Winter's Cold

The losses pile up

                Summer bleeds to fall

                And then the chill of winter

Auntie Jane,

                Having filled her bucket

                Joined her husband and daughter

Maggie, Tracy, Ruth and others,

                Gone without warning

                Always kiss them goodbye

Cathy’s sister and John

                Fought heroically

                Gracefully succumbed

Joy, embodying her name

                Taught mindfulness

                And unconditional love

Winter’s cold chills all.

Losing friends and family,

I long for spring.

We grieve, wail and mourn, shaking a fist at the universe. We clothe ourselves in the brittle shell of daily life, hope the next blow doesn't shatter us. 

Yet we keep on living, loving as though our life depends on it. 

And it does my beloveds. It is the strength of shared tears and laughter that seep through that brittle shell and lets hope grow. The sun WILL shine again. Perhaps not tomorrow or the next day, or even the day after that. But one day.

I promise on the strength of my love for you.

Actions and consequences

8 September 2010

Here it is September again. Another anniversary that causes me to reflect not just on my own self, but on our collective self: we, the United States of [North] America. It breaks my heart and stretches my faith in humanity to realize that so many people in this land of plenty (for those who have plenty already) don’t seem to care at all about those without. I also am concerned about the religious hegemony some folks here in the good ‘ole U. S. of A want to impose on all of us.

I know that statistically very few people fall into the “fundamentalist” realm of religious practice. But they sure seem to cause a lot of problems and stink. I’m thinking now of the foul stench of hatred from the proposed Koran burning event being planned for this weekend. And the hatred spewing from our nation’s capital about a Muslim center being built near “Ground Zero.” As if that is the only place in the world that has suffered from terrorist bombs.

Dear ones, we MUST learn to appreciate each other, regardless of the type of religion we do or do not practice. In spite of the negligible differences in skin tone, reproductive plumbing or language spoken, if we humans are to survive and our world is to survive (dare I hope thrive?), we MUST learn to affirm each other for the inherent good in each of us.

Actions have consequences. When a member of my household doesn’t follow the house rules (which are for the continued safety and well-being of all the members, four-footed or not), I (currently being the recognized voice of maturity and reason) impose a consequence. We “Americans” pride ourselves on our government-sanctioned civil liberties. But even the acts of a small group of religious zealots will cause consequences that may reach far beyond the initial perpetrators.

Are you willing to bear the consequence of making Islam a scapegoat for our many political and financial ills? Are you willing to bear the consequences of supporting a military presence where it is not wanted? Be informed. Speak to your representatives. Be counted for positive gain in this world. It is the only one we are sure of, all else is faith and conjecture.