"The Cold Within" is a about six men trying to survive bitter cold. All six men have a stick of wood to
contribute to the dying fire. Selfishly, all six men refuse to share their wood for the common
good to survive.
SkyWriting.Net received an email (8-24-10) from a person (I'll call "Mr-X") claiming to be the author of
'The Cold Within' (his title: 'The **** Within');
"And would like to be credited...." for this poem. Google found over 9,000 results for "The Cold Within."
There is some discrepancy in the authorship of this poem.
"DEAR ABBY: My husband, James Patrick Kinney, wrote the poem 'The Cold Within' in
the 1960s." "Since then, it has appeared in church bulletins, teaching seminars and on talk
radio, listed as 'Author Unknown'."
Most postings list James Patrick Kinney (deceased) as the original author; or one or two others. But
NONE of the listings mention: "Mr-X" for 'The Cold Within' (or his title: 'The **** Within'). This poem has
been posted on SkyWriting.Net, as received from "InspiredBuffalo@lighthouse.net," with the
listing: "Author Unknown" for several years - without any changes in wording or title - as alleged by "Mr-X".
I emailed "Mr-X" that I can't put his name on a poem without evidence he wrote it. I told him to send me a copy
of the original poem, and/or some documentation that verifies that he is the legal owner of the poem. He has
refused to send me anything. He now DEMANDS I take the "The Cold Within" poem off of SkyWriting.Net, without proof
that he owns the "rights" to the poem. Worse still, he is threating me with a "court order"
if I don't remove the poem "The Cold Within" from SkyWriting.Net by September 5, 2010.
How ironic, that a person claiming to have written "The Cold Within," that illustrates the harm of selfishness, is
now threating to get a "court order" against SkyWriting.Net, which could deny 5,000 visitors
per day poems they enjoy - just to claim a poem "Mr-X" can't or won't "verify" he owns. To protect the interest of SkyWriting.Net,
and my visitors, I'm being forced to give-in to this "extortion" - still with no evidence that "Mr-X" is the author.
"I will not send you my original...." "All I am asking is that you take it down....If not then I will obtaine a
court order for you to do so.....Then we will resume this matter in court.....The original was written in
1986.....By me....In high school......I am not asking for you to give me credit......I am asking you to remove
it....." "Mr-X"
I pray "Mr-X" and ALL who read "The Cold Within"
will learn the true meaning of this excellent poem.
Bob Miller, Manager, SkyWriting.Net
This web page was last modified on September 5, 2010
