Tuesday, July 24, 2012
July 24th 2012
The light streamed in and danced across the wall, while the breeze set branches waving, creating patterns of shadow, telling a story only they knew. The breeze whispered a kiss to the child who slept, full of promise and expectation. The child opened her eyes, still full of fading dreams. Looking about her surroundings the child saw the raw materials necessary to build what she saw in her waking dream. She struggled with frustration against the limitations gravity had placed on her, finally screaming with frustration, screams which brought a concerned mother. 'Not yet, not yet', the breeze whispered. The trees nodded in acquiescence. The child was comforted and ceased her cries. Her mother laid her once again in her crib. Smiling, the child tried to catch bits of light in her hand, and the light smiled.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
April 10
We call together the watching spirits from their place of silent solitude to observe the strands of thought gathered together to create this thing we call time. Their presence opens a door, long held shut, a door to nowhere, bound by shear force of will.
She must remember the place she came from, she must feel the screams she ran from.
Torn asunder, the doors frame shivers and crumbles away, leaving nothing but a flood of memory, pure streaming, gathering strength.
Limbo is no longer as substantial as it seemed, it's sharp corners and jagged edges folding in.
Stepping from the waiting room, she takes one painful step after another, but at least she feels every step.
She must remember the place she came from, she must feel the screams she ran from.
Torn asunder, the doors frame shivers and crumbles away, leaving nothing but a flood of memory, pure streaming, gathering strength.
Limbo is no longer as substantial as it seemed, it's sharp corners and jagged edges folding in.
Stepping from the waiting room, she takes one painful step after another, but at least she feels every step.
Monday, March 26, 2012
March 26 2012
My hope hung on a strand so small, it was merely made of the stuff of dreams.
Tormented it was by the dying wish of a man grasping for air under the weight of a thousand chests filled to the brim with a gasp for air.
"Where do we go, where do we go", they scream their weary sigh.
Time passes and sound dissipates, ripples in the water speak to the once born, long forgotten souls.
Language unlearned, communication freeborn on the wind.
Where is there something worth remembering, how do we remember what is worth saving, how do we save a long forgotten dream dashed to pieces by the torrent of night we call day.
Beaten by the very thoughts that kept us alive.
Tormented it was by the dying wish of a man grasping for air under the weight of a thousand chests filled to the brim with a gasp for air.
"Where do we go, where do we go", they scream their weary sigh.
Time passes and sound dissipates, ripples in the water speak to the once born, long forgotten souls.
Language unlearned, communication freeborn on the wind.
Where is there something worth remembering, how do we remember what is worth saving, how do we save a long forgotten dream dashed to pieces by the torrent of night we call day.
Beaten by the very thoughts that kept us alive.
Friday, January 20, 2012
January 20th
I wait for the distant storm to rather in,
The rolling of the clouds rushing towards their destination, saturated by flashes of anger awoken, ripping through the sky and earth, melding them into one.
Forces within, forces without, rushing forward, rushing inward,
Colliding at a head in a grand clash of symphonic sound.
Quiet my soul, quiet my God,
You’ll awake the sleeping giant, restlessly turning in slumber deep.
Maybe he will always turn so, trapped in a nightmare, trapped in a waking dream.
The alternative is unknown.
But the rushing forward, inward, outward, continues, barrelling into the depth.
The crash will come, and the giants eyes open.
The rolling of the clouds rushing towards their destination, saturated by flashes of anger awoken, ripping through the sky and earth, melding them into one.
Forces within, forces without, rushing forward, rushing inward,
Colliding at a head in a grand clash of symphonic sound.
Quiet my soul, quiet my God,
You’ll awake the sleeping giant, restlessly turning in slumber deep.
Maybe he will always turn so, trapped in a nightmare, trapped in a waking dream.
The alternative is unknown.
But the rushing forward, inward, outward, continues, barrelling into the depth.
The crash will come, and the giants eyes open.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Occupy Toronto Eviction...
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1090158--city-can-dismantle-occupy-camp-judge-rules?bn=1The
Just because something is a law does not make it right.
A couple days ago Occupy Toronto protesters were legally given an eviction notice from St. James Park on the grounds that it was a public space and thus they were trespassing by turning it into a tent city and forbidding other residence from using it. City Councilors and the mayor issued concern about "the protesters leaving peacefully", how Toronto could not "handle more violence after the G20". Statements were even made saying the homeless protesters and other would be provided with needed resources, once they evicted. Some even said that it was valuable that the protesters had put the question of resource inequality on the national dialogue. It all sounds, reasonable, level-headed, and Canadian. In my mind it is all a patronizing response to a real problem. Politicians hope that if the protesters go quietly into the night, everyone will forget their lives were ever unsettled. Sending kind thoughts doesn't help the 3,200,000 Canadian's who currently live in poverty. Allowing people who live near St. James Park to go to and from work without the sight of protesters disturbing their daily lives doesn't help improve the lives of our aboriginal people. Make Poverty History states that "while Canada officially ranks an impressive 4th on the UN Human Development Index, the statistics measuring poverty in Canada's Aboriginal communities would place us 78th" (http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/learn/issues/end-poverty-in-canada).
The judge in the case ruled that by not asking the surrounding residence or their civil representatives permission to set up camp in St. James Park, the protesters were defying their own message of greater direct participation in the democratic process. Again, this sounds very nice and reasonable. But if you believe the system is flawed, then you don't believe you have real "representation" in government, so why ask civil representatives permission? The thought of asking residents, although it is a nice, Canadian one, does not reflect any version of protest meant to evoke change I have ever read about. Most protests that were successful, and many that were not, engaged in civil disobedience, because they believed the current system was wrong and ought to be changed, removing the option of acting within the existing system.
When you believe you have a message that is important enough, you must do everything within your power in order to make it heard. Even if that amounts to limiting the use of park space for the surrounding community. On a grand scale, the importance of being able to walk your dog in a convenient location, as compared to a systemic change of existing financial structures which benefit the already well-off and continue to cycle of poverty for others, which do you think is more important?
Consider writing St. James Cathedral who own half the park:
"info@stjamescathedral.on.ca"
To Whom it May Concern,
I am greatly disappointed by the response of the church to the
protesters at Occupy Toronto. Christians are called to side on
rights of the poor and currently 3,200,000 Canadian's live in poverty.
Standing behind the protesters would make a statement that the Church
continues to practice the teachings of Jesus and is not irrelevant in
a current day context. Consider the following verse:
James 2: 15-17
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If
one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but
does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Nice sentiments are not going to make the difference.
With all due respect,
Just because something is a law does not make it right.
A couple days ago Occupy Toronto protesters were legally given an eviction notice from St. James Park on the grounds that it was a public space and thus they were trespassing by turning it into a tent city and forbidding other residence from using it. City Councilors and the mayor issued concern about "the protesters leaving peacefully", how Toronto could not "handle more violence after the G20". Statements were even made saying the homeless protesters and other would be provided with needed resources, once they evicted. Some even said that it was valuable that the protesters had put the question of resource inequality on the national dialogue. It all sounds, reasonable, level-headed, and Canadian. In my mind it is all a patronizing response to a real problem. Politicians hope that if the protesters go quietly into the night, everyone will forget their lives were ever unsettled. Sending kind thoughts doesn't help the 3,200,000 Canadian's who currently live in poverty. Allowing people who live near St. James Park to go to and from work without the sight of protesters disturbing their daily lives doesn't help improve the lives of our aboriginal people. Make Poverty History states that "while Canada officially ranks an impressive 4th on the UN Human Development Index, the statistics measuring poverty in Canada's Aboriginal communities would place us 78th" (http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/learn/issues/end-poverty-in-canada).
The judge in the case ruled that by not asking the surrounding residence or their civil representatives permission to set up camp in St. James Park, the protesters were defying their own message of greater direct participation in the democratic process. Again, this sounds very nice and reasonable. But if you believe the system is flawed, then you don't believe you have real "representation" in government, so why ask civil representatives permission? The thought of asking residents, although it is a nice, Canadian one, does not reflect any version of protest meant to evoke change I have ever read about. Most protests that were successful, and many that were not, engaged in civil disobedience, because they believed the current system was wrong and ought to be changed, removing the option of acting within the existing system.
When you believe you have a message that is important enough, you must do everything within your power in order to make it heard. Even if that amounts to limiting the use of park space for the surrounding community. On a grand scale, the importance of being able to walk your dog in a convenient location, as compared to a systemic change of existing financial structures which benefit the already well-off and continue to cycle of poverty for others, which do you think is more important?
Consider writing St. James Cathedral who own half the park:
"info@stjamescathedral.on.ca"
To Whom it May Concern,
I am greatly disappointed by the response of the church to the
protesters at Occupy Toronto. Christians are called to side on
rights of the poor and currently 3,200,000 Canadian's live in poverty.
Standing behind the protesters would make a statement that the Church
continues to practice the teachings of Jesus and is not irrelevant in
a current day context. Consider the following verse:
James 2: 15-17
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If
one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but
does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same
way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Nice sentiments are not going to make the difference.
With all due respect,
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
nov. 22 2011
Drip drip drip goes the Pain,
Ever resounding in my mind,
Always nudging, always begging to be heard,
Waiting for the moment when it may escape,
Seeping through the chinks in my carefully constructed fortress,
“You lie!” I scream, willing it to be so, “you lie” I choke out gasping for breath, choking on despair.
My soul curls up to the Pain, finding it the only thing left of any comfort.
We wait for someone to help us, we brace ourselves against the world, waiting for someone to help us.
It claws at my eyes, the vision was too much, it hurt us, told us lies, drown us in hope.
We watch it happen again and again,
Our soul wasn’t strong enough to handle such despair.
We see the threads growing thin.
Nimble finger weave together the strands, and thin though they may be, they will not break.
And so we will wait, shroud in our blanket of pain.
Ever resounding in my mind,
Always nudging, always begging to be heard,
Waiting for the moment when it may escape,
Seeping through the chinks in my carefully constructed fortress,
“You lie!” I scream, willing it to be so, “you lie” I choke out gasping for breath, choking on despair.
My soul curls up to the Pain, finding it the only thing left of any comfort.
We wait for someone to help us, we brace ourselves against the world, waiting for someone to help us.
It claws at my eyes, the vision was too much, it hurt us, told us lies, drown us in hope.
We watch it happen again and again,
Our soul wasn’t strong enough to handle such despair.
We see the threads growing thin.
Nimble finger weave together the strands, and thin though they may be, they will not break.
And so we will wait, shroud in our blanket of pain.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
October 15th 2011
Something has gone wrong with the capitalist system when corporations are no longer creating products that cater to the customers lifestyle and value systems, but creating a lifestyle and value system which the customer, themselves, is expected to integrate into. If you (the corporation) want to sell an image, a brand, a lifestyle, and be successful and enduring in the marketplace, promote one which people can be proud of, and feel good about belonging to. In this way you create a loyal customer, tied not to a brand but an ideal. It's time for electronic companies to start labeling the origins of their minerals used in cell phones, DVD players, computers, etc., proving that they aren't implicated in situations of violence and rape in countries such as the Congo. It's time for long term thinking, it's time for capitalism with a conscience.
Consider sending messages or writing on the facebook walls of Cannon, Dell and Rim in support of the Dodd-Frank Act. The following campaign is one example of such advocacy.
http://www.facebook.com/StepUpfor1502?sk=info
Step Up for 1502 is an effort lead by Enough Project's Raise Hope for Congo campaign. We are fighting to get electronics companies to STEP UP for the conflict minerals provisions (1502) in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Electronics companies must stop participating in the deadly conflict minerals trade in Congo.
When our electronics companies stand behind the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, they stand for child labor and rape in eastern Congo. We implore them to free their supply chain of Congo conflict minerals.
Consider sending messages or writing on the facebook walls of Cannon, Dell and Rim in support of the Dodd-Frank Act. The following campaign is one example of such advocacy.
http://www.facebook.com/StepUpfor1502?sk=info
Step Up for 1502 is an effort lead by Enough Project's Raise Hope for Congo campaign. We are fighting to get electronics companies to STEP UP for the conflict minerals provisions (1502) in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Electronics companies must stop participating in the deadly conflict minerals trade in Congo.
When our electronics companies stand behind the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, they stand for child labor and rape in eastern Congo. We implore them to free their supply chain of Congo conflict minerals.
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