Friday, February 27, 2009

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Christopher Smart

18th century English poet.  From poets.org


Monday, February 16, 2009

My Love

My Love

I feel you

Like I felt you

Over time when I called you

And I searched for your face

In all of the small towns

And wondered what it would be like

If we passed each other on the street

I feel you now

Is it you? Is it?

My spine tingles

My sleep is fitful

As I reach for you, but you aren’t there

I wake smiling and the dream

Dances on through my day

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Monday, February 2, 2009

Dharma

The way the dog runs out through the front door
every morning
without a hat or an umbrella,
without any money
or the keys to her doghouse
never fails to fill the saucer of my heart
with milky admiration.

Who provides a better example
of a life without encumbrance--
Thoreau in his curtainless hut
with a single plate, a single spoon?
Ghandi with his staff and his holy diapers?

Off she goes into the material world
with nothing but her brown coat
and her modest blue collar,
following only her wet nose,
the twin portals of her steady breathing,
followed only by the plume of her tail.

If only she did not shove the cat aside
every morning
and eat all his food
what a model of self-containment she
would be
what a paragon of earthly detachment.
If only she were not so eager
for a rub behind the ears,
so acrobatic in her welcomes,
if only I were not her god.

Billy Collins 1974

The Pope Knows

I haven't written and I feel sooo guilty! There is so much on my mind, I am glad that the election is over and I believe I may throw my hat in for my town Board. It's an actual paying job, which has been a problem in this last year. Not much to be made on unemployment after Cobra payments. What a world!

The most distressing situation has been the murder by shelling and dropping of white phosphorous and god knows what all else, on the innocent people of Gaza by Israel. There is no excuse, I feel it is outright genocide. Thank the stars for Jimmy Carter, and the others who took Israel to task and are now threatening war crimes charges.

"The New Weapons Research Committee (NWRC), based in Genoa, Italy, indicated that Israel was "experimenting with new non-conventional weapons on the civilian population in Gaza," similar to those Israel used during its 34-day war on Lebanon in 2006.

The committee, made up of independent scientists and doctors studying non-conventional weapons and their medium-term effects on people, said Israel was using "white phosphorous, dense inert metal explosive (DIME), thermobaric bomb, cluster bombs and uranium ammunitions, and experimented novel weapons and delivery modalities."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has concurred, saying that Israel was using white phosphorus, and that its own researchers observed multiple shell-bursts of the chemical material on Jan. 9 and 10 near Gaza City and Jabalya refugee camp. HRW urged Israel against using it in its operations in densely-populated areas.

The rights group said while Israel seemed to be using white phosphorous as an "obscurant," which is permitted in principle under international humanitarian law, it is a violation to be used in populated areas.

"White phosphorous can burn down houses and cause horrific burns when it touches the skin," HRW senior military analyst Marc Garlasco said in a statement." (Middle East Times, Monday February 2, 2009 )

So back to the Pope, Ratzinger, who was busy forgiving a holocaust denier bishop, while claiming solidarity with Israel. What do you expect from a former Hitler Youth? See below:

"Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday expressed "solidarity" with the Jews and condemned denial of the Holocaust after lifting the excommunication of a bishop who claims the Nazis did not use gas chambers." (AFP news- Wednesday January 28, 2009)

Anyway, with all of this hypocrisy and lying, I will leave with this thought: Where is the benevolent god that religions supposedly seek? I guess the Pope knows..

Peace