Tag Archives: destruction

They Are Gone Forever

Posted on August 14, 2026 by mitchteemley

Reclaimed by the Desert – photo by Jean Wimmerlin They are gone forever: abandoned cities, temples dedicated to forgotten gods. They were once home to hundreds, or even thousands. What happened? Disasters, from Pompeii to Chernobyl. Or vanished resources–oil, gold, water. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Every Day is Earth Day

Posted on April 23, 2026 by mitchteemley

Survival Chess If the Earth Loses We All Lose Yesterday was Earth Day. But in truth, every day is Earth Day. Amid escalating conflicts and nations warring against nations, there’s one thing we can–and must–all agree on: In the end, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 52 Comments

The World We Leave Behind

Posted on August 8, 2025 by mitchteemley

What would the world look like without us? The scientific word is entropy. Things would crack, crumble, and disintegrate. But they would also be invaded — by water, soil, light, life. They would be transformed from the unnatural into the … Continue reading →

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What Is Our World Made Of?

Posted on July 23, 2025 by mitchteemley

It was the world they were born into The one they’d been given Although they’d long since forgotten The Visitor who came and filled it with glass Which was said to be immortal They had to admit it was beautiful … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Are We Nothing More Than Blades of Grass?

Posted on January 26, 2025 by mitchteemley

A personal paraphrase of Psalm 90 Father You have always been our home Before the mountains were thrust up Or the earth itself was shaped You were our God Yet at your word we turn to dust For time has no … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion and Faith | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

What Have They Done to You?

Posted on August 3, 2024 by mitchteemley

Image by Bruce Smith The Wishing Map is a full-length fantasy that is being posted episodically at this site. To read the previous episode click here. To read it from the start, click here. Gina and Zack’s search for a monstrous Questing Beast has led them to … Continue reading →

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Abandoned

Posted on January 24, 2020 by mitchteemley

Abandoned cars, ships, factories, houses. Some seem lonely, orphaned. Others deserve their fate. They cry, “I was beautiful and important once!” And we reply, “No, you never were.” Many are beautiful only now that they’ve been reclaimed by a splendor … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , | 58 Comments

“If Ya Wanna Send a Message…”

Posted on December 16, 2019 by mitchteemley

Picking a Blog Name, Part Five (To read Part One, click here) The old movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn is reputed to have snarled at a screenwriter, “If ya wanna send a message, use Western Union!” And yet so many of … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

The Wishing Map 116

Posted on May 16, 2018 by mitchteemley

Have you ever poured your heart into something, only to return later and find it in ruins?

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The Wishing Map 116

Posted on December 16, 2015 by mitchteemley

Note: To read The Wishing Map from the beginning, click here. The Wishing Map Chapter Twenty-Three: Return to Rennou Previously: Zack and Gina’s quest led them to Rennou, the village where Gina had been celebrated as a dragonmeer (“dragon mother”). ⇔ ⇔ ⇔ Gina stared … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Fiction, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments