ReaderPaul

Terry and Gary -- I am much better at alliteration than poetry. On GA I am finding possibly the best poetry I have ever read. You two and @Backwoods Boy and @Aditus and @Cynus and @AC Benus have written poetry equal to or exceeding the classical poets taught in school. The reflectiveness, root reactions, real riveting rhythms, and remembrances triggered, all add appreciation to an interesting and intelligent examination within myself. Thanks to all of you I mentioned.

They need to come up with a better backstory, with something vague but true, rather than just -- "We used to be in the foreign service."

Once again, Gary, you have amazed and aroused my sense of wonderment with poetry. However, an analysis of the scope of the above would be far longer than what you presented, so I will just say -- Very well done indeed, @Headstall. Not only the scope, sir, but the sensitivity, the seriousness, the steadfastness, the valor, the victory, the valiant verve and vitality, vanquishing the sticky syrupy, sometimes slog through the times of life when loose languid lax -- lumps -- of living appear. Thanks.

How beautiful! Once again, beauty, hope, memory, and other forces collide in and expressive way. The memories brought back of growing up on a small farm, near a small town, the variety of people influencing me -- from a male librarian who was also a master bricklayer, to a car assembly line neighbor, to my father who worked 66 hours a week my first 6 years of life, and a friend's mother who suffered from depression yet was very caring. Ah, the memories, @Headstall. Very well done, Gary.

I look forward to see what this is leading to. I could guess, but at this moment it is more fun to read.

The boys are getting good experience dealing with a variety of situations under the leading of Jexon and Marcus. They are, whether or not they realize it or not, receiving practical education in the variety of changes life can bring. The guys and women at the training facilities needed to be ousted from there. Good work on this chapter as usual, @quokka

I thought I had already expressed my gratitude for this set of poetry, but i don't see a current comment from me. @raven1 -- very well done. The Not So Traditional Haiku was very meaningful. All were exceptionally enjoyable, but for some reason, that one spoke to me just slightly more than the others. Thanks, Terry.

Very well done, @Headstall. Had most of the poetry I have read over the years was of this quality, I would love poetry. As it is, the quality of poems on GA have been much above what I was used to. I really enjoyed these, Gary.

Well, some interesting developments We see the Headmaster trying to throw his proverbial weight around, and instead getting thrown out of his own school. I regret to see Martyn and Jonus separated from the brothers, if this development happens. It would not surprise me if the Headmaster attempts to get even in some way. But, we can hope he has learned his lesson about threatening children of diplomats and/or members of the DIO.

Gary, even C S Lewis said something like (paraphrasing) "The Bible must not be weaponized and used as a club." I studied the Bible a lot when I was much younger. I have done some research in more recent years, and much of what is "translated" into English has really been mistranslated. Many of the "abominations" of Leviticus should be translated instead as "it is not our custom." Some of the seeming (in English) Old Testament prohibitions on male-male sex actually refer to forced sex on an unwilling male, when context and the original language is studied. Some of the wording of the New Testament in English has been also not correctly translated. A fun read, @Refugium.

Most of the time I don't care for poetry. But these are fantastic. Very well done, @raven1.

The Deputy Headmaster, Mr. Kingston, seemed a bit clueless regarding the boys. I wonder if he might be part of the problem? There seems to be a common trait in many administrators which wants to do something before knowing enough facts. While many time one must act without knowing all the relevant facts, bureaucrats and management seem especially likely to forge ahead too quickly.

Sudden action! Good thinking on the part of the boys. Now, the acronyms -- is AFP the Australian Federal Police? ADF was also mentioned; is that the Australian Defence Force? And wasn't Anthony Lang mentioned in another of your stories, @quokka?

I could almost swear I have read part of "Dick's Male Retirement Ranch" previously, somewhere, but without "Dick's" in the title. But a search is not coming up with anything concrete.

Fascinating, @quokka. How many additional chapters in this story, or have you decided yet?

Wow, Terry, love it! With the pictures you posted some time back, I could visualize some of the beauty of Thailand in the poetry. Please continue writing various poems and post them when you choose.

@raven1 -- Way to go, Terry! I could just taste that German Chocolate cake -- my favorite -- except the coconut did not show up. But I also like Black Forest cake. You can have an extra career as a poet! Paul

@Quokka, I like it when an author has more than one story going at the same time. Only a few authors can do that with success. You are one of four authors that I know can do that. Please, at some time in the future, consider continuing your Deep Space series.

Excellent start to this new story.

RFDS -- is that the Royal Flying Doctor Service? And I am also guessing that that the airstrips are "hardened" or strengthened against the potentially damaging effects of the wet season. Possibly, they are even elevated slightly so they don't get flooded? @quokka -- for those of us who do not live in Australia, you also stimulate us to read more about Australia and sometimes New Zealand as well. Thank you.

When they had two tires flat in the previous chapter, I haven't seen anything about them being repaired or replaced yet with new. Of course, that could have happened "off screen," so to speak. They did have more than one spare, I recall from previous chapter. @quokka do most cattle stations in Western Australia have air strips nearby? Another good chapter.

@quokka -- sorry to hear about the Cyclone. Good chapter. The guys continue to find situations and circumstances where they are able to help. I am guessing that Ryley and Langley are learning a lot about vet work as well as their school lessons. They seem to be adapting well to life in the bus and on the road. Looking forward to future chapters.

Geron, I first read this at a time when I was almost never commenting. Considering how much I enjoyed this tale, that was very remiss of me. But in re-looking at the story, I notice several things in the story and the comments. First, David's grandfather. He reminded me of Mike Hamlyn (Derry Hamlyn's grandfather) in the Doorways / The Odd, Onward Door series. How important the grandfather is in the story was alluded to in many of the comments of this story. DQ, @RevSimon, @headtransplant, @travlbug, @ColumbusGuy, and @JeffreyL are some who mentioned the importance of the grandfather in this story just in the comments of chapter 10. Mike Hamlyn is very important to Derry and Cally in the Doorways series as well, though his importance is not as obvious until the second story, Never a Door Lost. @Geron Kees, this is an excellent tale as it stands. But to coin a word, a "sprequel" tale for this story would be great. What is a sprequel, you ask? Definition: sprequel (noun). A story which is both a prequel and a sequel to a previously written story. The prequel part could give a few details of Grandfather and Sid getting together. The sequel part could be an update on David and Mark. But we can always use our imagination if necessary.

Thank you, @Ivor Slipper. Magnum Ice Cream is sold in the US by Unilever Corporation, an Anglo-Dutch firm. The record on a joke I have seen in over four years, but not quite five. It was not on this site.

@Ivor Slipper, can you explain the joke for us readers in the US? In the US, a Magnum brand Condom is 20 percent larger than a standard condom in length and somewhat larger in girth, and Magnum XL condoms are 30 percent larger than standard condoms. Magnum is also a brand of ice cream made with Belgium chocolate. Magnum also means a large wine bottle with 1.5 liters (1.6 US quarts), and it means a firearms cartridge with larger than normal charge or capacity. Magnum also means large in power or size. Pistol is sometimes used as an informal term for penis. Can you explain the UK meanings of the term, please? Perhaps @Geron Kees or @chris191070 or @raven1 already know, since they have more international experience than many of us.