Half way on our drive to see the Holy See,
my attention is drawn from the highway
to roadside, where two multilines form one
column of white cloak hooded people.
my attention is drawn from the highway
to roadside, where two multilines form one
column of white cloak hooded people.
My eyes follow the procession;
they leave the road,
move in, to a forest clearing,
gather around a table,
under a roofed open-sided hut,
over a white shrouded body laid at rest.
they leave the road,
move in, to a forest clearing,
gather around a table,
under a roofed open-sided hut,
over a white shrouded body laid at rest.
The white clan mourners,
at once surround the lifeless form,
whose spirit deepens it's quiet state,
as respects are paid and whispered songs sung.
at once surround the lifeless form,
whose spirit deepens it's quiet state,
as respects are paid and whispered songs sung.
We park our slowed vehicle
to observe the funeral rites.
We are immediately surrounded,
and welcomed like family,
who has come from afar.
to observe the funeral rites.
We are immediately surrounded,
and welcomed like family,
who has come from afar.
The wife of the man who had passed away
considers our materializing as auspicious.
It is a sign of great healing,
to attract other worldly presence,
garner respect from strangers -
mourners who have traveled vast distances,
to pay their respects by standing alongside,
together, with, the Transitioned One's family.
considers our materializing as auspicious.
It is a sign of great healing,
to attract other worldly presence,
garner respect from strangers -
mourners who have traveled vast distances,
to pay their respects by standing alongside,
together, with, the Transitioned One's family.
I stand to one side, nervous.
My friend translates and tells me that,
"For many here today, I am the first
foreign Women they have seen
in this part of the world since
the French left Vietnam in the 1950s.'
My friend translates and tells me that,
"For many here today, I am the first
foreign Women they have seen
in this part of the world since
the French left Vietnam in the 1950s.'
I remain respectfully quiet.
A Woman shares with me,
"The only other Women from away,
"The only other Women from away,
seen in these parts were Canadian nurses."
These female healers were sequestered to work
in hospitals during the USA - Vietnam War.
in hospitals during the USA - Vietnam War.
Another Woman approaches me,
takes my hand and leads me
to a table laid with food and drink.
She sits me down on a bench.
takes my hand and leads me
to a table laid with food and drink.
She sits me down on a bench.
I become the center of ceremonious attention.
All the Women are excited to see me,
despite the solemn occasion still surrounding us.
These Women generously overwhelm me.
Tea and pastries are thrust in front of me.
despite the solemn occasion still surrounding us.
These Women generously overwhelm me.
Tea and pastries are thrust in front of me.
In return, I have nothing to give except my smiles,
and praise for the abundance with which they share.
These Women share everything they have,
offer everything within their hearts,
which is their's, and their choice alone, to share.
and praise for the abundance with which they share.
These Women share everything they have,
offer everything within their hearts,
which is their's, and their choice alone, to share.
The Women love my eyes,
and motion to the blue sky,
which today matches my eye color.
which today matches my eye color.
Speaking in rapid joyous enthusiastic hyper bursts,
the Women reach out, touch my hand,
embrace me, caress my fingers, gently trace
my circumference of my fingerprint patterns.
embrace me, caress my fingers, gently trace
my circumference of my fingerprint patterns.
A Woman takes the lead and departs from the group
to return moments later with a new Lady she introduces.
More humor is added to our expanding congregation.
to return moments later with a new Lady she introduces.
More humor is added to our expanding congregation.
Everyone laughs, as the Leader takes my hand and lays it
on the table beside the newly arrived Lady's hand.
on the table beside the newly arrived Lady's hand.
Giggles explode, similarities are pointed out -
our hands match exactly in size, shape, finger length.
Everyone is all smiles, fascinated and amused
by the Leader’s observant sense of extraordinary detail.
by the Leader’s observant sense of extraordinary detail.
Our amusement increases in volume of sound and size,
as the Leader, who first took charge of me, rises -
moves to my side, reaches out to touch my nose,
my cheek, and then outlines the map of my freckles.
moves to my side, reaches out to touch my nose,
my cheek, and then outlines the map of my freckles.
Conversations quicken, two Women are brought forward -
one with an identical size and shaped nose,
one with freckles to match mine in number and dispersal pattern.
one with freckles to match mine in number and dispersal pattern.
This ceremony of Life embracing our common features,
has already lasted an hour as Woman after Woman,
has already lasted an hour as Woman after Woman,
with same or similar commonalities to me
are sought, found, and brought forward one by one.
Words spoken to me when I first arrived,
echo within me, reverberate inside my head.
My language translator from the city whispers;
are sought, found, and brought forward one by one.
Words spoken to me when I first arrived,
echo within me, reverberate inside my head.
My language translator from the city whispers;
"Here, during the USA - Vietnam War,
more bombs were dropped than all
of Europe during the second World War."
more bombs were dropped than all
of Europe during the second World War."
I am quiet with respect for the Healing
these Women have passed through,
and continue to share with their children, their future.
Here, people lost family members -
over seventy-five percent of their family members.
these Women have passed through,
and continue to share with their children, their future.
Here, people lost family members -
over seventy-five percent of their family members.
I feel Hope burn a hole my humanity,
my armored chest melts and opens dimensionally.
my armored chest melts and opens dimensionally.
I grow more compassion, I understand more.
The importance of choices to Heal
win over choices to destroy.
The importance of choices to Heal
win over choices to destroy.
These open hearted Women
choose to Heal through awareness,
being present, and by focusing
attention on similarities, not differences.
choose to Heal through awareness,
being present, and by focusing
attention on similarities, not differences.
My Spirit aches from the pain
that rises from my womb.
that rises from my womb.
I feel sorrow, I have seen my sorrow before.
My sorrow feels like betrayal,
a series of calculated woundings.
a series of calculated woundings.
This feels similar to when I have witnessed
already wounded people, be bombarded
even more, by media blitz of intense criticism
of their domestic affairs.
already wounded people, be bombarded
even more, by media blitz of intense criticism
of their domestic affairs.
I have seen many times, the intimate damage
media can cause, when focused on upholding
the ruling law, the current elected political agendas.
Media encouraged to create separateness, exclusion -
to create a fearful world view of "them" versus "us".
Wars begin with media playing mind games,
playing games with the minds of people,
toying with people's heads to convert their hearts -
destroy trust, topple fate, make friends into enemies,
and twist the heartstrings of faith into interfaith competition.
I feel lost in the dizzy spell being cast
by the supernatural attraction
of humans judging humans -
using fighting words over ideas,
battling over speeches that preference separateness.
I have seen humans exploit their trust,
our world's natural resources we caretake,
and choose to make a living by killing our planetary soul.
media can cause, when focused on upholding
the ruling law, the current elected political agendas.
Media encouraged to create separateness, exclusion -
to create a fearful world view of "them" versus "us".
Wars begin with media playing mind games,
playing games with the minds of people,
toying with people's heads to convert their hearts -
destroy trust, topple fate, make friends into enemies,
and twist the heartstrings of faith into interfaith competition.
I feel lost in the dizzy spell being cast
by the supernatural attraction
of humans judging humans -
using fighting words over ideas,
battling over speeches that preference separateness.
I have seen humans exploit their trust,
our world's natural resources we caretake,
and choose to make a living by killing our planetary soul.
Everyday in the international newspapers,
I read the long list of differences between citizens -
I read the long list of differences between citizens -
people who live in one geographical area
versus people who live in another geolocation.
Eventually media sentiment overwhelms me
into feeling an attitude of hopelessness -
but I do not surrender to hate, since I prefer to trust.
versus people who live in another geolocation.
Eventually media sentiment overwhelms me
into feeling an attitude of hopelessness -
but I do not surrender to hate, since I prefer to trust.
Unable to defend the differences in human hearts,
I survive by focusing on commonality.
I survive by focusing on commonality.
I see world media sell humanity short,
sell fear, so that humans will learn to fear -
sell humanity a sort of never ending story
based on world woe and moral decay.
I surrender to what fears I fear most.
I decide to not believe and invest
in the frightening prospect of strangers -
that what is strange, what is not familiar,
is not enough to encourage waging wars
to estrange each one of us from our global family.
sell fear, so that humans will learn to fear -
sell humanity a sort of never ending story
based on world woe and moral decay.
I surrender to what fears I fear most.
I decide to not believe and invest
in the frightening prospect of strangers -
that what is strange, what is not familiar,
is not enough to encourage waging wars
to estrange each one of us from our global family.
Advertising judgment,
propagating being critical,
of each other’s developmental change
creates growing pains.
propagating being critical,
of each other’s developmental change
creates growing pains.
Political campaigns which speak about limits,
frame humanity as something need saving,
are more about the fear of the person speaking
and less about the billions of souls thriving.
Nature's sense of natural human ability,
is all for one and once for all,
an encompassing love for all Life living.
True nature does not strive to convince people
to diminish their natural rise beyond daily destiny.
Beings are renewed by their ability
to daily create more personal faith in universal fate.
Information is different than news.
Heart evolution requires mindful awareness.
frame humanity as something need saving,
are more about the fear of the person speaking
and less about the billions of souls thriving.
Nature's sense of natural human ability,
is all for one and once for all,
an encompassing love for all Life living.
True nature does not strive to convince people
to diminish their natural rise beyond daily destiny.
Beings are renewed by their ability
to daily create more personal faith in universal fate.
Information is different than news.
Heart evolution requires mindful awareness.
I know in my heart I have been slow
to accept some, to be accepted by sums,
instantly trust others and sometimes reject my oneness.
These Women, of the Mekong Delta, act
as if they are grateful for presence -
my presence, their presence, all presence.
to accept some, to be accepted by sums,
instantly trust others and sometimes reject my oneness.
These Women, of the Mekong Delta, act
as if they are grateful for presence -
my presence, their presence, all presence.
These Women could choose to hate me.
They could choose to perceive me as the enemy,
see through eyes full of pain, see me as a symbol
of all who destroyed their all and everything.
I believe they value their all and everything -
so meaningfully, that they choose to instill more
meaning to their loss by not devaluing Life by hating.
If they do not hold onto hate, then what they hold dear
increases in value, the more these Women invest in love.
see through eyes full of pain, see me as a symbol
of all who destroyed their all and everything.
I believe they value their all and everything -
so meaningfully, that they choose to instill more
meaning to their loss by not devaluing Life by hating.
If they do not hold onto hate, then what they hold dear
increases in value, the more these Women invest in love.
I clearly see that when given the choice
these Women choose commonality -
the unity of similarity, natural acceptance
for love of humanity, theirs and mine.
Their humanity, their meaningfulness,
their love for humanity, their Self-love for
their humanity values my humanity, and so,
there is no need to Self-destruct to destroy others.
these Women choose commonality -
the unity of similarity, natural acceptance
for love of humanity, theirs and mine.
Their humanity, their meaningfulness,
their love for humanity, their Self-love for
their humanity values my humanity, and so,
there is no need to Self-destruct to destroy others.
I feel my throat dry,
become raw from emotions rising
from every cell in my being.
become raw from emotions rising
from every cell in my being.
We are all healed,
and time passes
creating more
opportunities to see
our constant wholeness.
Time reveals
to those who want to see,
the vision of those who are Healed -
those who are healing and leading.
Healing by living one's own true value,
and those who lead by living within
Nature's wholly holistic cycle of life.
This innate love of life is shared within being,
shared with each other through the air we breath -
sharing breathes life into the art of sharing love of being.
and time passes
creating more
opportunities to see
our constant wholeness.
Time reveals
to those who want to see,
the vision of those who are Healed -
those who are healing and leading.
Healing by living one's own true value,
and those who lead by living within
Nature's wholly holistic cycle of life.
This innate love of life is shared within being,
shared with each other through the air we breath -
sharing breathes life into the art of sharing love of being.
By expanding ourselves,
during disparaging change,
we gain awareness, we gain choices.
during disparaging change,
we gain awareness, we gain choices.
We can choose not to withhold, to not contract -
to not diminish ourselves by diminishing others.
It is a choice to pull away and feel powerless.
It is a choice to separate Self from optimism.
It is a choice to feed hate by rejecting love.
Life is simple you either love or you hate,
if you love then you practice love to increase love,
if you hate then you practice hate to increase hate.
Embracing differences tend to illuminate,
so all that needs increased awareness grows.
to not diminish ourselves by diminishing others.
It is a choice to pull away and feel powerless.
It is a choice to separate Self from optimism.
It is a choice to feed hate by rejecting love.
Life is simple you either love or you hate,
if you love then you practice love to increase love,
if you hate then you practice hate to increase hate.
Embracing differences tend to illuminate,
so all that needs increased awareness grows.
I know we all want to create
the peace and harmony needed
to keep humanity power full.
Our planet does not belong solely to humanity,
Life is simply not always and all about us.
These Women taught me by example to expand,
and trust that careful choices create a caring Life.
the peace and harmony needed
to keep humanity power full.
Our planet does not belong solely to humanity,
Life is simply not always and all about us.
These Women taught me by example to expand,
and trust that careful choices create a caring Life.
I want to expand, I want to see myself more clearly,
I want to grow, so I create my own opportunities.
I am my own opportunity to create,
feel, speak, see, hear, be and act my peace.
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
Sometime in the 7th Century
Empress Yamatohime said;
“Others may forget you, but not I.
I am haunted by your beautiful ghost.”
Sometime before October 5, 1785
Otomo no Yakamochi wrote;
Now to meet only in dreams,
Bitterly seeking,
from sleep,
Groping in the dark
hands that touch nothing."
I want to grow, so I create my own opportunities.
I am my own opportunity to create,
feel, speak, see, hear, be and act my peace.
~~ Other People's Fingerprints ~~
Sometime in the 7th Century
Empress Yamatohime said;
“Others may forget you, but not I.
I am haunted by your beautiful ghost.”
Sometime before October 5, 1785
Otomo no Yakamochi wrote;
Now to meet only in dreams,
Bitterly seeking,
from sleep,
Groping in the dark
hands that touch nothing."
