COUNTRY WISDOM NEWS

CHRISTMAS DAY,, 2016

 

(YES VIRGINIA, FRANCIS CHURCH LIVES,,,) 

 For a few years now these blogposts ( I would be flattering meself if I dared call them essays or even feuilletons, a word I could not find fast enough in my handy Webster's nor can I even pronounce correctly) have been attributed to my literary appropriator "The Joyful Moocher" - a tradition I am proud to continue by the way. In a previous life I often found it necessary and most lawful to ask permission of those whom I would dare to copy and more often than not I would receive such blessings as long as the rules were followed. As I have calcified with age my manners have withdrawn- as have I- and as I've convinced meself that very few people on this planet read my little blog I have gotten into the poor habits of what is fast a American Ruling Party custom: just act as if "it don't matter" anyway. As far as the Republicans are concerned there is ( to mooch from Yeats) "more substance in their enmities than in their love".

So on this Christmas Day if you're feeling not quite yourself for some stuck-in-your-craw reason, or the site and sounds of a Newt Gingrich are stomping in your Sunday morning head or visions of Kellyannes are clouding your mind, An American Appoggiatura is honored to share with our patient reader the following letter written by Mr. Robert M Lehnert which appeared in the December, 2016 issue of COUNTRY WISDOM NEWS :    

"November 10 - I've had much on my mind lately. Much I could not make sense of, understand and pull together in a complete coherent thought. Today, I finished reading Alan Paton's "Cry,The Beloved Country". I was moved by the following passage:

"It was Msimangu who had said, Msimangu who had no hate for any man, "I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they turn to loving they will find we are turned to hating." Oh, the grave and somber words."

These words spoke to me. The words seemed so appropriate and necessary. A message of guidance and of warning. After reading it I knew what I wanted to say, and so I wrote:

It is a call to arms.
It is a time, as always, to fight.
And what will be your weapon of choice?
Mine is love.
Mine is kindness.
Mine is compassion.
Mine is understanding.
Mine is patience.
Mine is perseverance.
And when the battle is won, the fight will rage on,
and I will not tire.
Love & the spreading of love will
thrust me ever onward and be my
fuel.
Love will be my map, my guide.
For you my brother, for you my sister,
I will battle the horrors of ignorance.
I will not allow the death of civility.
I will cast the fear from hearts that
have embraced evil.
I will heal those who build their comforts
upon the suffering of others.
I will forgive those who wound because
they have not learned to heal.
I will tear open the minds of the
indoctrinated and lead them to
enlightenment.
I will embrace the highest power, not
simply in names and words and
doctrines, but in spirit & spirit of action.
I will combat darkness, by becoming
a bringer of light.
And I will not allow you to be consumed
by hatred. And I will hold fast 
and not allow my love to be stripped
from me.
Because I still believe, that love can
move mountains, that love can tear
down any and every wall.
I still believe, that fear has no power 
in the presence of love.
I still believe, what I have always
known, that it all begins, with me."

- Robert M. Lehnert, Patchogue 

On Thu, Dec 15, 2016 at 10:38 AM, Sam Enderby wrote:

Dear Country Wisdom,

Recently my wife and I ventured a road trip (you've never driven with her) up north a bit to Catskill and back down to New Paltz- we live close to Montgomery- and somewhere along the way I picked up your wonderful December issue.  How I never read it before I'll never know for I am always looking and reading and at my age that's pretty much all I ever do- anyway... It should be at least a weekly and it should be always a (union?) printed and locally published (hand-cranked if possible) and subscribed to ( but with exceptions) and freely distributed and beautifully written as it is. In your recent issue there is a lovely "letter to the editor" submitted by a Robert M. Lehnert from Patchogue,  which I believe is out on Long Island where many highways  end and once the Klan roamed unhinged- according to my grandmother (this was during the first "world war" times) and so Mr. L's letter is particularly a poignant and encouraging expression for today. I would like to re-copy it to my seldom read blog- with perhaps an intro and a word about your publication- I have no money to offer for any "rights" as such but I would be proud to offer the proper attributions. Mr. Lehnert is a mystery to me- I cannot even find him on those so-called social media outlets of Twitter and facebook- which tells me he must be a man of great warmth and integrity.

With thanks for your consideration and congratulations on your paper, I am

Sam Enderby 

Hi Sam.

Thank you for your kind words.

We strive to produce a high quality publication and it always feels great when someone recognizes our hard work.

Yes, you can publish Robert's piece on your blog.

As you said, just attribute it to being originally published in the December 2016 issue of Country Wisdom News.

I'm not sure where you live, but if you're not able to easily find Country Wisdom News, you can subscribe for $40 a year to receive the paper in your mailbox.

Happy holidays.

Chris Hewitt

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