Tag Archives: society

Is Our Love Enough?

“The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.” ~ Carl Sagan

Think about it. Has the Earth ever been without conflict between one faction and another? This jewel of a planet is a prize, but to whom? Do we honestly think it is merely humans that want possession of it? Or is there a much bigger story unfolding than we imagine? Is full possession of human beings also the ultimate prize for the power hungry?

When you think of human, do you think humans are capable of the sort of cruelty that you see before your very eyes? Perhaps a few, but most human beings do not wake up in the morning thinking, “Gee, I think it would be a really great idea to destroy people in another country today”. We simply don’t. We’re thinking about our work, our families, how to build a life within all of this madness. We love. And there’s the crucial difference. We love.

It’s our love for our families, our love of life that keeps us sane and going. But will love sustain us through all of this forever? I suppose in the higher realms, yes. But what about here on Earth, right now? While madmen are threatening each other with atomic weapons, and building robots that they hope will overtake human civilization, how do we factor into the equation? To those “inhumans”, we are mere cannon fodder in the pursuit of their domination.

Carl Sagan was right. We are too caught up in the minutiae of our lives, and not paying attention to the bigger drama unfolding before us. Yes, I think our love has the power to save us, but not in some fairy tale, Pollyanna way. Spiritual warriors love, yes, but they are also prepared to defend and protect that which they cherish.

Choosing to turn a blind eye to the potential devastation nuclear war could wreak is complicity on the part of humanity, and one we can ill afford. There is a very good word, it’s a very short and powerful one, but very underused. That word is “No”.

Divided We Fall

“Together we stand,
divided we fall”,
a lofty premise
that has never
really taken hold,
at least not with
humanity.

See how easily
we are divided
by self-serving
leaders and media
who know how
to manipulate
our fears.

“Sticks and stones
may break my bones,
but names will
never hurt me”,
a child’s retort
for behavior we
never outgrew.

See how easily
we label and
judge each other
with broad stroke
assumptions and
misperceptions,
rolled into hate.

We can blame
the leaders if we
want to, but,
we need to look
at the behavior
we accept
and perpetuate.

From Humanity’s Lament: Poetry for Our Times. Download it free.

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Why?

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Questions fade unasked,
the knife of silence runs deep,
future relinquished.

If you are someone who has always counted on things around you to simply be fixed, somehow, by someone else, those days are gone. Our world and reality are in extreme transition.

Time to start really paying attention to events, the unfolding, and not only to what you see, but also what you don’t see. What’s missing?

Time to watch for the incongruities, the inconsistencies, the little details between the lines. Do not persist in looking straight ahead with blinders on. See what is there on the periphery, hiding almost out of view.

Time to question, question, question.

Time to start taking personal responsibility for your future.

And most of all, time to listen to your gut, what your own inner wisdom tells you.

Inspirational Quotes:

“The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.” ~ Albert Einstein

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” ~ Voltaire

“It is not that I’m so smart. But I stay with the questions much longer.” ~ Albert Einstein

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” ~ Zora Neale Hurston

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ~ Voltaire

Why is from Humanity’s Lament: Poetry for Our Times. Download it free.

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Together

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In a system that feels
heartless and remote,
now more than ever
we must reach out to
others in kindness,
in a personal way,
human-to-human.

The problems of
all of humanity
are now breaching
our own backyards;
it’s no longer possible
to turn a blind eye,
we’re in it together.

Together is from Humanity’s Lament: Poetry for Our Times. Download it free.

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Here Comes the Sun

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Here Comes The Sun. This classic Beatles song never fails to make my heart sing. According to Wikipedia: “As of 2021, it was the most streamed Beatles song on Spotify globally.”

The song is now 55 years old, written early in 1969 by George Harrison, apparently at the home of Eric Clapton. So why the sustained popularity?

There is something about the arrival of the sun that is energizing and uplifting. The song is about spring, respite from a cold, bleak winter, when the sun becomes stronger in the Northern Hemisphere. We turn our faces to the sun in gratitude, eager to embrace the fresh start.

This is why each sunrise also feels like a special gift, deep in our souls. It is a tangible sign of each day’s new beginning, and all of the opportunity that comes with it.

Hence this haiku I wrote to celebrate the enduring presence of the sun in our lives:

Grateful for you, Sun,
your ceaseless radiance greets
and anchors my day.

Inspirational quotes:

“Watch the sunrise at least once a year, put a lot of marshmallows in your hot chocolate, lie on your back and look at the stars, never buy a coffee table you can’t put your feet on, never pass up a chance to jump on a trampoline, don’t overlook life’s small joys while searching for the big ones.” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.

“He who kisses joy as it flies by will live in eternity’s sunrise.” ~ William Blake

“Egyptians believe in the power of the sunrise. They believe each morning begins not just a new day, but a new world.” ~ Rick Riordan

“Every sunrise is an invitation for us to arise and brighten someone’s day.” ~ Richelle E. Goodrich

“Every sunrise is priceless, and you can experience the richness that life holds only when you live life to the full instead of just being an onlooker.” ~ Stephen Richards

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Humanity, Awaken!

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The current awakening of humanity is an opening of hearts and minds. We are standing on the threshold of a new era, but we must first say no to an old paradigm that in so many ways just isn’t working for us.

To say that this time is important is hugely understating it. Humanity is riding the wave on the cusp of a gargantuan shift in consciousness. Change is a scary proposition and we have a tendency to avoid it at all cost. However, the current global situation has thrown down the gauntlet for you, me, and the rest of humanity. The big question is, will we rise to the occasion and create something better for ourselves?

Take the time to ask questions, and while you’re searching for the answers, listen not only to your head, but also to your heart and your gut. What do you do see around you that is failing? Where will you put your mind to create the new reality?

There is a voice crying to be heard inside of you. It is your own, but it is also connected to all of humanity. Hear its song and feel its pulse. We are all inextricably connected, and your mind is part of a greater whole (humanity) that decides in what direction our world will move. You have more influence in that decision than you might imagine.

And therein lies the crux of the matter. You must imagine.

Inspirational Quotes:

“They say: ‘If a man knew himself,
he would know all mankind.’
I say: ‘If a man loved mankind,
he would know something of himself.”
~ Khalil Gibran

“All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind; the infinite library of the universe is in our own mind.” ~ Swami Vivekananda

“Doesn’t it seem to you,” asked Madame Bovary, “that the mind moves more freely in the presence of that boundless expanse, that the sight of it elevates the soul and gives rise to thoughts of the infinite and the ideal?” ~ Gustave Flaubert

“Push yourself to do more and to experience more. Harness your energy to start expanding your dreams. Yes, expand your dreams. Don’t accept a life of mediocrity when you hold such infinite potential within the fortress of your mind. Dare to tap into your greatness.” ~ Robin S. Sharma

“One love, one heart, one destiny.”
~ Robert Marley

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