The wind rattled the windows all night,
At a gathering, a relative once told me -
"If you shoot a gun into a violent wind -
Violence in the heart
creates a set of unnatural laws,
which host and promote revenge.
My ancestors caution me,
"You never know what is hibernating
Causes and effects,
creation and transformation -
the adult and the child both benefit
from an abundance of compassion,
infinite human kindness,
and the riches in generosity of spirit.
Every one of us deepens
our personal experience of life,
by witnessing death
then praying for peace -
and asking for compassion
to be gifted to our Self,
so inner strength is found
and inner courage is cultivated.
To forgive is to be free
of the grief that builds walls within us.
crying and shrieking as loud as a new born child.
The local fishermen know
if you get lost at sea and scream for support,
the wind will drown out the sound of your own voice,
and the sea will silence the call of wild pleas for help.
People in these parts pray for inner strength
to accept the cycles of life
as natural forces of Nature.
Each year the ocean takes lives,
the life of a winter fisherman sailor
is a testament of being at war on the ocean,
while cultivating a sea of peace within.
People in these parts pray for inner strength
to accept the cycles of life
as natural forces of Nature.
Each year the ocean takes lives,
the life of a winter fisherman sailor
is a testament of being at war on the ocean,
while cultivating a sea of peace within.
The last winter storm of the year,
a howling blanket of snow covered the night.
The house hurricane groaned
from the stress of atomic transmutation,
and creaked as it's shape warped.
and creaked as it's shape warped.
By morning the weather transformed into veils of rain,
followed by sleet morphing into ice, then snow.
The elements are harsh only when they need to be.
Forgiveness is easy when you know and understand
that violence as change, ends the dead of Winter,
and rebirths a new awakening, enlightens insights in Spring.
I grew up playing the Creator's game of lacrosse.
We were the only family in the community who played,
so my father would practice with us in private.
On some weekends we would drive to Owen Sound
on the Pottawatomi River at Georgian Bay,
to witness the tribes come together
and play Thunder Bay's lacrosse players,
in an honouring of the sport,
the Creator's game made to teach us life's ethics.
The elements are harsh only when they need to be.
Forgiveness is easy when you know and understand
that violence as change, ends the dead of Winter,
and rebirths a new awakening, enlightens insights in Spring.
I grew up playing the Creator's game of lacrosse.
We were the only family in the community who played,
so my father would practice with us in private.
On some weekends we would drive to Owen Sound
on the Pottawatomi River at Georgian Bay,
to witness the tribes come together
and play Thunder Bay's lacrosse players,
in an honouring of the sport,
the Creator's game made to teach us life's ethics.
At a gathering, a relative once told me -
"If you shoot a gun into a violent wind -
your bullets will be blown back at you,
and the sound of the blast
will quicken an avalanche
of irreversible change."
will quicken an avalanche
of irreversible change."
Violence in the heart
creates a set of unnatural laws,
which host and promote revenge.
My ancestors caution me,
"You never know what is hibernating
in the wilds of any heart;
Be careful to not wake
that which hunts down life,
with the goal of ending life -
fear of fear seeks revenge,
fear grows resentment,
fear creates retaliation.
Ghosts never die,
they change form and remember -
Ghosts remember what was in the heart of the killer
when the hunted was stricken unaware at death."
Be careful to not wake
that which hunts down life,
with the goal of ending life -
fear of fear seeks revenge,
fear grows resentment,
fear creates retaliation.
Ghosts never die,
they change form and remember -
Ghosts remember what was in the heart of the killer
when the hunted was stricken unaware at death."
Storms rock the steady routine of life,
to calm an individual's nerves,
by unveiling the unseen.
Always lying ready and waiting,
all is churned up from the deeply unconscious.
It is by the hands of one's own nature,
that an individual is stoned into deadly sleep,
rocketed in the cradle of uncivilized dormancy.
A friend once shared with me the writing of Ohiyesa.
The story of an elder Chief of some unforgotten tribe,
who advised the men before going on a hunting trip -
"Let neither cold, hunger, nor pain,
nor fear of them,
neither the bristling teeth of danger,
nor the very jaws of death itself,
prevent you from doing a good deed."
The purest and simplest concept of courage,
possesses a world of difference in truth,
between an individual's ethical behaviour which honours,
and a society which invests in fear to protect it's Self
from the fear of fear.
When groups of people honour fear,
by taking up arms with the intent to kill due to it,
they are not protecting themselves from harm from it,
but are actually acting out that they are scared to death of it.
Fear and all that comes from facing fear is awarded
by facing life with the courage of a peaceful warrior.
Not facing fear causes a chain reaction of denigration -
a series of aggressive acts to confront life with vengeful spirit
often result in increased anger ignited by fear of fear.
Eventually a society which chooses fear,
ends up afraid of it's Self.
The expenditure of protecting
it's Self from it's citizens
results in escalating the costs
of dangerous choices of it's own making.
A friend once shared with me the writing of Ohiyesa.
The story of an elder Chief of some unforgotten tribe,
who advised the men before going on a hunting trip -
"Let neither cold, hunger, nor pain,
nor fear of them,
neither the bristling teeth of danger,
nor the very jaws of death itself,
prevent you from doing a good deed."
The purest and simplest concept of courage,
possesses a world of difference in truth,
between an individual's ethical behaviour which honours,
and a society which invests in fear to protect it's Self
from the fear of fear.
When groups of people honour fear,
by taking up arms with the intent to kill due to it,
they are not protecting themselves from harm from it,
but are actually acting out that they are scared to death of it.
Fear and all that comes from facing fear is awarded
by facing life with the courage of a peaceful warrior.
Not facing fear causes a chain reaction of denigration -
a series of aggressive acts to confront life with vengeful spirit
often result in increased anger ignited by fear of fear.
Eventually a society which chooses fear,
ends up afraid of it's Self.
The expenditure of protecting
it's Self from it's citizens
results in escalating the costs
of dangerous choices of it's own making.
Over the decades I have spoken with child soldiers -
children who were raised with violence,
schooled in guns, educated in warcraft -
taught that it was their duty to protect
and serve the insanely sane
from the insanity of the insane.
children who were raised with violence,
schooled in guns, educated in warcraft -
taught that it was their duty to protect
and serve the insanely sane
from the insanity of the insane.
These children often spend time
trying to unwind and unravel
the dead from their nervous system -
find clues to solve the mystery
of how the violence all began.
What happened to turn schools into warzones,
and children into armed-to-the-teeth soldiers?
When did guns become toys,
and games become war zones?
When did toys become guns,
and war zones become games?
How can adults believe
that violent games make great babysitters,
because they distract the child
from getting into trouble?
Of the child soldiers I have met,
many of the child soldiers often wondered,
"Why weapons are even created,
and who in the world
creates deadly weapons for a living?"
The children ask,
trying to unwind and unravel
the dead from their nervous system -
find clues to solve the mystery
of how the violence all began.
What happened to turn schools into warzones,
and children into armed-to-the-teeth soldiers?
When did guns become toys,
and games become war zones?
When did toys become guns,
and war zones become games?
How can adults believe
that violent games make great babysitters,
because they distract the child
from getting into trouble?
Of the child soldiers I have met,
many of the child soldiers often wondered,
"Why weapons are even created,
and who in the world
creates deadly weapons for a living?"
The children ask,
"Why are guns ever given to youth, by their Elders?"
"Why are children taught adult beliefs, such as -
the necessity of violence to meet violence,
and that killing is justifiable might
that sometimes is correct and a right."
One ex-child soldier I spoke with,
asked me to share his feelings.
He believed that, if only his school
had spent time teaching peace -
then children would graduate
as adults who do not choose war
as a career, or battle
as a way to resolve conflict.
These children asked me
if there was such a thing as a school,
that teaches conflict resolution
through first choosing, then teaching, peace.
"Why are children taught adult beliefs, such as -
the necessity of violence to meet violence,
and that killing is justifiable might
that sometimes is correct and a right."
One ex-child soldier I spoke with,
asked me to share his feelings.
He believed that, if only his school
had spent time teaching peace -
then children would graduate
as adults who do not choose war
as a career, or battle
as a way to resolve conflict.
These children asked me
if there was such a thing as a school,
that teaches conflict resolution
through first choosing, then teaching, peace.
These babes with no toys in gun land,
are asked to play with the gift of life.
are asked to play with the gift of life.
The adults who teach the children how to use guns,
teach that weapons of mass destruction are fun.
They teach that it is entertaining
to be face to face with your own power,
by causing another life to tremble with fear,
to denigrate others into feeling powerless against you -
forcing someones to be against you.
One person's fun is another person's torture.
teach that weapons of mass destruction are fun.
They teach that it is entertaining
to be face to face with your own power,
by causing another life to tremble with fear,
to denigrate others into feeling powerless against you -
forcing someones to be against you.
One person's fun is another person's torture.
Most the children I have met
who are asked to live with guns,
taught how to use guns,
and learn to take away the lives of others -
who are asked to live with guns,
taught how to use guns,
and learn to take away the lives of others -
most of these children express,
they would like to erase
the existence of fear off our planet ...
as easy as chalk is removed
from a blackboard.
With one stroke.
children usually choose peace over war.
they would like to erase
the existence of fear off our planet ...
as easy as chalk is removed
from a blackboard.
With one stroke.
children usually choose peace over war.
The child soldiers say,
that making sense of an adult's fear,
trying to understand adults full of fear,
results in adopting a fearful view of our planet.
that making sense of an adult's fear,
trying to understand adults full of fear,
results in adopting a fearful view of our planet.
Being fearful is not a fun game,
nor a sustainable long term winning tactic.
Children would rather invest
in creating hope of peace,
than engage in sustaining
the certainty of war.
nor a sustainable long term winning tactic.
Children would rather invest
in creating hope of peace,
than engage in sustaining
the certainty of war.
Arming themselves to protect peace,
by daily being prepared to go to war,
makes absolutely no sense to a child's heart.
makes absolutely no sense to a child's heart.
Nor is it the job of the youth to protect
their parents from grief, harm and hurt
their parents from grief, harm and hurt
when life assaults the adults with feelings -
More feelings than the adults can handle,
forcing them to emotionally grow up,
mature beyond their own imagination.
More feelings than the adults can handle,
forcing them to emotionally grow up,
mature beyond their own imagination.
Causes and effects,
creation and transformation -
the adult and the child both benefit
from an abundance of compassion,
infinite human kindness,
and the riches in generosity of spirit.
Every one of us deepens
our personal experience of life,
by witnessing death
then praying for peace -
and asking for compassion
to be gifted to our Self,
so inner strength is found
and inner courage is cultivated.
To forgive is to be free
of the grief that builds walls within us.
Lack of balance is created
when energy is depleted from the heart.
When the head fights the heart,
the heart will push to rule the head -
the heart wants to lead a life in balance.
Mind leads a peaceful coalition with what matters.
'Mind over matter' simple means 'love creates harmony'.
The heart is resolved to live in homeostasis,
to thrive by creating harmony with all the elements.
Heart creates balanced experiences
that regenerate and rejuvenate the healing flow
of any constrictions and resistances to peace.
The natural state of being in existence is balance,
even balance during unnatural states and times of war within.
The heart secures wholeness
by creating peace within.
The heart holds memories of peace,
and thrives in peaceful co-existence,
cooperation with other lives in existence.
Society, as a body of life
reflects the health of our world.
Society benefits most
from compassionate evolution.
During times of ethical stress,
courageous strain, and moral decay -
empathy brings the wellness of peace
to the whole of all in society.
What no longer works, eternally,
historically, has never worked -
is the unnatural act
of gifting guns to children.
Arming schools with a curriculum of fear,
by teaching that it is natural to 'wage war',
really just results in teaching
our children to be naturally afraid.
Is it natural to be afraid,
and then to act out our fear
by taking up arms
to kill what we are afraid of?
Deepening our fears feeds the unnatural laws.
In Nature it is unnatural to take revenge,
to resent and then retaliate
in order to dominate
with a plan to exterminate.
The unnatural act of gifting guns
to children and teachers,
builds a society in fear,
teaching fear,
learning to be fear-full.
When did peace become the dream less dreamt of,
and war become the vision of a safe way forward?
Which truthfully evolves our children's imagination?
Peace known brings enlightenment to our world.
It is an unnatural act to gift guns to our children,
and teach the might of war wins over the wisdom of peace.
Knowing peace brings enlightenment to our world
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
Sometime after 1939 Margaret Atwood said or wrote;
"War is what happens when language fails."
Sometime after 1922 Kurt Vonnegut spoke and wrote;
"Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard.
Do not let pain make you hate.
Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.
Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree,
you still believe it to be a beautiful place."
In Star Wars, Yoda said;
“Fear is the path to the dark side.
Fear leads to anger.
Anger leads to hate.
Hate leads to suffering.
Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force.
But beware.
Anger, fear, aggression.
The dark side are they.
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."
when energy is depleted from the heart.
When the head fights the heart,
the heart will push to rule the head -
the heart wants to lead a life in balance.
Mind leads a peaceful coalition with what matters.
'Mind over matter' simple means 'love creates harmony'.
The heart is resolved to live in homeostasis,
to thrive by creating harmony with all the elements.
Heart creates balanced experiences
that regenerate and rejuvenate the healing flow
of any constrictions and resistances to peace.
The natural state of being in existence is balance,
even balance during unnatural states and times of war within.
The heart secures wholeness
by creating peace within.
The heart holds memories of peace,
and thrives in peaceful co-existence,
cooperation with other lives in existence.
Society, as a body of life
reflects the health of our world.
Society benefits most
from compassionate evolution.
During times of ethical stress,
courageous strain, and moral decay -
empathy brings the wellness of peace
to the whole of all in society.
What no longer works, eternally,
historically, has never worked -
is the unnatural act
of gifting guns to children.
Arming schools with a curriculum of fear,
by teaching that it is natural to 'wage war',
really just results in teaching
our children to be naturally afraid.
Is it natural to be afraid,
and then to act out our fear
by taking up arms
to kill what we are afraid of?
Deepening our fears feeds the unnatural laws.
In Nature it is unnatural to take revenge,
to resent and then retaliate
in order to dominate
with a plan to exterminate.
The unnatural act of gifting guns
to children and teachers,
builds a society in fear,
teaching fear,
learning to be fear-full.
When did peace become the dream less dreamt of,
and war become the vision of a safe way forward?
Which truthfully evolves our children's imagination?
Peace known brings enlightenment to our world.
It is an unnatural act to gift guns to our children,
and teach the might of war wins over the wisdom of peace.
Knowing peace brings enlightenment to our world
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
Sometime after 1939 Margaret Atwood said or wrote;
"War is what happens when language fails."
Sometime after 1922 Kurt Vonnegut spoke and wrote;
"Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard.
Do not let pain make you hate.
Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.
Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree,
you still believe it to be a beautiful place."
In Star Wars, Yoda said;
“Fear is the path to the dark side.
Fear leads to anger.
Anger leads to hate.
Hate leads to suffering.
Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force.
But beware.
Anger, fear, aggression.
The dark side are they.
Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny."
