A burst of flapping, rapid Above the waters, slightly Across the sun, darkened by the mighty burst of wings. For those who never flew I describe the scene; For those who had the wings, but would not, could not try to fly, I describe the sound: the thunder the brilliance of the flight For those who did not try, I will fly beyond the reach of doubt, beyond the touch of pain, beyond the feel of fear, until I'm home again. Once again I'll tell the story that I flew to those who chose to forget, but always knew...
About the Author: Joseph Mark Coddington was born in May 1943 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Later his family moved to Binghamton, New York where Joseph received his elementary and high school education at a Catholic Academy. He was the youngest of six children; four boys and two girls. In time he became an uncle of many lovely Coddington nephews and nieces. After finishing his high school education he followed the path of his elder brothers and joined the Navy for two years of active service. The service opened a window to the outside world for youthful Joseph and he intended to explore it. After the service he spread his wings and took off to Indiana to work and start his undergraduate study in English at Butler University, a private university in Indianapolis. At the end of two years at Butler, he transferred his courses credits to Indiana University in Bloomington to experience life in a large scenic campus with large student's population. In 1970 he got married to a student working on her Ph.D. in anthropology and together they continued their education and worked on campus At Indiana University he received his BA in English and his master degree in creative writing with honors. He dabbled with short stories but his real focus and passion was poetry. The seventies were an era of advancement in personal computer technology that dominated the market and stirred an intellectual challenge on campuses to invest in computer studies for better future. Joseph embraced the trend and bought him a computer and trained himself to become a computer specialist. After graduation he worked for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) center in Indianapolis as a computer analyst and programmer. Within few years he was transferred to the FAA centers in New Jersey and In Oklahoma. While still working for the FAA he was sent to Amman, Jordan to help tackle problems the government had with its central computer system. In 1987 Joseph left the FAA to California; the hub of computer technology, creativity and social change which he enjoyed. In California he worked for the National Geological Survey in Menlo Park as a computer specialist for several years. He participated in some of their scientific expeditions when his computer proficiency was needed in the field.. Later Joseph bid farewell to the world of technology and joined NOVA, a national organization assists and trains people for new careers. He enjoyed the humane aspect of the job and the pleasure of helping others. At Nova he was greatly appreciated for his "exceptional ability and his effective counseling and leadership". During this period Joseph's marriage was facing some difficulty which eventually led to separation in 1987 and ended with a divorce in 1992. In 2002 he married an assistant researcher at Stanford University working on primate's brain. Joseph continued his work at NOVA until he retired for serious health problems and passed away in January 2017. As an individual, Joseph was blessed with keen intellect, creativity, and a sharp sense of humor. His adherence to idealism was stressful to him in time of adversity and change. Reading, writing, listening to music, watching science fiction movies and sports were a necessary distraction from the austerity of the daily routine. He worked for various nonprofit and professional organizations and was a constant blood donor and once a bone marrow donor.