There she is, leaning over the edge
Of the huge cruise ship, out
Like the rest of us,
To pretend life can stand still for a moment
While we enjoy a moment of peace.
I see her there, and I can tell,
That all is not well with her.
She leans over, closes her eyes,
Reaches out, over the metal guard,
Feeling the breeze...
I know her--though I don't know her name.
She is well worn with the cares of this life
Burdened with weights only she knows--
Yet I see her there, and I can tell
That she and I...we share the cares of life.
She wipes what I presume to be a tear from her face--
Or perhaps moves a stray hair so she can see more clearly.
The waters are beautiful here. And everyone but me,
Elsewhere for once. A rare moment of solitude,
If I'm not counted in the equation of it all.
She doesn't turn around until we both hear them--
Voices from behind us, shrieks and laughter,
Her family is coming to greet her.
A young girl runs to her and tugs on her hand,
A young man and her husband (?) follow with smiles.
She warmly greets them, they can't see her wipe
What remains of the tears with a quick sweep
Of her forearm across her cheek...this isn't the first
Time she's had to hide it from them.
They wouldn't understand, not really.
I see her come away from the sea, then,
Walking with the stride of the little one,
Holding the child's hand very tightly, chiding her
About running about on the ship unaccompanied.
I can tell she loves them all dearly.
But when she turns, in the midst of a stride,
To look back at the place where she was, and the sea,
I see her face--her eyes, and the look in them--
And I see the unscripted story of what was lost.
I know her, for she is me, looking at the sea.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Friday, August 19, 2016
Thoughts on Mary Rowlandson's Narrative
What she saw, what she lived to recount,
Horrifying. Absolutely horrifying.
I wondered at this pastor's wife as I read
What she experienced the night she was taken--
She watched out her window as other homes were destroyed,
Other families butchered. And then...
Her home was attacked, family members murdered,
She and her child shot and captured.
She details her days in captivity,
Travelling with these complete strangers--
Watching them revel in their "spoils of war,"
Listening to them laugh as she and her child struggled.
It is clear she comes to loathe them all,
Despise them for the way they treated her.
I wonder at this, though, and cannot help think
Of identical stories where HER people were the captors.
When she talks about holding her child
In its dying moments, I catch my breath.
This happened hundreds of years ago,
But as a mother, I can connect to her.
No one wishes that moment on anyone,
Not even on their worst enemy.
I suppose her "worst enemy" felt it too,
For several women offered to end the child's life--
With a hatchet. (I guess that's the modern equivalent
Of "putting it out of its misery.")
Maybe they were trying to help in their own way.
Who can ever know?
I'm glad the story survived, handed down to us,
But so many have never heard of it...
Horrifying. Absolutely horrifying.
I wondered at this pastor's wife as I read
What she experienced the night she was taken--
She watched out her window as other homes were destroyed,
Other families butchered. And then...
Her home was attacked, family members murdered,
She and her child shot and captured.
She details her days in captivity,
Travelling with these complete strangers--
Watching them revel in their "spoils of war,"
Listening to them laugh as she and her child struggled.
It is clear she comes to loathe them all,
Despise them for the way they treated her.
I wonder at this, though, and cannot help think
Of identical stories where HER people were the captors.
When she talks about holding her child
In its dying moments, I catch my breath.
This happened hundreds of years ago,
But as a mother, I can connect to her.
No one wishes that moment on anyone,
Not even on their worst enemy.
I suppose her "worst enemy" felt it too,
For several women offered to end the child's life--
With a hatchet. (I guess that's the modern equivalent
Of "putting it out of its misery.")
Maybe they were trying to help in their own way.
Who can ever know?
I'm glad the story survived, handed down to us,
But so many have never heard of it...
Friday, June 17, 2016
What a Beautiful Ship It Was
What a beautiful ship it was
Hewn from native pines
Smoothed and fashioned by the hands
Of young and old alike.
Many a young man daydreamed
About commandeering such a ship,
Many a young lady longed to be
Whisked away to a dozen better places.
One could trust the captain, then
(Those were better days),
When the man in charge loved his job
And naturally embraced his calling.
Some would go to distant lands;
Others would stay nearer.
Souls would be carried over unknown depths--
With nothing to fear but fear.
Good-bye, sweet ship,
Our journeys have been sweet;
I pray there are yet miles to go--
Albeit now in sleep.
I Can't See the Bottom of the Pool: A Political Commentary
Ah, look at them all,
Water polo? Swimming around,
Laughing, brotherly elbow-jabbing:
It all looks innocent enough.
See her? The one in the middle?
They say it's taken four decades
For her to claw her way to the middle of it all
And it looks like someone's passed her the ball, finally.
And him? Oh, wow! Was that a friendly jab
In the back I just saw? (Did you see that?)
Certainly--it's all well and good, right?
They're just trying to get ahead, to win the game.
No matter what we see or what goes on,
No one cries "foul." Despite what our vision
Presents to the contrary, everyone seems keen
On disregarding the obvious issues and problems.
"No harm, no foul," that's what they say.
All they're doing all this to make the country great again.
They're standing up for (or on) the people, right?
Thank God! (Somebody needs to!)
And hear the crowds cheering them on?
Rows and rows of people who've no idea
What the rules of the game really are
Sit by the pool, animatedly calling:
"Yes! Yes! We believe you!" They cheer.
"What will you give us for believing you?"
Chime a few. "Why are we sitting here,"
Says one guy, "Why don't we get a chance to play?"
While the polo players swim, the people argue
Amongst each other. And then it gets silent
When they get on their phones and post their
Videos and rants about feeling disrespected and ignored.
The players in the water don't even hear them.
They're in their own game.
The only reason they need the masses is so they can
Camouflage the subterfuge--and hail their votes.
For the full effect, a recorded voice is played
So the onlookers think they are hearing from
The team's major players--when they are not.
(It's all a well-oiled machine, my friend.)
But what this narrator is most concerned about
Is not the disparity between players and masses
Or the utter ignorance and self-absorption of all of the above.
It's the pool itself--why has no one else seemed to notice?
There is no bottom that I can see.
The players swim and swim, and they must now,
For the floor of the pool is no longer there.
They could not stand if they wanted to.
Water polo? Swimming around,
Laughing, brotherly elbow-jabbing:
It all looks innocent enough.
See her? The one in the middle?
They say it's taken four decades
For her to claw her way to the middle of it all
And it looks like someone's passed her the ball, finally.
And him? Oh, wow! Was that a friendly jab
In the back I just saw? (Did you see that?)
Certainly--it's all well and good, right?
They're just trying to get ahead, to win the game.
No matter what we see or what goes on,
No one cries "foul." Despite what our vision
Presents to the contrary, everyone seems keen
On disregarding the obvious issues and problems.
"No harm, no foul," that's what they say.
All they're doing all this to make the country great again.
They're standing up for (or on) the people, right?
Thank God! (Somebody needs to!)
And hear the crowds cheering them on?
Rows and rows of people who've no idea
What the rules of the game really are
Sit by the pool, animatedly calling:
"Yes! Yes! We believe you!" They cheer.
"What will you give us for believing you?"
Chime a few. "Why are we sitting here,"
Says one guy, "Why don't we get a chance to play?"
While the polo players swim, the people argue
Amongst each other. And then it gets silent
When they get on their phones and post their
Videos and rants about feeling disrespected and ignored.
The players in the water don't even hear them.
They're in their own game.
The only reason they need the masses is so they can
Camouflage the subterfuge--and hail their votes.
For the full effect, a recorded voice is played
So the onlookers think they are hearing from
The team's major players--when they are not.
(It's all a well-oiled machine, my friend.)
But what this narrator is most concerned about
Is not the disparity between players and masses
Or the utter ignorance and self-absorption of all of the above.
It's the pool itself--why has no one else seemed to notice?
There is no bottom that I can see.
The players swim and swim, and they must now,
For the floor of the pool is no longer there.
They could not stand if they wanted to.
Monday, May 2, 2016
I Know Caged Birds
I knew free birds who really weren't free.
They only thought they were free birds
Because they couldn't see their cage.
Funny, really.
There they were, basking in their FREEDOM,
Flying flags and marching bands,
Singing folk songs, playing ukuleles.
Serious identity issues.
Sure, there were days, in the past, when
One might have rightly declared them Free;
But those days have been gone for a century.
Totally clueless.
Still, they chirp about laws and leaders,
Press and rallies, votes and Rights,
(They're the only ones who haven't heard.)
Blind, these bats.
To be fair, they never saw the cage coming.
The Powers that Be brought it in,
Beyond their horizon, set it up, pulled it in.
Only a few can see the bars.
One day soon, they will debate,
As they pace their cramped cage,
What went horribly awry in their Experiment.
Their Freedom Experiment Failed.
Some will blame it on corporate greed,
Others on a large, controlling government.
But those who know, will know to say it:
We allowed it.
Yes, one day, all that we think we know now
Will be a distant memory--Why?
Because we allowed it to be so.
It's on us. All of us.
They only thought they were free birds
Because they couldn't see their cage.
Funny, really.
There they were, basking in their FREEDOM,
Flying flags and marching bands,
Singing folk songs, playing ukuleles.
Serious identity issues.
Sure, there were days, in the past, when
One might have rightly declared them Free;
But those days have been gone for a century.
Totally clueless.
Still, they chirp about laws and leaders,
Press and rallies, votes and Rights,
(They're the only ones who haven't heard.)
Blind, these bats.
To be fair, they never saw the cage coming.
The Powers that Be brought it in,
Beyond their horizon, set it up, pulled it in.
Only a few can see the bars.
One day soon, they will debate,
As they pace their cramped cage,
What went horribly awry in their Experiment.
Their Freedom Experiment Failed.
Some will blame it on corporate greed,
Others on a large, controlling government.
But those who know, will know to say it:
We allowed it.
Yes, one day, all that we think we know now
Will be a distant memory--Why?
Because we allowed it to be so.
It's on us. All of us.
Friday, April 22, 2016
I Saw a Tiger Yesterday
I saw a tiger roaming the streets
Yesterday.
In the city.
Looking for a bus stop.
Hallucinogens in my cereal?
Quite the bowl of Lucky Charms:
Sometimes I think I've lost my mind
Sitting at those long-A stop lights.
I was on my phone, flipping through Facebook.
Somebody's baby dancing, family photos,
Praisin' Jesus, diet plans and rock jams...
And then I looked up.
A tiger? A TIGER? No, no way.
Blink, blink again, rubbing my eyes...
Some days I feel like I've finally done it--
Fallen over the edge of the cliff and
Lost my mind. Definitely.
Calling into work, need a mental health day;
This girl needs a therapist.
Because this CAN'T be reality.
(Right...?!?!)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Because "Real Life" is sometimes stranger than fiction...
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Tiger found wandering streets of suburban Houston"
By Andreas Preuss, CNN
Updated 6:19 AM ET, Fri April 22, 2016
Yesterday.
In the city.
Looking for a bus stop.
Hallucinogens in my cereal?
Quite the bowl of Lucky Charms:
Sometimes I think I've lost my mind
Sitting at those long-A stop lights.
I was on my phone, flipping through Facebook.
Somebody's baby dancing, family photos,
Praisin' Jesus, diet plans and rock jams...
And then I looked up.
A tiger? A TIGER? No, no way.
Blink, blink again, rubbing my eyes...
Some days I feel like I've finally done it--
Fallen over the edge of the cliff and
Lost my mind. Definitely.
Calling into work, need a mental health day;
This girl needs a therapist.
Because this CAN'T be reality.
(Right...?!?!)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Because "Real Life" is sometimes stranger than fiction...
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Tiger found wandering streets of suburban Houston"
By Andreas Preuss, CNN
Updated 6:19 AM ET, Fri April 22, 2016
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
"Way to Go, Inky!": When Headlines Crack Me Up
"Inky the escapologist octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium"
By Euan McKirdy, CNN
Updated 6:45 AM ET, Wed April 13, 2016
Am I the only one laughing right now? And, kind of oddly, cheering this octopus on from my computer chair?!
THE ARTICLE:
An enterprising octopus spotted his chance to escape from a New Zealand aquarium -- and took it.
Squeezing out from a gap at the top of his tank, the "inquisitive" octopus, Inky, slithered across the floor of the aquarium and down a seawater runoff pipe to Hawke's Bay, and freedom.
"Octopus are very intelligent, very inquisitive and like to push the boundaries," said Rob Yarrell, the manager of the National Aquarium of New Zealand.
"This particular one was very friendly and intelligent and obviously found a weak spot in the top of his tank."
Inky, a common New Zealand octopus who had been caught by a local crayfisherman off the coast of Napier and donated to the aquarium, appears to be a credit to his species.
"While he was with us, he would have learned a lot," Yarrell said. "He was the type that was inquisitive, and a bit wiser than we thought."
He said that no great search would be put on for Inky, who is most likely roaming the sea floor, back in his natural habitat.
"We'll chalk this up to experience," Yarrell said.
Octopus are able to get out of very small spaces, and only restricted by size of beak, the only rigid part of their bodies.
"He managed to get out and two-and-a-bit meters (around 8 ft) away was a drain which he managed to escape through."
He added that Inky could probably hear water in the pipe, which gave him his escape plan.
The absconder actually took his chance a "couple of months ago," Yarrell said, but news of the great escape only emerged recently.
The intelligence of cephalopods, including octopuses, is widely acknowledged by researchers, and their problem-solving and escapologist feats are well-documented.
Watch sea beast swim like Godzilla
Yarrell said despite the species' intelligence, the aquarium had no plans to stop keeping them in captivity.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/12/world/escapologist-octopus-new-zealand-aquarium/index.html
By Euan McKirdy, CNN
Updated 6:45 AM ET, Wed April 13, 2016
Am I the only one laughing right now? And, kind of oddly, cheering this octopus on from my computer chair?!
THE ARTICLE:
An enterprising octopus spotted his chance to escape from a New Zealand aquarium -- and took it.
Squeezing out from a gap at the top of his tank, the "inquisitive" octopus, Inky, slithered across the floor of the aquarium and down a seawater runoff pipe to Hawke's Bay, and freedom.
"Octopus are very intelligent, very inquisitive and like to push the boundaries," said Rob Yarrell, the manager of the National Aquarium of New Zealand.
"This particular one was very friendly and intelligent and obviously found a weak spot in the top of his tank."
Inky, a common New Zealand octopus who had been caught by a local crayfisherman off the coast of Napier and donated to the aquarium, appears to be a credit to his species.
"While he was with us, he would have learned a lot," Yarrell said. "He was the type that was inquisitive, and a bit wiser than we thought."
He said that no great search would be put on for Inky, who is most likely roaming the sea floor, back in his natural habitat.
"We'll chalk this up to experience," Yarrell said.
Octopus are able to get out of very small spaces, and only restricted by size of beak, the only rigid part of their bodies.
"He managed to get out and two-and-a-bit meters (around 8 ft) away was a drain which he managed to escape through."
He added that Inky could probably hear water in the pipe, which gave him his escape plan.
The absconder actually took his chance a "couple of months ago," Yarrell said, but news of the great escape only emerged recently.
The intelligence of cephalopods, including octopuses, is widely acknowledged by researchers, and their problem-solving and escapologist feats are well-documented.
Watch sea beast swim like Godzilla
Yarrell said despite the species' intelligence, the aquarium had no plans to stop keeping them in captivity.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/12/world/escapologist-octopus-new-zealand-aquarium/index.html
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
On MSN, they called them "Drones."
But who reads MSN news, really?
Well, me, for one. Uber-light news in the morning. Yep, I often visit there. And then, if something piques my interest, I further explore.
This morning, though, this article on MSN discussed how wonderful Drones are: They have captured never before seen images of killer whales.
Pausing here for oooohs and aaaaahs.
I was interested immediately.
Not in killer whales. At all, really. (Not that I don't care about sea life, the environment, et cetera, et cetera.) I was interested in the article that is headlining today's news with this message that "Drones are Great!"
So, considering the source, I searched for a more credible source publishing information about this subject. I found the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's article right away.
A government site.
The NOAA didn't use the word "Drones"; it preferred to use a more precise term, "UAVs."
I am ever interested in the way people convey information to an audience.
I find it interesting that The Powers That Be seem to be trying to make sure that a wide general audience sees the benefits of Drones.
"Drones help us learn."
"With Drones, we can experience things we've never experienced before."
"Drones are Good."
Yet, at the forefront of my mind, I can't help but think about all of the dangers, problems, and catastrophes these Drones may cause.
And yet, I know this:
The Drones themselves are not the problem.
"Drones don't kill people. People use drones to kill people."
So, I suppose my deepest concern is that I don't trust those people in government and corporate America, in militias and other organizations, who are hungry for power, hungry for control, hungry to enslave mankind. Because I have no doubt that such appetites will not hesitate to use these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Anything But Good.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html
But who reads MSN news, really?
Well, me, for one. Uber-light news in the morning. Yep, I often visit there. And then, if something piques my interest, I further explore.
This morning, though, this article on MSN discussed how wonderful Drones are: They have captured never before seen images of killer whales.
Pausing here for oooohs and aaaaahs.
I was interested immediately.
Not in killer whales. At all, really. (Not that I don't care about sea life, the environment, et cetera, et cetera.) I was interested in the article that is headlining today's news with this message that "Drones are Great!"
So, considering the source, I searched for a more credible source publishing information about this subject. I found the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's article right away.
A government site.
The NOAA didn't use the word "Drones"; it preferred to use a more precise term, "UAVs."
I am ever interested in the way people convey information to an audience.
I find it interesting that The Powers That Be seem to be trying to make sure that a wide general audience sees the benefits of Drones.
"Drones help us learn."
"With Drones, we can experience things we've never experienced before."
"Drones are Good."
Yet, at the forefront of my mind, I can't help but think about all of the dangers, problems, and catastrophes these Drones may cause.
And yet, I know this:
The Drones themselves are not the problem.
"Drones don't kill people. People use drones to kill people."
So, I suppose my deepest concern is that I don't trust those people in government and corporate America, in militias and other organizations, who are hungry for power, hungry for control, hungry to enslave mankind. Because I have no doubt that such appetites will not hesitate to use these Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Anything But Good.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/10/uav_killer_whale.html
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)