Introduction
Reviews
Poems
( Christmas and others)
Final
Thoughts
With this month, we bid a fond farewell to another year. I will not
say "Millennium" or "Century", because that doesn't happen until 2001.
Yeah, I know, get over it, well, I won't!
The time of Christmas, the season of lights and yule logs. Its sitting
beside the fireplace with a cup of warm egg nog, its singing Christmas
carols and maxing the plastic to the limit.
A special welcome to all first time readers of the 'zine. If you
enjoy what you're going to read, consider becoming a contributor to future
issues. Each issue is the result of the creativity of a lot of people.
I am simply the humble scribe.
This book isn't quite a Christmas book, but it would make a great gift to the reader in your life. "Home from the Vinyl Cafe" is a collection of short stories by Stuart McLean based upon his radio program, "The Vinyl Cafe". This is a record store owned Dave. The store has as its motto "We're not big but we are small". The book chronicles a year in the life of Dave, his wife Morley, and their children Stephanie and Sam. It begins with the Christmas Dave attempts to cook a turkey to the next Christmas, when Dave adds rum to the wrong eggnog. It's a hilarious examination of the foibles, joys, pratfalls and love that is in everyday life. The humour is always gentle and never cruel. The stories are of their friends, neighbours, pets and holidays. Reading it will help you to see life doesn't need laugh tracks and writers. Humour can be found in the life. All we need to do is search for it. McLean has been described as Canada's Garrison Keillor, so that should help you to understand the style and nature of the writing. Its well worth the effort to find and read.
A collection of poems for the season.
Christmas Jazz
familiar
tunes
blowing
through the sax
the
trumpet wails
the
angel songs
jazz
Christmas time
hot
rifts
improvise
the familiar tunes
the
silent nights
with
definite swing
jazz
Christmas time
background
piano
so
cool it makes its own snow
to
help with the celebration
jazz
Christmas time.
Peace on Earth
ain't
gonna learn war no more
still
waiting for those angels
to
say it again
I
wanna hear
the
message of that night
that
war is no more
and
killing has stopped
just
give me some peace
and
the silence to start
let
me turn my ear to heaven
and
hear them sing again.
New Year Perplexing
its
the millenium of celebration
a
thousand years have finally gone by
who
cares if we really are
a
year too soon or seven years
too
late
forget
the meltdown and
y2k
bugs
its
time to let loose and
party
give
us the lists
we
want the lists
of
the famous and powerful
the
rich and creative
who
have shaped our times
to
what they are now
my
only question
with
all the people we could choose
how
come
most
of them
have
appeared on "People"
over
the last year?
'Tis the season They're here upon us again, the season's holidays I think all of us look at them in many different ways Some think of the true meanings which is why they celebrate While others are saddened by lost ones, Christmas never comes too late Then there are those who thrive on them, buying everything in site Spoiling their kids but not focusing on what happened, that special nite Our Savior was born, God turned into man to save us one and all All of us who would believe in him, and follow him standing tall On this Christmas holiday, Jesus' birthday that is, I just need to say Thank God for humbling himself to send his son, and to remember it every day I think it's wonderful to give to others, especially this time of year As it is wonderful to see people's faces, when they are so full of cheer As for those who suffer around Christmas time, I have something to offer you That if you believe in what happened that night, and believe in his words too Then you've got a big reason to celebrate, focus only on just one thing That you can someday be with God, for He sent our newborn King (c) Copyright 1999, William MacFeat
| Join the Creative Community of Cjack Magazine. For more information go to: http://www.users.fast.net/%7Ecj2000/index.html | Available for Christmas
"The First Fifty Years" by Charlotte Mair. Poetry chapbook. http://artvilla.com/mair/ |
When in Vancouver, or online, visit: Blacksheep Books ,your independent, alternative bookstore. |
| "melange" a Journal of the Written Arts.
Available in journal form or on the web at:
http://hometown.aol.com/melangemail/index.html |
This space could be for your cultural classified write to:
pabear_7@yahoo.com for more information. |
I've enjoyed putting this issue together. I hope all of you will
take the time to enjoy the holiday season. No matter what holiday
you celebrate, enjoy.
Music for the zine-
Loreena McKennitt- "A winter garden".
All work is copyright
©1999.
"Above Ground Testing"
is part of the AGT family of ezines. Submissions willingly accepted.
If you wish to submit, please read the guidelines.
Please e-mail your work pabear_7@yahoo.com
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