Crann na beatha Stories and Poetry

Cead Fáilte

A thousand welcomes to Crann na beatha Short Stories and Poetry for July 5th, 2024

I am Terrance Ó Domhnaill, your village scéalaí, back again this week with more stories and poems from online authors.

I just have three short stories this week. I have chapter twenty three of the ongoing story From Beyond the Water Wall, a short story of medieval revenge from a Substack writer, and a story about desperation and the fulfillment of a dream, sort of.

So gather round once more and let me read them to you under the shade of the crann na beatha, the tree of life.

Click play above to listen to this week’s episode.

I am having trouble with uploading this week’s show to YouTube. It took a couple of hours for a 5 Gb file.

It seems that global warming is having an effect on the world-wide internet system more and more these days. I can tell when things are hot outside as my network seems to take forever to upload files outside of my own personal domain share folders. On these extraordinary warm days, uploading files to YouTube takes a long while, as in hours. Kind of reminds me of the old days with phone lines and 5600 Kbd routers.

I suppose we should learn to accept these new parameters now. They are a sign of the times. U.S. infrastructure is breaking down more and more all the time. The private corporations don’t want to spend their own money to fix or upgrade anything anymore so they sit on it waiting for the Feds to ‘subsidize’ the needed upgrades while they rake in millions from subscribers.

I don’t want to get off on another rant on why I don’t like the American government or corporations who are bleeding everyone dry like vampires. This newsletter is supposed to help us transcend above all of our daily struggles for a bit.

It is hard sometimes to put all of that aside sometimes, even for just a half hour to listen to some great stories. There is too much going on out there that is fast becoming existential.

I didn’t have any good poems this week so I read three great stories for everyone and added in as many sound effects as I could. I hope people continue to like this show. I am still looking for writers so if you have something you think would be a good to read aloud for a family audience, let me know. I have enough saved up for the next two weeks but I need more.

In other news, I read another blog article today by my friend Bruce Coulter about his struggles and travels. Time Flies is a bit satirical and full of his typical New England style humor. He gets around and takes really great pictures. I am so jealous.

I read quite a few other Medium and Substack writers works as much as I can every day. Some days when I am very busy, I have to put them off but I try not to. Seeing as how they put forth all of that effort to write good blog articles, stories and poems, it is the least I can do is set aside a little time in my schedule to pay them the attention they are due.

I also continue to support Jessica Wildfire with her writings in OKDoomer. She is worth every penny I can provide for her cause. She still continues to receive hate mail from people taking issue with her research and wry style of writing. I think it means that she is successful if she is getting that much attention, good or bad. She got chased off of Medium, then chased off of Substack and now is getting negative feedback on her own platform. It’s such a shame that people have forgotten their manners in this day and age.

Another writer who was chased off of Substack is my favorite Canadian, Sam W. Her latest article about preparing for the future is good advice. Preparing for the Worst: Mutual Aid and Sustainable Skills is a positive piece about community. Something I think a lot of Americans have forgotten somewhere along the way in the 21st century.

It is with that sense of world-wide community spirit that I bring you this week’s selections. One story is from a Canadian (I think), another is a Substack writer from the U.S. and the last one is from someone living in Italy (I think) who is originally from eastern Europe (again, I think).

From Beyond the Water Wall

Chapter 23/25 — Burn them All

Don Woodby

Nothing Else Matters

Nevena Pascaleva

That is all I have for everyone this week. I hope I have helped ease your burden a little bit for a short time. Until next week, Sláinte

Go raibh maith agat. Thank you for your attention. I hope you enjoyed the variety of stories again this week. If you like the show, please share, like, subscribe and reply as this goes a long way towards reaching more listeners around the world.

As a Seanchaí, I hope you will allow me to continue delighting you with a story or a poem here under the Crann na beatha. Maybe they will bring you a smile and take you away from your troubles for a time.

As I say good bye this week, I wish to leave you with this Irish blessing as you go about your day. “May your path rise up to meet you and the sun warm your bonnet as you walk down the lane to the pub. May your friends and relations bring you a pint after you retell these stories and poems I give you here.” Slán go fóill — goodbye for now.

T. Ó Domhnaill — Gaelic Seanchaí

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