It sat there, with its feet up on the desk, as if it were the most important word in the global world when of came into the office. Of, being a small word also, didn’t speak; of didn’t feel it necessary to give another two-letter word proper respect. They were equals and that made them guilty of baring the same load, helping other words give meaning to life's expression. However, it was far too conceited for your normal two-letter word. It felt it had great weight beneath its mere two letters. Frequent arguments would flair up, from time to time, about the two-letters words’ genuine value.
“You need to speak in the proper manner when you see me!” it instructed of.
“Why should I?” of scoffed. “You’re just a two-letter word like me!”
“I am a noun damn it!” it screamed. “You’re just a stupid preposition! Just because you rhyme with love doesn’t make you any more special.”
“What about the Book?” of sneered a smile. “It’s not the Book love; it’s the book of love.” Of was always careful not to use it's proper name by itself. “And besides, you’re not a noun, my equal friend; you are a pronoun, and only at times when they can’t find any other use for you! And a lot of the time they can’t even use you without me! I am a carrier! I carry you!”
“It isn’t true!” It demanded. “Right there! Did you hear that? I was the subject, the noun, of that sentence!” It would always infuriate of when it would use a proper way to put itself in the limelight. It was clever that way.
“You can’t even begin a sentence!” It continued its harassment. “You are not worthy of capitals!”
“Of all the words in vocabulary, you are most obnoxious of all!” of said, deliberately inserting himself at the beginning of his sentence. Of knew that would fire up it’s hatred.
“You think you’re so fucking clever...”
“Ah, ah, ah,” cautioned of, “using the immigrants is against proper code!” of waggled its finger, teasingly. They were about to exchange letters, when "or" walked in.
“Having another delightful little discussion are we?” or was a sensible word. Or never understood the rankling between these two-letter words. Or knew his place and didn’t argue about it.
“Nobody asked you to butt in, peon!” it was unusually cranky today.
“We all have about your duty,” or said. “It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are; we have a mission to make a sentence make sense!”
“You see there!” it yelled. “It doesn’t matter; “It”, that is me!” it plunged its “i” into of’s “f”.
“Okay you two; knock it off!” or was a two-letter, just like the others, but nobody wanted to tangle with or. Or was straight blue-collar, and tough as any word in the Book!
The room got quiet. The phone rang. Or answered it.
“Okay, we’ll be right up,” or said.
“All right, we’re all coming up in the same sentence,” or smiled. “You see, we’re all in this together! Now let’s go!” They all walked off laughing, and talking.

Whether they liked it, or not, they were all part of the same sentence. You see, if we work together us words can do some pretty good things.

The Father has given this son to his world.
We have never spoken, but he is with me.
his life, in war, was his death.
I asked my Father to speak; he said 'yes'.

Love loves to happen.
The son of America would be an Irish man.
These words are upon the only wind in my brain.
I called on my ‘yes’ to speak; it said ‘no’!

So, where is the air, from here?
Where is the dream of my America?
Does the Sun shine in the son?
I called on my ‘yes’ to be silent; it said ‘no’!

Can no word cut like a sword?
A word can cut like no sword!
No sword can cut like a word!
I called on my ‘yes’ to repent; it said ‘no’!

Woeds came, like the sword,
until that moment I was angry at my world.
Moment came, and my life changed forever.
My 'yes' called on me; never say 'no'!

I was dealt the weakness to say ‘yes’,
confirming my liberal stream of slips.
My pants fall to the floor, easily.
I asked my ‘yes’ to say ‘no’; it refused!

Saying ‘no’ is easy; saying ‘yes’ is easier.
‘Yes’ is the expense we pay for being liberal.
“No’ is the fine charged for saying ‘yes’.
I asked my ‘no’ to say ‘yes’; it said ‘yes’!

The brim of the hat makes a shadow for the eyes.
The eyes are the hat for the shadow of the mind.
The mind is a constant camera for the soul.
I demanded my mind say ‘yes’! It answered ‘maybe’.

The shattered hands of an arthritic old man
can still pray, when alone, and placed together.
In a silent seek of grace, and peace,
I asked my God for life today; he said ‘yes’.
Open your eyes, and live again.

I went to Boom school last night!
Midnight rolled slowly by. The choking began. My body began to strangle me. I heard someone call me “blue”. The rush of the moment stilled my sense of the world. I was dying and I knew it! My mind went into ‘the tubes’. Electric bits of air ran passed an Elvis moment. There was no danger yet, but let go of the slide and you end up in the bloody river. The blood runs so slow, yet we are flying on that slide!
"Don’t let go of that slide boy!" I hear someone say. "It’s the only thing that keeps you sane."
One eleven, it was one eleven. Whose that ridin’ with me. I know you’re there man; if you weren’t with me, I’d be jumpin’ baby; I know I’d be jumpin’! I heard a song playing. The music was all strung out in notes of banging sound. The cutting blades noticed us. They came, taunting, close, and closer. If they catch our ass, we’re dead. What a rush it is to see that end comin’ closer. I’m scared man, I’m real scared, but what a rush! We’re riding the tube, you and I. I don’t know who you are, but don’t let go of me man! One eleven brother, it’s one eleven. I know the sorrow of my constant time. I know I’ll never come this close again, so make it good man! Don’t put a mask on the word; let it all out now! I see a clearing ahead, a light shines on us. It blinds our face; I can’t see; can you? Is that good? Is the ride over; or are we over? Is this the beginning of the rest, or is it merely the end of the beginning of the end. I know something serious is coming. I am beginning again. I know this is true now; I am beginning again! Look! Look at that! One eleven, it’s one eleven. I’m still here, man! I’m alive!
I opened my eyes the next afternoon, in my sweaty hospital bed. I was alive! I was still alive! I knew what that meant. Who was that with me? It was you, wasn’t it? I came here without you, and now I know who you are. Why did you save me after all these years of neglect? I believe in you now; I really believe. Is that why you saved me? I looked at the wall. The clock read one eleven.
I will walk with you for the rest of my days.

It was 1963. I liked to listen to the radio when I went to sleep. I remember hearing this song on WLS in Chicago. It was a Del Shannon song from one of his albums, but it wasn’t Del Shannon singing it. I loved it. I never heard it again for almost a year. I don’t remember who the DJ was, but he, that night, laid his hand on the heart of a new wave of music that was coming. It didn’t happen until a year later, in 1964, when the Beatles came. I remember an ad that Brian Epstein put out. All it said was:
“The Beatles are coming!”.
Nobody knew who the Beatles were. It was a brilliant strategy for promotion. When they came, it was a virtual prophetic storm, and perfect storm! The revolution had begun. The furry boys from Liverpool started a wave of Brits, attacking our music just like we attacked the Brits in the 1770's.
The song I heard that night, in 1963, was “Please please me” by the Beatles.
Here in Burlington, we had a place called the “Railroad Vets”. It was wild, wide open, hall that echoed our voices, as live bands blared sexual notions, and hot music. We did a circle dance, where one person would dance in the center. They’d pass a Beatle wig to the person who would have to get in the center and dance. That’s what I have memory of, about the Beatles. Suddenly, everybody was dancing, and I recall how happy the feeling was for us. The music got a shot, an infusion, of pure joy! The Beatles didn’t give a shit about convention. It was as if we woke up from a long sleep; it was all so new and fresh! There were words again; do-bop-a-dip was gone, and rock and roll was alive and well again.
Every music venue was examined their music to see what it was that caused them to be such sudden influence. My Beatles epiphany came with “And I love her”. The smooth flow of George’s fingers playing nimble, classical strings was a stone thrown into my soul. The first time I listened to it, I said to myself: “These guys can really make music!”. Remember the feeling?

Then, they took us on the big trip. “Rubber Soul” was the first indication that the Beatles were taking us somewhere else. They were asking what is “Norwegian Wood”, where is “Nowhere man”, love is “Michelle”, is loyalty worth everything “In my life”; God they were unstoppable!
Then, my favorite, “Revolver” came out. It was so weird, and I loved it! “Elenor Rigby” was a break through in strangeness. Their music had become totally different. They were not going to stay in the same old niche. They were reaching out there to the universe, asking questions, and we were being dragged along with them. “Here there and everywhere” was pure beauty. The best rocking the beatles have ever done, in my opinion, is “Got to get you into my life”. Wow, what a song! “Revolver” was a classic. But, there was one more coming.
It was a monument to music. “Sargent Pepper” came out, in 1967. There are those times you remember occurring when something special happens. I know exactly where I was when I first heard SPLHCB. I was laying on Mark Miester’s bunk in Korea. He put it on his player, and told me to listen to it with headphones. He handed me a joint.
“You’ll need this,” he said. I did, and was carried away! It was as high as I have ever been in my life. As we all know, music is enhanced by MJ. It was a trip I’ll never forget. Mark had told me to be sure and listen to the last note of “A day in the life”. That note lasted forever; it never ended; it is still there! It was an unbelievable experience. The Beatles were making classical, rock, that would never be forgotten.
When I got back home, in 1968, I was terribly disturbed by the pace of life. I had to slow my essence down to keep up with it! It was so different back home that I came apart. I didn’t want to face my children because I felt I deserted them. I left Diane wondering, as I went for the ‘high’. She brought me back to ‘the world’. I suppose only guys who have been there can explain it, but there is a gigantic adjustment that people have to make, after they’ve been to the darkness, and come to the light. I drank heavily; I was lost; we were lost, and I couldn’t come out of it.
In 1970 “Let it be” came out. I remember one night Diane and I were talking softly when “Let it be” came on the radio. I have, personally, never been redeemed like I was that night, with Diane, listening to Paul sing that song. That song bonded me to Diane. We would never allow the world to beat us. I knew then, that we would die together.
The Beatles: I have been redeemed by them. The Beatles are a huge part of my life. I’ve never heard anything to compare with there progression in music.
“When the night is clouded, there is still a light that shines on me; shine on til tomorrow,” : Let it be! I love the beatles!
Joe

Here is the definition of irony.
In 1993, during Burllington Steamboat Days, Reo Speedwagon was in the middle of "Riding out the storm", when the rain came. We never heard another note that night! Like the snap of a finger, we were standing in 6 inches of water. That song, for us here in Burlington Iowa, ushered in the '93 flood! It rained for weeks! The entire middle west was r
so ravaged by the flood, Noah would have been proud. For the next several months, we sand-bagged, cried with our neighbors, and fought that flood. But we made it!
The next year Reo came back, and began their concert with "Riding out the storm", as if to give the '93 flood the mighty finger. We went billistic! They rocked for two hours! I will never forget Kevin Cronin, after singing "Can't fight this feeling', and shouting: "to hell with that, let's rock and roll!". It sent the sorrow of the '93 flood packing; we were all so happy that night.
So today, I am at a motel in Pella Iowa. The entire state has been savaged by an ice storm that put over 500,00 people powerless! In this motel alone, there are 30 guys from Kansas City Power and Light trying to get the surrounding area towns back up, and running. 130,00 in Des Moines were without power and ...
The forecast for tonight is for freezing rain! I have flashlights and candles for the children and I tonight, just in case!
My two little grandaughters, Ashleigh and Kayleigh, have their own storming raging. My son Jeoff, and his ex-wife are in a custody battle for these two wonderful kids. I am caught in the middle, having to sit with them every other week, until a decision is made. This old man is learning a great deal by this experience. I haven't had to get kids ready for school in over thirty years. During this painful period, I am loving them all the more. They have this great humor, and intelligence. They are riding out their own storm, and I am so priveledged to be with them in this. I tell them about the other times, but they can't know now,that life will come out okay, and they can laugh again, with Mom and Dad. Right now, they only know the anger between them.
I only hope someday, when they get married, they will remember me and this period of their lives, and how we rode out the storm together. I love them so.
Everybody, no matter what happens, it's going to be okay.
Have your greatest day ever, I love you guys,
Joe