A Life's Pursuit: September 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Friday, September 25, 2009

Flooded Fridays and Lazy Haikus




It's really been a long week with its end as its own reward. Sometimes you can keep your nose to the stone too long and miss the world passing by. It's certainly no secret that the world is full of hard times and tightening belts. Everywhere you look, there's something new or old closed. With such despair and lowness on so many hearts, you might easily forget all the wonderful things that STILL go on everyday right under your nose. This is NOT the end. The beginning of something far more begins at the end of this but is being birthed in the midst of what some would deem chaos and ruin, a hopeless plummet. I say NO; it's not that, not yet.


Yes, it has rained far more than most are comfortable with receiving; but the guy with the ark hasn't floated by yet. So we are a long way from too much. However; some have been unfortunate and it's up to the rest of us to help out where we can. In such times, it is easy to shy away from additional commitments or even acts of kindness; but I say it is the very time to strike. When we can't; that is the moment we absolutely must! It is not only for those we are helping but also ourselves and the things inside us that get activated and released to multiply into the ever-changing world...like glowing points of light in a dim day. Spread smiles and dim the despair. I am reminded of my father being upset when my bed-ridden grandmother doesn't remember him; to which I respond, Pop, she has good days and bad days — its not personal. Yes, bad things happen to good people and sometimes bad people win — that doesn't change our responsibility to respond or empower.


No matter what washes your home, hope, smiles, illusions or peace away; joy ALWAYS comes in the morning. Don't sell yourself short. You are strong. You are great. You are marvelously made and fashioned individually unique. The rain passes. Trouble doesn't last always. Hang on and fight. When you can't fight, cry and scream for more strength; then knock that sucker into next week. You can, you will and you are a survivor. Doom and gloom are for those who lay down and surrender with eyes closed to hope.




Alas, however you spend your weekend, here's a couple of short, sweet lines to chuckle at along the way.


Rain and Paperboats
Falling rain, so much
Flooding things but not my hope
Paper boats love it.





Seeking Flight
Birds, clouds, breeze, aloft
Gliding above tall green trees
As leaves flee to flight

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Arrested by Morning

sunrise and cows



The silence of the early morning is arresting. It is the presence of the beginning anew, fresh and calm, awaiting contamination by all the things we think are critically important by some irrelevant deadline. It is the best part of the day, early morning. Whether your thoughts are muddled or clear, the silence holds you down, forcing you to listen to all the things that are ever present but ignored or taken for granted. Listen to the breath flowing in and out of your nostrils. Put you hands over your ears, close your eyes and feel your pulse through your palms dancing with the rhythm of your heartbeat. Open your eyes and watch the orange of day rise from the bottom of the horizon. Perhaps you hear the distant chirping of birds, hum of vehicles or someone awaking in a different part of the house. We seem to be always deleting information or ignoring the enormous amounts of information our minds are constantly recording without our imput. We glance at the sky and forget to appreciate the work of the great sky artist. By what logic does He use such vibrant organge hues against sleepy purple mornings? I don't know; but I like it!


sunrise



What amount of your worry could change one single thing? My mother always used to say that it was part of her job and the I would always be her child surrounded by some kind of danger to be worried about. Men are just different than women. We tend not to worry at least until its time; some great collamidy is upon us or unavoidable, not so concerned with what could or might but what is happening. The universe obeys its own system to which we are also held accountable by its written and unknown laws. But I chose not to think about that now. I would rather enjoy this incredible sunrise against the horizon as the cows amble along the fence row watching me watching them as the sunrise watches us....

cow face

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

When Kanye West Went South

We all have problems and disappointments. We even have moments that we are disappointed in ourselves because of how we handled or performed something. At times, our thoughts and opinions are offbase and dead wrong. Even when we are only willing to be slightly honest with ourselves, we know deep down how wrong we are and to what depths we are completely fractured.

kanye west on Jay Leno



I watched West on the Jay Leno premiere show on Monday night. Knowing West would be a guest, I wasn't sure I was even going to tune in; but who wants to look away from a train wreck. I don't pretend to know what was going through the young successfully troubled musicians mind, but his face didnt disappoint. His face and body language demonstrated what any reasonable person would have been ashamed of having paraded through the media. I was struck by his humility. Leno was engaging and appeared personally concerned for the events West found himself drowing in. Then came the longest deadair time I have seen other than the mom in the commercial glaring at her son concerning thrown away minutes. Apparently Leno had known West's mother and had gained a good sense of who she was. When Leno asked West the question regarding how his mother would feel about what he had done, I was as breathless as the night I watched the Michael Jackson video where he beats up a poor defenseless car at the end. Had there been crickets, their voices would have rang out like Hurricane Katrina. Long moments passed before West responded, his face a mirror of the internal conflicts at war inside. To Leno's credit, it didn't appear some cleverly designed media arrow to wound someone already down; but a genuine hope to make a positive impact in a bad situation. Of course, after West locked himself behind the dark shades he applied to his face for the upcoming performance only minutes later, I wondered if the depth of such a question was as easily put away.

kanye west and Taylor Swift



For someone who's mouth has often landed them at the front of public backhand, concerned folks hope that West is surrounded by some good people and that the ear of West actually listens to good council. I can only imagine what would have been said or done had someone ran upon stage while he was accepting an award, spewed out some trash and disrespectfully shoved the microphone back into his speechless hands. Lastly, why would you pick on a very talented, polite, defenseless girl in front of a national audience? It felt like I was watching Carrie all over again. Bad, bad behavior. Things sure are a long way from Jesus Walks....

kanye west and Swift



Whether it's the President of the United States of America or a homeless person on the street; we all should expect some level of descent respect from each other. It's like driving down the highway. Down the middle of the road is a thin line of trust, hope and respect for the oncoming traffic; give it's due. They say time heals all wounds. I am not sure history reflects that to be true.

Taylor Swift



Congrats Taylor!!!

Friday, September 11, 2009

Fridaku! Morning Spiders


Morning Spiders
Warm sun, cool grass still,
Tiny spiders dancing high
Green blades wave goodbye.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Something in the Grass





Wind In The Grass: A Haiku

The grass bows stately
As the soft wind shuffles through,
Restanding to watch.


There is something alluring about watching the tall grass wave in the wind. You can see the path it carves as it snakes across the fields. They say there are snakes in the grass. They're not there. Time and death have chased them all down and slaughtered them. Some curled up and shrieked til death and others smiled gleely for a moment long awaited. The bowing grass is an envoy of what is to come; bowed, lain or cut. Perhaps we exhaust our efforts to outrun a spector of unimagined endurance. If the grass did not bow, would the invisble still come, would it still pass this way? YES.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

The Eyes Have It

Eyes are magic. They mystify us and are often responsible for a major part of our communications. From trust to hate, the eyes have it all. The eyes might be as critical as the firm handshake.