Poet Healed
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About this ebook
This selection of writings is mostly from the first two years of my participation in LAMP at the Sutter Resource Center’s Library. Many of them are in response to prompts involving an object or a poem. I believe that Chip, as group leader and one of Pat Schneider’s disciples, garnered quite a few exercises from her book, Writing Alone and With Others. Her workshops and the Amherst Artists and Writers Group also inspired him. Other writings are in response to people and events of the time that I was able to express as a writer. Some of the inspirations for these writings are a phrase or a line from a poem; some are discussed in the footnotes.
The writings are somewhat loosely organized according to the following themes: Health Issues, Autobiographical, Family and Friends, and Life and Living.
In the spirit of Pat Schneider and Chip Spann, I have observed and now report—in writing. Most of these writings are minimally edited, although I do include some before and after writings. There are a few that are incomplete; they are the beginnings of stories that you might see again later.
I invite you to join me in my journey toward wholeness. If you find that you are drawn to a particular piece, please let me know. For the enjoyment of copy editors, I have left a few errors.
John Crandall
My biography, taken from “Poet Healed.” John Crandall was born July 2, 1953, in the hospital (converted from a pig farm) at the Clovis Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. As an Air Force brat, he lived in New Mexico, South Carolina, Northern and Southern Michigan, Oregon and Japan. As the eldest child of six in a military family, he assumed responsibility for his brother and sisters, as well as his mother, when his father was stationed elsewhere. John has spent time as a surgical nurse, fire systems engineer, mason, electronics technician in the Air Force, refrigeration engineer, teacher, and executive director of a non-profit counseling agency that he founded. His education includes a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, and Doctorate-level Psychology courses. He has also attended additional classes and workshops in art, pottery, blacksmithing, foundry techniques, domestic violence, fire suppression, and writing. Semi-retired, John is focusing on artistic endeavors. His interest in art has extended to metal casting (bronze, aluminum and iron) and blacksmithing. He is most happy when combining different media in his sculpture or learning new techniques. John continues adding to his repertoire through constant experimentation and education. New to writing, he has discovered a penchant for it and enjoys poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. John currently lives in Sacramento with his wife Denise, their dogs Molly and Trixie and the kitty Herman. Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) Affiliation John Crandall holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. He has participated in Sutterwriters since September 2003 and also facilitates anger management groups. John is the author of Poet Healed, published by LAMP in 2005. John is an AWA Affiliate, certified to lead workshops in the AWA method as described in Writing Alone & With Others by Pat Schneider, Oxford University Press.
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Book preview
Poet Healed - John Crandall
Poet Healed
A collection of writings
By
John Crandall
fireartsofsacramento.com
Copyright John Crandall 2005
Smashword Edition
Published By Crandall Writers on Smashwords
Thank you for downloading this eBook. A portion ($5.00) of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, Resource Library.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book contains works of fiction as well as those that are autobiographical. The autobiographical works reflect the author’s remembrance of events only and may not be true to the memories of others.
Mature Reading Material
-best read in smaller doses-
Help
a broken mirror
a beam of sunlight
darkness vanquished
ignorance flees
another beam of sunlight
another darkness vanquished
again ignorance flees
break my mirror
pass around the pieces
illuminate the darkness
of others
join me
help me
heal
Table of Contents
Note, I have inserted back to top links throughout this book. If your viewer supports such things, clicking on back to top will bring you Here.
Help
Table of Contents
Forward
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Health Issues
The Question
We Become What We Pay Attention To
Work In Progress
Cold
Quiet 1
Quiet 2
When the Doctor Told Me I was Ill
Disgusted
You Took Aim
There is a Pain
In Spite of Evidence to the Contrary
He Was a Master of the Occult
Depression
On Dieting
Should I Eat a Cookie?
Boom
Death Toys
The Sun has Deigned to Make an Appearance
Questions
Getting Old
Needing Nothing
Quilt
Alone
Fighting
Observe and Report
What Skeleton of Dust?
Please Wait
I Am Here, Yet
Frog Soup
The Joke
Should He?
I Want to Be Remembered
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Chapter 2 - Autobiographical
Where Are You From (Coming From?)
Names 1
Names 2
Things I had Forgotten
Mud Puddle
Summer of 1956
Japanese Earthquake--a photograph
Fishing Trip
Happier Memories
I Will Not Forget My First Brain Concussion
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Chapter 3 - Families and Friends
Dining Time
Who to Tell What?
Dreams and Memories
Dreamers Dreaming Dreams
Cancer
Who
Lynne Sat There Crying
whwhwhwhwhweeeeeddtt
Peace Comes
A Metamorphosis
The Piano
For Seventy Years
Family Secrets
Secrets, Killing Secrets
Patrick James Martin
Intake
I Cannot Remember my First Love
Helping Others, We Say Thank You
I hope I Die Warmed by the Life I Tried to Live
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Chapter 4 - Life and Living
Why Are You Here
Quilting
I Chose Not to be Kind Today
Marta Sat with Her Head Thrown Back
Famous
Magic Words
On Becoming
Times of Quiet and Peace
Objects
He Was Ready to Go
Mankind at Large Marches to the Tap Tap Tap of a Drummer
The Heart Remains Broken
Why?
What is LAMP
The Author
Other Lamp Books
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For
my late cousin,
Bonnie Salma
*****
Foreword
Struck with angina / A heart loses its magnetism / It is broken
John Crandall, from The Heart Remains Broken
Some say we write to find out what we are thinking; John Crandall writes to embrace a fuller acceptance of himself and in so doing takes us along for the ride. These days it’s unusual to find someone who seeks healing from heart disease through writing. John Crandall is such a man: blacksmith, bookbinder, anger management counselor, engineer, electronics tech, and healer.
He didn’t consider himself a writer
when he joined Sutterwriters, a writing group for patients, caretakers and loved ones, in September 2003, and little did he or we know that he