Monday 20 July 2015

The summons


Sunday village
Bells have rung

and rung

and in the sun

Behind great  doors
Behind sealed glass

The dust motes
Danced


Tuesday 14 July 2015

It's not all Greek to me

     When it comes down to relationships between the peoples of the EU, or in this case the Euro Zone, the main criteria the EU wishes to apply are listed as dignity, freedoms, equality, solidarity, citizens' rights, and justice.

In the case of the ongoing crisis involving Greece are these criteria applicable? And if not, why not?


Can the paymaster countries, principally Germany,  ignore 'fundamental rights' such as Greek 'dignity' or European 'solidarity' for whatever reason; perhaps because they do not want their negotiating powers to be disadvantaged or encumbered by them?


By the same token can Greece neglect to enforce the 'justice' and 'citizens' rights' aspects? 
Should greedy  bankers, corrupt politicians and others be allowed to get away with their wrongdoings at the expense of the citizens?

The above image is of an EU mouse mat given to me at an EU publicity event. Perhaps the noble words on it have no real value, maybe they are not really meant.




Monday 13 July 2015

New American Poet Laureate: Juan Felipe Herrera, "Five Directions to My House"



1  Go back to the grain yellow hills where the broken speak of elegance
2  Walk up to the canvas door, the short bed stretched against the clouds
3  Beneath the earth, an ant with the grace of a governor
4  Blow, blow Red Tail Hawk, your hidden sleeve - your desert secrets
5  You're there, almost, without a name, without a body, go now
6  I said five, said five like a guitar says six

     I want to write of love in the face of disaster - Juan Felipe Herrera


To Greece the Laurels


The Grumbling Hive - A Eurozone Handbook?


















And to
Greece
Standing alone
Guarding the Gates
The Laurels
This friendless Night
In the Eurozone Maze
Greece
Land
Of Debate
And Discussion
Greece
Land of no Money
Make Poetry
And Story
And Pray to your Gods
Address your Philosophers
Your Marathon Runners
Setting the Pace
For Democracy
Cry:  Byron for Freedom!
 Strive like Olympians
 Keep the Flame burning!



Friday 10 July 2015

haiku for peace



     
just four men     
    
planting a tree
    
they bury a war 



Thursday 9 July 2015

Deep Peace - A Celtic Prayer




A Celtic Prayer 

Deep peace 
of the running waves 
to you. 

Deep peace 
of the flowing air 
to you. 

Deep peace 
of the quiet earth 
to you. 

Deep peace 
of the shining stars
to you 

Deep peace 
of the son of peace
to you 


music by Karl Jenkins 
video by Martin Morris


Wednesday 8 July 2015

haiku


               

the water spent 

the wait aside 

the narrow path 



- my thanks to Cape Cod blogger Magyar for the inspiration for this one!

The time is no longer ten minutes to twelve.


"To the last ones remaining, please rewind the clock." 

The Doomsday Clock 

The time is now three minutes to twelve.

The two main reasons why the Doomsday Clock is ticking unhappily towards midnight are (i) the threat of a nuclear war between the super powers and (ii) the threat to the planet posed by global warming or climate change (use whichever title you prefer).

The reasons for these reasons include the simple reason that those in positions of political power are all too often failing in their duty to the rest of us. We need not look very far for evidence of this. Witness for example the political fiasco that is known today as GREXIT.  Or witness the political blundering that has led to a world with more than 60 million refugees and asylum seekers. Or witness the political chicanery that has led to the dangerous war games on the borders of Europe and Russia.

The other day the Russians used a Soviet era rocket to launch three astronauts or cosmonauts (again use whichever title you prefer) safely on their way to the International Space Station. This stone age rocket was used because in a test launch a new high-tech US rocket, which was of the type to be used for transporting men and materials in future, went out of control and the order was given to shoot it down.

One time, as I now recall, there was some research published which proved that in the event of a nuclear conflagration a significant percentage of the inter-continental rockets carrying multiple nuclear warheads would not only fail to reach their targets but like the example above they would go out of control, sometimes due to magnetic interference generated by other rockets being launched or exploding nearby and land on the country which had launched them killing their own population. This is known as collateral damage.

On a regular basis one hears of rockets failing to reach orbit and falling back to earth, or exploding on the launch pad, often with cutting-edge technology payloads which have cost hundreds of millions in money and astronomical numbers of man hours being destroyed in a flash. In the theatre of nuclear holocaust there will be no time for a second chance.

So long as our politicians continue to act like self glorifying film stars the doomsday clock will continue to tick the 180 remaining seconds to oblivion.



Wednesday 1 July 2015

They were only looking

                                                                       

                     
Latest: 5 people crucified for not fasting during Ramadan

 They
 were only looking

 for WMD's
 and so they missed

 the WME's
 - the Weapons of Mass Extremism

 and the WMT's
 - the Weapons of Mass Terrorism

 and the WMS's
 - the Weapons of Mass Subjugation

 and the WMI's
 - the Weapons of Mass Ignorance

 and the WMC's
 - the Weapons of Mass Conditioning

 and the WMP's
 - the Weapons of Mass Propaganda

 and the WMF's
 - the Weapons of Mass Fanaticism

and the WMB's
- the Weapons of Mass Brutality

and the beheadings
and the shootings
and the crucifixions
and the stonings
and the throwing of people off rooftops
not to mention the bombings
and all the black flags
 fluttering now
 on the road
 to Hell

- from where there is no going back.


Drought



below the sea
and sand washed in and out

below the sky
the sand builds dunes about

below the sun and moon
the land 

and in the land 
a sunken face 

looks out 
where time and sand

for all 
ran out