The Evolution of a Love Story: 1974–1975, Volume 2

By Mark O. Decker

Volume 2, containing poems from 1973, 1974, and 1975, is the second in a series of poetry books Mark Decker is publishing about the evolution of the love story that he and Molly share. There is some overlap with volume 1 in chronology. I was prolific in 1973 and 1974, said Mark. This volume contains some of the poems I like from that chapter of our story. Mark is already at work organizing and editing his next collection for volume 3, which will comprise additional poems from 1975 and include 1976. Mark has been writing for the past fifty years and is organizing, editing, and publishing his poetry, working his way from historical work toward the present. He continues to write. He and Molly live in Great Falls, Virginia. They have three children and seven grandchildren.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504986915

Mark O. Decker

The years 1973–1975 are included in Volume 2. These years were full of wide-ranging emotion, and these were very busy times. Mark married the love of his life, Molly McEwan, was working in the White House for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald R. Ford, and was still reeling from the tragedy of the Kent State University shootings, where the Ohio National Guard shot thirteen students—four of them were killed. Mark was a junior at Kent State when the shootings took place, and one of the four students killed, Sandy Scheuer, was a friend. He lost his father, Miles Burris “Bud” Decker, in January 1975, to cancer, at the early age of sixty-three. His dad included Mark in many of his activities, such as hunting, fishing, golfing, and wildcatting (oil well drilling). Vietnam was raging and an open wound that created enormous disagreement, personal and family friction between parents of the “greatest generation” who fought and won World War II and children who were college-age being sent to Vietnam. The Watergate debacle was an experience every day for all Americans, especially those who lived in Washington, DC, and most especially for those who worked in the White House for President Nixon. Mark also started law school while working full-time during this period, graduating in 1977 with a JD from George Mason University School of Law. Molly and Mark were there together as Watergate all unfolded. That was quite an experience for two young people in love. Molly spent several years working in the Senate during this period. First for the presidential campaign staff of Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) and then for Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) and then for the chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business. Mark noted, “It was a different Washington then. Much more collegial, much less adversarial. A happy town, and both the White House and Congress were respected much more than today.”

Book preview

Evolution of a

Love Story

1974-1975

Volume 2

Mark O. Decker

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© 2016 Mark O. Decker. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/23/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8692-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8683-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8691-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016904763

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Contents

A Child!      3-24-75

A Day in the Life of a Child       7-2-1973

A Flower In Winter       1974

A Haughty Breed       1974

A New World       1974

A Night Alone       3-29-75

A Partner to Undeveloped Land       8-5-1974

A Poet is a Lonely Man       10-22-1974

A Poet’s Life       1974

A Restless Man       1974

A Sense of Belonging       1974

A Smile (autobio)       1974

A Soothsayer’s Tongue       1974

A Stir of Life       1974

A Taste of Solitude       3-20-75

A Time For Change       8-23-74

A Toast to Evil K       8-30-74

A Wish       11-13-1973

A Writer       1974

A Zillion Golden Fibers       1974

Absolutely, Ordinarily Normal       9-11-74

After the Rise       7-6-74

All But The Sand Blind       1974

Always Dancing       1974

Always There is More       1974

America, My Land       1974

Angry Tides       9-12-74

As Close to Heaven as God Allows       10-23-1974

As He Lay Dying       1974

At Thirty Two       1974

Folk Poetry       1974

Best Effort       1974

Bring Your Troubles to Me       1974

Have Faith       1974

Take Time       1974

Butterfly       1974

Cancer Has My Father       1974

Children       1974

Children All Are We       3-26-75

Children Among Men       3-24-75

Children       6-17-1974

We See Now       5-24-1974

Chirping       1974

Coming Is a Story       11-27-1973

Contented       1974

Coping       8-14-1974

Cowards & Counselors       1974

Daydreaming on March 25th       3-25-15

Deceitful Leaders       9-24-74

Elephant’s Hide       7-3-74

Enough!       6-11-1974

Also True of Preachers       5-24-1974

Equilibrium       3-28-75

Exceptions Are Few       1974

Expression       1974

Facing Death       8-1-74

Father       3-5-75

Feeble Premonitions       1974

Life is Death is Life       1974

Find It       1974

Flight & Arrival       3-27-75

Flocks and Shepherds       4-3-75

Fools and Wise Men       4-11-75

For Reeny       1974

Foresight       10-9-1974

Contented       10-30-1974

Forward Rolls the Carriage       7-31-74

Foul Breath       1974

Fragile Passion       8-5-75

Freedom & Liberty       1974

Friendship’s Creed       4-16-75

Gerald R. Ford       1974

Grand Illusions       1974

Harmony       9-9-74

Heart’s Gay Repose       4-3-75

Here Is A Story       1974

History’s Echoes       6-7-1974

She is a Saint       10-23-1974

Home is A Fortress       3-26-75

I am a Tree       1974

I Am An Ox       3-2-75

I am Not a Ruler       5-5-1974

I Fear You’ve Lost Your Faith       3-5-75

I Need You       8-23-74

I Speak of Love       1974

I Will Miss You When I’m Gone

I’m Back       1974

I’m Pleased to Know       4-18-75

If I Leave Me Alone       3-12-75

If One Soul is Opened       9-10-74

If Only From a Distance       9-2-74

In Nature’s Den       1974

Is She Real       1974

It All Comes Back       1974

It Will Not Stop       11-12-1973

Just the Way it Is       11-12-73

Last Night I Spoke to Noah       9-28-1973

Lawyer’s Lament       8-30-74

Lazy Summer Day       8-6-1974

President Nixon       8-9-1974

Life is Absurd       9-12-74

Life is As it Should Be       2-27-1975

Life Is No Game       1974

Life Is What You Make It       8-6-75

Life Never Stalls       1974

Truth Lives       1974

Life Unfold       8-14-75

Listen       9-2-74

Little Boy       (auto bio / p 1 of 3)       1974

Little Boy (p 2 of 3)

Little Boy       (p. 3 of 3)

Love is Complex       9-9-74

Love       1974

Freedom       1974

At the Brook       1974

Man Needs Friendship       10-28-1974

The Fear       10-1974

Man Reflecting Nature       1974

Man, the Animal       4-3-74

Men of Congress       3-12-75

Men Who Outlasted Them All       11-27-73

Michael McEwan, the Artist       7-8-74

Mine to Give       1974

The Light in Her       1974

Molly & Mark       8-24-74

Mother Nature Knows       3 – 21- 75

My Dad, My Father, My Hero       5-14-1974

My Father       3-25-75

My Father       9-5-74

My Father       1974

Myself, Still Quite Undone       3-20-75

Nature’s Own       4-18-75

New Day Dawning       1973

Omnipotence       9-13-74

On Being A Washingtonian       1974

Onward       1974

Our Elders       7-23-74

Our Home       9-10-74

Our Love       4-15-75

Our Place       1974

Our Time Will Come       4-18-75

Our Willow Tree       1974

Ours to Shoulder       5-28-1974

Little Princess       5-28-1974

People Astray       4-2-75

People Pushing       3-31-75

Phasing Out       3-29-75

Poor Child       1974

In Law School       1974

Poor Chris Compton       4-16-75

Quest       1974

Quite a Step – A Sigh       7-8-74

Restoring a Life that is Full       1974

Reversing Guilt       4-11-75

Richard’s Rag       9-28-1973

Ride the Tide       9-28-73

Scrabble       9-28-73

Scribbling       1974

Second Trek Home       3-29-1975

The Power of the Pen       2-27-1975

Seeking Knowledge, Justice       3-21-75

She       2-15-74

She Is       3-27-75

Sky       7-17-1973

Slithering Critters       1974

Spring Is Here       1974

Square Pegs, Square Hole       1974

Stories & Choices       3-13-75

Take that Step       1974

Take Your Place in Life Honorably       3 – 10 75

Tell a Tale, Heart       1974

The Affluent Curse       3-20-75

The Age of Disbelief       7-23-74

The Answer       1974

The Artist       1974

A Tree       1974

The Blessing       1974

The Common Man       5-22-1974

The