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Archive for April, 2013

1927 Collin County Courthouse, McKinney Texas ...

1927 Collin County Courthouse, McKinney Texas Historical Marker (Photo credit: fables98)

 
 
The Old McKinney Square is gone.
The place of adventure and discovery
that I found as a young man in 1970.
 
My background was of one born in New York City.
I had no trinkets or heirlooms from my past.
Old decaying Brownstones in Harlem had no such things
especially from the poor family of an iron and steel worker.
 
I discovered the joy of collecting antiques
on the Old McKinney Square in those days.
The collecting became a passion for me
as I called each antique a precious find.
 
There was a magic in those crowded
dusty shelves
packed with hidden mystery.
 
Each shop owner
each dealer
became first name friends
with a smile and greeting
as I searched
a part of each day. 
 
It was about 2001
that my quests were no more
for you see
I ran out of space
for those treasures. 
 
Today in another April in 2013
added to my life.
I decided to again
visit my Old McKinney Square.
 
The warm friendly faces
that I once knew
where gone into the dusty trail of time.
 
The crowded shelves of discovery were no more.
The store fronts were new.
Their new chic names in Gold letters on them.
 
The antiques were new
made to look old.
They lacked a certain warmth
and history in their shiny new look.
 
My heart filled with sadness
for I then realized
I too would soon be gone.
 
The Old McKinney Square is gone
never remembered
but forgotten.
 
All my sweet memories
of joys past
will also be gone
into the eternal sunset.

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Courtesy of birthtourism.wordpress.com

Today the United States of America is on a dangerous path in its future.  On our current course we now have a nation where the average ethics, approach to excellence, average intelligence of our citizens is falling to new lows within U.S. society.  By the very nature of our immigration programs, have we brought the strength of our country to a new low. 

A country that allows its borders open to any illegal immigrant looking to drop their child on U.S. soil speaks volumes of the changes that need to be made to our immigration laws.  Defining what makes a true U.S. citizen should go beyond dropping a baby on our soil. 

Each child that is born on our shores by an illegal in this country represents hundreds of thousands of dollars in “Freebies” in community services, education and food stamps over the lifetime of now, what is now a “Legal, U.S. Citizen Child.”  This is a burden that the middle class U.S. Citizen of our country can no longer afford. 

We, as a country need to redefine what constitutes a legal U.S. Citizen.  A child born of a mother who is not a U.S. citizen should not automatically become a U.S. Citizen.  In fact the requirement should be for a child to have the status of a U.S. citizen should be that both parents be U.S. citizens at the time of the birth of that child.

By Line:  John Rigo is a first generation Italian.  Mr. Rigo’s Father came to the U. S. at age 16 thru Ellis Island from Northern Italy in 1926.  Mr. Rigo fondly remembers that his Father had two main goals in life.  One, was to become an American citizen, and Two, to speak excellent English to where no one would know he was a foreigner, he achieved both goals.

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English: Icon of Jesus Christ

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We often run from ourselves.
We seek change from where we were.
We then find that our lives became a circle.
 
A new love
is the image
of the old love.
 
The new neighborhood
has the same uncaring neighbors
of the old neighborhood.
 
It is then we discover
we have only been running 
from ourselves.
 
True change in life
in finding happiness begins
when we find Christ.
 
 

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.....is never lost.  Picture courtesy of John J. Rigo copyrighted 2013

…..is never lost. Picture courtesy of John J. Rigo copyrighted 2013

 
A ship in the sea of life
riding each wave of life
seeking the warm sun of each day.
 
The beauty of each dream as night falls
is never lost as it heads
toward the curve of each horizon.
 
Storms will blow
onward do we flow
in love and courage
by His hand.
 
Tomorrow brings the knowing in His love
the vastness of the ocean
is not so alone.
 
As long as we believe
we will never be alone.
 
For His love
surpasses all of this.
 
This and time beyond
this brief sea of life.          
                                                                                      

 

                                                                                                                                

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John J. Rigo’s name on the Veterans War Memorial in Mabank, Texas

John J. Rigo’s name on Veterans War Memorial in Mabank, Texas

As a senior, I know there is not unlimited time in my life to be in this world.  I believe we all want to leave some part of us in the world.  Something beside a tomb stone in a forgotten grave yard some place.  Perhaps the kind of grave yard where the tomb stone lays flat on the ground.  A place where machines run across huge expanses of tomb stones while mowing.

I am proud to say, there is a place marked for me.  It is a memorial of beauty in an East Texas town of Mabank, Texas.  The memorial is a salute to perhaps, some of the happinest days of my life.  It was my four years of active duty in the Air Force.  Knowing that this place exists where my name is among those who have served our country with honor, brings me a truly wonderful peace. 

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Courtesy of Fine Art America.com

Courtesy of Fine Art America.com

 
Knowing what I know now is a familiar saying.
With that knowledge and a time machine
where would I go now?
 
It would be the beginning of my life
back to the happiness days of my life
when I was a young soldier.
 
It would have been that day
in Happy, Texas when I first saw you.
The time we exchanged addresses
as the bus pulled out.
 
Knowing what I know now.
would I have lived my life differently?
I do know one thing for sure
the deep sadness I feel now
would not be within my being today.
 
A first love of the heart
is always remembered
never to be forgotten
in the eternal time
before us all.
 
 
 
 

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Courtesy of umazzing.com

As of April 2nd, 2013, the “Texas’ Poetry Site” reached another milestone of 37,000 plus hits.  My deepest thanks and appreciation to the WordPress family, and all those who share my spiritual poetry work, as well as my Texas’ Commentary posts regarding my community, Texas and the Nation. 

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Courtesy of philharras.wordpress.com

Courtesy of philharras.wordpress.com

This morning I thought of the Son I never had.
Today he would have been Fifty.
My son might have changed the world.
 
It would have been a better world
if my son had been born.
He may have been our President today.
 
It was fifty years ago
that at twenty-one
that my childhood bride
wanted to start a family.
 
It had only been a year
that I had been honorably discharged
from serving four year of military service.
 
It was a hard financial year for us both.
We were finally getting on our feet
with a new home and good jobs.
I told my child bride I wanted to wait. 
  
It was a month later
that she filed for a divorce.
It left me a shattered man
for a very long time.
 
There is no man
that lives a life
without some regrets.
 
Those regrets
seem to come
more often
lately.
 
 
 
 

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