Articles by Mark W. Swarthout

Poem

• Memories Of My Father (June 13, 2005) cover story poem unrhymed

  Some fathers lead by example — just not in the ways they expected.

• Change (September 19, 2005) poem unrhymed

• Blue (April 24, 2006) poem, rhymed

  A poet watches and waits for spring. (Originally appeared 2005-04-17)

• Up North (October 16, 2006) poetry unrhymed

  A peaceful place, a place for pine and a clear blue sky to reflect in the lake.

• Sushi (December 18, 2006) poem unrhymed

• A Visit to St. Thomas (June 9, 2014) poem rhyme blank verse prose

  A combination of verse and poetic prose, drawing both on Tolkien and a visit to the tropics.

Nonfiction

• Black Belt (August 22, 2005) nonfiction martial arts

  Nine applicants from around the globe have come to test for their Shodan, first degree black belt. Forget what you see on television, this is what it's really about - hard work, discipline and community.

Essay

• A Time For Reflection (October 2, 2006) nonficiton essay

  You get comfortable with the radio station you've listened to for years. The kind of music it plays becomes a part of you. Then -- WHAM! -- things change, and yes, it hurts!

Short

• Desert Duck (November 6, 2006) short nonfiction essay

  The USS John Rodgers was assigned to drilling holes in the water in the Persian Gulf when a junior officer suddenly became seriously ill. The sight and sound of the "Desert Duck" was sheer beauty as it landed ...

• My Other Job (December 4, 2006) cover story nonfiction essay

  I am officially a member of the International Poleholders' Union. Okay, so you haven't heard about this rather small and highly specialized organization. There aren't any great benefit packages and the pay scale is non-existent, but there is a certain amount of down right guts involved in the initiation process and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Comics

• Peek of the Week 067 (November 13, 2006) photo art

  Tiger swallowtail butterfly resting on echinacea.

• Peek of the Week 075 (January 8, 2007) photo art

  Peppers catch the eye in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI.

• Peek of the Week 292 (April 11, 2011) photo art

  Hummingbird and birds of paradise at the Getty Museum, California, USA.

• Peek of the Week 380 (December 24, 2012) photo art

  A superb vista of the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA.