NOT FADE AWAY

 Nothing is lasting, neither in the material world, nor in memory or meaning over time. I am thinking of precious mementos we keep and treasure, sometimes taking them out to hold to our hearts and remember those from whom we received them. Those treasures, however seemingly ordinary to others, sustain, enrich and deepen our tentative, yet tenacious, grasp on life—and on everlasting love.

These thoughts come to me the day after Christmas (2022) on hand of a card our grandson, Finn (now 15), made for his grandparents—me (Nonna) and my husband (Juju). This is the very kind of treasure of which I speak. His card may be kept for a generation or two after I have “shuffled off this mortal coil,” but with no one to truly know or remember what it has meant to me. Its memory and meaning will be lost.

But what it represents will never fade away?

 

Dear Nonna and Juju,

I love you so extremely much. I am so grateful

or all the Christmases we have had together

and will have the rest to come. Merry Christmas

from your #1 grandson Finn.

I will treasure this thing of beauty for Finn’s creativity, the effort put into it, its message, but, most of all, for the shared love it represents. While the card itself may be lost or forgotten, the love it represents will remain beyond this earthly plane. I believe that.

        “Love that’s love not fade away” is a line from a song “Not Fade Away,” made famous in the 1957 by Buddy Holly, and again by the Rolling Stones in1964.

“Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks/But bears it out even to the edge of doom” are lines from my favorite Shakespeare sonnet, #116, which also expresses in a more formal way that love is everlasting and will never fade away. There must be infinite examples throughout time of this same insight—in literature, poetry, song, philosophy, and in sacred texts.

“In every religion there is love, yet love has no religion.” (Rumi)

Any distortions of love, or inability to express it dissolves in the perpetual light of love that is always with us, shining upon us beyond space and time.

When my sister and I were clearing our parents’ house after they had passed away, we found a notebook my mother kept toward the end of her life, containing her familiar sense of humor, as well as sentiments she never would have expressed out loud. There were words, oddly enough, from a song called “That’s All She Wrote”: It’s a shame that the laughter didn’t outweigh all the tears.

There was a note she kept from our brother who had left it on the keyboard he played saying that he would never play music again. It must have been his realization that a once-enjoyable talent, ambition and interest were now eclipsed by his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He died from an overdose.

We gathered the journal, note, and other papers that, while maybe not precious treasures per se, were undoubtedly expressions in one way or another, of an underlying  love that wanted to express itself in untenable situations--meaningful, painful expressions with associations my sister and I could never have fully understood. 

    One cold winter night we burned them in the fireplace, with a wish that all the sadness in the house, harsh things said and left unsaid would dissipate in the rising smoke to be received where only love remains.

Is there proof that love is eternal, connects us beyond this earthy plane? Do we just want to believe that it is? These are questions we may ask, doubts we may have. I believe, while the precious things we hold dear in life are, after all, just things, the love they represent is what is precious, lasting and does not fade away. Whenever there has been true love, a soul connection, it is never extinguished, but eternal.

When our loved ones depart, precious mementos are symbols of the love they have taken with them and their love they have left behind with us.

        Remembering them is connection.

I know intuitively that this is so and is affirmed as the “concept” of eternal love is affirmed by my experience of love over a lifetime. While I remain on this earthly plane, I will cherish Finn’s card, a reminder that our shared love is forever—simply, but aptly, reflected in the lines of a song: 

“Love that’s love not fade away”

and a sonnet:

 “Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Is it coincidence that two religious holidays, Chanukah and Christmas occur around the time of the Winter Solstice? That is a question to be asked, (not to be answered here), but certainly we can say that those celebrations and the Winter Solstice involve Light and what Light represents to us as human beings. Winter Solstice this year will occur at 4:47 p.m. EST on December 21st, marking the moment of turning in the rhythm of nature from the shortest, darkest day of the year to earlier sunrises and later sunsets--more light each day—even through the coldest months of year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Light is Life

Light is universally symbolic of the spirit of life in all of us.

This little light of mine

I’m gonna let it shine*

Gods, angels and saints are portrayed as having halos or light surrounding them to represent divinity, holiness, purity, goodness. Light suggests transparency, clarity and truth. We think of family and friends, and especially children, as well as joyful experiences, as “lighting up our lives.” Ideas and revelations are thought of as enlightenment or illumination. The sparkling stars, silver moon and brilliant planets above are a mystery and a wonder—shining in the dark velvet sky.

Light is warm and welcoming, guiding us through the dark. We make wishes over our birthday candles; we light candles in rooms to create a mood, or light the fireplace to warm us. Whole cities are lit up for the sheer beauty and magic of it.

 

 Paris, City of Light

Light is often an integral part of religious traditions, rituals and services, such as the lighting of the menorah during the nights of Chanukah, the festival of lights, commemorating a long ago miracle celebrated around the time of the Winter Solstice. During this time of year  a  homes and shop windows are illuminated with twinkling lights. In town squares, people gather for festive tree lightings and song-all gathered with "light-hearts." Some light an Advent candle each week in December awaiting Christmas morning.

Candle, candle, burning bright

Shining in the cold winter night

Candle, Candle burning bright

   Fill our hearts with Christmas light**

Tree Lighting at Dock Square, Rockport, MA

And who has not marveled in awe at the luminous skies and ribbons of colors at sunset and sunrise.

Whether or not we think of Light as symbolic, or participate in light-filled celebrations,  Winter Solstice is an astronomical phenomenon in which there is a turning from the darkest day of the year toward growing light.

Solstices and Equinoxes

While some people may be more aware of what happens astronomically four times each year, based on our planet's orbit around the Sun and tilt on its axis, others may be aware only of the change of seasons they usher in for the Northern Hemisphere.

• Vernal equinox (about March 21): day and night of equal length, marking the start of spring
• Summer solstice (June 20 or 21): longest day of the year, marking the start of summer
• Autumnal equinox (about September 23): day and night of equal length, marking the start of autumn
• Winter solstice (December 21 or 22): shortest, darkest day of the year, marking the start of winter

Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

The Winter and Summer Solstices mark when the Sun’s path in the sky is the farthest north or south from the Equator. Winter Solstice occurs when the Sun appears at it lowest elevation in the sky. whereas at Summer Solstice it appears at its highest arc. Equinoxes occur when day and night are of equal lengths.The halfway points between Solstices and Equinoxes are called cross-quarter days, observed on Candlemas or Groundhog Day, May Day, All Souls' Day or Halloween. All of these occurrences have both religious/spiritual associations and observances, and astronomical significance as the natural rhythms in our planetary system.

For millennia, these (and other) “heavenly” events have been honored and celebrated as momentous observations of natural and supernatural significance, having inspired cultural traditions, rituals, fire festivals, superstitions, story, song, dance, artwork and more. Megalithic structures, such as Stonehenge (and many others around the world) were certainly built in part to align with these astronomical events, which were also gauges for practical activities to sustain life ways, such as animal breeding, hunting, planting and harvesting crops.

Stonehenge at Winter Solstice

No matter what our relationship with Light, conscious or subconscious, we live in and by the light, long for the warmth, hope and comfort it brings to eclipse the darkness in our lives—inner and outer.

Wishing everyone the love and light of this time of year—however you may celebrate it or not—and peace, joy and good will with the coming of the light.

* https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/this-little-light-of-mine/
**Advent Song© 1975 Mary Lu Walker

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

What does the world need now? Maybe super heroes? We could use a few to come to our rescue in times of need (which is always), and now in these times with challenges in every direction. If only super heroes could swoop in to save lives, put out wildfires, hold back tsunamis, stop evildoers, bring peace of mind and world peace—with their powers of super strength, super senses and super feats, magic or miracles. Alas, we have no superheroes to save us. What we do need are human beings with the ability to inspire. 

     What the world needs now is INSPIRATION!

     To be inspired is to be “breathed into.” Animated by inhaling the power of that breath, we begin to imagine, to envision, to hope, to believe. Inspiration is what the world needs now (and always)—a light to guide our way, to eclipse the darkness—even against the risk that darkness implies, and, ultimately, to create in the name of the beautiful, the good and the true. Unfortunately, at times, people are also inspired by ideas and thoughts that are their opposite. I believe that, knowingly or not, it is the deepest human longing to be inspired by ideals and values which serve the common good. Only then can we find the courage to eclipse the darkness.  

If we agree inspiration is what the world needs now, can we even begin to imagine who it is, or what it would take to inspire people, a nation, the world? Where are the likes of, for example, Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mohandas Ghandi, Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, or even Mr. Rogers? Can we believe there will be others like them again? They came from different places and perspectives, for different reasons, but all were both leaders and servants. Some spoke truth to power; others advocated for unity, freedom, equality and justice; cared for the sick and dying; modeled patience and kindness to children. They were selfless, persistent, clear thinkers and effective organizers who inspired many to confront complex challenges. Most admirable was their light-inspired human spirit shining through.  

     True, they could not leap tall buildings with a single bound, or display other superhuman powers. What they did do was become inspired themselves and tap into the essence of their humanity to put a cause ahead of themselves. What lives they lived! How they fought despite the risks! They inspired others with the truth of their vision, which manifested in small and large ways over their lifetimes. It is well to remember though that three of those mentioned above were assassinated, and one was unjustly imprisoned for years. There is a price to pay for attempting to bring light into darkness, for following inspiration founded in dedicating one’s life to that end—sometimes “costing not less than everything.” (T.S. Eliot)

     Their conscience did not allow them to stand by and do nothing, or to live in fear or for power, fame and wealth. Their inspiration came from knowing they were connected to others, that we are all ultimately connected, which gave them the courage to work toward social justice, inclusion, independence, healing and comfort for the dying, and even a quiet (but needed) message to millions of children that they are individually special, yet part of a larger neighborhood. 

     We are the "neighborhood," a human family spinning in dark, cold infinite space, from where our majestic planet without marked boundaries can be seen, where we are at least ONE in the spirit, recognized or not. We are not, however, as naive to believe there will be world peace, or that we could all “just get along,” but we could agree to strive to be civil, kind and fair as individuals, communities and nations, and, by the way, be examples to our children in our right speech, right thought and right action toward others. 

Look around us, and we may find others in our lives and communities who inspire and motivate us. We may find that we are more similar than different, that we are connected to each other, to nature and to the universe in ways we may not comprehend.

     I am inspired by these words. Maybe they will inspire you too?

Neither stars nor stones, neither atoms nor waves, but their belonging together, their interaction, the relation of all things to one another constitutes the universe. No cell could exist alone, all bodies are interdependent, affect and serve one another… even rocks… are full of unappreciated kindness, when their strength holds up a wall.      

*Heschel, Abraham Joshua. Man Is Not Alone. Farrar, Straus and Geroux

TRUE

We

dreaming light and waking in the dark

perpetually relive The Fall

eternally recreate Creation

sun dance

receive revelation

asleep and awake--all

We

lost in the belly of the whale

seduced like Europa

carried over ocean swells

Leda in the rushes

crushed under the swan's white weight

Dante in the dark wood

la direta via era smarita

Abandoning hope

emerging into starlight

It’s all true for you and me

(and everyone we know)

Look!

See if is not so--

being human amid polarities

And we have trod the earth--an armed race

with fire to illuminate or incinerate

since forever

we carry and create images

of exile

 of paradise

longing to return

VINTAGE

Still Life ~Robert Williams

Now

a time with little of it left

I gather gently to my breast

all my life crammed into ​​given space

not to sort as pictures in a box

into tidy stacks by time and place

but as Harvest do they come

their ​random ​fruits to trace

remembrances to keep

what I sowed, what I reaped

how and whom I loved

when and where

what was given me to bear

what was taken, what received

of all I once too easily believed--

A maze it seemed I thought I knew

in all directions I could choose​​

​was ​but a labyrinth I wandered through

​along its ​unicursal ​way of hope and fear

leading to the center

now and here

​​I reminiscence with gratitude, in joy, in pain

at times mythologizing all that’s been

or seeing clearly parts I played

in life’s grand drama

self and heaven made

BROTHERS

Brothers in spirit
in the Judean desert
under the Bodhi tree
left us simple lessons

We pick and choose
which ones to ignore

because they are hard to live
because we fear the other
because we shun the least of our brothers
because we judge harshly
because we forget why we came
               to this vale of tears
because we live on the horizontal

"spirits in a material world"
because we ignore the vertical
reaching to eternity

We--captives--see only a "Castle of Wonders"

Look to the point where the two directions cross
                    The middle way

We do not guess
that the blood of one brother
transubstantiated the earth into sacred ground
“Put off thy shoes from thy feet”
that the elder brother touched the ground

revealed the Path of Dharma

Both bore witness
Both taught the way
to distill dross into gold

The lotus has eight petals
The lotus has a thousand petals

THEN

We are born

a storybook unfolds

silent memory

song without words

morning glory

light and color

spirits of place and time

See!

a house on a hill

street of cobblestone 

the gate is green

blue the hydrangeas 

cherry blossom snowflakes

And we children

lying on cool grass 

under summer skies

wispy sky angels 

passing around the world

and back again

And we 

waiting for starlight, star bright

Come in now

it's getting late!

POSERS AND POSTERS

             Marines under fire in Arizona territory, Vietnam 1970 

I have been wondering for a while why it is that some people feel the need to pose and post pictures on social media of themselves dressed in camo gear and holding a weapon.

The photo above of a Marine unit under fire was taken by my husband, then a 21 year-old USMC infantryman and Combat Artist in Vietnam. Later, he learned that some of the men had been blown away. When we came across it recently, we wondered if other veterans had the same questions as he and I have had: 

What do these posers and posters represent? What are their motivations for the display? What is being expressed about their values and intentions? Do they truly wish to identify themselves with that image? Do they think twice about any of it, or even once? 

I would guess some of the posters are not even aware of their motivations, which could be any/or all of the following: mindlessness, boredom, machismo, a current trend thing, a political statement, or twisted form of patriotism? In my humble opinion, at the most obvious (and ludicrous) level, these posers are saying: 

Hi, I like to dress up and pose with weapons because:

a. I am patriotic (especially if I am near a flag).
b. I can defend myself against wild animals
c. I'd like to be a vigilante.
d. I just think it's cool to appear armed and dangerous.
e. I support the 2nd amendment but couldn't find a musket or flinlock pistol (the only firearms available when it was passed).

And for some Christian posers and posters, who somehow are in the mix of this frenzy with perceived persectution of religious rights, shouldn't they consider that once popular question: "What would Jesus do?" Oh, wait..here is what maybe some of them would like to think he would have done if he had a weapon.

Prince of Peace

  The 2000 year old man?

So, some of our fellow Americans (proclaimed Christians at that) have seen fit to second guess "God's plan" to send his son to "die for our sins," wishing it had turned out differently (i.e., Christ killing his accusers). They are eager and happily arrogant to twist the message of sacrifice, love and forgiveness taught by their supposed "lord and savior" into the distorted message of malice and revenge--the 
disorganized "faux religion" of their present-day perceived messiah: the MAGA maniac! GOP Jesus

Now, granted, certainly not everyone posing and posting falls into this category of complete idiot, as the above images and ideas suggest. However, for those who may not have thought through their motivations for posting "glam shots" of themselves with weapons of mass destruction, I suggest:

1.  Next time you are enjoying target practice, aiming at bottles, cans or small animals in your back yard, or just whiling away the hours fiddling with your weapon, take a moment to let it sink in: 

Your “toy” of choice and camo gear are also the go-to choices of those seeking the thrill of blowing apart school children, church worshipers, parade goers, and "others" perceived as deserving a fate of having their blood, organs and body parts exploding across ceiling, walls and floor.

2. Sign up for military service, where dress is NOT a costume and weapons are NOT for appearances, a hobby or leisure entertainment. 

At least, then you will have done something real and truly patriotic to insure all Americans continue to enjoy the freedoms for which so many have fought...

Even to do dumb things!

WHITSUN

You couldn't see

didn't know

how a sliver of ocean

an imposible blue gem

touched the sky

white light at the horizon

at sunrise

this morning

and the birds ~ all the while

singing it in 

OTHER

We come to earth--
this “tavern where drunkards get sober”
to ask questions, cast shadows
cry in the wilderness, sound a call
shed a light

Free will, Fortune, Fate
weave through our comings and goings
until everyone will have been everyone else
other lives, other loves, other loss

Other Other Other

Who will be our other?
our mother, our lover, our children, our friend
our nemesis—our judge and jury

We--All
are others
refugees
no one our savior

Coming into being and dissolving
again and again

Constellations of "anonymous stars"
moving across the heavens

Note: "tavern where drunkards get sober" and "anonymous stars..."

were inspired by Coleman Barks' translations from Rumi in Say I Am You.

IT'S LIKE THIS

 

It's like this

vast
sun streaks across the meadow
cool breeze at the window
morning again

This day
alone against an open sky
a dream of blue
and tomorrow
yellow light
stretching to a hidden horizon

It's always like this

METAPSYCHOLOGY ONLINE Book Reviews 2020

Full Title: Animal Wife
Author:     Lara Ehrlich
Publisher: Red Hen Press 2020

Animal Wife’s fifteen stories take place in worlds of fantasy, mystery, chance, contradictions and danger—a world where, “happiness has sharp edges.” Women of various ages and stages, from childhood to adulthood, experience the real and the idyllic inherent in the “feminine mystique,” and in life itself. They navigate through innocence, sexuality, uncertainty, expectations of others, as well as their own fears, memories and desires. Readers are delightfully and inevitably drawn in to their own navigation of the blurred lines between fantasy and its underlying realities.

These captivating tales involve women longing, though not always for a clearly defined “something”; often they have no desire for the things others tell them they should want or have. They strive or drift toward identity, fulfillment, and varied forms of escape with surprising inner and outer transformations, sometimes frightening, sometimes wished for and self-fulfilling.

There is the enigmatic fate of one whose swan sisters warn her that, “no good can come of longing,” yet her longing draws her to a man who, “hides her feathers.” A young girl’s friends tell her, “It doesn’t matter if you like a boy or not; it only matters if he likes you.” One young girl concentrates so hard on appearing pleasant, she forgets to breathe.” A wannabe deer woman, “needs a change she can’t come back from.” One drinks the cotton candy-flavored "Foresight," delivered in an Amazon box, but ultimately rejects all the “possible futures” presented to her, “preferring the unknown.”

In a recent interview with Joel Brown of Bostonia (Boston University’s alumni magazine), author Ehrlich speaks of her interest in, “capturing a sense of fuzziness between reality and fantasy. I want to give the readers room to interpret the reality or unreality of a situation—but there’s a fine line between intentional uncertainty and unintentional confusion …. I’ve intended them to question reality.”

We are reminded of the wide-spread appeal of imaginative works, such as Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and those of more contemporary authors, such as Italo Calvino and Elizabeth Allende. Not only has this genre of literature been read and enjoyed through time, it has forever been retold and drawn upon in art, drama, film and television. It also has long been explored and analyzed by scholars (Joseph Campbell), and psychologists (Jung and Bettelheim) for its dream-like magic with meaning.

There is this kind of appeal for readers in the highly recommended Animal Wife, Red Hen Press’s Fiction Award winner, with its fresh take on the mythopoeic in relation to women’s lives. It is engaging at every turn of the page for its innovative approach. Ehrlich weaves compelling characters and situations, gripping images and language in her deft storytelling.

*********

Full Title:  The Essential Doug Holder: New & Selected Works
Author:     Doug Holder
Publisher: Big Table Publishing 2020Y

Doug Holder, founder of the Ibbetson Street Press of Somerville, MA, is a well-known and well-loved figure on the New England literary landscape. His recent publication: The Essential Doug Holder: New & Selected Works begins with a long introduction (not penned by him). Save this commentary for later, and go directly to the poems, which speak for themselves. And they have much to say, having urban appeal, specifically for Somerville, Boston and New York City, as well as broader and deeper universal appeal, expressed in Holder’s journalistic-like exposure of the essential humor, irony and pathos of the human condition.

The range of content is vast, presenting Holder’s new work and selected, previously-published pieces—offering a comprehensive and representative collection. A few examples of Holder’s singular style of stating, without rating, an experience will serve to convey the reader’s feeling of being transported directly into his subject without need for multiple literary devices. It’s as if Holder is not interested in artfulness (not that there’s anything wrong with that), so much as revealing what exists in and of itself, leaving interpretation and a sense of emotional dimension to be found in the tangible, palpable evidence of the five senses—in subways, ballparks, cafes, hospitals, delis, and in human relationships—the humor, compassion and reality of it all.

“Cambridge, MA: Two Old Women”
Two old women walk down my street each morning
A daily ritual of decrepit defiance
the ground that will own them.

“Au Bon Pain at Dusk”
You sit at a table in the courtyard of the cafe
brittle autumnal leaves rest
then tumble off your round shoulders.

They just don’t hold what they used to

“When Father Dies”
When Father dies
let it be on the rush hour train home
his face buried in The Post
his last breath involved with the world

“Dreaming on the Senior Line at Market Basket”
I walk with Ginsberg and Whitman
and we will talk.
I will tell them about the predicament we are in.

It feels like Holder inhabits his work, speaking from a “fly on the wall” perspective, keenly observing people, places and things, but not necessarily commenting on their meaning. Yet the message comes through with clarity and impact. His poet’s eye roams and records his observations of “ordinary” life, which of course, is never ordinary. In the tradition of all true poets, he gives them, “a local habitation and a name.”

If you like poetry served up homestyle, deliciously fresh and familiar, The Essential Doug Holder will satisfy, and resonate a long time after you put it down. If keeping a book of poems at your bedside is not something you see yourself doing, try this collection. As the book’s back cover suggests, “This is a must-keep-on your nightstand.” You might be surprised that you will pick it up, again and again.

SIMPLES

Of myself I write

What else do I know

less and less the further I do go

falling fast away--the past

and fading round on round

save memory of love and loss abound

The dances of my spirit life

in soul light sublime

merge here in this simple rhyme

Devoid of weighty verse

writ to exalted height

no alchemy of words can shed a light

Not in paper

will the gold of life be bound

but in heart’s penetralium can be found 

and

 in thoughts and words and deeds 

passed on to friend along the way

as well as foe, I pray

So here, these simple lines

are witness (and a prayer)

that what I’ve wrought and written

(not for fame) is made of air

When I lie beneath a sycamore--

 its tortuous branches--beauteous 

luminous and bare

against the sky

will speak for me 

the “why”

EARTH'S CLOAK - A Villanelle

Of sun rays golden, moonlight’s silver beam

From airy, fine and fragile threads we weave

On loom of soul a tapestry unseen

 

We, in this vale of tears live by their gleam

A mystery in fabric light and dark

Of sun rays golden, moonlight’s silver beam 

We strive throughout our lives to grasp the theme

Of human history through the march of years

On loom of soul a tapestry unseen

No certainty we braid into the scene  

But flowing, shifting like the changing sea

Of sun rays golden, moonlight’s silver beam 

All beauteous forms and grotesque we must glean

Entwine in warp and weft through space and time

On loom of soul a tapestry unseen

We weave earth’s cloak in threads of lustrous sheen

Of dawn and darkly ebbing shades of dusk 

Of sun rays golden, moonlight’s silver beam

On loom of soul a tapestry unseen