I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have stopped by this blog in the months that I have been blogging. I am moving on to other things and will just be entirely too busy to do this anymore and so, I want to say that there are so many that I will miss who have touched my heart in some way though they may not know it.
I would like to thank Jeff, Jerry, T.J., Tubularsock, Linda, Shainbird, Sky, No Black Pete, Prince, Malcolm, the SecularJurist, Jenny Cecilia, MisBehaved Woman, and so many others for keeping me inspired and for inspiring me. All of you are wonderful people who have much to offer. Please keep the light shining and keep uncovering that which should not be concealed. A special thanks to ‘Guillotine Mediocrity’ for their tireless efforts at exposing the lies and hypocrisies and offering up hope with enlightenment.
I will keep the blog up because of all the hard work that I put into it and with the hopes that some of my rather lame attempts at poetry will strike a spark of hope in a poor soul who may chance upon it.
And so I bid you all, Au revoir!
shelbycourtland 
This is sad news ….. your work is so powerful, meaningful and necessary. Whatever you are moving toward I hope will be positive for you. But I will truly miss your thoughts and wisdom. Take care.
LikeLike
Shelby,
“Great Spirit we pray for the good health and well-being of our sister Shelby. We ask that her days be filled with love, peace, and joy. We pray that Shelby, and all men and women on Earth, have a good life.”
Thank you for all the honest talks, Shelby. My thoughts are certainly mirrored by all those who shared talks with you here. I wish you nothing but the best, and hope that you stay in touch. If you ever just need to talk to someone, you know where to find the friends you’ve made. If you have any thoughts which rise to the level of being worth sharing, please do not hesitate to connect. Just to let you know, you have a friend for life.
With very best wishes for you Shelby,
Thank you,
Jerry
LikeLike
My heart is sad for my own selfish reasons but hopeful you are truly moving on to better things. Your voice is strong and clear and I know you will not let it be silenced or minimized. Keep in touch and long may you run, Shelby. Peace to you always.
LikeLike
Shelby,
A sad day, for all your friends and loyal readers. I am deeply sorry that you must leave us so soon — I will miss your challenging words, and your exuberant spirit. Thank you for sharing so much of your inspiring talent, passion, courage, intelligence, honesty and humor with all of us who have met you through this blog. I am privileged to have encountered your excellent work, which we all know is anything but lame. And I’ve been astonished by the caring, lovable personality you’ve shown us through your writing, and by your clear, powerful voice demanding justice and truth. I feel sure you will make more good use of your gifts as you take the next steps in your life.
As you journey on, I wish you worthy traveling companions, good health, peace of mind, and every joy. Bon voyage, to our valued and valiant comrade!
With all my love and respect,
Linda
We walk with friends from every nation
On freedom’s highway, in times like these
LikeLike
Dearest Shelby,
I will very much miss talking to you, my dear Friend.
Yet I absolutely understand your reasons… (Maybe not for the same reasons but for a while I have been getting close to making the same decision. )
I hope and wish that your ingenious, and in fact unique, poetry and all your writings, will somehow reach a much wider audience and appreciation “out there”.
I also hope, and pray, that you will find the very place that you will call home and where the evils of this world will not reach you.
And of course I hope that all your efforts will one day take effect on a much larger scale than we might think to be possible today.
I hope you don’t think I am a pompous fool if I bid you farewell with these parts of a translation of a poem, (one of my favourites) which was written in the 19th century by a poet of my country:
“When you see and feel the hurt
Of the shoulder carrying the truth,
Mind and honour crushed by the herd
While crime is giving envy birth
And the cruel finds heaven on earth,
Faith is the scale on your side.
So put your little hands together,
And pray, just pray, my little child.
When growing up you come to understand
You have no home on your fathers’ land,
And the space between your cradle and the grave
Has been the border for centuries to save,
Then find comfort in the holy word:
“We’re all nomads and refugees on earth” (*)
So put your little hands together,
And pray, just pray, my little child.
Hope for a worthy home to find,
Where virtue will triumph in the end,
Lest your fate in this world of the sword
Would make you rise against the Lord.
Walk with joy in your heaven’s dreams,
Take this kiss for the grand voyage:
Put your little hands together,
And pray, just pray, my little child.”
***
With much Love and lots of hugs {{{{{{ Shelby }}}}}}
skywanderer
LikeLike
PS: I still hope you will come back, Shelby – or at least occasionally will post. I also hope we can keep in touch on Twitter. I would really love to hear that all is and will be well with you. : )
LikeLike
I’m being presumptuous, but may I second Skywanderer’s hopes that you will visit or call home now and then? Take very good care of our Shelby … and yes, take care of her alter-ego that most rascally Reverend as well!
A bientot,
Linda
LikeLike
Shelby, I understand about the time issue. But, I’ll miss reading your great blog posts very much. Best wishes, and hope you come back!
LikeLike
Shelby, my heart dropped when I entered and read this post. You are a fresh voice out here and a rare one too! I have barely come to warm myself at your door, when I quickly felt your strength and your fire. And this is what brought me back, because you gave me strength. Reading your powerful posts, I have moved on smarter and stronger. I hope you are moving to continue the greatness you have embodied here at your blog. I shall miss you, dear Shelby, and pray you go forth in health and peace. Keep in touch. shainbird@gmail.com.
LikeLike
I love you one and all! Each of you has touched me deeply with your heartfelt words of encouragement and depth of feeling.
I just finished moving yet again and this time I moved to get away from it all. I meant to stay away from here also, but as someone once wrote, “once you feel and care, you can’t ever stop even if you try.” It may not be word for word, but that is the gist of it and even though I have moved far, I cannot outrun that which is a part of me, no matter how hard I try. TotalWorldView, once stated that if I thought that I make no difference, that I am wrong in my thinking.” I only know that it pains me so much the things that I cannot do.
Periodically, I will write because it will come as it did with “Turned Back.” I cannot stop caring and I should not stop caring and I see that each and every one of you care. You’re simply the best!!!!! And I thank you all! I feel that I am undeserving of your comments as I do not live up to them, sadly.
LikeLike
Hey! What happened? Do not tell me that you moved to Paris! But, I see you are still about. We shalleth meet again. Peace
LikeLike