July 4, 2018

Margo, “That little voice“, has a few very pertinent questions for the American people on this, their Independence Day. The same questions apply to all countries, to all societies, to all peoples, and it is the people who must decide the answers. I do so hope that they get it right!

that little voice

July 4, 2018

Can I celebrate this day the way I have past Independence Days: without thought, concern, doubt, fear, disgust, or alarm?

The question plagues me as I watch the sun rise on this two hundred and forty-second birthday of the United States of America. On this day more than two centuries ago a group of men signed a paper declaring America would no longer be ruled by another nation. Our country would be independent of and from outside dominance. Henceforth we would determine our own fate, decide how we would be governed, guided by a Constitution that promised equality.

Not a perfect document, but one filled with hope, determination, and belief that individual voices can better chart the future of this new democracy, not one person.

So I wonder if we, the people of this fragile yet strong, and relatively new nation, can weather the storm of today’s internal…

View original post 267 more words

A different point of view

REFUGEES – An upside down poem!

Syrian Refugees

They have no need of our help
So do not tell me
These haggard faces could belong to you or me
Should life have dealt a different hand
We need to see them for who they really are
Chancers and scroungers
Layabouts and loungers
With bombs up their sleeves
Cut-throats and thieves
They are not
Welcome here
We should make them
Go back to where they came from
They cannot
Share our food
Share our homes
Share our countries
Instead let us
Build a wall to keep them out
It is not okay to say
These are people just like us
A place should only belong to those who are born there
Do not be so stupid to think that
The world can be looked at another way

(now read from bottom to top)

– Brian Bilston

This poem is taken from You Took the Last Bus Home, a collection of Brian Bilston’s poetry published by Unbound in October 2016
http://www.brianbilston.com

Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 17 June 2018

Kat is a very talented lady, a fine poet, a beautiful singer, a lady who knows her own mind. Her patience is wearing very thin though, and here she sums up her week and only pulls a few punches. Check out her blog – you will be amused, amazed, and, probably, in agreement!

like mercury colliding...

I realized that I started two of my magnetic poems this week with the phrase “there is no sanctuary”. It was completely accidental, or perhaps it was subliminal. I think it was most likely the latter. I have felt helpless against the recent atrocities perpetrated by my government on innocent people in my name as an American, and now most egregiously in the name of God as well. We are learning more and more about the Trump/Sessions'”Zero Tolerance” agenda for those crossing our southern borders; the horrors experienced by families seeking asylum in the U.S.; children being ripped from their parents’ arms and shipped to holding facilities, some even lost in the system. A system that uses intimidation and fear to dissuade people from coming here. And now we have a president who is using these innocent children as ransom for his ludicrous border wall.

To be honest, I don’t…

View original post 566 more words

The Finale! A2Z Challenge–X for Xenophobia

Margo may well be a little late in finishing her A2Z challenge for April. She may have gone a little bit out of sequence, but, my goodness, she certainly saved the best ’til last.
Check out this fabulous commentary on the scourge of modern society. Just how can people be carried along by such hatred, such unfairness, and such sheer malice.
Let’s join Margo’s revolution and refuse to accept even a hint of xenophobia.

that little voice

Finally I have finished the A2Z April Word Challenge that was to end on April 30. A month + past the deadline is not too bad, some would say, and I will agree. You can read what others said about words from the letters of the alphabet at a-to-zchallenge.com.

X for Xenophobia

Admittedly my vocabulary is not classified as abundant, and I don’t race around adding words willy-nilly to my limited supply of verbiage. However, in today’s world, new words seem to find their way to my mouth’s attention more often than just a few years ago.

One of those surprise additions is Xenophobia, meaning chauvinism, racism, nationalism, prejudice, racial intolerance and dislike of foreigners. The word has been around for many moons, but it had not crept into my consciousness until the last Presidential campaign.

Suddenly it became a household word, at least to a segment of my friends. Xenophobia was…

View original post 378 more words

Just because #2

This is a song by Frank Turner.  It has a beautiful tune and lyrics that I think are particularly relevant today.

I don’t think that we bloggers have any difficulty with trying to be more kind. I hope, and pray, that our leaders, and those in power who fail to lead, will take heed and act for the good of the world rather than for the few. I fear it may be a vain hope!

Be More Kind

History’s been leaning on me lately;
I can feel the future breathing down my neck
And all the things I thought were true
When I was young, and you were too
Turned out to be broken
And I don’t know what comes next

In a world that has decided
That it’s going to lose its mind
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind

They’ve started raising walls around the world now
Like hackles raised upon a cornered cat
On the borders, in our heads
Between things that can and can’t be said
We’ve stopped talking to each other
And there’s something wrong with that

So before you go out searching
Don’t decide what you will find
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind

You should know you’re not alone
And that trouble comes, and trouble goes
How this ends, no one knows
So hold on tight when the wind blows

The wind blew both of us to sand and sea
And where the dry land stands is hard to say
As the current drags us by the shore
We can no longer say for sure
Who’s drowning, or if they can be saved

But when you’re out there floundering

Like a lighthouse I will shine

Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind

Like a beacon reaching out
To you and yours from me and mine
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind

In a world that has decided
That it’s going to lose its mind
Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind

Songwriter: Frank Turner

I was so impressed on first hearing this that I went and purchased the album, the first music I’ve purchased in a very long time!

Happy Sunday – Especially for non mothers.

I wrote in my earlier post today that “The joys of becoming a Mum must, for most women, be the absolute pinnacle of their life. Something we men cannot even begin to imagine.”

An even harder thing to imagine is the absolute pain and anguish of not being able to have children when your mind and body is telling you that you need to have a baby, you must have a baby, you desperately want to be a Mum.

I cannot even begin to understand how awful that must be and how helpless those ladies must feel.

Then, of course, there are those who choose not to have children, for whatever reason. My daughter is amongst these as she is severely epileptic, and has other health issues. She took the decision, very early on, not to have children.

I wrote the following a few days ago, having met an old friend, a lovely lady who I know would have dearly loved to have had children but, sadly, never did.

 

She would have been the perfect mum, but that was not to be.

She dreamed of babes, and sleepless nights, that she would never see.

She kept alive her forlorn hope for twenty years and more,

but deep down in her heart she knew, she really knew the score!

 

She always was the perfect aunt to many girls and boys.

She lavished them with love and hugs and far too many toys,

but deep down in her heart she knew, it sometimes made her glum.

She really knew that she was meant to be the perfect Mum.

 

Sunday sayings #35

UK Mothering Sunday was 11th March, but USA, Australia, and many other countries have Mother’s Day today, so Happy Mother’s Day  to all concerned. I hope you are totally spoiled today!

The joys of becoming a Mum must, for most women, be the absolute pinnacle of their life. Something we men cannot even begin to imagine.

Thank you to every Mum!

Sunday sayings #32

Every single individual matters!

Sunday sayings #31

Song Lyric Sunday Theme for 18/02/18 – Earth

Oh,  I do so enjoy this challenge from Helen, which, for this week, gives us the subject of EARTH.

Now, I’m sure you will all agree that our Earth is extremely precious, and we seem to be doing our collective best to destroy all that is good around us.

One singer who was very aware, and protective of, our Earth, was John Denver. A great many of his songs told of Earth issues that he loved, and he gathered many of these together, in 1990, in an album called “Earth Songs.”

I have not chosen any of these, however.  I have, instead, chosen an extremely rare song. I believe it was only performed once, in Windstar Symposium in 1995 and never got published.

He had been playing around with the first two lines for over 5 years, and had only completed the song just before the performance.  It’s so new that you can see that he has to search for the words at about the 4.50 point on the recording. (which, amusingly is “help me find the way.”)

I do hope that you enjoy it, and I do hope that we learn to heed the message before it’s too late!

Healing time on Earth (John Denver)

Let the mountains talk, let the river run
There is wisdom here, there is much to learn
There is much to know, much to understand
In this healing time all across the land

You have heard my songs, oh so many years
You have laughed with me, washed away my tears
You have shared my joy, you have felt my pain
In this healing time, walk with me again

Through these darker days on this narrow line
Help me find my way, help me see the signs
I am not afraid, I am not alone
You have taught me well, you have brought me home

Let the mountain speak, let the rivers run
As the world awakes to the rising sun
In each brand new day, in our own rebirth
In this healing time on our Mother Earth

Let the mountains talk, let the rivers run
There is wisdom here, there’s so much to learn
In each brand new day, in our own rebirth
In this healing time for our Mother Earth
In each brand new day, in our own rebirth
In this healing time, here on Mother Earth