Look Alive

31 December 2011

To the Marrow

"Tomorrow in the offices the year on the stamps will be altered;
Tomorrow new diaries consulted, new calendars stand;
With such small adjustments life will again move forward
Implicating us all; and the voice of the living be heard:
"It is to us that you should turn your straying attention;
Us who need you, and are affected by your fortune;
Us you should love and to whom you should give your word."

~ Philip Larkin (1922–1986), British poet. "New Year Poem."

The pulses travel deepest and join the Will in becoming inconspicuous under the air's chill. If honoring the flow, many new memories are prepared but not yet expressed in l'iver hibernations. Still, the marrow has much to tell. Those warm whispers we've allowed to fly past our ears with breezes of its kind found their anchor long ago. It is when the message queue gets full that we shiver to our bones: remembering springs, summers, the fall, bright ideas, late nights, early mornings and appreciating in their absence the respect that both the abyss and angels above have no choice but to offer the persistent flame in heart. God Bless ... and it is so.

28 December 2011

Fri/end of Days

As another year draws to a close, festive company, music and commemorations abound from a cultural fulcrum. Even this post's corresponding tune is teeming with flavor, however feisty! In a former incarnation of this blog (circa 2006-9 as mentioned in last week's post), it was fun to occasionally learn and share some of the different spins people put on the days of the year. Birthdays, religious observances, Boxing Day, Thanksgiving, moon phases and the like can already be found on most calendars across the globe. You'd be surprised by what obscure stories also speak 'behind the stories'! For instance, today is known to some as Childermas or Innocents' Day, in memory of those baby boys slain in an evil attempt to thwart the Christ child's birth. Interestingly enough, it is also Card Playing Day (?!), much to what I guess is the pleasure of school cafeteria and casino dwellers alike. Those tidbits were educational, entertaining and random in their delivery, but two things I receive as humbly certain and deliberate to my soul: all citizens of the world can create a laundry list of joys and pains for any day yet the Most High God presides over every one. With surrender to this understanding, the Spirit of the Lord will prove to be our truest Friend. Can you attest to any other relationship wherein reverently being your honest, flawed and even vulnerable self guarantees no harm or end? By God's grace, now I can.

23 December 2011

Happy Win-terre!

The winter solstice marks the longest night and shortest day of the year. From that point, it is said that the light of the sun approaches the apex of its brilliant potency and influence until June 21, when those effects begin their decline again. It is also considered a time of quiet storage and protectively keeping one's hand close to the heart of the matter, as (not if) you will. After all, to paraphrase an old jazzy standard, bears do it, roots do it, seeds that will be fruits do it, so let's do it... When I did take a trip through my inner archives, I enjoyed revisiting a few creative concepts and musical favorites from somewhat recent years. Starting in 2006, when two particular tunes were created and Akeelah and the Bee was released, a popular Marianne Williamson quote featured in the film was a fixture on the MySpace social network page I used at the time. It reads:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~ from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles (1992)
After extensive battles with shy containment of my inner fire so as not to intimidate, offend or rouse another to anything but Love's healing; criticism or inattention from those who equated quality entertainment with selling sensationalism, sex or one's soul values; unfounded contractual fears from my young adult years as a signed recording artist and other would-be obstacles turned opportunities, I finally overcame my repressed ego to believe the necessity of sharing from the he/art with integrity, joyous understanding of the ups & downs we all face and diverse canvasses to my Life's purpose. There would be those who disliked, misunderstood or somehow felt threatened by the work to attempt my theft and harm on material/physical or spiritual levels, but shrinking to accommodate their dis-ease and disregarding God's mandate as a result were unwise non-options.

The Light of righteousness, sacred breath and our other resources were given to us not to curse another, but to bless the Giver. Marianne seems to 'get it' as does Nelson Mandela, whose similarly-themed 1994 inauguration address contributed to the resonance some have embodied as copyright confusion. I have no need to dispute their sides or any interpretation of even unwritten ancient wisdom over what I now receive as the essential plain sight of Matthew chapter 5. May it also serve you as a guide despite how cold the 'weather' may get, how far away brighter days may seem or how bare our yield may become at times. We can see our potential through Kingdom eyes, let p(e)ace be still in the midst, strengthen our roots in God's Word and store the nutrition that will burst forth soon enough to everything that/there is...


10 December 2011

Amen.

After encountering the beautiful Mary J. Blige song on Blip.fm that corresponds to this post #81 for the year (see the lower left "...and Now" section of the page), I learned the related link was disabled. Although that sound was eclipsed from aligning with these and even higher purposes, let's "leave it..." there and appreciate all we can of today's gifts.

*******
 

Word of the Day

December 10, 2011
  • adytumaudio pronunciation\ad-i-tuhm\ noun
1. A sacred place that the public is forbidden to enter; an inner shrine.

2. The most sacred or reserved part of any place of worship.

Origin:
Adytum  is from the Greek roots a-  meaning “not” and -dyton  meaning “to enter.”

Source: Dictionary.com

 

Word of the Day

December 10, 2011
  • compendiousaudio pronunciation\kum-PEN-dee-us\ adjective
: marked by brief expression of a comprehensive matter : concise and comprehensive; also : comprehensive
 
Source: m-w.com

09 December 2011

...ASE...

The suffix -ase came to mind randomly today.

It's a worry-free thing really, considering it could easily be something you see on many product labels at any given time.

Even though one way to look at is like "ace" ~ the mark of quality, a best friend who will actually see you right through anything or the helpful, hardware store perhaps ~ that isn't always the case.

Those of certain Afro-Latino spiritual traditions see and sound it differently, too, as the potential and force of Life itself to be gained by virtue and given.

Science thinks of it as an engineering society. That larger industry regards it as a common suffix often signaling the presence of an enzyme wherein something will be transformed, by a digestion, reduction, tenderizing or some other manner of "breaking 'it' down" in preparation for another function.

While I can't say exactly why I was inclined to view the word these ways without any previous context, the Word now comes to mind, highlighting the Most High's Way in the midst: to distinguish between negatively earthbound acquaintances, those who share a worthwhile experience with us in these incarnations and the Paraclete, the Friend to all who do not unduly grieve but receive It. I also appreciate the Word for reminding us that the inclination to engage in false talk and stalk another is far inferior to true discernment, analysis and interpretation; that grace and spiritual gifts, even the greatest of them, are available to EVERYONE from God, for the benefit of each other. 

Of course, seeking the beauty of God's face will vary across disciplines, blinding those subject to the condemnation of the past and enlightening others open to moving forward with/in Glory. C'est  la vie! Whenever the debate gets too heated, though, set your sights on the shades of Deborah and carry on ~ cooler.

P(e)ace.

07 November 2011

Amalgamation

All the signs agree
that it's time to get it together
stay focused and go
Hush, I know...
Oaths and seals are at times prey to whales
Necks tired of gills seek protection by tales
yet Truth still prevails
despite the tags on unattended souls


Pick up the p(e)aces left along the way
Let your eyes be light
and return the red flower to the city's heart
You will be seen through
the cracked surfaces
Discover depth
beyond the steam
Loose weaves
will be meshed, measured
with music


New bones about it
Love will have our backs
if we shun evil relations
and allow our arms to relax

06 November 2011

Primer

Today's the day! We're discouraged from sharing in the Natural flow and, instead, encouraged to do a Cher with time for the historical sake of allowing greater work productivity. Behold, clocks requiring manual involvement must be turned back and only some of the world's people since the 19th century -- not the totality -- will don the flowing capes in order to save daylight. Noble, huh?! I don't think the memo made a blip on my music player's radar here just yet...

Either way, while I believe there can indeed be strength in numbers, for better or worse, I do not agree with the core values (or lack thereof) behind any attempt to unnecessarily manipulate the Infinite Eternal that preceded and will succeed all. Before we came to this plane to mature as we put a li'l personal paint where it ain't, however hierarchic in time and other measurements, a canvas existed. It was primed and patterned by visionary Divine Love for pleasure.

When the Luciferian line of reasoning enters the human experience with greedy and prideful expectations, unfortunately that pleasure is readied for replacement by pain. The seeds of murder, financial and emotional poverty which share a mutual reception with robbery, snobbery, slavery, adultery and curry (that was just a suffix-in-sound joke to ensure your attentiveness - curry's actually wonderful to me and its turmeric ingredient, of medicinal benefit), to name a few, are thereby cultivated. Contrary to that base nature, the gardener or parent of genuine Love plants for more than the cash or prestige of the crop.

By examining any situation or spirit despite its vessel, the harmful parts of Life have a foundation that can be dealt with accordingly. Healing paths have also been laid at our feet and fingertips with which to see goodness for what it is, despite the fears or tough-skinned coping tactics that may hinder vision with the naked eye. Scripture is one place that I dwell hoping to glean such wisdom and strength.

Needless to say, history often reads in favor of the assumed victor and many global teachings, like their teachers, fell victim to the ruthless persistence of confusion and ignorance. Still, even persons who do not subscribe to the Christian faith know and consider the teachings collectivized as the Bible to be "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth" at the very least. At its realest and most effective, I understand Holy Word to be inscribed by the Spirit of the Most High in one's figurative language and directly onto the essential heart made flesh by all types of experiences under Heaven.

Now I ask you. If you had your way, as most of our six billion+ wishes, to reinvent the wheels and wisdom you find insufficient and unbelievable, how would your instructional primer read? Would some groups suffer and others be safe? Would all living be allowed to paint? How would you define the haves and have nots? Would the criteria be discerned from within or superficially relative to the heart? Having given it more thought, is it wholly different from what you already hate? I believe there is very little to prevent any of us from starting afresh in the optimal spirit God desires. Remember, there is more primer where it came from. P(e)ace.

01 November 2011

The Legend of Waking Hallow

The Hallowe'en tradition of masquerading and exploring the dark side is celebrated by many across the world. As a time when the veil between the physical and spiritual realms is considered the thinnest, motifs of deadly force, ghosts, harmful transformations and the skeletons that literally comprise the 'bare bones' of our existence are prevalent. In that regard, the late, great popular music legend Michael Jackson's seminal "Thriller" video still captures the attention of millions to this day.

Death being quite natural and relative to the Life continuum, my "deadly force" referral to any use of energy that seeks to undermine or end what God has ordained as worthy or current was deliberate. Other terms that can be misunderstood or just interchanged but require prudent handling in the process are "wakeful" or "waking"; even discernment of the "hollow" from the "hallow" can elude a casual ear without context.

The former pair is similar, but one part sometimes suggests insomnia whereas the seemingly better synonym for 'alert' eventually leads right back to the other for a conscious presence of wakefulness. Also, the latter pair may sound alike, but every tunnel doesn't lead to the light and emptiness is not always holy. Achieving stillness within then submitting the material or status hunger and other deceitful lusts of self to Divine Will are serious tasks.

So what's with the random, mini English lesson? I'm actually asking myself the same question, as I don't always plan these entries but begin with a positive intent and let the Holy Spirit lead the rest of the Way. Recalling my seasonal enjoyment of yesterday's "Blacula" and "Vampire in Brooklyn" broadcasts as well as thoughts of early schoolgirl assignments involving Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" character Ichabod Crane or equally comical Shakespearean frights, some gems figure into the overall picture and make it clearer.

As many stories unfold, the former horror buff in me has always sympathized with shrews, innocents, headless riders and egotistical tamers alike. Dark places where demons lurk often go beyond illusory screens and pages to the best of our bodies and minds. There is help, however. We can look to Ephesians 5(:14), the justice of Mark's gospel, Michael Jackson magic such as "Heal the World" or "Man in the Mirror" that continues to bring beasts to light (after all, Billie Jean's approach is scarier and more torturous than the instant demise any werewolf can bring) and the Psalm 23 joy of jazz musician Jeff Majors to name a few.

Please have no fear! Despite our past mistakes and anyone else's decision to promote hate (read: thirsty, controlling deception), there is holiness within each of us that simply needs the alarm rung so it can rise up and glorify Our Maker. Never mind evil tales and the like, I AM is indeed Legend.

21 October 2011

Day & Night

The last post, its corresponding song, some related lessons and the inevitable test(s) were written into the Life script, at times by my hand. My decision to sprinkle a little Dottie Peoples atop the mix represented the affirmation of the Master via the inspiration of the moment. Every other day since then, even when I made a wrong turn or took a quick break before starting to write, Love shared a welcome greeting, far from random I think. InJoy!

17 October 2011

Ghetto Physick

Equal opposition. Least resistance. Persistence of motion. Relativity. Resonance. Rest.

My final two undergrad years presented some of my greatest challenges to date. Inspired by the passing of my matriarch on my birthday, I went full steam ahead with a mission to reach certain goals and gather my life into a productive cohesion of the pieces I'd discovered and polished from time to time. Forget dating and 'settle down' with one man - check! Fix my credit status at the time - check! Go back to school - check! Finish the book I'd conceived of well before - check! Lose more than I started out with, learn about some players, remember that while Life is to be joyful it is not a game then realize the obstacles as opportunities to gain the luminous insight and forgiveness of Divine Love within - ch... wait, really? Man... um, ok ok... CHECK!

One of the most rewarding moments in that season was the day a faculty advisor informed me that my thesis was accepted and my way cleared to enter the summer garden ceremony commemorating at least 120 completed credits. Understanding my ambitions as a writer and community health presence, just after graduation, he wrote a brief yet endearing message introducing me to a potential publishing outlet as well as a 'ning' site where everyday people could share traditional healing wisdom. The site was cool to communicate within for a moment, but I hadn't followed up on the publisher details just yet because I'd already entertained other, independent methods to begin with.

Around that time, an old acquaintance I had never seen or thought about at length found me via another social networking site and ironically asked me for some publishing leads I had only that recent one of. Never one to swindle another from a positive opportunity, I was happy to share the contact info and that of a mutual friend from years prior, whom I had held in high esteem and enjoyed open online contact with on occasion. Given the year-long string of events below that ensued from exactly that point, the hesitation above was part of a rude awakening to the way that some will reveal exactly where their hearts have been first before attempting to project a false imprint onto yours. Community correction can certainly be a necessity, but who would respect or even regard the credentials of an alleged doctor who addresses, say, a vitamin deficiency or anemia by trying to hit the patient in the head with a steel chain instead of an empowering consultation and supplements? Not I. Sooner than engage in the mature, mutual freedom to discuss any areas of upset, there are those who find decoys, denial, draining energy and entrapment (essentially of themselves) favorable somehow. Surely, it sucks to be that way.

Besides what appeared to be misinformed people fiendishly having each other's backs behind the guise of writing, there was the friend who seldom spoke to me but repeatedly asked another of my marital status while my engagement slowly rose from the ashes of losing a child... the flood of harassing phone calls and texts that plagued the phones even of family members whose number I shared with a friend moving to their area... the related approaches 'they' intended to appear intimately informed and seed distrust that treated my every statement, song preference and even temporary agreement with the absurd to precisely diagnose the areas in need of healing like personally directed lifebreath before morphing into Internet and other character attacks... a younger student, new to my school and semester advisory group, whose random confidence to me about having been abused resulted in my regularly sharing any info of her major's subject interest to which she responded with visible whispering, sneers and public avoidance as if I'd asked, given or taken anything other than help... receiving anger on the phone because, as a sleepy passenger in rain and terrible traffic, I couldn't tell exactly what my exit (and E.T.A.) was only to be locked out on my graduation day for a half-hour following a five-hour ride back home... once I was not only single again but centered, an oh-so-handsome man I forced myself to discern sloooowly offered some detachment, timing and words, albeit indirectly protective, that seemed more hurried and hired than inspired...

In those and other moments, we all represented casual ties or casualties of an age-old battle*, consciously or otherwise embroiled in the eternally foiled 'aptik' (so to speak) by the ancient archenemy of Days. I understood that the roots of hurt are often far removed from the thorns or pests that present themselves in any Now. They may even fuel addiction in that we sometimes crave more of our deep, familiar desires and suffering, so much so that we'll do our best to pass it off to another and applaud any misfortune. By God's grace and with active faith, we are able to change for the better and rise above divisive confusion enough to stand with, not against or over, a fellow Being. Individual blame, gossip, victimhood and excess energy for that mess are unnecessary.

Recent posts will reflect at least one death that took place in my immediate circle as well as the changing of colors and seasons that is Nature's grander cycle. Over the weekend, even relatively famous rappers Rick Ross, whose productions have always been so groovy to me, and Tone Loc suffered unexpected and unfortunate seizures of their usual flow. Academic, activist and author Dr. Cornel West was among those arrested in the Occupy Movement at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial's dedication. The course of the ominously titled Doomsday comet seemed to have passed over Earth unremarkably, almost a week before Minister Camping's newest take on the cataclysmic phenomenon for this year. Again, I do not see jokes in any of this but joy for the individuals' surviving chances to do better. I also rejoice in that age, gender, height, influence, socioeconomic status, talents and apparent escape mean nothing to the Most High except that they are glorified in righteousness for the time we do have.

In the words of music's Queen of Soul, who was also present at the dedication, "I ain't no psychiatrist / I ain't [yet] no doctor with degrees / but it don't take too much IQ / to see" that the biggest sickness is expecting anything but the Almighty to remain the same or only as small mind and selfish desire may warrant. The remedy, I'm learning, might just be very simple and accessible to all. Live the truth. Let go and let God (LOVE). Be well.

"No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because he was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means--the only complete realist." - C.S. Lewis


"Life is a joyful, passionate adventure, so it doesn't matter what your sad story or painful story is. ... The human spirit [as imparted by God] is so large, so infinite and so magnificent, it will never allow you to dominate over it. It will fight you for its freedom." - as stated in the film, Ghetto Physics (the trailer is hitched to "rise above")


Ghetto: a quarter of a city in which Jews... [or other] members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal or economic pressure; an isolated group; a situation that resembles a ghetto; an often involuntary yet possibly impermanent state of Being per the Free Merriam-Webster online and myself


Physick: the general practice and "mystery" of medicine and healing per St. Michael's Medical Glossary of Renaissance and Medieval Terms




* Lewis quote and scriptural references here are primarily courtesy of an Acts 17:11 Bible Study on "Temptation".

12 October 2011

.:. Godspeed .:.

Setting out on a few errands yesterday morning pleased my senses with all the color, texture and temperature frequencies that Nature chose to offer. Here in North America, throughout approximately 12 30-day increments organized into four equal clusters, we move from green to greener to red/orange/yellow to bare and back again. If any of us had the sole power to say "when", surely the flux of individual temperaments would weaken the overall experience. Gladly, we have our Being not by mere she, me or he-speed, but by that of the Most High. Any moment we realize that it's about time... P(e)ace.

03 October 2011

The Be(a)st in Us

Yesterday, I happened upon the dedication service of a meditation garden. Really. My mind was full and a drive seemed like good medicine. The random drive became a desire to go to church. The random church entry culminated in a beautiful garden feast. In light of the recent passing in my family and the overseas interrment I can not attend, it did my heart glad to witness the Earth in her new life and growth incarnation during this time. Shaking foundations and claiming bodies has its own moments in the continuum.

As the presiding minister explained the plants and intentions gracing each of the garden's seven stations, he made special mention of St. Francis, a small statue of whom stood just behind us near station 6.
Mental note aside to learn what this Francis was the patron of, I enjoyed Autumn's almost-too-crisp-for-my-dressness with the congregation and even met a friend I hadn't expected to see while there.  

It seems St. Francis (of Assisi, whose feast day in the Catholic tradition is reportedly held tomorrow) is said to be the patron saint of animals, environmentalists and, naturally, the ecology of the Earth we all share. This and that another, slightly lesser-known St. Francis (de Sales) is the patron of writers and a Doctor of the Church was so befitting! There I had been -- indulging in my mind but for a few days this funky swirl of mortality, medicine and musical content that was at times indecent, fearfully defeatist to considerations of cancer and simply not conducive to the inner Life of blessed freedom that the Lord provides as an option -- when a mere stone and the stories we've attached to its likeness through the years appeared as a gentle reminder that we honor our Master by mastering beasts; beats too, for all you producers and sound engineers out there ;)

A featured dictionary word and a few other online mentions today seemed to converge with Sunday's inspiration to highlight the importance of not letting any inhuman(e) being wear away at the fortitude of our joy and peace. With this, I am reminded that each day may carry with it a host of coincidences as well as choices that shape our lives into things of beauty or otherwise. I'll use this moment to make a terrible rhyme regarding the law of Murphy in hopes that it scurry and remind us that the Living Word is what prevails: all things work together for the good of God through His own. So, since they're both there to some extent, will you feed the best or the beast in you? I've asked myself the same question more than enough times. As often and truly as I can, I will always rise above base nature and choose Life for the best possible results. No toucan you, you can too. (Yeah, I know... drum beat, crash!)

28 September 2011

A Song for YOU

A loved one's God-given breath was called back over the weekend, in turn beckoning me to my hometown. Last night ended so late and today began so soon that I couldn't discern the difference between the winds whistling through the car's semi-open 'stay awake' window, the last of the season's cicadas and more that always reinforces my being part -- not all -- of the beauty and pain that is Life. Within the hour-and-a-half that darkness and light would trade places, I got to rest, happily none the wiser.

The sound of someone whose need couldn't see mine woke me. Golden rules and a great sense of duty aside, who had the energy to care? Well, I could and did muster it up, but how selfish was that! Can I live? Geez... That same breeze, now complementing a daytime canvas, returned to me the presence of mind that I actually was living AND I am yet alive, thanks be to God. With that comes the opportunity to help another or oneself do what is necessary and, hopefully, pleasant while we're here. If the havoc that cancer and its treatment had wreaked on my cousin's body prior to her beautiful soul's travel from it wasn't an issue, wouldn't she want to spend more days loving her husband and he, her? Might a minor squabble bring them closer in a heartbeat with greater appreciation of their differences or just more sunsets with laughter have been great medicine? How selfish was I? 

What should have been a 10 a.m. return to honor my own (appointment-based) time of need became an almost 2 p.m. deal, providing a whole new reference point of selfishness. *sigh* Temporarily distracted, it felt nearly impossible to enjoy the voice of God's grace in my Life over the cacophany that was the person's stream of empty excuses. Without movement or a machine, I turned the volume on the noise in and outside me all the way down. There was damage control to be done. Once online, I noticed that a sister had e-mailed a group of us her lovely rendition of a surrender song; a personal favorite in recent times. Almost six years had passed since I'd heard her voice, so the surprise was that much nicer; interestingly on-time, even.

I'd given my upset the valid moments it deserved and transformed the growing heat in my hands with what once might have been cussin'... into a higher, creative place. Woosah, I say! New paints and ideas were at Home Depot. Cacao nibs and a new book to read had been signed and in my purse by simply accepting a mini-adventure a day or so before the news. By twilight, four artists had crossed my online path for the first time with very raw emotions set to song that reinforced the common threads of our dynamic existence.

Beyonce asserted the thesis for all who have ever lived: "I was here." Stacy Barthe bathed what can be the dark corners of our self-discovery and more with tastefully bold, loving lights over and over throughout her recent EP. Sonyae Elise's "♻" resonated with my affinity for what's possibly the greenest job ever by asserting a desire to "have a love...willing to relight the fire when the wind blows a little too close to the candle". My loved one was fortunate enough to know exactly 'who to cling to when the rain set in', on Earth and for Heaven's sake. Late as the universal hour and compromised as balance might be for those of us who remain, we too can harmonize with the rhythm of the Creator should we listen and act accordingly. May the Living Word of God always make its way to our hearts and continue to be music to our ears.

23 September 2011

Wei Ling

Beyond time and
out of the box
I plugged in a new antique
"The voices" of Kansas insisted
"there'll be peace..."
then sang a new song
Said Grown Folks: (ready, yo?)
'Arguable justice was served a T.A.D. bit cold'
Only ours
Before I painted my lines in bold
strokes
With an oz. of dis belief
eye sponged the vision of a mustard seed
more like a metallic ochre
praying to transform the ogre in the living room
faithfully
If not for abiding Love
where would i be
A Salute was conducted in Copper and Black Walnut
and Akan accents spoke
until the rising sun
Once another day was done
the flame carried on

11 September 2011

Life: To Be Continued

i witnessed myself through borrowed lenses
noticing all too well how superficial flaws
plus the gift and curse of tight genes
can sometimes spark our drives
"He loved me enough to lie"
the widow on the radio
wept in elegy of her
grand emergency
at least 10 
years
past.
Life
is                                                                                                                     
such
that if you last
through the times
intended to break you
you will recognize yourself
in fullness just around the bend
Kiss him and her first, differently even
before continuing the journey forward to
collect the tokens you left on the way back...



Excerpted from May 22, 2009, I "Re.Mem.Ber"...
* a flood, rising high over top a large expanse of green flatlands. Thought I was on an exaggerated ferry and 'woke up.'
* I remember running alone at night across fields, hiding in a dark ditch of moist earth from the sound of an approaching mob with dogs, eventually escaping and fighting with equal purpose.
* I remember awaiting a girlfriend of mine and the faceless ones' white unmarked van who ravished my childhood body to death, long deciding my grave should be a mall parking lot.
* I remember the trained and licensed 'healers' shutting the Black man out, tearing at my flesh and leaving me for dead as the would-be firstborn was.
* I remember many betrayals and accusations of adultery, witchcraft.
* I remember being taller and thinner with 100 more pounds and less feet.
* I remember two natty sounding the shofar, one at my door with a city on fire in the background and the other to unblock my filled toilet as it grew and its waters rose, well.
* I remember and communicate best in languages I don't speak and in turn use, re-spell and rearrange the languages designed for exploitation of the mama tongue.
* I remember more sweats than the beautiful things in boxes I craved good reason to open to no avail.
* I remember the de(s)cent before the ascent over all I thought I knew and the ability to do the Work.
* I remember that each knows only in part.
* I remember suffering.
* I remember sweetness.
* I remember humanity.


I all-ways remember to forget in p(e)ace.
-20*20-

29 August 2011

10 More P(e)aces

The recent East Coast storm activity, like any other move of the Lord's hands, stirred my creativity and curiosity a bit. My first earthquake and hurricane experience, however mild relative to the disasters my global family has endured, inspired the following list of ten things to do in times like these, which is also the name of one of my favorite classic psalms.

1. Know and align with sources of goodness. Give honor to the Almighty for what Life you've had thus far and the ability to endure to even the last millisecond that you do, whenever that is. Locate fresh water. Know where your people are. Know alternate routes to and from your key destinations. Know your center and maintain it.

2. Pay attention to the constructive suggestions and tips given by wise community members, insurance companies and public safety organizations such as stocking up on water, flashlights & batteries and edible non-perishables (plus an opener). If possible, avoid those with damaged packaging to reduce the likelihood of poisonous contents; fueling your vehicle, securing your most important documents, maintaining some cash for purchases when credit card machines and all other electrical power is down and possessing a useful skill you can barter and assist others with.

3. Don't assume you know which way the winds will blow! A calm evening with the power to submit an assignment plus rain and breezes gentle enough to lull me into a sweet sleep on the couch made me somewhat confident that the worst had passed. This leads me to...

4. When you must sleep, try not to do it too close to wall-mounted hardware.
Exhibit A was only a yard away from my head, which happened to feature a dream that an unknown mate and I couldn't watch a certain movie at that time. He insisted we'd catch it soon and held me close as we crossed the street. I jumped awake just as the TV fell from the wall. Go figure! >  
 









5. When the rain does come, shower! I'm sure the art of bathing wasn't always performed in fancy French tubs. If the wind speeds aren't blowing your or your auto's body against your will, why not bask in Heaven's downpour? Visibility for any indecent public exposure charges shouldn't be an issue with no streetlights but the moon and stars. Find a discreet place if possible (as destructiveness is unfortunately also very human behavior, especially in a climate of compromise) and enjoy the dance! Unless your preferred type of shower is a non-option due to utility problems, soap is optional.

6. If you can, help somebody! Volunteers are screened and accepted year-round at local fire departments. Even if you choose not to serve on a larger community level, you can learn first aid or just be willing to show love to your neighbor. A kind word, bottle of water and helping hand may be just what's needed to temper the torrent outside and dispel any lies "he" or "she"-who-let-the-devil-use-them may have said about those you could truly stand to know better for yourself.

7. Should your electric power cease, revisit #1. Take a moment to consider what your darkness holds that you do and don't want to come to the light. Has it been forever since you spoke to that family member on your mind now? Would you be snacking unnecessarily if you didn't know better than to keep the fridge and freezer shut for as long as possible? Use the still silence to define what's truly important.

8. Every environment holds immediate weapons and blessings -- choose wisely. Broken glass can cut and offer much-needed reflections. Fallen branches can yield damage and act as fire material. Realizing the charcoal was done only after seasoning the one package of meat set out to defrost earlier maintained my beat to a quest for twigs, brush and old mail. Of course, the surrounding area was too damp to contribute to a fire sustainable enough to cook at length, but I was given insight as to the amount of dye some of those advertising circulars pack. Ooh... bright green! I read somewhere that one never has to leave home for art and, in harmless spirit, I agree.

9. Be OK with letting go. Yes, control freaks, manipulators, operatives and any of us folk accustomed to modern accoutrements, there are things beyond y/our control! Apple products at Nature's mercy or even applesauce left too long will sour alike and be near-impossible to use. Things may resume full function or not. Pumps are so pretty, but not always practical. Labels aren't as worthy as full ladles when hunger looms. Get in and go on as you are able.

10. In the end... singers Jewel would say that "only kindness matters", Brian McKnight would encourage us "to start back at One" and Eric Benet would croon that "you won't break 'cause you're learning how to bend / and the hand of God will guide you". Grateful as I was to learn that a cousin some towns over had power after the day-and-a-half deluge, I was even happier to see that other motorists in the deepening dusk allowed cool heads, common sense and courtesy to serve as our traffic lights. Simple pleasures! There but for the grace of God went I and dinner was good. Amen.

23 August 2011

Aftershock

Throughout history, the unanimous honor of civil rights leaders and natural disasters in the Washington, D.C. region were considered relative impossibilities. Having never experienced either in this life, the week starting on Sunday was monumental as it held the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial's official unveiling and a 5.9-magnitude earthquake that resonated up the East Coast from Virginia to Toronto. Oddly enough, as the times revealed these commemorators of stress, joyful gratitude for Life and a random sense of humor encouraged what popped in my mind as Mother Nature's ode to a rebellious humanity via the music and chorus of Mariah Carey's "Shake It Off". I know, I know... weird but true.

As far as the Earth is concerned, the proverbial "they" say that area residents can expect tremors anywhere from a day to a season from now. Mapping exactly how and when the monument will ripple in the lives of visitors may prove more difficult. Also, with her center of gravity shifted by the absence of life and performance partner, Nick Ashford, does legendary musician Valerie Simpson even register any of this? At some point, changes of devastating and pleasing natures will reach every doorstep. Despite our prejudices, intentions and expectations, it is this relativity that makes us family. All praise is due to Our Father for the hear and (k)now.

14 August 2011

full

perseid showers
and pomegranate seltzer
over
poetry n ice
to be

hold

from light, years and ennead away, i
just eat bread and do not question
the shooting and shine
guided roundtrip travel is on
love and the storm
safe and smooth, at times even swift
heaven must be
like this

08 August 2011

∞ 8/8 ∞

A double-take on common time

During a certain writing project, I considered the words as coming 'directly from my heart, flowing like my blood, quickly darkening to the chosen maroon' font on the screen where Microsoft Word was active. Fast-forwarding many years later to the present, the words reflecting my experiences have become more deeply ingrained. I'm generalizing right now, it's true, but in this personality of privacy; period of discreet contentment and era of admitted over-exposure (namely in tonight's season finales of two guilty TV pleasures), it's OK that we're all subject to times in front or blended into the background. A global health initiative that came to my attention today via YouTube and the following, basic graphic say so much to that end.


"...warm as the sun dipped in black..."


This and every day is one the Lord has made! I'm glad it's not my worst and yet look forward to better, as I manifest the flow my Creator orchestrates. The Being of breath and blood as precious as they are, their presence as universal and worthy of wellness despite the protest of some vessels, what healthier choice is there than appreciating and improving the Life gift, as given?

Infinitely, God Is Love.

30 July 2011

An Eye for an "I"?

During a music-filled study break today, I took a moment to learn a bit more about an artist who was really beautifying my experience. I witnessed a typo in the discussion forum I was reading and triggers fired off from nowhere. Well, not really nowhere... Recently, some of my work outside of this space was simultaneously critiqued as being "too formal", "too poetic" and essentially, "not artsy enough". The contradictions were hilarious yet telling of the inconsistently affected nature of opinion, importance of self-knowledge and, more importantly, understanding that God made and knows us best.

The brief tightrope walk through that mode added an extra drop of care to my expression, inspiring a well-intended edit to the artist's info. Apparently, I committed to one of my own in the process once I pressed "save" on the explanation site administrators required for any changes. *sigh* My satisfaction should have come solely from the melodic and lyrical blessing I received, trusting the purpose of the original artistry to eclipse any minutiae. What I ended up with was a 'helpful' contribution I didn't expect or want to be visible, since unnecessary attention and finger-pointing haven't been me since the '70s and are never sound motivation, especially where even larger correction is involved.

Briefly frustrated, I just rested from typing on any platform and had devotion. Hmm... that was all I wanted in the first place anyway! Guess my mistake was really just part of the Lord's mission and desire for me not to concern myself with all the words out there and spend a li'l more time within to better regard His. Well, Amen.

May the ultimate point be well taken.

26 July 2011

I Love the Lord

Last weekend's passing of the young British singer Amy Winehouse was but an example of the tragedy that sometimes accompanies Life, as harshly or even mildly lived. Although excessive emotional, drug and alcohol abuse defined much of the "Rehab" singer's public persona, the cause of the 27-year-old's death has not been officially released to date. The soulfulness of her voice earned her a place of appreciation in my sonic memory alongside a few of her UK contemporaries so much so that such an arguably natural repercussion was still rather unexpected amidst the relative silence between album projects. Common as at least one of the three above-named maladies are to the young and/or famous, I am compelled to repeat last week's sentiment of no one's exemption from the need to let God infuse and direct our attachments, medicines and cups instead.

As God is One of restoration, famed vocalist Whitney Houston is an earthly treasure who may represent to some both once and future polish in the almost 48 years she is still sharing with us in song and body. Hers has long been a powerful voice beloved and then bemoaned as alleged drug use severely compromised its appeal to the masses. Few eyes were left dry and hearts untouched by her work on the 1996 film remake, The Preacher's Wife, and its soundtrack. One such selection, "I Love the Lord" with the Mississippi Mass Choir, was said to have been recorded and released from within the eye of her storms -- and the heart of God. Sounds a bit like the Psalmist's story...

Having sung that particular song version many times and walked in the vicarious shoes of the film's character well before any interaction with a few marriage-related devotionals recently, the different yet complementary duties of spouses in ministry have been at the fore of my mind, heart and soul. Know first that, because I am indeed a single woman in the world's eyes, I am unashamed to be seen as a novice on this topic. Some ne'er wed academics in related fields and even married people have just as much if not more to learn, which is actually a good thing for all involved should truly knowing and growing as (with) a supportive partner be included in Love's definition. I digress...

I generally cherish the masculine principle as Being beautiful in its direct strength. The proverbial black-and-white of its arrows and vectors do serve great purpose. Embodying the feminine principle as I do, the bold, living color of curved lines and points made also has great merit. It would be quite a challenge for our natural world and healthy systems to thrive only on one or the other, though. Neither earth nor the cosmos are without dynamic circles (or relations that change) and flat as once presumed. Why, then, is it so easy for a man called to the mission of ministry, for instance, to set his approach as the mark of success and effectiveness or expect his method to be utilized by his female counterpart and vice-versa, encouraging a blind eye and deaf ear to the Holy Spirit Who dwells within unique proportions? Didn't they each come to 'see and hear' God's power, albeit unified in righteous, Divine purpose? Unnecessarily compromised opinions have no connection to the Lord's dominion.

Just as none of us completely know the higher thoughts and ways of God, whose heart for the devoted Bride is infinite, it seems unGodly to demand of those we love the perfection we will never attain despite the best ability of our flawed beauty. Simply as the picture below stated, by first knowing and Loving God, we can abide by Divine quality standards and love ourselves. From there, we can get to know and love our neighbors. Let another witness more than the aspects of wrath, superiority, terseness, judgment and force in us where applicable. Truth as patience, humility, fluidity, compassion and power are of God too. As I learn, I love you.

18 July 2011

(unknown)

Over the weekend, I came across a tweet that expressed its writer's willingness to embrace the contrasts of humanity so long as they offered genuine love in return. While both good and evil expect devotion from their respective followers, the tweet set me straight away from an unrelated judgment I'd made just a moment sooner. Disappointment with the lengths a "friend" once went to turn my attention into hurtful blame made molten rapids run through my veins for a split-second until I saw the Word in those 140 characters or less. That stranger's stream and seeing 
reminded me of the grandeur, strength and openness of the Lord's arms. 

The weekly music biography series, Unsung, featured disco-era artist Sylvester tonight. Pleasantly remembering traces of the "God-fearing, cross-dressing" openly gay man's high-energy and soulful music kept me tuned long enough to learn more about his early years. Like too many others, a despicable and tragic sexual abuse set the boy on a road that may have contributed to his orientation; choice of identity is another story. Male and female Loved ones with the courage to give less power to lies have confided in me with such experiences over the years and miles between us. By my common sense and their accounts, getting to know oneself through Life's formative periods is challenging enough without being compromised by figures of trust, respect and authority. In Sylvester's case, a clergy member was actually the human culprit.

As the looming spirit of evil would have it, countless young people with plans for fame or just survival fall prey to parents, bosses, mentors and even peers who deceptively groom the hopeful to believe that the greed, theft, drugs, betrayal, illicit sex and the like is the way to 'make it'. Unfortunately, some victims will then attempt to cover or deflect their plight by manipulating others from a place of depravity, fear or displaced anger; extending their detour into darkness. Not so and not fair. The Lord expects a mature enough mindset to know that our sins are not the fullness of us and act accordingly past them. A path without God's guiding Light and a shoulder of genuine understanding is a definition of "hell" that no innocent deserves.

On my own Way to balance within God's Will, the subtle differences between judgment and discernment are increasingly evident. The bi- or homosexuality I've never suggested or subscribed to deviates just as much from what I believe the Divine design to be as do the bouts I've had, for example, with procrastination or ever treating sex's capacity for exclusive healing, pleasure and procreation with my temple as anything less than Godly. Any team jersey and number of reasons we dress in from 00 up periodically requires our honest review, report and re-construction into beautiful. Our self-loathing or judgments of the unknown may be alot to swallow; bitter, too. A major, funded production isn't necessary, but it must be effective unto the improvement of our souls and their honor of our Creator; its markers, evident so as not to harm or hinder passersby. No star(let) or layperson, youth of reckoning or elder, man or woman is exempt. I don't know what else to share of this meditation as neither glorification nor undue judgment are mine. Because God sees the best in me despite the flaws being worked on, however, Love is. 

15 July 2011

intention / extension

Yesterday afternoon, a humbly inspired installation elsewhere met with some technical uploading difficulties. The following are a few more of the insights i intended to display from among the past two weeks' encounters. 

The Word teaches of stumbling as a phenomenon suffered even on the paths of some of the proverbial elect. Regaining one's footing and standing firm with/in the Almighty's grace may allow our vessels to see and navigate the landscape more clearly.

Here's to heal-thy visions while roadtripping! 
The junk shun
Motive-age-and-all


"Psylent R/evolution"
[Below, closer: From left to right / 'Step aside' / The Most High calls: are you gonna go...?]

 


 

Pillow f(l)ight



Finally, this written piece, courtesy of Crosswalk.com via a wire news service, was actually found just before logging out here and adds another, albeit unexpected, dimension to the 'sign language' displayed.