Tag: Daughters

Life, Photograph, Poetry

A Happy Place

Mark Wayne

Where is your happy place?

That place where the moments linger and time melts into eternity. Where all seems right and the cares of this world seem to float away. Our lives are racked with pain and worry.

The world is crazy and evil exists, steadily creeping into our doubts and fears. I believe it is the simple things, those small acts of kindness. Which are often great acts of courage that just might save us. So, I ask again:

Where is your happy place?

Animals, Life

Do You Believe That Dreams Can Come True?

Mark Wayne

My 11-year-old daughter owns a full-blooded Arabian horse. Silver Sight, aka ‘Thomas‘. Who knew this is the way our lives would go? What once seemed an impossibility is now a reality

Here are two videos of our afternoon yesterday spent with Thomas at the barn. The first was edited using Magisto, with some still shots and music added.

And the second is the original video: turn up the sound and you will hear horses neighing and the pounding sounds of his hooves.

  • Paying for lessons to learn to ride – less dinners and movies out.
  • Competing in shows – has become our family vacations for two years.
  • Buying a full Arabian horse – let’s just say thousands of dollars.
  • Seeing my daughter happy, motivated and learning responsibility – Priceless!

It was my daughter’s dream to have her own horse. It was also my dream and it only took me 51 years to realize even if it is vicariously through her. 🙂 Never stop chasing and believing in the power of your dreams!

Life, Poetry

Comes A Reckoning

Mark Wayne
Whether she was conceived in love,
or not.
Under the cover of darkness,
or in the light.
Born into untainted innocence,
she still shines.
Like diamonds in the sky.
A candle lit for all to see,
lighting a path for others into tomorrow.
She grows more beautiful,
as times slowly goes by.
The world is full of adventure to explore,
and the innocence remains.
But sinister evil lurks,
behind lurid smiles.
Hiding dark thoughts and twisted desires.
They seek to take what is not theirs,
a gift that was hers only to one day freely give.
The winds howl and thunder rolls,
as she screams, “NO!”
Through the pounding beats of her shattered heart.
Within her mind he will now forever reside,
banging a drum for all time.
He took from her only what he desired.
Using and abusing he carelessly left behind
only a scarred shell.
The dark velvet of trickery and deceit,
silenced her screams.
He easily snuffed out her candle’s flame,
in a moment of his twisted glee.
Is she forever lost and fallen,
an angel with no wings.
For somewhere deep within she hides
from so many other things.
Her heart has melted into a pool,
like a candles puddled wax.
He took something she can never get back.
My father’s heart breaks as I look into her eyes.
The pain, the sorrow, where the only the haunting,
now resides.
To protect at all costs and shield her from the
misery and pain is my mission.
I will kill and destroy those who come,
to take from her only what they desire.
These are the hard hands that softly picked her up
when she fell.
These same hands that gently cradled her
to ease her pain.
Comes a reckoning with these same
hard hands, and you only have yourself to blame.

~Mark Schutter ©2014

This poem was written in response to the prompt to write About the Social Change You Want to See posted by Tamara Woods on The Reverie, a poetic publication journal. Whether it is child sex trafficking, child sexual abuse or rape; as a father and a man it sickens my stomach. This is pure evil that perverts what is pure for its own twisted desires. It exists in the world and it is up to us to be vigilant and to do what we can to protect and help the innocent.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
is for good men to do nothing.
~Edmund Burke