This piece really made me think about how we find independence and peace. The way you describe the sea's profound tranquillity reminds me of the mental space I get during Pilates. It's like finding a deeper core, away from the surface noise. Your insights on the unexplored are truly beautifull.
Josh, I read this powerful poem and can feel how it has been writing itself, over and over again, in your memory and poetic imagination. Its voice comes from a depth of soul that is sacred, and we are blessed to hear it speaking. For me, it's like a gift retrieved from a long-buried chest, filled with other treasures, which I hope you will continue to dive into and share. I'm grateful that you took my nudge and made something so wonderful.
This was great. 20,000 Leagues was quite memorable to me, growing up. I can only imagine what the real experience must have been like. I hope you write more about it as you feel able and comfortable!
I will need to re read it. Iirc, Nemo was kind of person who had a kind of pirate like world view of independence — to the point of attacking others that he thought would crush this.
But it’s been a very long time since I’ve read this. However, I am fascinated by pirates. I once gave a small lecture of the Caribbean pirates, self autonomy, and the pirate code.
I did not know this term for quite some time, not until 2022. I read Outsourcing Duty: The Moral Exploitation of the American Soldier. The book’s theme is excellent, but the writers, both veterans, take a much too academic angle. As a result the book is extremely dry.
But this is where I learned this phrase and since then I’ve better understood what I went through.
I wonder how the truly devout Christian Carter could bring himself to command the most destructive warship ever at that point in time?
I have compared the spiritual journey to a public wading pool above a public swimming pool that is shallow at one end and gets progressively deeper, and few people get to the deep end where who knows lurks?
Well, Richard Nixon was a Quaker. Maybe our fascination with Iran is that some presidents want the United States to be a Theocracy.
I think that is a very apt example with the pool. I originally had a line in this one about “shallow shrimp” and was going for something like you say. But then upon further research, I learned shrimp actually live pretty deep, so I decided against it despite the alliteration. Also, Carter invoked the shrimp — which you can hear for quite some distance.
And our fascination, or some Americans’ fascination, starting with Donald Trump, with Vladimir Putin being president for life of Russia.
It looks to me that Trump and his legions and the Republicans are aiming to keep the Democrats out of the White House and in the minority in Congress for the rest of forever, and they will not surrender if the Democrats win at the polls, but will they will make January 6, 2020 look like a marshmallow roast.
A good friend of mine, who was US Army Special Forces combat vet and voted for for Trump in 2016, and think ib 2024, told me that all of the January 6 rioters should have been shot dead, and I could quote him on that, but he did not say the gangster instigator should have been shot dead, which I think would have been appropriate by a firing squad for insurrection against the Constitution.
Today, it looks tome the only force in America that has any chance of turning America around is the US Military, but are the Generals and Admirals and their troops even interested? Looks to me they are just fine with an Ayatollah type government in America :-), a right wing Christian state, with or without Trump.
This piece really made me think about how we find independence and peace. The way you describe the sea's profound tranquillity reminds me of the mental space I get during Pilates. It's like finding a deeper core, away from the surface noise. Your insights on the unexplored are truly beautifull.
Thank you. I appreciate you reading and the comment!
I had no idea that President Carter was a poet
I know! I learned this while looking up submarine poems:
https://blogs.loc.gov/bookmarked/2025/01/02/jimmy-carters-lifelong-love-of-poetry/
Josh, I read this powerful poem and can feel how it has been writing itself, over and over again, in your memory and poetic imagination. Its voice comes from a depth of soul that is sacred, and we are blessed to hear it speaking. For me, it's like a gift retrieved from a long-buried chest, filled with other treasures, which I hope you will continue to dive into and share. I'm grateful that you took my nudge and made something so wonderful.
Ann, thank you so much for this. And thanks again for the nudge.
thank you for the poem and this history
This was great. 20,000 Leagues was quite memorable to me, growing up. I can only imagine what the real experience must have been like. I hope you write more about it as you feel able and comfortable!
I will need to re read it. Iirc, Nemo was kind of person who had a kind of pirate like world view of independence — to the point of attacking others that he thought would crush this.
But it’s been a very long time since I’ve read this. However, I am fascinated by pirates. I once gave a small lecture of the Caribbean pirates, self autonomy, and the pirate code.
I should do a pirate poem!
Oh you NEED to. You're well-versed in both senses of the word "pirate"!
"But much of the soul-pain I received from Afghanistan is because of how much I enjoyed my time at sea on a submarine."
Showing us the otherwise unseen moral injury.
I did not know this term for quite some time, not until 2022. I read Outsourcing Duty: The Moral Exploitation of the American Soldier. The book’s theme is excellent, but the writers, both veterans, take a much too academic angle. As a result the book is extremely dry.
But this is where I learned this phrase and since then I’ve better understood what I went through.
Oh shit, the submarine poem!
Wow. The evocation I unraveled from this is the feeling of a victory won over a depressive episode.
Paul, that may be exactly what it is. I don’t think I even realized this myself. Thank you.
Very nice.
I wonder how the truly devout Christian Carter could bring himself to command the most destructive warship ever at that point in time?
I have compared the spiritual journey to a public wading pool above a public swimming pool that is shallow at one end and gets progressively deeper, and few people get to the deep end where who knows lurks?
Well, Richard Nixon was a Quaker. Maybe our fascination with Iran is that some presidents want the United States to be a Theocracy.
I think that is a very apt example with the pool. I originally had a line in this one about “shallow shrimp” and was going for something like you say. But then upon further research, I learned shrimp actually live pretty deep, so I decided against it despite the alliteration. Also, Carter invoked the shrimp — which you can hear for quite some distance.
Thanks for commenting!
And our fascination, or some Americans’ fascination, starting with Donald Trump, with Vladimir Putin being president for life of Russia.
It looks to me that Trump and his legions and the Republicans are aiming to keep the Democrats out of the White House and in the minority in Congress for the rest of forever, and they will not surrender if the Democrats win at the polls, but will they will make January 6, 2020 look like a marshmallow roast.
A good friend of mine, who was US Army Special Forces combat vet and voted for for Trump in 2016, and think ib 2024, told me that all of the January 6 rioters should have been shot dead, and I could quote him on that, but he did not say the gangster instigator should have been shot dead, which I think would have been appropriate by a firing squad for insurrection against the Constitution.
Today, it looks tome the only force in America that has any chance of turning America around is the US Military, but are the Generals and Admirals and their troops even interested? Looks to me they are just fine with an Ayatollah type government in America :-), a right wing Christian state, with or without Trump.