Injustice Anywhere

injustice anywhere
injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere--thank you dr. Martin King. in the distance i hear the metro reeling by, only briefly, just enough to hear its apparition like whistling whisper.

i wonder about injustice. i believe injustice affects us in the way that people suffer from and as a result of injustice. i wonder... how long does injustice remain on our minds? how long goes it stay?is it a visitor who knocks at our door, enters our home and stays longer than we desire? if so, then we are bothered, we are inconvenienced. yes, oh injustice you have overstayed your welcome-- you have disturbed tranquility and wrecked my pristine picture of life.injustice not only overstays its welcome, enough to make me on edge and uncomfortable and mindful of so much in life-- injustice walks deeper into my life, penetrating the flesh, to the marrow of my existence. once its settled in amongst the calcium fortified skeleton, it travels with great speed to the most vital organ, the heart. with large, gripping hands it stretches and pulls my heart in every imaginable direction... contorting its natural beating state until blood of passion, anger, desire and conviction oozes out.blood stains me.

i am left with a remarkable red reminder of how injustice causes vicious, violent, vexing suffering on life. on Enis, Marthe, Lavorn... and on inumberably others.from sweatshop slavery in Honduras to restavec slavery in Haiti.i believe once an individual has heard or seen injustice, no matter if the extent lasted as long as the whispering whistle of the metro ... a person is never the same

Human Experience--Experiencing Humanity

Human experience must include experiencing humanity. On the interpersonal level: being aware, acknowledge, accepting, appreciating. Action verbs—it is in the being, the learning, creating, surviving, sharing, experiencing. Dignity. Respect. Love. Peace. Joy. Meaning. Mindfulness. Satiation. Security.Community.Eyes blinking. Mind reeling. Two actions adding to form the equation state of blank staring—head slightly tilted to the right, most definitely. Silent. Attentive to an unmistakable heart flutter. My mind like an old projector flashes images of memories that render a distinct, surface malaise and melancholy meditation. Pondering. The human experience. I conclude: the human experience to be complete means experiencing humanity. Basic needs met, achieving security: financial, physical, emotional. Living with prupose. . quite similar to Maslow's view. Non-attachment as a way of life. Meditation. Gratitude. Stepping into freedom. Those who are bound by the chains of material possessions—free from consumerism, need of acquiring. Being peace. Walking peace. Speaking peace. boddichitta— being loving kindness

Life Writing/1

This is a writing slam.
This is beginning.
Creation
Brown earth, rich cool soil—worms wiggling their way to the open air.

I cannot help but breathe cool fall, St. Louis city air and draw life from it. Let it fill my lungs, release the stress and weight of college academic rigor. Let cool air whisper peace into my soul as I look onto life smiling.

So aware and increasingly mindful of this warm apartment and sturdy wooden desk, this machine that allows me to stand in the land of technology. Channeling energy and resouces, brain thoughts and convictions, book knowledge, conversations and life experiences—let it all soak up and ferment and sink into the marrow. Looking at the clothes in my closet—thinking of where they came from, the hands, the hours, machines, the globalization that creeps into every minute, hour of my daily existence as a waking, living, breathing, eating, drinking, consuming human being.

Gratitude. Integral. Awareness, appreciation, acceptance of life, love, suffering, joy, peace, war… being able to sort out fact from fiction and include both friend and (worldly) foe.

Is this revolutionary thinking? Is it backwards. From my studies of Jesus and my beginning knowledge of Buddhism one clear revelation occurs

The energy of human life cannot be destroyed or blocked, it is transferred—how human beings transfer the energy (of their joy, suffering, neglect, abuse, success, purpose-fulfillment) and where and to whom humans transfer that energy to is crucial in understanding the human experience. And in turn, how a human being, how the human individual person experiences humanity. Energy.

We are creation. Multifarious yet similar creation stories, passed by written and spoken word paint an interesting picture for the present day faith seeker. In this present moment… how does the individual perceive life? Through a hungry stomach, through a book knowledge crammed cranium, through eyes of a peace revolutionary, through the hands of people holding power, through the laborer’s wrenching back, through the silent wife and mothers veil, through the blues music of guitar, through the lens of faith, through a certain climate and environment…
The human experience is unique for even twin sisters—two people with the same dna. Their experience is unique in the way that each experiences humanity. Humanity—the dignity that comes along with life. If dignity, love, peace, joy (through purpose-fulfillment and relationships) is not experienced than how valuable is the human experience? Worlds apart—suffering. Worlds apart—technology. Worlds crashing, colliding, worlds stealing, worlds giving (charity to guns). Trading, tricking, turning sides, turning out mandates and import tariffs.

The cycle of power is hard to break. How does such a cycle – a vicious cycle that strengthens with each new rotation, new time around (again)… how does that circle, chain of metal and steel (it seems) become unbroken. How does on break or defeat those cold chains or greed, power, self-achievement and elevation, of status, symbols, titles, oppression, narrow-mindedness?

Non-attachment. The value of non-attachment. Back to first mention of Christ and the figures in Buddhism… neither Christ nor the most beautiful Buddhist monks were attached to people or things. Christ spoke words “the son of man has no where to lay his head— foxes have holes and the birds have nests” but Christ’s home was everywhere he went. The community he fostered, furthered, encouraged, created, inspired. And riches he had not. He was poor. The new testament describes and directly states Christ as a poor man. Sandals and leather hard feet. Maybe a traveling sack but ultimately—his needs were intangible and so backwards to the world’s. but so integral to the worlds real needs—of people respecting, loving, creating, sharing, growing, learning, being, with one another.

Awareness Path

Tick tock goes the clock and the time is up. Rinnggg. Do not reach out your arm to turn of the sounding alarm. Time is now. Time to feel. Time to stand. Time to connect. Open the lids of your eyes, open the lid of your mind and visualize the path of awareness. See yourself stepping onto this path. Aware. Looking from right to left. Begin by breathing deeply. Breathe in this present moment and step, step, one foot in front of the other, each step with mindfulness, each step with awareness--- mindful of suffering and crying and aware of joy and smiling.

The path of awarness is on a diverged path… a path that requires the speed of traversing to be slowed down. On this path, on this journey, together, with love for diversity, respect and acknowledge of human dignity, with compassion inspired action and heart beating, you will be overwhelmed with the sensation of reverberating loving kindness.

Now—it is the season fall, leaves of love linger on the path. Yellow blends to red and the path bends. I continue to walk in awareness of the way sunlight shines through bare branches.

Why does walking in awareness, intentional and appreciative on this path come feel bizarre, backwards? Why be aware? Why live in the present moment? Why breath deeply—eyes open, heart beating, hands reached out? Why? Because we would connect with who we are in the most profound way… we would achieve a human experience by allowing ourselves to experience humanity. Imagine humanity for a moment: blue sky basking birds to burgundy blood red wounds, and this sunlight speckled path and sweaty sunburned soldiers brow. Flying birds. Marching soldiers.

Aware of our breath, our space. Step onto this path of awarness, and consider humanity. Common humanity (our one human being family—rich in depth and diversity). Dalton’s words echo and I smile at his words that consider common humanity. “poetry like bread is for everyone” and yes. Our eyes have known laughter and the buds of tears— tears of joy and smiling and tears of suffering and crying.

May we live simply so that others might simply live. May we live deeply in this present moment, aware and calm—yet, stirred by compassion into action, creating, connecting, growing, sharing— breathing, stepping peace.

May we absorb it the way the path absorbs the sun. may it fall into us like fallen leaves of yellow and red adding vibrancy and diversity into our lives.

May inner pace and love allow us to walk on the path of awareness. And when we walk… may the people we pass and those who pass us notice an inner emanating light. May reverberations of peace and love send energy to others and draw more on to this path, together, the greatest journey… remembering human dignity, celebrating and lifting one another up, listening, growing, sharing, understanding, breathing and being… present.

Appreciation Salutation

Namaste
(the light in me honors the light in you)

Thank you
Thank you for being you

Inspiring, incandescent, incredible

I appreciate all of who you are

Encouraging, loving, smiling

(today) may love, peace, hope and joy
Enter and fill your entire being
Mind body soul

May love abound from your heart
May peace center your day
May hope guide your thoughts
May joy shine through your smile

With both hands, hold this moment
Breathe deeply and be present in this moment