Author: Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

THE STOCK MARKET GOES UP MOST OF THE TIME (BUYERS OF STOCK MARKET LARGELY FAVORED OVER SELLERS)

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

if you understand nothing more about the stock market, please at least pay attention to the following chart:

The odds overwhelmingly favor buyers into the stock market over the longer-term (the odds of positive returns are 67%, 88%, 93%, and 100% over 1, 3, 5, and 10-year periods, respectively) – while the opposite is true of sellers (the odds of negative returns are 33%, 12%, 7%, and 0% over 1, 3, 5, and 10-year periods, respectively) – source: https://www.capitalgroup.com/individual/planning/investing-fundamentals/time-not-timing-is-what-matters.html#:~:text=Riding%20it%20out,Source:%20S&P%20500%20Index. So, buyers don’t have to be very precise to capitalize in terms of market timing while sellers have to be very precise.

I hope this will be helpful to some of you out there.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

☆°▪︎ THE WICKED WARS (BEGIN TO BLUR-R-R-R) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

A

seven

.

s

h

o

t

.

revolver

.

h

a

s

.

its

charm . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

A

seven

.

s

h

o

t

.

revolver

can

.

b

e

.

the

star . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

star

.

t

h

a

t

.

ends

.

t

h

e

.

wicked

wars . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

ends

.

t

h

e

.

wicked

wars . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

ends

.

t

h

e

.

wicked

wars . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

ends

.

t

h

e

.

wicked

wars . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

hurt

.

a

n

d

.

harm . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

harm

.

a

n

d

.

hurt . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

hurt

.

a

n

d

.

harm . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

harm

.

a

n

d

.

hurt . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

u

n

t

i

l

–

–

–

they

begin

.

t

o

.

blur-r-r-r . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ until

.

t

h

e

y

.

begin

.

t

o

.

blur-r-r-r . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

.

.

.

a

seven

.

s

h

o

t

.

revolver

.

h

a

s

.

its

charm . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ a

seven

.

s

h

o

t

.

revolver

can

.

b

e

.

the

star . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

can

.

b

e

.

the

star . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

can

.

b

e

.

the

star . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

can

.

b

e

.

the

star . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

that

ends

.

t

h

e

.

wicked

wars . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

o

f

–

–

–

harm

.

a

n

d

.

hurt . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

hurt

.

a

n

d

.

harm . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

u

n

t

i

l

–

–

–

they

begin

.

t

o

.

blur-r-r-r.

Reflection: This is a short and simple personal struggle-themed poem which came into being in reflection of a somewhat dark Beatles song (a rarity for them) that I listened to recently: “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” and some recent happenings.

ANOTHER 1ST EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY FOR 2025

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

For those who wanted to follow along, this will be another first execution of my refined, structured Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

If you are a High Risk (HR) investor, this post is for you – investors of all other risk categories can wait and do nothing if you want. If you aren’t sure what your investment risk category is, you can find it here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/investment-tools/

HR Investors: The S&P 500 index has dropped about 4% from its all-time high (a 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index generally happens about three times a year on average) – so if it remains at its present level or drops a little more (~653 for the SPY ETF or ~6546 for the S&P 500 index would represent about a 5% drop), you might consider buying 33% or more (depending on your investment style and preference) of the cash you have available in your overall investment account into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer). I anticipate there will be a more substantial decline in the overall S&P 500 index, but I could be wrong – and the longer and the deeper the drop you wait for, the greater the likelihood you will miss the rebound. So, HR investors might want to prepare to go ahead and buy – other investors might be more inclined to take their chances by waiting for a deeper drop. It’s your financial future so do what you think is best for you.

I currently track eight major market index ETFs: S&P 500 index (e.g., SPY ETF), an equal-weighted version of the S&P 500 Index (e.g., RSP ETF), the Total Stock Market index (e.g., VTI ETF), the Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VTV – value stocks of large companies), the Nasdaq (e.g., QQQ ETF), a Mid-Cap Stock Index ETF (e.g., IJH ETF), Russell 2000 index (e.g., IWM ETF), and the EFA ETF (or something similar). The first seven are major U.S. based indexes, while the last one tracks international stocks of developed countries outside the U.S. and Canada.

Of the above major market index ETFs, the most attractive right now appears to be: IWM, IJH, and EFA based on my analysis – they are all pretty close right now so you can pick either one of these ETFs or split your investment across these if that is your preference. None of these indexes/ETFs are without risk, however. For example, in a slowing economy, the IWM (or SPSM which is the one I like since it only includes the profitable small businesses contained in the Russell 2000 index) tends to outperform in lower inflation economic environments, lower interest rate economic environments, and when the economy is performing well overall. This index also tends to drop the fastest and deepest in a slowing economy but rebounds sharply in the midst of the economic slowdown in anticipation of economic recovery (the SPSM is even more attractive than the IWM right now based on my analyses). So, if you are very concerned about these kinds of issues, then you might want to choose a different index to buy into or split your investment across different indexes. The IJH ETF has not been historically quite as risky as the IWM in a slowing economy and can serve as an intermediary to balance the risks between the small-cap indexes (such as the Russell 2000) and large cap indexes (such as the S&P 500, the Total Stock Market, and the Nasdaq). The EFA (or IEFA which is the one I like since the fees are lower) can be impacted by U.S. trade policy and has potential currency exchange risk as well since this index is not U.S. based. In terms of the potential currency exchange risk, a falling dollar tends to increase gains while a rising dollar tends to reduce gains. However, the currency exchange impact is not typically very substantial unless the dollar experiences big moves when it comes to the EFA ETF.

Feel free to start buying in one or more of the aforementioned major market index ETFs if you are a HR investor and the S&P 500 remains close to where it closed today or drops a little more below that level. You can use the specific major market indexes above or use a different one that is suits you. Just ensure the fees are at least as low as the ones identified above when buying.

You don’t have to be very precise when buying into the overall stock market – a gain is experienced 93% of the time over rolling 5-year periods and 100% of the time over rolling 10-year periods no matter when you buy. In sharp contrast, being a seller or waiting for drops to happen can be challenging in that you will be “wrong” 93% of the time over rolling 5-year periods and 100% of the time over rolling 10-year periods. So, you have to be very precise as a seller which is one reason higher risk investors should probably never (or rarely) sell.

Here are a few historical trends which might be helpful to keep in mind: A 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index generally happens about three times a year, a 10% drop generally happens about once every 1.5 years, and a 20%+ drop generally happens about twice every five years – these drops are measured from the most recent highs – not all-time highs – although the two sometimes coincide. So, the deeper the drop you wait for before buying, the higher the likelihood you’ll miss a significant rebound.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO SAY NO TO TARGET DATE FUNDS

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

As an investor, I’m not a fan of Target Date Funds. Why? Well, the long-term average gain of the S&P 500 is about10% (including dividends) and this market index tends to go up about 90% of the time. So, everyone who has a patient disposition and the ability to buy a low-cost S&P 500 index fund or ETF, ride out the ups and downs, and stay invested over the longer term can expect to capture this 10% gain if this long-term historical trend continues.

Those who invest in Target Date Funds only capture a percentage of these gains because some set percentage of Target Date Funds are invested in conservative investments – which naturally return much less than the 10% average gain of the S&P 500.

Given the above, my recommendation is if you are invested in Target Date Funds, keep it as is for now. But once a substantial drop in the S&P 500 happens, be prepared to become 100% lnvested in the stock market if you are a high-risk investor (most people should be high-risk or medium-risk investors until they start approaching the halfway point of reaching their long-term financial goal). If you don’t know which risk category you fall into, please scroll down to the bottom of this post: ANOTHER 1ST EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY FOR 2025 | BRIGHTER DAYS LIFE COACHING®

I hope this will be helpful to you and if you have any questions you know who to ask.

Here is some additional finance and investing related information which might be helpful to some of you:

  1. HOW TO CREATE A BRIGHTER FINANCIAL FUTURE FOR YEARS AND DECADES TO COME: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-create-a-brighter-financial-future-for-years-and-de cades-to-come/
  2. HOW TO INVEST WELL AND CREATE A BRIGHTER FUTURE WITH MINIMAL EFFORT: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-invest-well-and-create-a-brighter-future-with-minimal-effort/
  3. MY “INVEST LIKE A PRO IN 10 MINUTES A DAY” SERIES OF BOOKS: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/
  4. THE STOCK MARKET ACTIVITES I ENGAGE IN: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities/

I hope this information will be helpful to you and I wish you much success in creating a brighter financial future for yourself, your loved ones, and those who follow!

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

CREATE A BRIGHT FINANCIAL FUTURE BY SAVING A MINIMUM OF 20% OF EVERYTHING YOU EARN!

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I always tell people (especially young people) to get into the practice of automatically saving a minimum of 20% of everything they earn. The 20%+ automatic savings is important because it forces financial discipline – resulting in a greater ability to accumulate financial wealth and achieve financial freedom much sooner than would be experienced otherwise.

Let me provide some examples to demonstrate how investing will help you. Let’s assume you live in Mississippi, and your annual wages are $44,966 (this is the lowest average annual wage in the U.S. for 2025 and is used just as an example to show that even lower wages can grow wealth over time). A 20% savings rate would be $749 per month. Using an investment calculator such as https://www.calculator.net/investment-calculator.html shows that if you invested your money using the long-term average annual gain in the S&P500 Index of 10% per year (including dividends), then you would have:

a. $1.5M in about 42 years if you saved $187 per month (5%).

b. $1.5M in about 35.5 years if you saved $375 per month (10%).

c. $1.5M in about 29 years if you saved $749 per month (20%).

d. $1.5M in about 25 years if you saved $1,124 per month (30%).

Most investors would do much better than the above due to the fact your annual income is likely to exceed that of the Mississippi average at some point, and you will probably continue increasing the amount you save as your annual income increases. So, be sure to do this for yourself if you can.

Here is some additional finance and investing related information which might be helpful to some of you:

  1. HOW TO CREATE A BRIGHTER FINANCIAL FUTURE FOR YEARS AND DECADES TO COME: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-create-a-brighter-financial-future-for-years-and-de cades-to-come/
  2. HOW TO INVEST WELL AND CREATE A BRIGHTER FUTURE WITH MINIMAL EFFORT: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-invest-well-and-create-a-brighter-future-with-minimal-effort/
  3. MY “INVEST LIKE A PRO IN 10 MINUTES A DAY” SERIES OF BOOKS: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/
  4. THE STOCK MARKET ACTIVITES I ENGAGE IN: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities/

I hope this information will be helpful to you and I wish you much success in creating a brighter financial future for yourself, your loved ones, and those who follow!

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

☆°▪︎ LINES THAT SLICE (AND DIVIDE) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

once . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

twice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

low . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

now

comes

.

t

h

e

.

time . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

time

.

t

o

.

decide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ now

come

.

t

h

e

.

lines . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

a

t

–

–

–

slice

.

a

n

d

.

divide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

divide

.

a

n

d

.

slice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

.

l

i

n

e

s

.

slice

.

a

n

d

.

divide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

.

l

i

n

e

s

.

slice

.

a

n

d

.

divide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

.

l

i

n

e

s

.

slice

.

a

n

d

.

divide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

e

–

–

–

life

.

o

f

.

yours . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

the

life

.

o

f

.

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

.

l

i

n

e

s

.

slice

.

a

n

d

.

divide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

.

l

i

n

e

s

.

slice

.

a

n

d

.

divide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

The

.

l

i

n

e

s

.

slice

.

a

n

d

.

divide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

e

–

–

–

life

.

o

f

.

yours . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

r

o

m

–

–

–

the

life

.

o

f

.

mine . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

cry

.

f

o

r

.

those

future

roads

.

w

h

i

c

h

.

remain

forever 

unknown . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

cry

.

f

o

r

.

the

doors

.

t

h

a

t

.

close

.

i

n

.

a

place

.

o

n

c

e

.

called

home . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

let

.

t

i

m

e

.

decide . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

b

o

u

t

–

–

–

the

lines

.

a

n

d

.

divides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I

cry . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

once . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

twice . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

low . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

.

y

o

u

.

high . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

loved

you . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

only

.

t

i

m

e

.

decides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

only

.

t

i

m

e

.

decides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

only

.

t

i

m

e

.

decides . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

cry.

Reflection: 

This is a melancholy-themed poem that came into being while listening to the haunting gem of a song: “The River” by Bruce Springsteen. Much of Bruce’s music is deeply moving, and this song is no exception. This poem reflects a romantic relationship gone wrong – and the deep emotional drops and life repercussions that can sometimes result from that. I’ve had multiple life experiences like this as I’m sure many others have. So, I hope this poem will resonate with some of you.

I played the song, “The River” by Bruce Springsteen in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the writing of the poem. If you listen to this song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

ANOTHER 1ST EXECUTION OF MARKET-BASED BUY STRATEGY FOR 2025

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

For those who wanted to follow along, this will be another first execution of my refined, structured Market-Based Buying Strategy for investing well with minimal effort: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-structured-market-based-buying-strategy-for-investing-well-with-minimal-effort/.

If you are a High Risk (HR) investor, this post is for you – investors of all other risk categories can wait and do nothing if you want. If you aren’t sure what your investment risk category is, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

HR Investors: The S&P 500 index has dropped about 3% from its all-time high (a 3-5% drop in the S&P 500 index generally happens about three times a year on average) – so if it remains at its present level or drops a little more (~639.50 for the SPY ETF or ~6415 for the S&P 500 index would represent about a 5% drop), you might consider buying 33% or more (depending on your investment style and preference) of your overall investment account into one of the major market index Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) (or you can split that across multiple major market indexes if you prefer). I anticipate there will be a more substantial decline in the overall S&P 500 index, but I could be wrong – and the longer and the deeper the drop you wait for, the greater the likelihood you will miss the rebound. So, HR investors might want to prepare to go ahead and buy – other investors might be more inclined to take their chances by waiting for a deeper drop. It’s your financial future so do what you think is best for you.

I currently track eight major market index ETFs: S&P 500 index (e.g., SPY ETF), an equal-weighted version of the S&P 500 Index (e.g., RSP ETF), the Total Stock Market index (e.g., VTI ETF), the Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VTV – value stocks of large companies), the Nasdaq (e.g., QQQ ETF), a Mid-Cap Stock Index ETF (e.g., IJH ETF), Russell 2000 index (e.g., IWM ETF), and the EFA ETF (or something similar). The first seven are major U.S. based indexes, while the last one tracks international stocks of developed countries outside the U.S. and Canada.

Of the above major market index ETFs, the most attractive right now appears to be: IJH, EFA, and IWM based on my analysis – they are all pretty close right now so you can pick either one of these ETFs or split your investment across these if that is your preference. None of these indexes/ETFs are without risk, however. For example, in a slowing economy, the IWM (or SPSM which is the one I like since it only includes the profitable small businesses contained in the Russell 2000 index) tends to drop the fastest and the deepest but usually rebounds sharply at some point (the SPSM is even more attractive than the IWM right now based on my analyses). So, if you are very concerned about a potential slowing economy, then you might want to choose a different index to invest in or split your investment across different indexes. The IJH ETF has not been historically quite as risky as the IWM in a slowing economy, and the EFA (or IEFA which is the one I like since the fees are lower) has currency exchange risk since it is not US-based, can be impacted by the current administration’s trade policy, and this index ETF has tended to lag the U.S. market indexes in recent years (2025 has been a notable exception, however) – the dollar has continued to fall this year and if that continues then some of the risks might be avoided for the EFA ETF.

Feel free to start buying in one or more of the aforementioned major market index ETFs if you are a HR investor and the S&P 500 remains close to where it closed this past Friday or drops a little more below that level. You can use the specific major market indexes above or use a different one that is suits you. Just ensure the fees are at least as low as the ones identified above when buying.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, historically speaking, October through December is usually some of the better months to invest in the stock market in terms of overall gains. It does not always happen, but it does for much of the time. In stark contrast, August and September are usually the worst months to invest as stocks tend to fall in those months, but they didn’t this year – so perhaps the historical trend will not hold up this year for October through December either. We’ll have to wait and see. As an investor, I tend to play the odds not the exceptions – but you can experience some financial pain when the exceptions happen.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond!).

selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

==== INVESTMENT RISK CATEGORIES ====

Important Note: When adding up what you have across your investment accounts, I recommend making the following adjustment for pre-tax type investment accounts (e.g., 401Ks and IRAs without the word “Roth” attached): reduce the total amount by 24% for a conservative overall estimate. We have to pay taxes when withdrawing from these kinds of accounts so this will help to account for that. Feel free to use a different percentage reduction depending on what tax bracket you believe you will fall into when withdrawing money from these accounts.

HIGH-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is 4+ times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $500k or less in total across your investment accounts then you would be a high-risk investor.

MEDIUM-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is roughly 2-4 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $500k-$1M in total across your investment accounts then you would be a medium-risk investor.

LOW-RISK INVESTOR (your investment goal is no more than 2 times what you presently have in total across your investment accounts – after making adjustments in accordance with the note above). For example, if your investment goal is $2M and you presently have $1M or more in total across your investment accounts then you would be a low-risk investor.

☆°▪︎ MARTINI MOONS (AND SPINNING ROOMS) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

tunes

.

o

f

.

youth . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

beauty

.

i

n

.

bloom . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

dancing

shoes

.

a

n

d

.

candlelight

fondues . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

o

–

–

–

peruse

.

a

n

d

.

pursue . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

o

–

–

–

move

.

i

n

.

tune . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

tune

.

a

s

.

two . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

while

.

t

h

e

.

warmth

.

i

s

.

still

new . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

spinning

rooms . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

“mon~

swoons . . .”

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

martini

moons . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

passionate

reds

.

a

n

d

.

soothing

blues . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

sunny

afternoons

.

a

n

d

.

barbecues . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

something

new . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I’m

.

i

n

.

the

mood . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

you.

Reflection: This is a fun, simple romantic-themed poem that I wrote in reflection of two things that happened recently: 

1. A few days ago, a young someone stopped me during my run, paid me a nice compliment, and asked for my phone number. I was very surprised – but it was a nice gesture. It made me smile  remembering that I did things like that when I was younger – I really miss those days.

2. A discussion I had with a friend regarding how in the days of youth we tend to be much more open and receptive, and it was not only much easier to experience loves and likes, but it happened much more frequently (it certainly did with me). My friend had commented about how difficult it was to help “save” young people from experiencing heartbreaks and making youthful blunders with respect to loves, likes, and such. But I gently countered that sometimes even the shakiest relationships in the beginning end up surviving and thriving over the longer term and that having such experiences at an early age probably increases the likelihood of eventually being able to establish a happy, solid, relationship that lasts. 

In my younger days, I was much more open, observant, curious, and impressionable, was easily moved and inspired, and found most everyone interesting in unique ways which I greatly appreciated. Many of those people I deeply respected and looked up to.

Sometimes when writing poetry if I can’t find the right words, I make up new ones. Such was the case in this poem with the made up word “mon~swoons” which really seemed to work and fit.

I played the song, “Young at Heart” by Frank Sinatra in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the writing of the poem. If you listen to this song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ WHEN HEROES BECOME GHOSTS ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Who

do

.

y

o

u

.

turn

to . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

.

.

.

pale

glimmers

.

o

f

.

hope . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

pitiful

places

.

n

o

.

one

.

e

l

s

e

.

dares

.

t

o

.

go . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

you’re

lost

.

a

n

d

.

cannot

find

.

t

h

a

t

.

road . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

road

.

b

a

c

k

.

home . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Who

do

.

y

o

u

.

turn

to ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Who

do

.

y

o

u

.

turn

to . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

when

.

y

o

u

r

.

dreamships

.

o

f

.

paradise . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

become

littered

.

w

i

t

h

.

lies . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

a

t

–

–

–

lean

.

o

n

.

fake

alibis . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ they

lean

.

o

n

.

fake

alibis . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

u

n

t

i

l

–

–

–

they

capsize . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

capsize . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

capsize . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

They

capsize . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

lies

lean

.

o

n

.

fake

alibis . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Who

do

.

y

o

u

.

turn

to ?

–

–

–

.

.

.

Who

do

.

y

o

u

.

turn

to . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

heroes

.

b

e

c

o

m

e

.

ghosts . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ when

heroes

.

b

e

c

o

m

e

.

ghosts . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

echoes

surround

.

a

n

d

.

swallow

.

t

h

e

.

soul . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Echoes

surround

.

a

n

d

.

swallow . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Echoes

surround

.

a

n

d

.

swallow . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Echoes

surround

.

a

n

d

.

swallow . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

e

–

–

–

soul . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

.

t

o

–

–

–

remind

.

y

o

u

.

you’re

alone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You’re

alone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You’re

alone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

You’re

alone . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

heroes

.

b

e

c

o

m

e

.

ghosts . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

a

n

d

–

–

–

echoes

surround

.

a

n

d

.

swallow

.

t

h

e

.

soul . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

b

u

t

–

–

–

everyone

.

w

a

n

t

s

.

a

.

hero

.

t

o

.

hold . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Everyone

.

w

a

n

t

s

.

a

.

hero

.

t

o

.

hold . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Everyone

.

w

a

n

t

s

.

a

.

hero

.

t

o

.

hold . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

pale

glimmers

.

o

f

.

hope . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

n

–

–

–

pitiful

places

.

n

o

.

one

.

e

l

s

e

.

dares

.

t

o

.

go . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

you’re

lost

.

a

n

d

.

cannot

find

.

t

h

a

t

.

road . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

 ~ the

road

.

b

a

c

k

.

home.

Reflection: 

This is a melancholy-themed poem that I wrote in reflection of those who might have inspired, supported, or guided us in life – they might have been family members, friends, romantic partners, co-workers, teachers, or even artists/celebrities who moved us in some way. Those who have been most fortunate have had certain kinds of “heroic” figures consistently throughout their entire lives – while others may have only had them for specific parts of their lives – until they perhaps came to realize their “heroes” were not as perfect as initially thought. In either case, it can really weigh on us when our heroes become ghosts – whether through death, distance, delusion, or disappointment. When I was much younger, I was very impressionable and had several people that I deeply respected and looked up to. Sometimes, I really miss those days – “heroes” seem much harder to find here in my later years.

I was saddened by the death of Robert Redford who was a unique role model for so many, and I used that to help drive the writing of this poem. I played the haunting gem of a song, “Nihilist Abyss” by Emily Haines & Soft Skeleton in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the writing of the poem. If you listen to this song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ PLACES BEYOND REACH (I DREAM) ▪︎°☆

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

you’re

.

h

e

r

e

.

with

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

everything

finds

.

i

t

s

.

peace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

t

–

–

–

makes

.

m

e

.

long

.

t

o

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

makes

.

m

e

.

long

.

t

o

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

e

–

–

–

nice,

–

–

neat,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

clean . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

  ~ it

makes

.

m

e

.

long

.

t

o

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

It

makes

.

m

e

.

long

.

t

o

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

t

h

e

–

–

–

lock-in

lines

.

o

f

.

what

.

a

.

good

life

.

i

s

.

supposed

.

t

o

.

mean . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

  ~ it

makes

.

m

e

.

long

.

t

o

.

leave . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

s

o

.

.

.

I

dream . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

dream

. 

o

f

.

places

.

f

a

r

.

beyond

.

t

h

e

.

reach . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

dream

.

o

f

.

experiences

beyond

.

t

h

e

.

extreme . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

dream . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

dream . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

dream . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

I

dream . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

f

o

r

–

–

–

freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

you’re

.

h

e

r

e

.

with

me . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

w

h

e

n

–

–

–

everything

.

f

i

n

d

s

.

its

peace . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

Freedom

sings

.

s

o

.

sweetly . . .

–

–

–

.

.

.

i

t

–

–

–

makes

.

m

e

.

long

.

t

o

.

leave.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem that I wrote where the affected party gets a little restless (and perhaps even a little reckless) when things perfectly align and his/her life finds it’s stride and starts going pretty fine overall. The urges that can arise in such lull periods of time are frequently the reason relationships do not last for some people.

For something different, I tuned into a 1970s radio station today and a past favorite song of mine was playing: “Take it to the Limit” by The Eagles. The lyric: “And when you’re looking for your freedom (nobody seems to care)” stuck with me. So, I started with “freedom” as the general theme for this poem which is something I greatly value and that strongly resonates with me. I played the above Eagles song in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the writing of the poem. If you listen to this song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.