I was born with a criminal record.My birth was something,Only the Lord could afford.Because he knew me before,And exactly where,I came out of the long dark Fjord.Happy am I, To be brought into his light.For the rest of my days,I shall sing of his might.At the end of it all,I will stand tall.For with the rise of dawn,I will be holding a pardon

Due to a technical glitch, some pieces and passages were omitted fromthe book. They are reprinted in this insert.

Born With aCriminal Record

by Richard Botcher

iii

My secret cabin

My secret cabin is off the beaten path. Far from thenearest drop off point, it is a five day hike throughforest. A compass is needed to find the way. It is a veryspecial place, for friendly spirits live there. Near thecabin is an unusual tree, spring water flows up fromunderneath its roots. I hike in and out of the cabin allsummer long, bringing in supplies for the winter. Peaceand tranquility can be found at my cabin. I'd like to takeyou there, but as I said, my secret cabin is off the beatenpath.

Richard Botcher

Catacombs of the Mind

In this troubled world, some of us have been traumatized froman early age. The physical and emotional abuse suffered bychildren, at the hands of a parent, can continue into adolescence.We carry this pain into adulthood. Some never reach their fullpotential, nor experience a true love or have children of our own.We are a broken people, who do not cope well with the worldaround us. Labeled and medicated, there are many who try tohelp us.Some of us reach out towards that help, while others closetheir door. There are many rooms in the mind, filled with dark secrets, and no-one has the key to open them. And that is whythere are catacombs of the mind.