I wander around the dead
and naked land of Hiroshima.
and naked land of Hiroshima.
The artists have done their best
to do a make over of this land,
to do a make over of this land,
into a sacred space
for the pursuit and worship of peace.
for the pursuit and worship of peace.
It is quiet,
petrified from the last bit of noise and fury
petrified from the last bit of noise and fury
when angels lost some feathers
from the sky downward descending.
from the sky downward descending.
Some of us fly,
some of us club down our own wings,
some of us club down our own wings,
but human nature thrives
in air as well as on earth.
in air as well as on earth.
I photograph the doves
as they fly towards me
as they fly towards me
their wings span time,
distance, drama and trauma.
distance, drama and trauma.
Doves fly above my outstretched hands
in circles and spirals –
in circles and spirals –
they grace the air with details
of their elegant historical flights.
of their elegant historical flights.
Mobile sculptures that embody grace,
birds fly in the formation
birds fly in the formation
of one large family,
united by inheritance,
as emissaries of peace.
united by inheritance,
as emissaries of peace.
Wings brush the tangles
from my world-worn hair
leaving feathers as bookmarks,
from my world-worn hair
leaving feathers as bookmarks,
time-holders to save their place
as they read my thoughts.
as they read my thoughts.
I pull a feather from my hair
and read in it the collective memory of birds.
and read in it the collective memory of birds.
I watch them fly on wings of history
to show us they survive destruction,
to show us they survive destruction,
only to soar to greater heights –
birds come back when time has healed hearts.
birds come back when time has healed hearts.
Some of the birds are malformed,
a new breed emerging
a new breed emerging
surviving to thrive
among the bare dirt ground
and the eloquent shrines.
among the bare dirt ground
and the eloquent shrines.
The birds survive
hundreds of years stronger,
not broken –
hundreds of years stronger,
not broken –
their DNA realigned,
re-purposed and re-created –
re-purposed and re-created –
the evolved mutations
of their lives’ time span.
of their lives’ time span.
Feathers fall like snowflakes,
as the birds comfort us
in the shower of their memories.
in the shower of their memories.
I honor the birds’ flight
to create purity and silence.
to create purity and silence.
I watch and learn from the birds
so I too can create quiet –
so I too can create quiet –
I distance myself by flying
away from the source of the noise.
away from the source of the noise.
Everything diminishes in the zone of flight;
tears, snowflakes, feathers,
all blend into white noise of pure light.
all blend into white noise of pure light.
My external world unfolds into peace,
as my internal world holds harmony.
as my internal world holds harmony.
I remember the elder lady of Hiroshima,
meeting her was not chance.
She transformed her collateral state of damage
into being a states woman of peace.
meeting her was not chance.
She transformed her collateral state of damage
into being a states woman of peace.
From her point of view
I had no responsibility in the exchange -
I had no responsibility in the exchange -
Hiroshima is still, simply,
feeling, the effects of creation and destruction.
Hiroshima is crying for us all;
all who are alive, all who died,
feeling, the effects of creation and destruction.
Hiroshima is crying for us all;
all who are alive, all who died,
all yet to be born,
and all of us still living separate from the whole.
and all of us still living separate from the whole.
As her final moments approached
she chose to create compassion,
she chose to create compassion,
to forgive and give the wisdom
to regain a state of harmony.
to regain a state of harmony.
By attuning to the forces within
herself that govern her world,
herself that govern her world,
she created an opportunity
to bring about her own healing, and ours.
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
Sometime after 1939 Anis Nin said;
“Life shrinks or expands
in proportion to one’s courage.”
to bring about her own healing, and ours.
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
Sometime after 1939 Anis Nin said;
“Life shrinks or expands
in proportion to one’s courage.”
