Time to Rhyme to Infamy 9/11: A Partial Diary from 12/31/1996 to 09/11/2001

By Anthony Melli

For Me

Thoughts within this book you find,

Put into words what came to mind,

Thoughts in rhyme on page you see,

Were written from an urge in me.

I write in rhyme myself to please,

Make no claim of English expertise,

When poetry my mind does fuel,

Want not be tied to structured rule.

With spelling and with punctuation,

I may not have a good relation,

So if English rules for you have need,

You may not want this book to read.

Tony Melli

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781475934472

Anthony Melli

I was born at the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois on October 30, 1930. My parents moved from Chicago when I was 2 weeks old to New York State where I was raised in Rochester, NY. I was the 2nd youngest in a family of 6 children. I had 3 older sisters, an older brother and a younger sister. When I was 16, I was a little headstrong and ran away from home. I was on my way to Canada but spent the night at a hotel near the bus station in Buffalo, NY. That evening I was in a White Tower all night restaurant and ran into a friend of my father’s who recognized me and came over to talk to me. He lectured to return home telling me he would convince my parents to sign for me to enlist in the Army when I turned 17, which was only a short time away. He called my parents and I did return home and did enlist. The recruiting station was somehow aware of my arrival and all went quickly with my entry into the United States ARmy Air Corp that was then in the process of transitioning to the United States Air Force. I remained in the Air Force for almost 29 years, retiring with the rank of Lt. Colonel. As an enlisted man I served as an Airborne Radio Operator/Mechanic and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant before entering the Navigation Cadet Program at Harlingen Air Force Base, Texas. I was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and was a Navigator on WB-29s flying over the Pacific from McClellan AFB in Sacramento, California. From there I went into the Pilot Training Program at Marana Air Base just north of Tucson, Arizona. I was married in Harlingen, Texas and presently am blessed with 3 daughters, 3 sons-in-law, and 6 grandchildren; that with the holy vows of marriage have increased to 8. My military experience is a significant factor on how I view the meaning of life. A much bigger factor however, is my marriage, present family life, friendships, and mixed Spiritual beliefs. I have thought in rhyme for as long as I can remember but began to save my poetry, primarily, during my tour of duty in Vietnam. I have published three poetry books and expect to publish several more. before all is said and done.

Book preview

Time to Rhyme to Infamy 9/11

A Partial Diary from 12/31/1996 to 09/11/2001

Copyright © 2012 by Anthony (Tony) Melli

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-3446-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-3447-2 (ebk)

iUniverse rev. date: 06/21/2012

CONTENTS

For Me

Beginning From the End

Ninety-Six

Funk

Roster

Body

Vote

Bang

Last Meeting

Thanks to Jesus

Sixty-one

Doubt

Not Fear

Retreat

Cope

Rotary Blessing

Third Degree

Children

Precedent

A Little While

Easy Two

The Family of Rotary

Damn Pretty

Damn Pretty II

A President Dear

Reason

Again II

Welcome

Math

Grip

Invocation

Clear

Friendship

Unchanging II

Grateful’

Advice

Results

Sisters Two

Threat

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Almost

Dear Greg

Dear Rose

I Go

Place

Myrtle Melli

Music

Company Report

Not Yet

Joe Dan

Fun, Fun, Fun

O Come

Gus

Faith

I Find

Tis

Randall’s Table Talkers (Beanery/Bum Table)

Retribution

Perceptions

Ethics

The Best

Still Blend

Comfort House

Welcome AARRP

Not Yet

4 Way Test

Dear Tom

Lesson

Thanks

Jerry

Past & Present

Report

Ode to a Catfish

Universe

Done

Port Aransas (98)

Eagle’s Nest

Wildflower Café

A Boy

Savor

Mine

Scorn

Delusion

Greed

Some Day

Religion

Crew

Fred’s Beard

Margaret Clover

Not Fear

Tom

Shame

Solitude

Blessings

All Because of You

More Clear

Ode to Bill (Slick Willie)

Disgrace

Table

P.S. (Critique)

Post Script

AARRP CHEERS

Understand

Witness

Will Be Done

Sixty-three

I Chose

Laredo Again

Thanks to Jesus

My Guest

Ignorant Bliss

Blind

Secretary

Age

Communication

Because II

Queen B

King

Rotary Report

Increase

In Books?

Rotarian Barbarian

Engineer

Arctic (one-ince) Flowers

At Port Aransas

I Find

Sham

Local

Succeed

Mystery

Straw Poll

Who You Are

Attitude

Surgeon

Again

Creationism/Evolution

UA Rotary

Ethics/Morality

Review

Governor

Duty

Without Me

Broken Spoke

Blessings

To Mark

Boundaries

45th

From Hell

Math II

Sunshine

Order

Ask

What’s

What the Heck

American

Flying Two

Realization

Church Balcony

But A Dream

There is a Time

Greetings

Flying Three

Y2K

Finance Report

Membership

Rotary Blessings

No Greater Gift

E-Mail Report

Choir

Raffle Prize

Jim McEnelly

Dr. Forgione

Change

Tolerance

Eternity

Change II

Enemy

Believe

Endure

Flying Four

To Dirk

Immune

Betrayed

Restore

Piggy Back

Clear

Thank

Explain

Renew

Beginning

Grace

Still Near

Rejoice

Wrong

Done

Get Over It

Understand

Systems

Words

Chemotherapy

Marriage

I’m Sure

Miracles

Rotary Toast

List

Nunsense

Arms

Appreciate

Insanity

Thank You

Embrace

Dumb Mac

RR Ranch

Y Not I

317th

Wings

Patience

No Less

Sunday

Legacy

Won

Constitution

The Law

Christianity

Forty-four

SW Writing Rep

Tis

Crude

Deny

Help

Show

Apology

Magazine

Blank

Grace 2

The Case

Control

The Case Review

Brass

Valentine

Haste

Pastoral Prayer

Clown Prince

Happy Birthday

Mahalia

Second Chance II

As Believed

Doubts

The Case II

The Prayer (of Jabez)

Telescope 2

Cosmic Discovery

Last Words

Creation

Fantastics

Self

Father’s Day

Vocation

Faith Class

Show Me How

Infamy

For Me

Thoughts within this book you find,

Put into words what came to mind,

Thoughts in rhyme on page you see,

Were written from an urge in me.

I write in rhyme myself to please,

Make no claim of English expertise,

When poetry my mind does fuel,

Want not be tied to structured rule.

I have no choice when poem begun,

I cannot rest until writing done,

With words my mind does open wide,

Expressing thoughts I have inside.

With spelling and with punctuation,

I may not have a good relation,

So if English rules for you have need,

You may not want this book to read.

But if by chance you somehow do,

I hope you find it was good for you,

The thoughts on page I put to rhyme,

Are not for you - a waste of time.

That thoughts expressed upon the page,

With yours in tune and did engage,

Although there some you might contest,

You are pleased in book you did invest.

But if some thoughts somehow offend,

This last in rhyme to you now send,

Offending you not the book’s intent,

Was meant for me my thoughts to vent.

06-05-2012

Introduction to Passing Time With Rhyme

Beginning From the End

For this fourth poetry book I will begin from the end,

From the end of year 1996 for my thoughts to extend,

Then from 1996 with that year’s last poem I did write,

Proceed to what followed with what mind did incite.

This 4th book may be titled Passing Time With Rhyme,

To begin with poem missed in 3rd book Passing Time,

That poem Ninety-Six was left out of book to show,

To make writings more complete in this one it must go.

Four years of a partial diary I think this book will hold,

But remains to be seen on how the future does unfold,

How health and other factors that to daily life do bind,

Will then decide what the ending of this book will find.

Thoughts on politics & religion came date 09/11/2001,

With that day of infamy felt the time for book had run,

The writings in my next book after that date will follow,

Will see then if war against terror is genuine or hollow.

Book was not written for others but for me to express,

What on my mind intruding that thoughts did impress,

This book will have no posted index by Title and page,

Rather by the Title and the date will the index engage.

With that introduction to format the book will proceed,

Put into an MSWord file the poems I will enter to read,

Poems in the book written mostly to help pass the time,

That I will title to Infamy, preceded by Time to Rhyme!

05-05-2012

I dedicate this book to my wife Myrtle Anne, to my precious family, to my friends, and all those who give my life purpose and meaning.

I will begin this, my fourth book, with the poem that should have completed my third book titled, Passing Time. I have the urge to assure the poetry I have written, that I feel expresses correctly what I was attempting to express, is included in what I publish. Thus I begin this book with the toasting to friends my wife and I were sharing the New Years Eve celebration with in the year 1996.

Ninety-Six

A toast – a toast – to Ninety- six –

To those who in this house do mix –

To Peg and Jerry our most gracious host –

Lift up a glass – a toast – a toast.

To those on Sunday we would greet –

In Faith Class room where we did meet –

To the fun and laughter we found there –

A toast – a toast – let us now share.

To all the years that we have known –

The love, support to each was shown –

To events in church that we partake –

A toast – a toast – to that now make.

To year now old and year brand new –

The Faith Class things together we do –

Creative discussions that help us think –

To this as friends – a toast – let’s drink!!!

Happy New Year

12-31-1996

The year of 1997 began with a poem expressing my thoughts to a good friend on a book he asked me to review to give him my opinion. He thought it might be something we would do together in a presentation to our Sunday School Faith Class. This may not be the best way to begin the book – but so be it.

Funk

Honest to Jesus written by Robert W. Funk –

Is a book on religion that’s just full of bunk,

He examines the bible and goes to the heart –

How modern day scripture first got its start.

He devastates bible conventions with his research –

And all of his writings leave me in the lurch,

Leaves me in a quandary for naught can I find –

That brings much enlightenment of Jesus to mind.

On papyrus, then parchment, then paper found word –

That recorded New Testament stories now heard,

The stories of Jesus transcribed from the past –

His own interpretations on them he did cast.

I’m amazed at conclusions from them that he draws –

To me it appears that he was grasping at straws,

He belabors some parables and what they portray –

In an excess use of verbiage that caused me dismay.

In fact with his book not much merit I see –

The uncertainty in scriptures still murky to me,

But Jesus may be a bastard does merits some thought –

And cause much discussion if the book to class brought.

01-01-1997

This next was something I wrote when asked again by a good friend in the Rotary Club I was the Treasurer of. I was also the maintainer of the Club Roster and he wanted me to assure that the roster was up-to-date.

Roster

As your designated poet at start of New Year –

To fellow Rotarians who are now gathered here,

On this our first meeting to start the year right –

Have a request from one of our members tonight.

That member will be our next president you know –

And he with his family on vacation did go,

But before he departed he assigned me a task –

To up-date the Club Roster of me he did ask.

Of course I agreed cause I’m such a nice guy –

So tonight before leaving, before you say goodbye,

Check your stuff on the roster and if all is okay –

Make no change to the data to keep it that way.

But initial your name whether errors or not –

So the club will know a clean roster we got,

With poetic license and announcement all done –

Wish you all a great year in this new one begun

Happy New Year

01-20-1997

After a restless night, I captured my dreams in the following poem early, early that morning.

Body

The body is merely a vessel –

made for life here on earth,

And when the life cycle is over –

the body loses its worth.

It loses all of the value –

for purposes that it was made,

As a sanctuary here on this planet –

where Spirit life is displayed.

A home for Spiritual dimension –

a dimension with no physical form,

To provide the Spirit a shelter –

as it ventures through the storm.

Through storm that is known as Creation –

on a journey that has no end,

And the body is one of its way-points –

where the Spirit in body does blend.

Where Spirit in the soul of the body –

can now to itself reveal,

The taste, touch, aroma of living –

only senses of body can feel.

Where the Spirit surrounded by matter –

in body of blood, bone and flesh,

Now a Spirit in touch with Creation –

with consciousness vibrant and fresh.

Fresh from the goodness of living –

that the Spirit from body can take,

While in soul of the body to influence –

decisions the body can make.

Yes the Spirit and the body together –

joined by Creation for choice,

When in concert one to the other –

in Grace of God’s blessings rejoice.

In dream last night while was sleeping –

all this, all this I did see,

Now my Spirit prevails as I waken –

and joins in this poem with me.

It joins me with this revelation –

that together we each must relate,

To give meaning to life oh so precious –

in this union that God did create.

01-04-1997

Another poem written concerning the Rotary Club I was a member of. There will be several of these in this book. It related to a vote by the members to a matter of importance:

Vote

At our last meeting we were given a vote –

And how it was taken is worthy of note,

We all raised our hand just to confirm –

What presenter of vote to us did affirm.

The choices presented could have been tough –

Of the two men before us we knew not enough,

But from the presenter it was well understood –

The credentials of either were totally good.

The vote on this evening it seems was a must –

So the choice was decision primarily on trust,

Trust in the presenter – good faith of his word –

And how one accepted the judgments just heard.

Our speaker his preference reluctantly state –

His reasons for recommendation openly relate,

Then all but one with his choice did agree –

The process completed was instructive to me.

To me was a lesson how some positions are won –

From trust in another – the good works he’s done,

Your word is your bond and if you’re believed –

The vote demonstrated – objectives achieved.

01-09/12-1997

On completing the book by Michio Kaku titled Hyperspace. A scientific odyssey through parallel universes, time warps, and the 10th dimension – I wrote the following:

Bang

Of the Creation theories that I’ve perused –

With the Big Bang theory I’m really amused,

This scientific theory, this guessing game –

States from a great explosion – Creation came.

Some millions, maybe billions of years ago –

Exactly how many they really don’t know,

But it’s only a theory, a theory they’ve got –

So whether million or trillion it matters not.

Yes the Big Bang theory is conjecture, pretend –

There’s no known beginning, infinity? no end,

It’s presumptive theory from physics now known –

Those elements and forces by scientists shown.

Using physics and chemistry they extrapolate –

How heat with the elements in our universe relate,

So it’s the best supposition from scientists smart –

That all of creation from a Big Bang did start.

But in this universe vast, this infinite space –

It is certain to me no beginning they’ll trace,

Although many secrets on earth still to find –

The Big Bang, beginning, is a metaphysical kind.

It comes from something that physics can’t show –

A Medium, a Profundity, that we may never know,

A Dimension surrounding in this life we can’t see –

And it was there in the beginning – God’s Energy.

01-12/15-1997

One evening when the editor of our monthly Newsletter was absent, I was asked by our Rotary Club President to take notes for that meeting. I took the notes and then wrote the following:

Last Meeting

At our last meeting the raffle prize –

from one member we liked a lot,

It was a tan and brown ceramic hat –

with green chili salsa hot.

When all the tickets were finally sold –

and the numbers read – surprise,

Was not the normal ticket winner –

but my wife who won the prize.

Still that lucky winner was not left out –

when basketball drawing complete,

That lucky winner took the tickets home –

thus continuing his winning feat.

That evening was shown by a presenter –

a promotional video on Lafayette,

To encourage our April meeting there –

in a celebration we won’t forget.

The Sergeant At Arms then did his stuff –

and he levied out a fine,

Assessed a buck cause she lacked a badge –

on a guest – this wife of mine!!!

Now our president asked if I’d take notes –

on what at the meeting was done,

So being your poet I readily accept –

that was when this poem begun.

Our evening speaker very confidently spoke –

and her message we couldn’t deny,

Business ethics not based on rules of law –

but the Golden Rules that apply.

There’s another event on which to report –

nearing Paul Harris Fellow drive end,

It seems we are almost a hundred percent –

as our efforts together we blend.

That’s my report on the last meeting had –

I hope’s been enlightening to all,

Know you missed the editor reporting this stuff –

but remember, on you next – she may call!!!

02-21-1997

This next was written on reviewing saved church bulletins from the notes I had annotated to them during the services.

Thanks to Jesus

Thanks to Jesus for the thought –

That everything by God was wrought,

Thanks to Jesus for the gift –

It gives to some a needed lift.

It gives a religious explanation –

A way to garner ones salvation,

The life that Jesus lived so well –

Is gift He gave to save from hell.

The Bible story makes this so –

To those who Jesus really know,

All other if they don’t believe –

On judgment day in hell may grieve.

Notes in church that I have taken –

These thoughts in me this day awaken,

Upon the church must place the blame –

Where notes and Thanks to Jesus came.

In church these words on page were made –

Faith, hope, love on the sheet displayed,

Love underlined as the greatest of these –

Reason I wrote them my mind does tease.

I try to recall what the Minister said –

From sermon or bible, something he read,

What in the service did mind engage?

Why write these words upon the page?

Impossible Miracle, question marks two –

There on the page my eyes now review,

Intrigued by the thought for miracle to me –

Is that, only that – impossibility.

Ended my notes on the page on that day –

Bulletin saved though was hidden away,

Today on another beside it did find –

A poem annotated that came from my mind.

As I sit within this church today –

For God’s understanding I now pray,

Within the service that I hear –

I seek to find an answer clear.

Prayer of confession that was read –

Another I would have made instead,

Would pray to God to take my hand –

This life I live to understand.

Confess to God that I have doubt –

On what