Manny Moreno Stopped by Book Readers Heaven to Talk! And Share... Incluing Poetry from His Santa Nella Blues book...

 

Went out to park at the reservoir. The wind was chopping up the waves. But the birds didn't seem to mind.

I sat in the car for awhile. Just staring out. Feeling something deep in my soul I needed to get out.
I walked up to the water and put down some tobacco. And I bowed my head to Grandfather.

Thank you for this day.
Thank you for the food and water.
Thank you for my health.
Thank you for letting me see things in your light.
Thank you for the patience you show me when I am downcast and tired of everything.
Thank you for the help you send in my need through the ones who come to my aid.
Thank you for this long time of solitude that I might find myself and separating me from the world of evil doers.
Thank you for my struggles and this poverty, that have forged my faith.
Thank you for watching over my family and friends.
Thank you for sending me a good friend for years, Homie my cat friend.
I thank you for everything.

As the sun began to sink behind the distant hills, I drove away and came back to this trailer. Still pretty hot inside. Homie cried to me that he was hungry. So I fed him and after he went outside.

I hope you have a peaceful evening.

A'ho 

I've been having a hard time, and anxiety and depression bring me down

I have battled against both since I was a boy, and haven't let that take me out. Being at this age is harder to snap out of it.

I accomplished what has taken decades of struggle to do, and that is I completed my memoir. But it doesn't take away the daily struggles to survive and take care of myself. I haven't been able to enjoy a little, life and its goodness.

I have another book that I've been working on for some time, and I hope to complete it soon.

I am into my thirtieth year free of firewater. And lately with all the stresses, I live one day at a time to continue with that.

The hospital stay and illness took something away from me.

Anyway, I would be grateful if I can get buyers to order The Elder. Every little bit helps. I don't live beyond my means. Just simple as I can.

When my book is finally published it will mean a lot to me. If you have never written a book you have no idea the time and difficulty and heartaches it takes to write about your life story.

With six books completed I still have a hard time convincing people to help in what they can so I can at least get by monthly.

I pray you have a blessed day

It's How It Is

Poem from My Book Santa Nella Blues

On a cold December

Winter solstice night

I kickback

Sip on coffee

Turn on the burners

Of the stove

and spin my wheels

Santa Claus and  Baby Jesus

Blinking colored lights

Joy to the world vibes

Are not here tonight

I look in the rearview mirror

At all those wonderful years

We gathered like family

At grandparents' homes

Bellies bulging with tamales

celebrating Baby Jesus' birthday

With Santa Claus on the way

There was always music playing

Holiday and Mexican classics

There was always the laughter of generations

With no end in sight

Our grandpas and grandmas

Looking on with delight

The ones who

Brought the family

Together

The elders

But they're all gone

We don't do that anymore

~~~

Yaqui Warrior Oath

"There will be no more daylight nor night for you.

There will be no more death for you

There will be no more pain for you.

There will be no more heat, thirst or hunger

for you, or rain, air, illness, or family

Nothing can intimidate you.

Everything has ended for you, except for one thing

The fulfillment of your duty.

You will keep the position you were assigned for the

defense of your nation, of your people, of your race, of

your customs, of your religion."

And then the warriors were asked:

"Do you swear to obey the divine commandment."

(Santa Nella Blues was dedicated in memory to many indigenous friends.)

*******

Tu'i bijpaam

I was a boy about to enter my teens on a hot summer's day.
Grandpa was standing in the distance, smoking his cigar and walked up to me.
He said, I'm going to teach you to drive a car. Get in your mom's car. It was a 54 Ford parked in the weeds.
He stood holding the open door to guide me and told me to start the car, and put it in drive and hit the pedal soft and slow.
Ok, Grandpa.
As I started to drive I pushed the pedal too hard and the old Ford spun out and grandpa was yelling for me to put my foot on the brake. I panicked and nearly crushed grandpa into a little tree.
Well, that was the only time grandpa tried to teach me to drive. I learned to on my own over time.
Ever since then I've felt that I had let grandpa down and that's why he gave up on me.
But tonight, it came into my thoughts. He didn't give up on me. He taught me the basics on how to drive a car. But he let me learn, by practice, on my own.
I learned.

That hot summer's day came back this hot summer's night. And released me from a lifetime of guilt and shame of that.

Thank you Grandfather.

A'h

The past couple of weeks I have had a rough time trying to sleep early. I have been staying awake until the early morning hours and sleeping past noon. These stresses have worked into depression and this solitude has beaten me down.

This memoir has taken years to work on, a hundred drafts and going over it more times than I can count. So many times I've swore to stop. Give up. It's as if an unseen force or forces come at me to discourage and hinder me from completing it. The help I need to see this book completed, trickles in now and then. I hate asking but I have no other way to get by as it is. Finding work when I can is usually manual labor to clean properties and physically at my age harms me. It frustrates me to no end.

I could use some encouragement and help and prayers. Thank you.

Have a blessed day.

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/monolin

https://cash.app/$mrmonolin

******

During the last few days I've been helping an immigrant from Iran with his memoir as well. My understanding of Manny's wish to update and expand his memoir is totally understandable to me and I've helped as I am able... I add to his last plea to honor and confirm that I have been helping Manny by sharing his books here as well as by financial support.

For these men, and many others especially at this time under this administration in the United States, I found that what has been done to both, historically affected their very lives so deeply that they want and, really, need to have some type of confirmative response from others who understand just how much damage, that rich white men, have done, often through the manipulation of religion and outright lies about what God wants for His children...

Many many people are writing about what has happened in the United States. While millions/billions are being made, the middle and lower people in financial income brackets are, often, to the point of starving, without any hope offered from the government. Indeed, they are the ones that are causing the financial problems, while lying, and millions of little/major changes are being made in which rights of our citizens have been totally removed...

Let me be frank, the millions of dollars that is spent for politics is ridiculous in my opinion and others have began to question exactly why so much is felt to be required... for merely doing a job... I gave during the 2020 election, only to discover the fickleness of many who look to the government for everything. It really shouldn't work that way, right? Bottom line, if politics has become so bad that citizens are expected to pay extra just to be allowed to vote for our own choices, something has gone very wrong... and it is clear by the increase to the deficit now occurring, that this particular administration has worked to destroy what had already been accomplished on behalf of residents of the nation. If I have a little extra, I provide for "the least of these..." as asked by God Himself... It has worked for me inasmuch as now I'm being told which individuals to give priority for my support in time and, if possible, funds...

If his words, at all, made you concerned about Manny, my adopted in spirit brother, while reading this article, I hope you will open your hearts and figure out just how you can help those who are being targeted by the white supremacists who are daily taking more and more from people all other the country who cannot even afford to provide food on their tables...

Who could have guessed when a land we now call the United States was discovered and people came to find their "freedom..." that some, in turn, immediately used force, lies, and tricks to manipulate the tribes of indigenous people who were already living here... Just because of the color of their skin... How else could this type of prejudice have continued for hundreds of years... And, now, coming to a point where the United States is merely another country such as Russia, Germany, England, and so many others who feel that they could use force/violence to steal to make themselves richer... No wonder this group of republicans are striving to delete their own dirty history... of repeating exactly the type of oppression which caused their ancestors to relocate...to a new land...

God Bless Manny and all those who are embarrassingly forced to beg under this administration...

Gabby

Please watch for a post tomorrow on my sister blog. I found a video when I was looking for the last song which I've loved and sang for many years... You all need to see it as an attachment of today's and many other posts on my two blogs...