Open
to receive the sun.
Open
to reveal beauty.
Open.
13 August 2011
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Monthly Archives: December 2012
Purple flowers, Cleveland Heights back yard 2
Filed under Cleveland Heights, Photo
As I should pray every day
Many concerns and joys and needs appear in my prayers.
This day – as should happen every day –
I pray
for children who go to school;
for parents and families who send their children to school;
for teachers, administrators, and all who work at school;
for parents and families who send their loved ones to work in schools.
With thanks to J.C. Austin and Shannan Vance-Ocampo and Derrick Weston for reminding me.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Current Events, Family, Friends
Once came tears
It was an intense hour. Tears rimmed my eyes most of the time, once they slipped out. This evening, I took part in a candlelight vigil.
We lit candles and kept them lit in the wind – together. We remembered the children and adults dead in Newton, Connecticut. We remembered our neighbors in New York and other places. And we rededicated ourselves to working to end the gun violence that haunts our country.
Social media brought the word … at least to me.
Rutgers Presbyterian Church posted the announcement on their Facebook page: a candlelight vigil would take place at 5:00 P.M. at the corner of West 86th Street and West End Avenue to honor the memory of yesterday’s victims in Newtown, Connecticut, the victims in the shooting in Portland, Oregon earlier this week and the memory of all victims of gun violence. The vigil would also provide an opportunity for participants to rededicate themselves to working for an end to such violence.
I read the post in Strawberry Fields – and decided I had to be there.
Arriving a few minutes early, I discovered a group gathering at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew which stands on the corner. Many people brought their own candles. Because some had brought candles to share, those of us who had not brought our own were given a candle.
The number of participants increased – people of diverse ages, races, and faiths. Shortly before the appointed hour, we lit our candles and assembled on the steps of the church.
Opening words were shared, the host pastor welcomed the group and articulated his vision of a country and a culture where we have greatly diminished violence in general, and gun violence in particular. Individuals shared their pain for the people of Newtown, of New York City, and of all places whose lives have been seared and forever altered by gun violence. Linda Rosenthal, New York State Assembly Member for the district, spoke, noting that this event marked a beginning and that she intends to help the community engage in conversation and action to end gun violence in our city and country.
As participants engaged in the hope expressing, hope sustaining communal activity of keeping our candles lit in the wind, we voiced further concerns and hopes. We prayed additional prayers. We identified ideas for actions:
- signing petitions such as this one asking the President to recognize that now is the time to begin discussion on gun control
- engaging in conversations within their community and faith communities (here are some Presbyterian resources) on what steps to take
- working to expand mental health care and to ensure access to such care for all
- encouraging Mayor Bloomberg to become more intentionally involved in the issue; and
- coming together again to plan and organize.
Small steps, but steps.
Then we walked up W. 86th Street to Broadway. Passers-by joined the group. At the corner we stopped. More passers-by joined the group. They received candles as they did.
We sang – old songs for certain – but we sang. “If I Had a Hammer.” “We Shall Overcome.”
Near the end of “Down by the Riverside,” as we pledged to study war no more, I looked across our group and saw a mother tenderly kiss one of her children, then her other child. Tears slid down my cheeks.
With the promise that we would continue what had just begun – and the announcement of the Facebook pages where next steps will be posted – the event ended. We stood together for a while. Then we went our separate ways.
The brief hour soothed my angry, aching soul. But it did not comfort me. And I will act.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Current Events, New York
Weeping, I act
I continue to weep – but I act. I will find and support campaigns and issues to address gun violence. For example, here is one petition I have signed.
Here is one step that I will take on my own. I will send the following simple message to elected officials on the federal, state, and local levels:
Dear ,
It is a typical day in the United States. That means that, on average, some 31 people will die in homicides where firearms are used. In addition, on average, firearms will be used in some 51 suicides.
I find this appalling and unacceptable. I hope you do too.
How are you working to change this situation?Sincerely
When I receive a response – whatever response I receive – I will reply:
Dear ,
Thank you for your response. I am glad that you are doing name what ever was included in the response.
That does not seem to be working.
What else will you do?Sincerely
It’s a start. I will do more.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Current Events
In Ramah
I am weeping.
With Rachel, I am weeping.
I am weeping.
Again, I am weeping.
I am weeping.
Inside, I am weeping.
I am weeping.
In all the Ramahs of our world, I am weeping.
I am weeping
and I refuse –
and I will not be –
and I hope to Christ I never will be –
comforted.
Children –
our children all –
are killed
wounded
violated
abandoned
exploited
neglected
misused.
I am weeping.
I will not be comforted.
Outside, I appear calm.
I go about my work.
But within the calm
and amidst the weeping,
I dream of a different world
and I ponder what I may do
to help create that world
For our children – all our children.
I dream and I ponder
and I know I will find answers.
I am weeping.
Inside, I am weeping.
I will not be comforted.
But I will find ways to act.
14 December 2012
New York
Filed under Current Events, Poem
Purple flowers, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve 2
Away from the sand,
yellow hats
top purple petals.
17 July 2011
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Colorado
Filed under National Park, Photo, Travel
Dang, he can act
I don’t know how movie viewing works for you. For me it seems that some actresses and actors were born to play certain characters. Some individuals have provided an array of incredible performances. It is impossible to tie them to one film.
But for other individuals, a hear a person’s name and a certain character comes immediately to mind. The person may or may not have won an award for the role – or even been considered for an award for the performance. They may have compiled an impressive body of work over the years.
In other instances, I hear a character’s name and a person comes to mind. Other people may have played the character in remakes – or reboots of a series or franchise (think Batman or Star Trek). But there is one person who is forever tied to the character, at least for me.
Both ways it can happen. Characters and performers forever intertwined. For example:
- Harold Hill – Robert Preston
- Forest Whitaker – Idi Amin
- Sally Fields – Norma Rae
- Audrey Tautou – Amelie
- Billie Holiday – Diana Ross
Alec Guinness had a superb career, but when I hear his name – George Smiley appears before me.
And when I hear George Smiley, I think of Alec Guinness.
I watched the 2011 version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy today.
Guiness and Smiley will remain intertwined.
But, dang, Gary Oldman can act!
Do you experience this phenomenon? If so, who would you name?
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Movie
Again
Again
in the night, the fire went out.
Devoid of pity, winter
invaded the room,
assaulted my body –
my thin blanket offered little resistance.
Cold chews my knuckles,
gnaws my knees.
The weak sun forces
pale shafts of light,
but no warmth,
through the dirty window.
I faintly see my breath
as I turn my head
to gaze on gray-black ash
within the fireplace.
For a moment, I ponder:
stay put, let go, give up
Then their faces rise before me
laughing, loving faces,
gone forever yet
somehow with me always.
And for their sake,
and perhaps for my own,
I stretch my painful limbs
and force myself from the bed
to shuffle stiffly across the floor,
light the fire,
begin another day,
again.
3 December 2012
SW 208
MDW – SDF
Filed under Poem
Along the Graybeard Trail 