Poets (and stories) for Peace

This is an interesting time for me. A friend I had not spoken to showed up after ten years. And another person who I had not spoken to for 23 years, before I lived in Japan, I found on the Internet, so this holiday season, I am pulling up threads. In Japanese, they say a red thread to signify the connections between people. It is so strange sometimes when then occurs, it is like no time has gone by and, yet, so much has gone by, so I wrote this poem: For A Friend Returned I am sitting here stuck wanting to finish this letter, wanting to continue, waiting to continue a conversation of fragments. Fragments in my mind like schrap metal. It is hard to remove the broken story lingering there— a splotch of paint here, another there red, yellow, blue, primary colors and mixes and hues, they are spread out on my pallet, but my tongue recedes from the words and my fingers kiss the keys like a piano’s song to write this. But, they do no

Just to give you more of an understanding of the manipulations of the Christian religion by Constantine. The rulings during the time of Constantine not only took the cross to the battlefield, from then forward, as the symbol of Christianity, he also was responsible for things like nullifying any thoughts and discussions by Christian domain about the significance of reincarnation, as many places in the bible point to, solidified doctrines that made Christians believe that they were separate from God and must follow in a certain manner or they were heretics and doomed to hell, and bridged the thinking that Jesus was the only son of God. All of this done by one man's fanatical need for control and threats of ostracism and death, starting with a mystical vision that he interpreted literally. Have things changed so much in our present age? If you want to read about reincarnation in the Bible and how this all came about there are excellent articles at: http://reluctant-messenger.com/

Thanksgiving If I were a pilgrim, where would I have my boat take shore? If I were a pilgrim, which port would I sail before, call home? If I were a pilgrim, where would I build my home, start fires? If I were a pilgrim, who would I choose to be my neighbors? If I were a pilgrim and winter started rushing by my door would you be there, and are you a pilgrim too, making the same journey? If I were a pilgrim, and I can safely say I am, would you bring me corn and barter for a loaf of bread? ~~Roseroberta

I think this is the gist of it! No? This week I heard a lot of talk about gratitude.....having a great attitude. In the conversation, was the fact that medical research has shown that gratitude can actually affect one's blood vessels, so that they relax and are not constricted and that music can do the same. Well, I decided that I would make a gratitude journal starting this Thanksgiving and I have the new notebook to do it with made from not recyclable paper, but banana paper (go online and look you can find notebooks made from all kinds of paper). So I am going to make an experiment and keep this journal going for one year, by just jotting down a few quick notes about things I feel gratiful for every day before sleep and even on the worst of days! Anyone want to join me? Have a great Thanksgiving.

The point of my last post was to show how much language can change. It seems that some people have trouble adjusting to the idea of how language changes and the layers of meaning that some ancient languages possess. Just consider trying to understand all the rapper and hip hop language that is out there. Or think about this. When I lived in Japan, I had students who, when they went to visit their grandparents, they did not understand what their grandparents were saying who lived just on the other side of Japan, and spoke another dialect in the same time period and having grown up just a few generations apart. After considering this, go ahead and read the article I have here below by Brad Stevens. If you want to see some of the other variations on the Lord's Prayer based on his premises and written by many others, please go to his website: http://www.bradstevens.com/articles/the_lords_prayer.htm The Lord's Prayer, sometimes known by its first two Latin words as the Pater Nos

The Prayer To Our Father (in the original Aramaic) Abwûn "Oh Thou, from whom the breath of life comes, d'bwaschmâja who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration. Nethkâdasch schmach May Your light be experienced in my utmost holiest. Têtê malkuthach. Your Heavenly Domain approaches. Nehwê tzevjânach aikâna d'bwaschmâja af b'arha. Let Your will come true - in the universe (all that vibrates) just as on earth (that is material and dense). Hawvlân lachma d'sûnkanân jaomâna. Give us wisdom (understanding, assistance) for our daily need, Waschboklân chaubên wachtahên aikâna daf chnân schwoken l'chaijabên. detach the fetters of faults that bind us, (karma) like we let go the guilt of others. Wela tachlân l'nesjuna Let us not be lost in superficial things (materialism, common temptations), ela patzân min bischa. but let us be freed from that what keeps us off from our tru

For the first time in a long time, I got involved with politics during an election. I am very concerned about where this country is going and I will be writing about that in future posts. I will say this: Thank God, in any form you experience that, for the grace of the people of America to have come far enough in their efforts to overcome racial barriers that enabled them to elect a black president. I don't know what this will bring, since change and recovery are not easy things and the past is also not always easy to free oneself from, but this is a chance for all of us to find a new direction. No politician is going to be perfect, as none of us are either. Democracy or a Republic, whichever name you wish to use is not perfect either. Neither is the consciousness of the people living in this society, as well. I will say this. It is my deepest belief that the shadow within us is reflected outside of us. As man becomes willing to heal the shadows in their own lives, the shad