Closing The Book On 2005

It’s time to close the book on the past year.

Looking back over past blog entries to see what I’ve acomplished, I see that I’ve done a lot of yard work and washed a lot of dishes. That’s about it.

One thing that pleases me is that back in May my book on prayer was translated and published in the Indonesian language under the title, Mengapa Doaku Tidak Dikabulkan.

Isn't that a cool title!

Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

The same day I learned of the book’s publication, riots broke out in Jakarta, the American Embassy was attacked, and a market frequented by Christians was bombed killing many people. All this in the immediate aftermath of the Tsunami which killed 175,000 people in Indonesia alone.

In all that turmoil, I hope my little book brought some comfort to someone.

Mengapa Doaku Tidak Dikabulkan -- in English that’s “I’m Confused About Prayer” or “Why Don’t I Get What I Pray For?”. The Indonesian publisher’s website is http://www.perkantas.org/ . English copies are available on-line at http://www.bluefishbooks.info .

The book takes a humorous approach to problems I myself have with praying. I really hope it contributes a modicum of peace to readers who have just about given up on God.

As far as my book sales in the U.S.A. are concerned, I can proudly announce that for the 48th week running, my books have ranked number 82 on the New York Times Book Review’s Worst Seller List!

Eat your heart out, Stephen King.

So, I’d like to close the year out with a poem. I wrote it years ago but for some reason it’s been running through my head today:

Today I Killed A Unicorn

Today I killed a unicorn.
It was a silver little beast,
No bigger than an inch,
With tiny wings of feathers on its back.

It lighted on the pages
Of an ancient book I’m reading,
And it pranced a stately gallop
Up and down the printed lines.

I watched the little creature
As it roamed across the pages,
Then, with greatest care,
I slammed shut the ancient book.

I hate unicorns!