In The Life of a Thornbird

About the Book

This book titled In the Life of a Thorn bird is a very emotional and personal look into the life, mind, and heart of the author as he deals with the many adversities, heartbreak, and weight of the choices that must be made in not only his life but those around him. And how those choices will affect his inner circle of his family the wife, the sons and the daughter short term and long term! Not to mention his family and friends as a whole on a broader spectrum including his enlaws on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The metaphor used as the title speaks volumes about the book and everyday life, just as we have good and bad we must allow and accept death to come in order for life to thrive! In the case of the author, it has taken several traumatic events, but none as traumatic as the current one in which the author grapples with to this day! This traumatic event is the catalyst that has brought to surface the creativity from the author’s inner soul to create this beautiful book of poetry. The Thorn bird only sings it’s most beautiful song which is in fact it’s unknown gift when it plunges itself on that perfect thorn! At that very instance is that little bird’s purpose made known, other than that the Thorn bird does as any other bird would do on any given day. Build a nest lay eggs and wake early to catch that worm! Only the truly blessed are in ear shot to hear the beautifully sweet song, once the life has gone so too dose the opportunity to hear that precious song. It is never to be heard from again until God calls upon another Thorn bird to sing its own unique song! I say this to you the potential reader, you only live your life once the choices made in life come at you like being in the mist of a comet storm! There is no set number like the life of you and I. So with that having being said, weigh every choice as if it was the last choice of you life, just as you value and guard your precious metals and stones! When life or a person has done you wrong, what will you do? Will you reach for a knife or gun!!! Or will you find it in your heart to forgive and let live, what will be the final out come when what your choice was etched in stone! The author Shakeel Irshaad Mateen Haadee is showing you by his schematics in the form of poetry, how to put away the knife and gun and pick up a book, pen or note pad and become creative! Thank God (ALLAH) for blessing me with common sense and patients with limits boundless to me and the unknown gift brought about by that which hurts so much to be made known! If you are one who hurts deep beneath the surface of the skin, so much so that other cannot see it or you don’t want them to know the pain you are in! Please pick up this book and read, until you set that pain free, but on the other side of the coin if you are one who just likes poetry by all means enjoy my creativity! My blue prints of positive navigation minus the violence of life, that is much too common, I share with the world for all to read! Shakeel Irshaad Mateen Haadee

About the Author

Born in the month of august the second day 1971 in a small sleepy country town named Chico, California. It is now well known for the college Chico State, but once upon a time it was a very ideal place to plant your roots and raise a family. I was blessed to spend my early years of life their with my Great Grand Parents Oscar and Jayola Rhodes, I learned more about nature and the Lord than most Christians and Baptist will learn in an entire life time. My lovely mother was in the process of graduating from Chico State when she had me, and upon completing her education she moved to Oakland, California to build a foundation for her, my father, and me. Little was known about what awaited me, and the things I would see or the the things I would get into as a youth. In the big city there was no more nature, accept that of the beast! It was only then that religion to me became secondary to the streets! Despite my uncut surroundings I was a creative child, from drawing cartoon just as I saw them in the comic books to writing short stories as a project in elementary school for my class’s book. As with all boys of that period in time I also had my devilish side such as skipping school and out smarting the truancy officer, or making sling shots to bust people’s windows as we rode by on the bus. All through junior high and high school I never exhibited my poetic side, but it was there waiting and for something dramatic or traumatic to bring it to the surface. Now fast forwards to 1990 later portion of that year as a seaman in the United States Navy I found myself in the middle of the first Persian Gulf War! Fresh out of high school and just beginning to live life in the military up until that point it was all fun! Now faced with the very real possibility of loosing my life, I began to write some of my first works of poetry. But that project came to an abrupt halt, when a fellow shipmate found my notebook and had begun to read and poke fun at what I wrote! Once I snatched it back the book was then tossed over the side of the ship never to be read by anyone else other than the fish in the bottom of the sea. Amongst all that could have happened or what ever your mind may lead you to believe, as you can now read I made it through that traumatic period unhurt. I have all my arms and legs along with all my fingers and toes, but what the book of life had in store for me was more painful and more traumatic than any war!

To all those people who played their positions in the life of the author, and this project through all the pain, the trails and the joys. Without my mentioning any names you know who you all are! My life and success is not only mines, but yours as well…..So shine with me as bright as the sun!