They argue from sunrise to sunset, throwing blood on the ground wet with tears of babes. They haggle senselessly, putting a price on peace and stoning themselves with hatred. They pummeled houses with tanks of metal and started a duel with the mountains. They grind soft bones into powder, using it to dress their home. They are the peace hagglers.
They are for peace, they say, yet their guns continue to sing. I laugh without showing my teeth. They fail to see my beauty. They refuse to acknowledge my work. Instead, they splatter evil all over the world. I weep for my clouds; I cry for my mountains.
My hills groaned with displeasure as my leaves danced with agitation. When will sons see their foolishness and embrace joy? Until I steal the wind? Or make my rivers dry? When will they realise the price of peace is cheap? While they massage their ego with foetuses and abort the dreams of teenagers. My silence is at an end. I open my arms and swallow them whole.
They haggle for the price of peace when they only need to love.
Photo credit: Laurent, Flickr
They haggle for the price of peace when they only need to love.
SS David
I’m late to the party, it’s the 2nd of February 2023 already, and I hope this year has started on a positive note for everyone. Every day is a chance to start anew and begin again. The poem above (can I call it that?) decries the state of our world. Putin of Russia is hellbent on starting World War 3, and police officers in the United States still kill unarmed and innocent men(mostly black). Kindness is so scarce now that even in our Royal Family, it’s one scandal after another. People are quick to judge and blame everyone but themselves.
Love is the antidote to all the madness and craziness in our world, but why is it so difficult to love? This question keeps me awake at night, and I believe I’m not alone. I know kindness still exists, and decency is still around, but all I see sometimes is debauchery and sexual immorality on our screens. People need to remember what it means not to cheat. Our politicians are only interested in themselves. People can die for years in their homes, and nobody cares.
That’s the reason selfless love is what we need to make our world a safer, kinder place to live.
I choose love over hate and am confident I’m not alone.
May we find it in our hearts to love this year, and then we will truly live.
Love bought us freedom from eternal damnation, and the supernatural is as real as the next person to you. Although it’s difficult for some people to comprehend that there is life after death. I believe there is life after we pass away from this realm simply because of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead.
If I were to count the times I have been saved from physical harm, I would have to write a 200,000 word memoir to recount my experiences, and it would not be enough. Christ’s resurrection shows that there is still hope, not only in heaven but in this world too. I am alive and renewed by the power in the blood of Jesus Christ and the miracle of His resurrection.
Heaven is real
I have experienced the supernatural power of God several times, and as a Christian, it’s with great pride that I declare my hope in the future; this life is certainly not the end, and humanity will be saved.
If anyone is reading this and you’re depressed, please don’t be, whatever you’re going through will pass if you put your faith in God. If disease has ravaged your body, there is hope and healing for you but you need to claim it through faith and prayers to God.
We all know that life is very complex but we have a complete God who sacrificed His only son for our redemption. There is hope for you, just believe in God, I did, and He changed my story.😄✨
Happy Easter to all my friends. Much love to you, always!❤️☺️🌟🌸
No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible
George Chakiris
As 2021 draws to a close, it has been another extraordinary and challenging year—a replica of 2020. I have taken stock of my life, and I am grateful and blessed to be alive, surrounded by love. Many people aren’t so lucky, and that’s not lost on me.
Our world has changed in more ways than one. We are still battling a pandemic that has taken over millions of lives; I have lost count of the dead. Yet, our world finds a way to renew. When a new day dawn, we repeat living all over again. People fall in love; they fight, bicker, and save lives. People have just been, well, human.
I love the peeping clouds!
However, I am determined to live my life as part of a positive movement of change. I want to make a difference and foster love rather than hatred, encouraging generations of people who are determined to preserve life, not destroy it.
We will open the book. Its pages are blank. we are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day
Edith lovejoy pierce
I will not make a new year resolution. Instead, I want to put a smile a people’s faces. We all need to laugh more and enjoy every moment of our lives. Why? Because our time on this part of heaven is so short.
Happy New Year to all my friends and everyone reading this. May God bless and keep you all!
It is packed with unseen footage of my new documentary ‘Chasing Humans’, I am also using the website for one of my Master’s degree course. I would be publishing new articles on it today and every fortnight. I would also appreciate any comment and discussion on the blog.*
Thank you, guys! 🙂
Artist John Seymour Lucas 1849-1923. Dated 1885
The world is still reeling from the effects of Coronavirus, here in the UK, we have the second-highest number of deaths in the world. It’s nothing to be proud of, it is heart-wrenching. I know a few people who have been affected by the passing of a loved one, believe me, it is not a good place to be.
Life is beautiful and challenging at the same time. When my dad passed away, I thought the world has come to an end, and when my family and friends consoled me with the fact that, time is a great healer, I didn’t believe them.
Is time really a healer? How do we tell the thousands of people who have lost loved ones that time heals? In my experience, time doesn’t stop the pain, even time cannot replace a loved one. Time can only give you the space to grieve and come to terms with their passing.
I think of my dad every day, just like that painting of the artist John Seymour Lucas, we can never replace time lost. It’s gone forever. However, we can cherish the memories, and hold them dear to our hearts.
As I was rummaging through the cellar today and found this precious painting of the artist Seymour Lucas, so we can check through our memories and find treasures of loved ones, who have been locked safely away bursting forth in our hearts. We can recapture times of joy, of laughter permeating through the fog of sadness, shining gloriously through the tears and sorrow.
TIME doesn’t heal, it helps us in our moment of weakness, to reclaim everything we hold dear.
Paragon Of Beauty. Can You See Beyond Those Deep Lines Of Experience?
( Photo credit: Flickr)
It’s sometimes funny the way we hold on to things, and I mean material things as if we are going to live forever. It’s an open secret that someday, we will call it a day on this part of heaven. We may try to change the subject or try to push it to the deep recess of our minds but our times here in this part of heaven is limited.
That’s just the basic truth.
The woman in the picture is beautiful, but she is aging, and afterward, she would become one with the earth. Studying her face, she seems to know who she is, and she also appears to be living a good life.
What about you? What do you stand for? What are your beliefs? Are you an ‘I’ person or a ‘We’ kind of person? (I want you to ponder on that and give me an answer in the comment section below).
I love taking good care of my body, and since finding out several of my physical limitations, it has not ceased to amaze me how fragile we are. I am now indulging myself in things that are really important and soul-satisfying.
I love smelling flowers, my house is littered with pots of flowers. I appreciate water, I watch mesmerised as it flows through my fingers. I love the sun, the ability to walk, run, and play is just beautiful. I appreciate that now.
Since our time is short, isn’t it foolhardy to fight or keep malice? War is a gory affair. Humanity has pillaged and wasted blood throughout the millennia. I watched the news with slight irritation as grown men are throwing insults at one another. They are actually playing with war, and it’s not pretty.
I urge you all to enjoy every minute of your time, even if we all live till hundred, one day, time will be up.
So let’s stand for all that is good, excellent, and kind.
”Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Leo Buscaglia.
I would be a year older tomorrow. I came home from work today and found myself trawling through some motivational articles to make sense of the impending days ahead, and then I stumbled on the short article below. I believe I should share it and I am keen to find out your thoughts on this though. Do you agree with the author’s point of view? Or maybe you don’t, why?
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‘They say that, at some point, you learn to let go. I must disagree. If it just takes one moment to let go, then you never really held on tightly enough. To a dream. To a goal. To a place. To a person. To anything. I believe that you let go little by little. You let go a little, then hold back on, but with a little less force until you fully release yourself. And the tighter you old on, the more force you let go with. The deeper you dive, the higher you’ll fly. The closer you get, the further you’ll pull away. The weaker you feel, the stronger you’ll become. So do not be ashamed of your weaknesses. We all have them. You must learn to be kind to yourself. You must learn to understand yourself. You must believe in yourself. Never think that you are a bad person. Differentiate between your self-worth and your actions. To say that you are bad is different from saying that you made a mistake. You can’t fix yourself, but you can fix a mistake. And remember, not one person on this earth is perfect. We all make mistakes. We all fall. We all have flaws. We just need to look within ourselves and treat ourselves as humans who are worthy of respect and hope. Do not give up on yourself. Get back up. Be brave. Be happy.”
Najwa Zebain
Najwa is a Lebanese Canadian author who self published her book, ‘Mind Platter’ in January, 2016 by Createspace. She is a deep thinker and writes from a wealth of experience. I don’t know her personally but I sincerely believe in her story.
This year had been full of surprises. From Brexit to the election of Trump to the continual gluttonous appetite of the world’s politicians. The world was gripped by the drama that was the US Presidential election, and as a feminist, I was really rooting for Hilary Clinton. But that was not her fate, she lost the race.
On a personal note, I’ve experienced nothing but blessings this year. I’ve also had my share of challenges, don’t we all? I’ve had dreams postponed but not denied, I’ve seen plans stalled but not destroyed. I’ve had manuscripts shelved but not forgotten. I’ve met new friends and learned some vital life lessons.
The great thing is, if you’re reading this, that means we’re still walking through time, our lights are not snuffed out yet, for that, we should be grateful. No matter what you may have gone through in 2016, as long as you’re still breathing, and walking, there is hope yet. Don’t give up!
On that note, I wish all my friends here in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world, may you have a wonderful and prosperous 2017!
(Now this little girl’s what I call a treasured Link. Photo credit: Flickr)
”The truth is that we can learn to condition our minds, bodies, and emotions to link pain or pleasure to whatever we choose. By changing what we link pain and pleasure to, we will instantly change our behaviours.”
Tony Robbins
Our pursuit of wealth (or survival as my dad called it) in life is ridiculously overshadowed by things that ought to be more valuable to us like family, friends, and scheduled times to reflect and truly enjoy life. We work all day, some of us are doing two jobs to make ends meet and that doesn’t really mean we would have enough. The only thing certain in life is time, and at a point, that would also end.
Time is certainly cruel. It flies by quickly and before we know it, the tangible things left are links. But some of us destroy those links, how, you may ask? By what we choose to link our minds and memories to.
If a poor man chooses to link his memories to struggles, he may find it difficult to actually overcome poverty. And if a rich guy links his mind to his wealth, he would lose himself in the pool of his assets, and everything else would pale into insignificance. Basically, everything still boils down to our choice and perception in life.
So friends, link wisely! 🙂
Grasmere lake with autumn colours and reflections, Lake District, Cumbria, England
I haven’t been able to write an article for a while because of certain projects I’ve been involved in, which would be wrapped up soon in the first quarter of next year, God willing. I know I’ve missed a lot of awesome posts. I’ve begun the pleasurable journey of visiting as many blogs as time would allow, I can’t wait to read to my heart’s content.
I hope you’ll all have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Hopefully, I would write one or two articles before the end of this year. Live free and enjoy every bit of your moment on this part of heaven.
My father loved time, he once told me that the most precious thing we could ever waste in life is time. He implored me to spend my time wisely on worthy causes, on things that give joy to me as a person, and I’ve adhered to his advice, as a result, my life is rich and fulfilling. When he passed away two years ago, his words still echo in my mind, and now I realised why he valued time so much.
Time is, and will always be a riddle. We can’t own it but we can use it wisely. How are you spending your time? Are you spending it in love? Or in anguish, hatred and discontentment? Are you filling your days with laughter or sorrow? As we age, we reflect on days gone by, in the midst of our reflections, let’s be mindful of our time, and I think we would live it well.
Finley Peter Dunne had a saying that, ‘the past always looks better than it was. It’s only pleasant because it isn’t there.’ I disagreed with his assertion. In the past, my dad lives, in the present, he’s gone. I’ve made peace with that because he’s safe with God, however, there are moments I still want to kiss his cheeks and hear him call my name. Time claimed my dad, as it would claim us at one time or another.
I love how Horace Mann puts it, ”Lost-yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever.” My dad left this earthly realm when I least expected, however, he left me with wisdom beyond my years.
Today, I watched a new documentary by Morgan Freeman called ‘The Story Of God.’ Freeman explored the afterlife and why human beings are keen to be immortal. To me, my dad is immortal, he lives on in my breath, my thoughts and my actions. He lives on in the memories of those men and women that aren’t even related to him, and I guess when we positively touch the lives of others, we would live on in their memories whether we are alive or dead.
Our time in this part of heaven is limited, we can’t help it but we can make our lives count by being selfless and loving.
Still thinking of you Peter Nelson… Adieu, dad!
I hope everyone would have a wonderful week ahead!
I dug my teeth into my frozen lips as the winter air attacked me with gusto; my veins bulged out in protest. I hunched and huffed, hugging myself in a bid to thwart the desperate cold but it was to no avail.
You can guess how cold it is!
I was returning from a conference where a renowned expert, whose soft-spoken voice intoned deeply into my bored mind talked about the benefits of controlling our thoughts in order to be more productive. Granted that I did gained some insight into how to train and control my thoughts, nevertheless, I wasn’t sure that my thoughts could control me and not the other way round. Uncannily, my winter-ravaged brain had stylishly blotted the speaker’s name from my mind. I didn’t think controlling my thoughts could be hard, so I decided to put it to the test.
Strangely, I found my thoughts running haywire from the mundane to the downright funny, then to the sober and finally back to the speaker.
I got zero point.
My environment, things I see and feel could control my thoughts. It was winter, and I would be a fool to think that it was summer. So what happens to us naturally has great impact on our thought processes. Despite that, we could still control our thoughts through discipline although that’s open to debate.
This is where I want to be!
The chilly January air continued its assault on my hapless face as I trudged home and the words of the speaker returned subtly. The man was right and I determined to have firm control on what goes through my mind.
When I got home, I switched the heater on, dove under the duvet and brought out my worn out diary, which reminded me of Yiyun Li’s ‘A Sheltered Woman.’ My tired eyes scanned through my schedule for Friday and as my eyes rested on the date, I was shocked, my amazement wasn’t feigned, it was genuine. Today is the 15th, the year is flying faster than my 5-year-old son’s kite.
The year had strolled in like an old lover, sniffing around with familiarity, extending his love, yet restraining back. Days had flown into two weeks and before we know it, shops would be brimming with Valentines cards. It’s unbelievable.
I had twenty minutes of solitude before jumping back into the fray, a tired sigh escaped my lips, then my thoughts strayed to the news of Alan Rickman’s passing and my heart sank. He was a beloved actor, I loved his role as the ‘Sheriff Of Nottingham in Robin Hood. I closed my eyes, my aim was absolute peace, no thoughts but it was a futile effort.
My mind drifted again, back to the speaker who believed that tiredness, anxieties, worry, fear all stem from our minds, eating deep into our days as we lose track of our jobs, he believes it affects our productivity and in a way, our lives.
However, how do we control our thoughts?
I have few theories on that but would love to read what you think.
This is my first post of the year. I don’t have a new year resolution. However, I’m determined to do things better than I did last year, which is recognising the things I could change while taking positive actions and ignoring things that could eat into my time. Like Reinhold Niebuhr would say, ”God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Seyi Sandra David 