On our second to last day on the island
the sea was fierce.
It stormed the black rocks
where I sat on a great wedge,
each self-destructive wave
more explosive than the last
like anguished heart beats
from a far away land
where armies hurled missiles at each other.
But because I refused to bless
one side or the other
or name one side good
(As who would deny that most of us
are born to lock horns with our shadow)
I began to fear that I would be swallowed
and removed myself
cursing fiercely -- Damn war!
..................
On our fridge, on a scrap of paper is written: "All social issues are temporary and brief. Go deep." They are the words of Howard Thurman. (1899 - 1981) (Wikipedia:) "Howard Washington Thurman was an American author, philosopher, theologian, mystic, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in many social justice movements and organizations of the twentieth century. Thurman's theology of radical nonviolence influenced and shaped a generation of civil rights activists, and he was a key mentor to leaders within the civil rights movement, including Martin Luther King Jr." I heard Susan Weed say something in an interview yesterday that went right to my core. She said, basically, that the life-force and the soul-force are not the same. The life-force of each of us serves our instinct to survive and maybe, if we are fortunate, thrive, in this life. The soul-force is more interested in serving the journey of our many lives, not just this one. Sometimes our life-purpose and our soul-purpose synchronize. I think that is what makes a person great, or what makes their life enlarge. You know what? I have lost patience with people who don't acknowledge the existence of the soul, and I have also lost patience with people who don't believe in reincarnation. I have also lost patience with people who believe that some wars are justified. If you look at our fridge you see a lot of scraps and photos, with quotes and cartoons held up by magnets. I think many refrigerators reveal a lot about their owners, more than the food inside. Now I am going to stick Thurman's quote back up there, top right.
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