No More Hallelujahs

by Mark Kodama photo credit: pixabay No More Hallelujahs is a beautiful and ruminative work of memory and emotion and of lost chances and hopes by poet Ann Christine Tabaka. It is her tenth book of poetry. Although at times melancholy, the twenty-one poems of the chapbook seem to me to be an honest and …

Take a Seat Guys, Historians Say World’s Oldest Author Was a Woman

Photo Credit: This brilliant photo was created by Rori for her 100 Days, 100 Women project. I highly recommend checking it out! Mesopotamian civilization developed in Western Asia thanks to the resource-rich valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Women and Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia For centuries, history (the discipline) was dominated by a bunch of …

The End of Gabriel’s Tale

Read the beginning of Gabriel's tale. Gabriel, the Civil Rights Lawyer's Tale III. The Appeal "At Ed Johnson’s father’s behest,Two black lawyers took his requestParden knew they would be threatenedHis prosperous practice destroyed.But Parden was a Christian man,He prayed to his God for wisdom.Pardon agreed to bear the cross,It did not matter what the cost. …

II: Gabriel, The Civil Rights Lawyer’s Tale

by Mark Kodama Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew Chapter 5:10 The time is always right to do what is right. Martin Luther King, Jr. Kingdom of Heaven I. The Arrest It was Nineteen Hundred ought Six. Old Chattanooga seemed transfixed, By a sudden …

Gabriel, The Civil Rights Lawyer’s Tale

by Mark Kodama Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from the Birmingham Jail The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in …

When I hated You

by Bernice Groves You made me hate youCurse your name and wish death upon the same You taught me things How to hate, manipulateBend and twist my foes.You taught me this Through delicate manipulationDesire and temptation With a twitch of your fingerYou twisted my soul, bent my willUntil you had the control. I was sound …

Exploring Satanism with ‘The Lazy Satanist’

The following is a brief interview with a Satanist I spoke to last week. The Lazy Satanist encourages people to visit the Church of Satan's website for more detailed information. Who are you? I prefer to let my dumb posts speak for themselves, but I'm no one in particular. https://www.facebook.com/TheLazySatanist/photos/a.252934945213905/485551475285583/?type=3&theater A post from The Lazy …

A Society Cannot Stand Without Its Missing Piece

by Vivian He asked me what we overlooked. I told him love. The passionate one. The one that makes your skin crawl. Love that takes you to the edge of the universe and beyond. I was in love once. I might be again. He asked me if I've ever been in love. I told him …

Las Vegas Tales VIV

Bill DeSelms II The Newspaper Reporter Prologue: The Business by Mark Kodama My first job was the police beat. That’s where you either sink or swim. I remember I once covered A search and rescue launched for a missing woman and child. A few days later they found their bodies. I was so angry Those …

Las Vegas Tales VIII

Bill DeSelms I The Newspaper Reporter Prologue: The Business by Mark Kodama   What is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. James Madison Two movie …

For Princess Miah

by Mark Kodama I am a ballerina dancing in the sky,Looking down at my audience from on high.I rule from a castle at the edge of the woods,Where the house of Hansel and Gretel once stood.I have one thousand and one peppermint soldiers,Who follow my each and every order.Pirates, sharks and ruffians beware,I will throw …

Stamped

by Blue_Notebook Their bodies have gone soft, almost on the verge of melting down like burnt candles. Look! See that one melt with a smile on his face as if folly became he. Rivet your gaze and witness! The melting of a thousand souls in this bright room swarmed by the strongest tempest. What is …

Exploring Wathanism: Arab ‘Paganism’

Moving to new domain: peaksjournal.wordpress.com Q/A with an Arab Pagan, Sam.  I have experienced the Gods many times especially Quzah, Al-Muhrik, Shams and Allat. I invoked Al-Muhrik during a spell and it succeded, almost all my spells work 100%. I don't remember one that failed. Q: What are jinn? Are they different from the gods?A: …

Q/A with a Hellenic and Norse Pagan

I tried to take Christianity seriously, as in, follow the bible carefully, accept Jesus, pray etc., but I felt nothing and this went on until the middle of 2012, when I met a pagan. It was then I got introduced and the seeds were planted. So around early 2013, I found out about Hellenism. After researching Christianity, as well as history and other religions, I converted to Hellenism. It touched my being in ways Christianity never did or could.

Hunger Calls

by Vivian As a child, they could not keep me from that cupboard. During nights when the air is still, so dead you could hear a pin drop. A slight crack in the door and out peaks a little eye. The hinges scream in tune to the sound of floorboards moaning. I float past those …