The Finished House

The Finished House

In the finished house a flame is brought to the hearth.  

Then a table, between door and window  

Where a stranger will eat before the men of the house.  

A bed is laid in a secret corner  

For the three agonies – love, birth, death –  

That are made beautiful with ceremony.  

The neighbours come with gifts –  

A set of cups, a calendar, some chairs.  

A fiddle is hung at the wall.  

A girl puts lucky salt in a dish.  

The cupboard will have its loaf and bottle, come winter.  

On the seventh morning 

One spills water of blessing over the threshold. 

                                                             George Mackay Brown

Citizenship

                                Jesús Curiá Perez____________

For all the flaws in our human nature we do contain the seeds of our own improvement; an improvement that has been, with fits and starts, an ongoing one now for as long as we’ve been around. These fits and starts are most often accompanied by parochial interests (i.e. “Make American Great Again”). When “we” (all humans) set aside these parochial interests in favor of universal ones then we will be taking the big leap to an improvement outside the petty little circles of self-interest that continue to plague our lack of understanding and thus “progress” (in the very best definition of that word). To place free speech, non violence, cooperation, human rights and an acknowledgement of our human fallibilities above our competitive instincts, while promoting science and education above military might, will be the true dawning of a new age of enlightenment. To accomplish all these in a manner that recognizes no “others,” but rather embraces the ideal of being “a citizen of the world” will be a joyous occasion with very little precedence save for a few courageous souls who have so eloquently attempted to inspire us in this quest for unity. To say the world economy is becoming global, that this world is becoming a smaller place, while ignoring our continued small view of who we are in it, is the disconnect that makes our lack of progress in the areas above so poor. Begin thinking of yourself as more than just a consumer or competitor in a global economy. Begin to think of yourself as a member of the global economy, then take the next awakened step to citizenship; seeing not the competitive score, but appreciating the realization that you are part of (as opposed to apart from), the whole team.

                                                                        --LPC 2/16/18     

Connecting

The Silver Apples of the Moon
                              --Pierre DeLattre

I entered a gallery in Taos, New Mexico. More accurately I
was drawn to it. Everything about the place resonated with
me; the space, the art, the artist. I admired the work and
enjoyed sitting with the artist. He had a lot to say and said
it thoughtfully.  I said, "Tell me about this one." Quietly, he
stood, looked at it and from memory recited this:

The Song of Wandering Aengus I went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped the berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout. When I had laid it on the floor I went to blow the fire aflame, But something rustled on the floor, And some one called me by my name: It had become a glimmering girl With apple blossom in her hair Who called me by my name and ran And faded through the brightening air. Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands; And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.                                     --William Butler Yeats