Mark Anthony Books

Yesterday was a sad day for the United States of America. Today is a sad day for the United States of America. Tomorrow will be a sad day for the United States of America. Why? 1.      First, it is not sad because there is not more of one political party than another. In a fallen world where democracy reigns, this will always be the case. The votes of the people decide this at each election. In…

In my space, in every place, in every day, I find a spot that is on my wall. Each wall is not just any wall, nor is each spot just any old spot. Yes, it’s true that they could be nothing more than a wall. In some ways, the spot is ordinary, but in other ways, it is not ordinary at all. Some spots are more pronounced while others barely see the light of day. The spot that often captures my…

To write is to speak what is on the mind But what about when life’s unkind And I cannot seem to frame the truth Jumbled thoughts that seem uncouth. To write is to lay bare the soul Yet, mere words burn like coal When laid against the rug of life Cutting bare more than a rusty knife. To write is to free the heart Sharing cares that are a part Of what makes us whole Yet, mere words take…

The Falls of Skógafoss

Viking lore like roaring falls

Plunge deep in rocky chasm

Waters from great Skógafoss

Put Iceland’s beauty on display

Rugged land like no other

Heady mix of fire and ice

Volcanoes dormant still remain

Glaciers blue with water pure

Give life to all the huldufólk*

But hidden elves will not show

Unlike the stars in Arctic sky

Snow falling to the ground

All Because of Shoelaces

“Reality can bring more than physical pain. Sometimes, reality can crush the heart.”

Harold dropped his ballpoint pen onto the slightly damp paper that rested on the flat, pitted surface of the ancient desk. In another place, the paper would have been crisp, but not in Sierra Leone. The desk looked like it was a long disused movie prop from when Humphrey Bogart starred in the black and white…

When Facebook Fails You

March 13th was a miserable day for many people. First, for many of us across much of the USA, we had to deal with cancelled flights to far-off destinations, too many inches of snow, and blizzard conditions that kept us from skinny-dipping at our favorite lakes.

To top it all off — Facebook decided to destroy our lives.

Our self-esteem shattered like the remains of a china shop when Ferdinand…

The Ugly American Syndrome

Originally from England, I have had the privilege of living on three different continents, have visited almost twenty different countries, and hope to visit many more places.

One thing I found prevalent in every country is that the ugly idea of prejudice is alive and well on planet earth.

Prejudiceis defined as a “preconceived opinion(s) that is (are) not based on reason or actual…

My Wife Can’t Dance

I have always loved the sound of an LP playing on the record player. For youngsters reading, just Google it. It is kind of like a CD but several times bigger and to listen to an hour of music normally involved turning the LP (or record) over halfway through your song selection.

My British uncle retired from the Royal Air Force after playing the trumpet for several of the RAF bands throughout…

Reflections of What Will Come

The earth below, above is sky

Soon it will be my turn to die

Life’s road was traveled way too fast

Never possible to go back to the past

Fleeting memories in my mind

But even more I cannot find

Of what good the years of life

If I live them full of strife

The sky is warm, the earth so cold

A life well-spent worth more than gold

Hear my words, young ones of earth

Too quick…

A West African Cane Beats TSA

Rarely do I find anything nice to say about the TSA. Thanks to the events of September 11, the overzealous efforts of Congress, and the willingness to surrender more of our freedoms, Homeland Security began to make life much more difficult for travelers.

Personally, I resent the intrusions imposed on American citizens simply using airlines as a quick mode of transportation from one part of…

A Tie for Every Occasion

Packing our bags for the long drive, I was certain we had everything we needed. Making sure the children were tucked in nice and warm, we started our journey from the sub-zero temperatures of South Dakota and headed for the southern part of Kansas. It was the week before Christmas and we wondered whether we would soon be moving.

The drive down went without a hitch and we arrived in a tiny little…

5 Quick Tips for Writing Better

If you are like me, the amount of material on how to write better can be overwhelming. Bookstores, websites, blogs, seminars, etc. make it hard to choose which direction to go, especially when there seems to be a media format for just about every imaginable genre.

The wise King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 12:12, “My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and…

When Church Goes Wrong

“Churches are full of nothing but hypocrites.” — Quote attributed to many

Hypocrite — a word that is used to describe somebody who is not real. Is often associated with a sneer or turning up of the lip when speaking of a particular individual that is in question.

For example, the word has seen an uptick in usage over the last few years particularly as it applies to people in politics or in…

Like your parents, but the next step up, grandparents can instill a mixture of emotions. As a little one, they could coerce obedience by promising to tell your parents whether you had been good or not. It was only in later years that you realized they probably wouldn’t say a word if you had been bad.

As parents, grandparents probably raised their children with a firm hand, but with age tend to…

The Stupid ATM Machine

The road of life has never been easy. I have long struggled with health issues, some of them that brought me close to death. However, in the midst of all the struggles, even when living deep, DEEP in the steamy jungles of Liberia, West Africa, we never went without a meal and we have managed to always pay our bills.

Now, I tend to be the kind of person who likes things to be a certain way. In…

The Drawing on the Fridge

  Etched permanently in her mind were the memories. Memories of days when life was different. Memories of a time when she and her husband didn’t fight so often. Memories of precious moments that swelled her heart to overflowing with gratitude and love.

But that was before that fateful day in October three years ago. Had three years already come and gone? Misery so easily swallows the days…