind flashed a multitude of images … the Giant Rat … images of Sumatra, down in the Rio Grande Valley, in the mountains of Mexico … so many places, so many times. The Rat was ancient and evil, apparently as ageless as Coyote, himself, and not really a rat at all. Upon closer examination, and very few ever got that close and lived, he was a possum … clever, ingenious, deceitful and dangerous. The ‘Rat’ liked the moniker and promoted it in shadowy fear wherever he went.

      The paradise of the mountains had darkened and

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