Poem by Yahia Lababidi

What is to give light must endure burning, a man once said
Another man became the matchstick that set a nation aflame

But fire, and its appetite, cannot be calculated, like freedom

Injustice and desperation make men combustible, like dry wood

When words lose their meaning
and an entire people their voice –
so they can neither laugh nor scream –
death and life begin to taste the same

From Tunis, to Egypt, to Libya to Yemen
the light from a burning man proved catching
 And those with nothing to lose, or offer, but bodies

fanned the embers of their hopes into a blazing dream.


"What is to Give Light" by Yahia Lababidi

Sun Lite

The first stream of light begins to wash away the shadows of the night,
producing images of movement previously unseen;
waking images of a lucid dream.

Good morning. 

Wendell E. Berry - delivers 41st Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities

Wendell E. Berry, noted poet, essayist, novelist, farmer, and conservationist, delivers the 41st Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, entitled “It All Turns on Affection,” from the Concert Hall of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on April 23rd, 2012. Mr. Berry is introduced by Jim Leach, Chairman of The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and preceded by a reading by novelist, short story writer, and fellow Kentuckian Bobbie Anne Mason of Berry’s poem “VI” from his collection Leavings. Please go to http://www.neh.gov/news/2012-jefferson-lecture-wendell-berry for more details and complete video of his Jefferson Lecture. 

The Lion King - Simba's Return

Quick Context:
Simba, the lion in the clip, has ran away from his past and rightful place as king due to the evil tricks of his uncle Scar. Rafiki, the wise elder, wants him to step into his own power and return to save the kingdom from Scar and his destruction. Wisdom in a simple yet effective way; a beautiful cartoon.

James Joyce, "...We walk through ourselves"

'If Socrates leaves his house today he will find the sage seated on his doorstep. If Judas go forth tonight it is to Judas his steps will tend.' Every life is many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves.

-James Joyce from his novel Ulysses

Daily

Pollock

Life becomes a splatter painting. Colors just sprayed across a canvas. It's been building layers and colors all our life. Drops of blue for the sadness due to the death of a cherished family pet. Sprays of green for the freedom of days spent playing in the river and lying in the sun. Each color is unique to the individual. Stepping back, I look at the art I have created. So many colors, so many emotions. Each day is a new piece. Put them side by side; do they look any different? It's both how you live your life and how you are affected by the splatters of others. So, in the end, we're all just creating a giant painting. I wonder what it looks like.

Monster in the Closet

It's frightening to feel the full extent of a negative emotion. There is uncertainty about what will happen once we choose to feel again. Instead of facing it though, we close ourselves off from the emotion to avoid the pain.  Remember when you were young and terrified of the dark? It's uncertainty frightened us; the fear of the unknown. It would paralyze us; even getting up to turn on the light seemed like an unconquerable task. If we got out of bed, what we feared would inevitably get us as we walked the fifteen feet from our bed to the nightlight. So, we'd lay in bed, hoping that we would either be able to muster up the bravery to turn on the light or fall asleep quicker. This same dance would happen again and again, night after night. One night, my mom forgot to turn on my nightlight and I was trapped in the dark. As I lay in bed hoping it would magically turn on again, I did something which I had been so terrified to do; I got up and tiptoed towards the switch and turned it on. A few months later, after repeating this process, I didn't need the light anymore to feel safe. I knew that while there were still things that might be unknown, I would be able to face them. Everyone turns and keeps the light on at some point in their life; it keeps us feeling safe from emotional harm. But, by turning off the light and being brave, you will finally be able to conquer the dark.

Primary Miracles

That the universe exits.

That there is consciousness.

That there is self-reflective consciousness.

That there is cosmic or transcendental consciousness.

Lullaby

Some days you wake up and stay awake. Some days you wake up and fall back to sleep. It's easy to fall asleep. What's difficult is waking up; staying awake when you're so tired.

Spring Day

When a bubble pops, it's either followed by laughter or by sadness. When we are young, we laugh while we pop bubbles; the pure joy of simply popping the bubbles which surround us. Then at a certain age, we get surrounded by a bubble which can be 'popped' by others. "Thanks for popping my bubble!" This usually causes sadness. Be young again and laugh when your bubble pops. It shows you a new direction and helps you realize that you were never stuck in a bubble to being with.

Occupy the Farm - Gill Tract

The urban farm movement is "grounding the good society". Here's a living vision of a social-community seed sprouting in our urban worlds. 

H2O

all life is just this:

molecular arrangements

suspending water 

Subterranean

us: two trees apart

yet, looking much much deeper

our roots intertwine

Lichen

fungus and algae

hug a rock with rainbow tint

in symbiosis

solitude

it's been ten years of solitude. still. now.

Truth and Love

Love and truth go hand in hand. Truth without love can become harsh, even violent. Truth's power tempered by love is nonviolence.

May Day 2012

May Day 2012 by americ