The Lighthouse By the Sea – A Poem

At the lowest of moments;

and when times feel rough.

When we feel all hope is gone;

what we have is not enough.

Our spirit has been broken;

family and friends no longer there.

As the rough tides of the ocean;

seem to wash us out to sea;

and we feel no one cares.

When we feel there is no life-line;

and the problems are knee deep.

When faith in everything is gone;

and depression weakens our bones.

Just when we feel there is no hope;

we’re tired inside and out;

hurting deep within our soul.

There is still love on this earth;

people who cherish us and all

we have to offer this world.

Someone somewhere is the

beacon of light that shines

true, gracefully and bright.

If we take a look around us;

there is someone out there;

who is our strong lighthouse

standing by the sea, waiting to

guide us in from the tides that

bind and the troubled waters.

As we look up and around us;

we behold that light,  grasp it;

allow it to guide us in to shore.

and we began to stand strong;

as we see our dry bones come alive!

 

Jasmine D. Parker ©

The Lighthouse By the Sea

At the lowest of moments;

and when times feel rough.

When we feel all hope is gone;

what we have is not enough.

Our spirit has been broken;

family and friends no longer there.

As the rough tides of the ocean;

seem to wash us out to sea;

and we feel no one cares.

When we feel there is no life-line;

and the problems are knee deep.

When faith in everything is gone;

and depression weakens our bones.

Just when we feel there is no hope;

we’re tired inside and out;

hurting deep within our soul.

There is still love on this earth;

people who cherish us and all

we have to offer this world.

Someone somewhere is the

beacon of light that shines

true, gracefully and bright.

If we take a look around us;

there is someone out there;

who is our strong lighthouse

standing by the sea, waiting to

guide us in from the tides that

bind and the troubled waters.

As we look up and around us;

we behold that light,  grasp it;

allow it to guide us in to shore.

and we began to stand strong;

as we see our dry bones come alive!

 

Jasmine D. Parker ©

U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves: The Real Lone Ranger!

{ son Bennie}

Throughout the years, many people have asked the question, if U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves, the former slave was the true inspiration behind he television series “The Lone Ranger?” Well, let’s travel down the road and back in history and time a little bit and put some of these pieces together and also in addition add some historical facts represented by others sources and factual information.
Bass Reeves was the first black deputy U.S. marshal west of the Mississippi River. He worked mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory. During his long career, he was credited with arresting more than 3,000 felons. He shot and killed 14 outlaws in self-defense. Taken from Wikipedia

Born to slave parents in 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas, Bass Reeves would become the first black U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi River and one of the greatest frontier heroes in our nation’s history. Owned by a man named William Reeves, a farmer and politician, Bass took the surname of his owner, like other slaves of the time. His first name came from his grandfather, Basse Washington.

Working alongside his parents, Reeves started out as a water boy until he was old enough to become a field hand. In about 1846, William Reeves moved his operations, family, and slaves to Grayson County, Texas.

Bass was a tall young man, at 6’2”, with good manners and a sense of humor. George Reeves, William’s son, later made him his valet, bodyguard, and personal companion. When the Civil War broke out, Texas sided with the Confederacy and George Reeves went into battle, taking Bass with him.

FLEEING THE WAR:

It was during these years of the Civil War that Bass parted company from Reeves.

After hearing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Bass proclaimed himself to be a free man and escaped.

His flight landed him in Oklahoma Territory, where he was embraced immediately by the Cherokee. It was here that he learned to ride, track, shoot, and speak five Native American languages fluently — all skills that would serve him well. He lived with the Seminole, Cherokee, and Creek Indians, learning their customs, languages, and tracking skills. Here, he also honed his firearm skills, becoming very quick and accurate with a pistol.

“Freed” by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and no longer considered a fugitive, Reeves left Indian Territory and bought land near Van Buren, Arkansas, where he became a successful farmer and rancher. A year later, he married Nellie Jennie from Texas, and immediately began to have a family. Raising 11 children on their homestead — five girls and five boys, named: Robert, Lula, Sally, Benjamin, Newland, Harriet, Homer, Edgar, George, Alice, Bass Jr. The family lived happily on the farm. During this time, oral history states that Reeves sometimes served as a scout and guide for U.S. Deputy Marshals going into Indian Territory on business for the Van Buren Federal Court, which had jurisdiction over Indian Territory.

SPIFFY DRESSER AND MASTER OF DISGUISE:

At a time when the average man was about 5’6”, Reeves was a towering 6″2. He was broad at the shoulders, narrow at the hips, and said to possess superhuman strength. The first black lawman west of the Mississippi, Reeves cut a striking figure on his large gray (almost white) horse, while wearing his trademark black hat and twin .45 Colt Peacemakers cross-draw style. He was usually a spiffy dresser, with his boots polished to a gleaming shine. He was known for his politeness and courteous manner. However, when the purpose served him, he was a master of disguises and often utilized aliases. Sometimes appearing as a cowboy, farmer, gunslinger, or outlaw, himself, he always wore two Colt pistols, butt forward for a fast draw. Ambidextrous, he rarely missed his mark.

HIS CALLING CARD:

He was known to give out silver dollars as a calling card.

The tales of his captures are legendary – filled with intrigue, imagination, and courage. On one such occasion, Reeves was pursuing two outlaws in the Red River Valley near the Texas border. Gathering a posse, Reeves and the other men set up camp some 28 miles from where the two were thought to be hiding at their mother’s home. After studying the terrain and planning, he soon disguised himself as a tramp, hiding the tools of his trade – handcuffs, pistol, and badge, under his clothes. Setting out on foot, he arrived at the house wearing an old pair of shoes, dirty clothes, carrying a cane, and wearing a floppy hat complete with three bullet holes. Upon arriving at the home, he told a tale to the woman who answered the door, that his feet were aching after having been pursued by a posse who had put the three bullet holes in his hat. After asking for a bite to eat, she invited him in and while he was eating, she began to tell him of her two young outlaw sons, suggesting that the three of them should join forces. Feigning weariness, she consented to let him stay a while longer.

As the sun was setting, Reeves heard a sharp whistle coming from beyond the house. Shortly afterward, the woman went outside and responded with an answering whistle. Before long, two riders rode up to the house, talking at length with her outside. The three of them then came inside and she introduced her sons to Reeves. After discussing their various crimes, the trio agreed that it would be a good idea to join up.

Bunking down in the same room, Reeves watched the pair carefully as they drifted off to sleep and when they were snoring deeply, handcuffed the pair without waking them. When early morning approached, he kicked the boys awake and marched them out the door. Followed for the first three miles by their mother, who cursed Reeves the entire time, he marched the pair the full 28 miles to the camp where the posse men waited. Within days, the outlaws were delivered to the authorities and Bass collected a $5,000 reward.

HIGH POINTS OF REEVES CAREER:

One of the high points of Reeves’ career was apprehending a notorious outlaw named Bob Dozier. Dozier was known as a jack-of-all-trades and an all hands-on type of guy when it came to committing crimes, as they covered a wide range from cattle and horse rustling, to holding up banks, stores, and stagecoaches; to murder and land swindles. The type of guy one would never want to take home to meet their parents. Because Dozier was unpredictable, he was also hard to catch and though many lawmen had tried to apprehend him, none were successful until it came to Reeves. Dozier eluded Reeves for several months until the lawman tracked him down in the Cherokee Nation. After refusing to surrender, Reeves killed Dozier in an accompanying gunfight on December 20, 1878.

CHARGED WITH MURDER:

In 1887, Reeves was charged with murdering a posse cook. Like the many outlaws he had arrested, he was tried before Judge Isaac Parker. He was represented by United States Attorney W.H.H. Clayton, who was a colleague and friend. In the end, Reeves was acquitted.

TRACKING AND ARRESTING HIS OWN SON BENNIE:

One of the hardest things in life for an officer of the law would be to have to track down and arrest one of your own children. As we know, when an officer takes an oath to uphold the law, that oath should be taken seriously and with Bass Reeves, it was an oath he would not break, not even for one of his own children. One of his sons, Bennie Reeves, was charged with the murder of his wife. Deputy Marshal Reeves was disturbed and shaken by the incident, but allegedly demanded the responsibility of bringing Bennie to justice. Bennie was eventually tracked and captured, tried, and convicted. He served his time in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before being released, and reportedly lived the rest of his life as a responsible and model citizen.

THE FINAL YEARS:

When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Bass Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee Police Department. He served for two years before he became ill and retired. After retiring, Reeves health began to decline further, and he died of Bright’s disease (nephritis) in 1910.

He was a great-uncle of Paul L. Brady, who became the first black man appointed as a federal administrative law judge in 1972. Excerpt taken from Wikipedia.

STATUE UNVEILED IN REEVES HONOR:

In May, 2012, a bronze statue of U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves was unveiled and stands in Pendergraft Park in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

QUOTE: “Maybe the law ain’t perfect, but it’s the only one we got, and without it we got nuthin” – Bass Reeves

When You Die – A Poem

When you die and live no more;

Your eyes no longer behold the beauty of nature.

Your hands no longer hold your favorite cup of coffee.

Those left behind remember and embrace your legacy;

of empowering devotion and resolution to life’s problems.

You were the stars shining fiercely bright;

the pollen in the most beautiful flowers.

    You were the reason birds sang and butterflies came;

       the trees bear fruit such a sweet generous heart.

       The lighthouse by the sea; guiding ships into shore.

 You will be remembered as the instruments in a symphony!

 

             Jasmine D. Parker ©

 

Clark Gable, III Cause of Death Revealed

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I wanted to wait until the autopsy results came back before writing about this story.

I have never seen a Clark Gable movie, but have heard from others who have that he was a great actor and humanitarian. A classic movie lover myself, so I plan to watch some of his movies soon.  It’s such a tragedy that his only grandson died so young.

Clark Gable, III the only grandson of the famous Hollywood actor, Legend and Icon, Clark Gable died at his Dallas, Texas home at age 30, on Friday, February, 22nd his family sadly revealed. His finance’ Summer happened to be the one who found him unresponsive in his bed. The couple have an 18-month-old daughter named Shore.

I do know of the television show named “Cheaters,” and have watched it, years ago. In some ways I thought it was a good thing to bust those cheaters, but the other side of me was thinking, why would you want your dirty laundry aired on national television? I didn’t watch too many episodes of it.  It’s such a tragedy that this young man lost his life from an accidental drug overdose of fentanyl, oxycodone, and alprazolam (Xanax).  The medical examiner also noted his history of abusing marijuana, alcohol, and Xanax.

His mother, Tracy Yarro Scheff, confirmed her son’s death on Instagram. “It is with an extremely heavy heart we say goodbye to my beautiful son Clark,” she wrote. “He passed this morning. I will always be next to you my beautiful son. Mom.”

Mrs. Scheff, 56, who was married to John Clark Gable, Clark Gable’s son, told US media her son had struggled with addiction in the past. “I don’t know if that took his life, but I know that wasn’t what he wanted to do,” she said.

Kayley Gable, his sister, shared the tragic news on Facebook.

“My brother was found unresponsive this morning by his fiance and didn’t wake up,” she wrote on Facebook. “I LOVE YOU CLARKIE I’m so sorry we couldn’t save you, my heart is broken and shattered RIP.”

The 30 year old Gable listed actor George Clooney as a major influence in his life. “His ability to take on and master such diverse roles is a real inspiration and strong influence on me, especially while growing up as a young model and aspiring actor as a teenager,” Gable noted.

According to his site, Gable was an avid lover of the outdoors and listed surfing, skateboarding, fishing, skydiving, and RC aerial photographer and drone videography as some of his passions.

Taken from Daily Mail.com

Scheff revealed that Gable had sought therapy for addiction in the past, and several members of his family had struggled with drug abuse.

She said her marriage with Clark’s father, John Clark Gable, ended over his addiction problems, and that John’s brother died from an overdose aged 27. The bereaved mother also revealed Clark’s three siblings have had issues with drugs.

‘My current husband, we’ve been together 27 years, and he’s 32 years sober. It’s a struggle that is real,’ she said.

‘I have four children, all of them have struggled,’ Scheff added. ‘I have two younger boys with my current husband, Jason. I think one of them is fine, he just likes to party, but the baby has struggled. He’s got a year sober, he’s 17 and doing great.

‘I have a daughter that’s seven months pregnant. She’s doing great now, but she’s struggled too.’

A colleague of the late 30-year-old also told DailyMail.com that Gable had used drugs.

Bobby Goldstein, Cheaters creator and show Executive Producer, said that he was aware Gable took drugs but said it never affected his work. ‘While it’s true I have heard from others that Clark indulged in drugs, of the many years, almost a decade I’ve known him I never saw him on drugs,’ he said.

‘Clark was a beautiful boy, he was a beautiful soul. He was the spitting image of his grandfather on screen and I’ve never thought of him other than the most earnest, kind, loving friend and it’s been a great pleasure to work with him. ‘He was a great colleague and a great host on Cheaters.

In a Facebook post, Gable III’s sister, Kayley, revealed two generations of apparent dysfunction and possible substance abuse. She shared texts, purportedly written by their father, John Clark Gable, in which he accused his son and daughter of using their grandfather’s name “in disgrace.” John Clark Gable also refused to pay for the costs of his son’s funeral and said he didn’t want him buried next to Clark Gable in the family plot at Forrest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Kayley Gable responded by threatening to write a tell-all that would let the world know “the truth” about their apparently messed-up family.
As it turns out, Gable III was buried next to his maternal grandparents in Provo, Utah, on March 9, Kayley Gable revealed on Facebook. Excerpt taken from the East Bay Times:

 

 

 

 

 

SKY BURIALS

I am only posting a photo of the vultures that feast at these burials. The video is linked below for those who wish to watch.  Viewer Discretion is advised.

Burying our dead is very popular in Christian and Muslim religious faiths. For centuries burying has been the oldest and most effective way to honor the dead. These days cremation is becoming a more and more choice among many and is more affordable than the classic funeral. The cost of a funeral can average anywhere from $5k to 10k and higher.

Many people choose to bury their loved ones so they will have a place to go and visit them and keep the grave clean of weeds and trash.

In other religions, they prefer to burn the dead body. It is largely believed that the human body is composed of five elements that are the sky, water, earth, air and fire.

In the Hindu religion the human body is burnt. It is believed that when the body dies, the soul moves out and goes to heaven or hell according to the deeds one committed through  their life on earth.

There are places in this world where the culture believes in what is known as “Sky Burials.”  The Chinese Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) occupies roughly 471,700 square miles (1.2 million square kilometers) of Central Asia to the northeast of India. Encompassing some of the highest peaks of the Himalayan Mountains and the least explored regions on the planet, the average altitude for a Tibetan settlement is roughly 16,500 feet (5,000 meters) above sea level.

These burials are practiced in the Chinese provinces and autonomous regions of Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia, as well as Mongolia Bhutan, parts of Sikkim and Zanskar which are parts of India.

Although these burials may be considered taboo to those who are accustomed to attending funerals and seeing their loved ones lowered into the ground, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It is not taboo to those who live in regions in the world where the ground may be too frozen and hard to bury their dead, they don’t have access to formaldehyde to sanitize the body of the deceased or the means to embalm their dead.

The locations of preparation and sky burials are very much understood in the Vajrayana Buddhist traditions as charnel grounds. Excerpt taken from Wikipedia. 

This ritual fits with Tibetan Buddhism’s religion, tradition and beliefs that human beings have an interconnectedness to the environment.

Below you will find a video of a sky burial. Viewer Discretion is advised.