BeNotTroubled ...

Blog 280:

Talk …
Talk now …
Talk to me …

Tell me what’s infusing …

Expose the edge-driving, mutilating force
Voice out what’s obliterating your mind
Disclose what’s piercing your heart
Reveal to me your suffered bruises and wounds

I won’t pass judgment -
I won’t condemn -
I won’t revile -
I won’t let you fall into the abyss -

Grab on to my flowing strength …
Reach for my hand …
Together … let’s unload burdens
Together … let’s climb mountains
Together … let’s ride the waves
Together … let’s break the chains

Allow my spirit to weld with yours …
Sanction-not the beat of our hearts …
Breathe with me!
Choose life!
Live today!

World in Turmoil ...

Blog 279:

Centuries of present and past wars
Visit and re-visit our old and young
Day by day, innocent bystanders dodge bullets
They get maimed or face deaths’ fangs
Communities crumble
Economic surroundings disintegrate
Social lives break apart

Yet …

Political enemies butt heads and arms
Pundits scream loudly
Just cause, they claim …
Demise of a few …
Gain of many (?) …

Mantras, real or not … run in circles

On the streets or far-flung corners, they echo

Voices shout in throng:
Independence now!
Democracy here!
Suffrage!
Justice!
Freedom of worship!
Down with tyrants!
Rid of dictators!

In deafening silence …

Cries of people on the margins reverberate
Still they’re ignored … get unnoticed …
Nobody listens
Not one pays heed
The dead and the sick pile up
Misery breeds scorn and hate
Hurt grows and magnifies
Pain competes with a heartbeat

The world spins …

Alike?

Blog 278:

We are alike …

You and I have aches and pains
We have satisfactions and disappointments
We’re at times ecstatic
In some point and time, we are miserable
We are idle
We are full of energy
There are days we are anxious
Many more days we are content
Melancholy visits us
But so does cheer …

Whatever is in front of us isn’t all that important 

We face it with either courage or cowardice
We approach it with apathy or enthusiasm …

What’s on the other end of each circumstance?

Unless we explore each side of a situation
Lest we accept or reject a circumstance with conviction
Surely, we’ll never know its impact!
 
You and I are alike
What separates us is our head-on response!

GO!

 

 

Blog 277:

Get going
Make a step
Take a stride
Walk a block
Push yourself to half a mile
May be a mile?
Just get up and play with your gait
Don’t rationalize anything
Get out and go
Step for a cause
Walk for hunger
Tread for health
Perhaps walk for a cure?
Do it alone
Ask friends out to come along
Join a group
March with a community
Step out and don’t look back
Feel the breeze
Bask in the soft, warm sun
Note the world around you
Commit every step
Move body and mind along
Every dedicated step leads to something
So … just GO!

HOPE

Blog 276:

Tightly hold on hope …

Without it you feel empty

Without it you’re devoid of desire

Without it you despair

Without it you’re lacking of courage

Tightly hold on hope …

With it you have possibilities

With it you are an awakened promise

With it you yearn for bright dreams

With it you trust a plan to bloom

Hope lifts the heart and soul

Hope is the rock on which you stand

Hope frees and strengthens when all fail!

Takeoff!

Blog 275:

Freedom flight
Autonomous, open, independent
It is a choice of heart and mind
It is an action that fires self-determination
No matter the cost or consequence of takeoff
It is an overflowing, inspiring will
Anticipated, entreated, desired
Somewhere, anywhere, wherever
Dreamed of by a beating heart!

Freefall!

Blog 274:

Come watch me!
Look at me as I soar high up
And as far I can spread my wings …

The feel of cool air beneath me
Tickles my every feather and skin
But I just love it up here
Really grateful for the spirit of flight …

Get close and spy on me!
Follow my masterful freefall
Spot me swoop and explore the grounds

Peek closely …
Wheeeeeee … here I nosedive!
Zoom … zoom … I spot one wriggling creature

Gotcha! Slurrrppp! Yummm!

Its loss ... my gain

That’s how it plays

Call of nature, you know

Hunger … appetite … now satisfied
Off I go skyward just below the heavens
My mortal playground
So I thought ... before a fatal impact …
Crash … splat!

In a blink
My grandiose flight is cut
Cruel windshield snaps my life out!
No tears, please …
Life gives and takes …
‘Got my game and fun!

---Grateful Dead

Sing Earth !

Blog 273:

Earth unceasingly gives …
It dedicates all it can
To creatures … co-creators all
Given reins to subdue it
And have dominion on its bequests

Earth lends us ground to stand …
It holds up land, rocks, seas and trees
Along with humankind’s genius
To preserve and till it
Its very nature cultivates and replenishes
Beds on which to multiply victuals
And claim bountiful harvests
Fit for creatures great and small

From its green, tall living gifts …
Earth gives and delivers
Fresh oxygen to breathe
Habitats for the lesser kind
Homes and practical things
Carved and honed for day-to-day employ

Earth spins and rocks you and me …
It lulls us to sleep under dark soft skies
And at the whoosh of its brilliant star, it wakes us over
It bounces us here … there to behold … to feel its wonders
It energizes us to sing and make music
In harmony with it, it invites us to give and take
But beyond all … Earth summons one and all
To sustain and celebrate it for all ages!

Shameful Act

Blog 272:

At the foot of the chair sits Creature-guard
Basking in the absence of action ...
It quietly lays there
Until Master slides out of seat
And quiet is disrupted

Disoriented … startled …
Creature-guard pounces
And makes a loud, stressed yelp
That irritates and pushes Master

Out of his lungs with a firm, “NO!”

Yell!  Bellow! Roar like a lion!

“Stop that brash, annoying bark!”

Disgraced … Creature-guard’s tail droops
Its eyes beg for pardon
Its entire being  pleads pity
Its paws retreat
Its voice box mutes
In silence …
In shame …

Crushed!

4/21Blog 271:

Brain … stomach … or both?
What triggers craving for a snack?
Brain says, “I want something!”
Stomach butts in, “Something salty, please!”
Both, in chorus, blurt, “Feed this craving now!”
Discipline is tried …
Hesitation bars the demand …
Will gives in …
Munch …
Crunch …
Slurp …
Carbo-salt-sugar ..
Calorie counting flies!

Which Pride?

Blog 270:

Pride …
That’s off the top gratification
It is joy over an accomplishment
It is the feeling of exceeding joy at conclusions of tasks
Or satisfaction after a grueling ordeal overcome

Honorable pride …
That’s what raises self-esteem beyond self-respect
It is fulfillment of goals and dreams
It is dignity claimed unselfishly

Pride chokes, however …
When arrogance seizes the best out of modesty
Or it fills one’s being with deceit and smugness
Pride snatches humility
 
Dark pride …
That’s the worst anyone could clutch
Egotism steals all the delight out of joyful pride
Vanity isolates a soul from awesome persona
Superiority cuts and stings to the core
Until all delight and every gain is crushed … lost!

Hunt&Search!

Blog 269:

Living souls lazily awaken
Only to be firmly confronted:
“Stay indoors!” a voice says
“Secure entrances and exits …
“Sequester loved ones for now!”
An officer shouts …
While door-to-door
Neighborhood-by-neighborhood
In urban and rural Boston -
His partner on foot, in tandem, post warnings

On TVs, on computer screens
And in all media streams
Notice after notice flash:
NO TRANSPORTATION on the MOVE!
SCHOOLS and BUSINESSESS on SHUTDOWN!
BOSTON towns in total LOCKDOWN!

Statewide … township by township
The same scenes … similar orders
Are resolutely dispatched
In context of emergency
In framework of security
In circumstance of safety
For transients and residents alike

In the metropolis, along narrow ways and wide paths
Uniformed prowlers search house after house …
Armored cars sheepishly, but decisively move …
SWAT teams on rooftops get on the ready …
Local police keep vigilant watch …

Everyone keeps an eye open …
Law enforcements monitor suspicious movement …
Crime squads sniff for minutest lead …
All aim to snatch-to seize-to capture perpetrators
Wreaking havoc among peace-loving citizens
Down  Watertown, MA

Meanwhile …
The world gazes and hears
People get stupefied-scream-wonder
All ask, “Why!”
Yet they sit on hands
Or mute voices
And do nothing much …
 
Somewhere far from humankind’s realm …
Compassionate Shepherd consoles
Holy Spirit beckons
“Heal … Care … LOVE!”

Dust

Blog 268:

Powdery dust flies every which way

And blankets the ground …

Not just any dirty, annoying dust

But grain-like and fragile yellow dust …

It rains in herd on everything it could find

And triggers sniffles and sneezes sometimes

Yet, every piece of that living creature

Travels, embeds, and transplants

Or actively interacts beyond and between its kind …

With a little help from friends above

Those silvery showers from the skies

Sprinkle them with delight

And initiate new growths beneath …

In time … festive greens and rainbow hues

Sprout above the beauty-parched land

To tease and tickle the feet of Lord of the Dance!

Spring Delight!

Blog 267:

Walk leisurely …
Take a walk around your neighborhood
And be awed by the beauty of its surroundings
Look closely …
Note young growths from tree branches
Spot the Cardinals and Robins at play
Listen keenly …
Hear the birds’ tweets and high-pitched singing
Snoop on the woodpecker atop knocking on tree trunk
Smell gently …
Enjoy the mixed sweet smells of blooms
Sniff into the buds left alone by butterflies
Feel soothingly …
Touch the crisp, yet cool and damp morning air
Bathe your skin in the young sun’s warmth 

Sing passionately ...

Delight in nature's wonderful display

And be awed by the gifts of Spring!

Be Still ...

Blog 266:

Mourn and lament  
Loved ones lost
And dear ones scarred
In the prime of life
Expressing freedom of movement
Rejoicing triumphs of achievement
Or voicing unity for a cause …

Cry hard and loud
Scream out your sorrow
Weep over what lost lives could be …

But remember laughter
Reminisce moments of warm embrace
Bring to mind words of endearment spoken

Be still
To hear the voices of comfort
Silently lay
And feel the reassurance
Of the Giver and receiver
Of lives that joyously spring
Or momentarily sleep
Be it in peace or turmoil

Run for Life and Death ...

Blog 265:

'Bostonians' all for a day ...
Revelers, visitors, residents
Families and friends
Embrace and celebrate
Their Patriots of past and present …

All jubilantly gather
To run for freedom
To run for health
To run for community togetherness …

Only to be bewildered by exploding bombs
Only to be shocked and stumped
Only to be confounded by injuries and death
At the finish line of 2013 Boston Marathon!

What sick mind would want to hurt joy?
What deep hatred could want an end to exultation?
What menacing thought could concoct a heinous crime?

'Bostonians' all for a day ...
Revelers, visitors, residents
Families and friends
Cry and mourn 
Their Patriots of present and past …

Quandary

Blog 264:

Throw a soft ball up and down the ceiling

And listen to the bumping sounds

Get glued for hours into the tube box

Then fill your stomach with munchies

Turn on and off your i-phone

Afterwards, mindlessly check out connections

But all are in vain …
Nothing works …
Not for the mind or body to be productive!

What do you do when you’re bored sick?
What do you do when time is out of your control?
What do you do when waiting aimlessly?
What, if anything, could you really do -
With wide-opened doors that lead to nowhere
Because your mobility is cut-off
And handicapped by a debilitating illness?

Cry, perhaps?
Mope and sulk?
Condemn everything else?
Or let the pain wash away …

In silence!

Time to Say Bye!

Blog 263:

Black gook clings to window ledges
Thick dust hangs over panes everywhere
In-between tiles hug myriads of dirt
And cobwebs dance up the ceiling

Anywhere one looks could not be missed
All transient visitors of old man Winter

“Get going; don’t abuse your welcome!”
Suggests warm, bright Spring …
 
They hear her, but choose not to listen …
They grip tightly …
Sleepily, they cleave longer to their cozy-found abode
Until Masters of the Home take Spring’s bidding
 
They grab hold of thick window drapes
They raise blinds and curtains
And invite the nest to breathe out and in
As if saying, “Welcome fresh Breeze and soft Sun …
Welcome to new gifts of life!”

Lies

Blog 262:

It is certain …

Lies are easier to make
Compared to truth and facts
 
Lies could be made up
Lies could be told sans trepidation
 
We all make lies about ourselves
We make lies about others
We make lies of situations
And we don’t even blink!

We construct them as we go
We embellish them even
We amplify lies
And not for long, mind you …
Lies we make become
The truth that we want

We decide, “To heck with character!”

We deaden our realities …
Because we do not want to face them
We mute and muffle our actualities …
Because they give us pain
Genuine materiality -
Existing corporeality -
Are too troublesome to live with day to day!
 
What is it about truth?
What is it about fact?
What is it about reality?
What is it we can’t face …
Or admit is our stark existence?

Soul … consciousness … psyche …
Step-out and step-up!

Spring Rejoices

Blog 261:

New seasons of life begin …
Carpets of green sprout
Bulb and shoots bloom
Bushes bud in splendor
Even trees don their festive hues
In time for the celebration
But that’s not all, oh no!
Atop trees’ crowns
Gifts of life emerge
From winged creatures’ nests
Doubling jovial SPRING’s rejoicing!

Cinnamon

Blog 260:

She watches intently

For movement out of the window ...
It didn’t matter
From which creature effort arises ... 
It could come from a nut-munching squirrel
It could originate from a neighbor’s car
It could stem from a girl next door’s school bus
It could start from passersby

She watches intently
For movement out of the window ...
It didn’t matter
From which position life comes ...
She keenly guards the front deck
She ardently observes the road  
She zealously examines the bushes and trees
 
She waits patiently
Until movement or life springs
And she enthusiastically pounces up and down
From her window spot
Barking raucously … brashly …
At the top of her voice!

Bells!

Blog 259:

Music?

Make music?

Yes … make music with like-minded friends
Or those you meet by chance …

Make music with color-coded bells
And listen to the harmony it makes

You don’t have to read notes
You don’t have to engage your voice box

Simply ring color-coded bells
As color blots are flashed
Right in front of your naked eyes

Listen to the music it makes
As you wait your turn to ring your bell
For that focused, appointed time!

Bone Groans

Blog 258:

In part or whole, the body groans …

It occasionally whimpers

When in contact with weather-related chill

It loudly grunts

When struck by the blow of someone’s ill-intended fist

In whole or part, the body groans …

It moans voluminously

When enormous pain surreptitiously strikes

 

In part or whole, the body groans …

When strength dries out

When its members deteriorate one by one

Until nothing more of its structure stands!

Money

Blog 257:

Game changer …

That’s what money is about

When flowing smoothly like honey

It is spent foolishly on inconsequential things

Let money’s flow bump into conditions

And watch the game player use it with trepidation

Foolishly gamble it

And just like a candle’s ember snuffed out

It is annihilated! 

Shadows

Blog 256:

Shadows, real or unreal

Follow us everywhere we go …
There are shadows of the past -
They visit on inopportune times
Or in times of relevant experiences
Shadows, real or unreal
Follow us everywhere we go …
There are shadows of the present -
They visit over and over
Until we deal face-to-face with each one

Unease ...

Blog 255:

What triggers unease
Comes from within and without
It could be fear of the unknown
It could be legitimate worry
It could be timidity
What triggers unease
Comes from within …
Something that challenges conviction
Something that tests loyalty
Something that dares unfold secrecy
What triggers unease
Comes from without …
Perhaps a twist on fate
Perhaps an environmental hazard
Perhaps someone else’s apathetic act
Whatever triggers unease
Comes from without and within!

Beauty is ...

Blog 254:

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ... so goes a familiar quote.  Whether or not you agree, it is there for you to find and test.

 

To many mothers,  all begotten children are beautiful, even when physical or psychological deformity starkly exist.  To artists, all endeavors of creative output is beautiful, even the ones that their audience could not decipher.  What we see and interpret with our naked eyes and minds as beautiful belongs only to each one of us.  We see the possibility of architectural beauty in driftwood.  Upon folding and creasing an ordinary piece of paper, we see the potential structure of a familiar object.  With broken pieces of porcelain or glass, one could shape and create an inspirational piece to behold and admire.  Clouds that form on a bright sunny day up in the sky beckon us to see all sorts of familiar and unfamiliar images we daily encounter and rarely dream about. 

 

That we all see beauty in our selfish or generous way holds water.  What about unseen beauty?  How and when do we see or experience it?  Where do we begin to look?  Noting abstract and hidden beauty ... that is the greater challenge for us all!

Lesser Kind

Blog 253:

Caring for 'creatures of the lesser kind' isn't a picnic.  It requires genuine commitment, attention and patience.

You can't commit to pets temporarily, unless you're a caregiver for a day or so.  Commitment to be there for them day in and out must be transparent every single day.  Early in the morning, when they begin to wake you ... no matter the manner - a scratch on the bedpost or blanket, a lick in the face while you're still snoozing, and a determined bark that gets you up like it or not ... the request or demand to take them out so they could do their personal necessities outdoors, must be fulfilled.  You'll suffer the consequences - extra carpet or floor chore for you, if you don't readily respond! Attention is another must.  Whether it's the throw and fetch game, a body rubbing, a hug and a peck they clamor for, you must give and let happen.  Otherwise your buddies and bundles of joy would let you know for sure that you're a thoughtless, uncaring master.  When your pets deliberately sulk in a corner or aimlessly stare out a window, they send you that message:  "You don't love or care for me!"  You can't hide or run from an implied or overt body language they manifest.  Without patience, you achieve nothing.  It is true with everything and everyone you deal with.  Patience is required when you walk them with or without a reason. Pets love to think they are being walked so they could really exercise their bodies and minds.  They think they are out in the open range to smell the grass, the flowers, and everything in their path.  You could just not robotically walk them at you time frame.  They demand a leisurely time away from the confines of their abode. 

Undeniably, pets know when they are unconditionally cared for and loved.  It isn't easy to do, but practice makes perfect harmony for that coveted relationship your heart desires.  What do you get out of it?  Loyalty, companionship ... even the great feeling of being needed and loved back!

Jitters&Jolts

Blog 252:

What unsettles an otherwise calm psyche?
Is it physical pain?
Is it fear?
Is it worry?
Is it unleashed desire wanting to burst?
Is it vengeance?
Is it nature of the beast?

What of all conditions feeds one's restlessness?
Is it excitement?
Is it anxiety?
Is it felt danger?
Is it sixth sense?
Is it a cup running over?

Restlessness precedes calamity ...
Unsettled psyche precipitates an unknown ...
Evil or Good!

For you ... 
What would it be?

Spring Butterfly

Blog 251:

Fluttery Blue ...

She dances in flight
She floats and flips
She moves from water to blossom
She appears unable to decide
At which to settle, rest and drink from
Until she sights upon the lily pod
In the middle of the pond
Blue&white-flapped fagile creature ...

Spring Buttefly