Headstall's Reflections - 73. Chapter 73 Mortality and Legacy

Wow Great Poems. I love the description and how it flows like the river 

4 minutes ago, Albert1434 said:

Wow Great Poems. I love the description and how it flows like the river 

Thanks, Albert. Glad you liked these.    

You knew the Haiku would make me smile. I read all of these with enjoyment. I really liked your river analogy. I treasure your writing. 

3 minutes ago, Parker Owens said:

You knew the Haiku would make me smile. I read all of these with enjoyment. I really liked your river analogy. I treasure your writing. 

Thanks, Parker, for your support. I like to make you smile.  

Mortality

Its flow is strong and steady

This river in which we swim

A force we can’t control

Unresponsive to our whim

This is going to become my morning mantra G. I'm so done with waking to the old one that tells me "shit happens". This sounds so much better. 

I like your expressions and Mortality in particular. Keep sharing. 

58 minutes ago, Bard Simpson said:

Mortality

 

Its flow is strong and steady

This river in which we swim

A force we can’t control

Unresponsive to our whim

 

This is going to become my morning mantra G. I'm so done with waking to the old one that tells me "shit happens". This sounds so much better. 

I like your expressions and Mortality in particular. Keep sharing. 

Thanks, Bard. lol to 'shit happens'... you're right... this verse sounds a tad better.   Mortality was a poem that has lurked for weeks in one form or another, so I finally penned this one. It's a message of acceptance for myself... calmer waters will come... until they don't. So, I'm happy you liked it.    

29 minutes ago, Headstall said:

  Mortality was a poem that has lurked for weeks in one form or another, so I finally penned this one. It's a message of acceptance for myself... calmer waters will come... until they don't. So, I'm happy you liked it.    

I'm so pleased that you're a strong enough person to forgive the "Larry David" that lurks within me. 

I really like Mortality. Good poetry can always be read in a multitude of ways. In my first readings, I saw that first gentle plunge as the breaking of the waters at the time of our birth and the river being our childhood the whirlpool the disturbances of our youth and our draw to what drives our true independent persona. The open sea being our mature and settled state of mind. The island is our spiritual nirvana; that place we would each want to be. 

The idea of any wrongs attending our movement like flotsam to be cleansed away at the end, as the cost of living a life, struck me too.

It's an evocative and enduring statement. So much more than my flippant remark may have suggested to those who don't know me better. Thank you for sharing buddy 

17 minutes ago, Bard Simpson said:

I'm so pleased that you're a strong enough person to forgive the "Larry David" that lurks within me. 

I really like Mortality. Good poetry can always be read in a multitude of ways. In my first readings, I saw that first gentle plunge as the breaking of the waters at the time of our birth and the river being our childhood the whirlpool the disturbances of our youth and our draw to what drives our true independent persona. The open sea being our mature and settled state of mind. The island is our spiritual nirvana; that place we would each want to be. 

The idea of any wrongs attending our movement like flotsam to be cleansed away at the end, as the cost of living a life, struck me too.

It's an evocative and enduring statement. So much more than my flippant remark may have suggested to those who don't know me better. Thank you for sharing buddy 

I like what you got from my poem... very much.   And I love your sense of humor... it balances your thoughtful nature.   

My fav are the haikus. Capturing that moment, the essence, the emotion... nicely done  

Some more interesting windows to the interior of your head, Gary. Nice place, it would seem. 

Nicely done, Gary!  

My favourite was Legacy. (Am I the first to say that? )

15 hours ago, Bucket1 said:

My fav are the haikus. Capturing that moment, the essence, the emotion... nicely done  

Thanks, B. Haikus are beautiful in their simplicity... I enjoy that form immensely. I'm glad you liked these ones.  

7 hours ago, Geron Kees said:

Some more interesting windows to the interior of your head, Gary. Nice place, it would seem. 

 

 

Oh, it's a mess in there, Geron.  But I still know where everything is... pretty much.   Thanks as always for supporting my efforts, and letting me know your thoughts.  

1 hour ago, Marty said:

Nicely done, Gary!  

My favourite was Legacy. (Am I the first to say that? )

Thank you, Marty! Yes, you are the first to like my little stream of consciousness. The nicest thing about poetry is the therapeutic aspect of it, for me. I spend a lot of time worrying about the state of our planet... not for me, but for the future generations. I wish I had more power, but... I can only do what I can... watch my carbon footprint closely, and donate when I can. And write poetry.  . Thanks for reading, buddy, and for letting me know your thoughts.  

I'm glad to say that I loved all of these, and and that I don't have to pick a favorite; how can you pick one out of a bouquet of perfect flowers? 
Maybe it was me, but I felt there was a connecting rationale to all of them--an 'undercurrent' if you will.  😺
The first sets the pace and hypothesis for the whole, but it's the haiku that carry the theme into succinct whirlpools of clarity, with the final poem the delta of understanding.  The image of the one yellow leaf sets out the idea in its entirety--life will go on as long as it can, despite all the forces arrayed to disturb it.  Tenacity of existence overrides the vagaries of chance into the future for good or ill, and we can hope and work for the best individual outcome, but it can be achieved only through co-operation and comprehending the entire package of problems.
I sort of address this idea in my little fragmentary Tales of Three Worlds...the solution is going forward and not halting progress--we know the old ways don't work, but we can't do anything without  new alternatives that are viable and we've also changed our cultural mores.
Oh dear, sounds like I'm plugging my own story, but I'm not--just saying that we need to be in this together as a society and planet, and until we all do this, we won't succeed.  Penalizing some and letting others continued unabated only fosters failure and stifles hope for a solution. 

Gary has pointed out the preciousness of Life, now it's up to us to learn from these gems.

9 minutes ago, ColumbusGuy said:

I'm glad to say that I loved all of these, and and that I don't have to pick a favorite; how can you pick one out of a bouquet of perfect flowers? 
Maybe it was me, but I felt there was a connecting rationale to all of them--an 'undercurrent' if you will.  😺
The first sets the pace and hypothesis for the whole, but it's the haiku that carry the theme into succinct whirlpools of clarity, with the final poem the delta of understanding.  The image of the one yellow leaf sets out the idea in its entirety--life will go on as long as it can, despite all the forces arrayed to disturb it.  Tenacity of existence overrides the vagaries of chance into the future for good or ill, and we can hope and work for the best individual outcome, but it can be achieved only through co-operation and comprehending the entire package of problems.
I sort of address this idea in my little fragmentary Tales of Three Worlds...the solution is going forward and not halting progress--we know the old ways don't work, but we can't do anything without  new alternatives that are viable and we've also changed our cultural mores.
Oh dear, sounds like I'm plugging my own story, but I'm not--just saying that we need to be in this together as a society and planet, and until we all do this, we won't succeed.  Penalizing some and letting others continued unabated only fosters failure and stifles hope for a solution. 

Gary has pointed out the preciousness of Life, now it's up to us to learn from these gems.

 

See, that's why we've always clicked... you get me, and I get you. And I agree totally with what you say about Tales of Three Worlds... there are a lot of lessons there, hidden in plain sight, within imaginative entertainment.              xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

4 hours ago, Headstall said:

Oh, it's a mess in there, Geron.  But I still know where everything is... pretty much.   Thanks as always for supporting my efforts, and letting me know your thoughts.  

Well, it may be a little bit messy in there, but whose head isn't? I always enjoy your passion for people and the planet, nature, animals, and the welfare of life in general. You aren't alone in these passions, though we have all felt that we are, at one time or another.

When you do feel that way, just remember your very own lines:

One lone yellow leaf

Clings stubbornly to its branch

Refusing to quit

And then remember that the leaf may be alone, but the tree will always be there.

3 minutes ago, Geron Kees said:

Well, it may be a little bit messy in there, but whose head isn't? I always enjoy your passion for people and the planet, nature, animals, and the welfare of life in general. You aren't alone in these passions, though we have all felt that we are, at one time or another.

When you do feel that way, just remember your very own lines:

One lone yellow leaf

Clings stubbornly to its branch

Refusing to quit

And then remember that the leaf may be alone, but the tree will always be there.

 

Well said, my friend, and I don't say that because you used some of my words.  I see what Jane Fonda is doing for climate change... her efforts... and I think if that old girl can still be an activist, then there is hope.   The balance of power seems tipped the wrong way at the moment, not just for the world we live in, but the world we leave to future generations. I keep waiting for the ship to right, but it is amazing the harm one person, one organization, or one government can do... I just have to keep in mind it can work both ways, and look for positives.

The same goes for LGBTQ+ rights... I ask myself how can the Supreme Court of a country, any country, let archaic laws stand that make our love illegal? In this day and age, where we think the world is enlightened? It's barbaric, what that means to people born gay in those countries. Yet, there is solace to be had in that some Anglican churches are choosing to perform marriages in my own country. Many still aren't, but each parish now has the choice. 

I hope the tree is always there, Geron... I'll trust you on that.   

On 11/24/2019 at 10:45 PM, Headstall said:

Well said, my friend, and I don't say that because you used some of my words.  I see what Jane Fonda is doing for climate change... her efforts... and I think if that old girl can still be an activist, then there is hope.   The balance of power seems tipped the wrong way at the moment, not just for the world we live in, but the world we leave to future generations. I keep waiting for the ship to right, but it is amazing the harm one person, one organization, or one government can do... I just have to keep in mind it can work both ways, and look for positives.

The same goes for LGBTQ+ rights... I ask myself how can the Supreme Court of a country, any country, let archaic laws stand that make our love illegal? In this day and age, where we think the world is enlightened? It's barbaric, what that means to people born gay in those countries. Yet, there is solace to be had in that some Anglican churches are choosing to perform marriages in my own country. Many still aren't, but each parish now has the choice. 

I hope the tree is always there, Geron... I'll trust you on that.   

I agree that the world is sometimes like a ship heeling over in a hurricane, first one way, and then the other. But this is not new; it's always been that way. And yet we do march forward, slowly, stepping backwards occasionally, but still reaching higher with each step. These are pivotal times, where an older generation is getting in some last gasp tries at reverting to what they think the world should be like, while the younger generation is watching and waiting for their turn to move forward. The people in the middle, that remember what it was like just thirty or forty years ago, see their new freedoms threatened by this attempt to bring back the past, yet it seems plain by the evidence that the attempt by many at stepping backward is failing, and that the future may be better than we hoped for.

It's amazing what changes a year can bring. Well worth waiting for, I think!

12 hours ago, Geron Kees said:

I agree that the world is sometimes like a ship heeling over in a hurricane, first one way, and then the other. But this is not new; it's always been that way. And yet we do march forward, slowly, stepping backwards occasionally, but still reaching higher with each step. These are pivotal times, where an older generation is getting in some last gasp tries at reverting to what they think the world should be like, while the younger generation is watching and waiting for their turn to move forward. The people in the middle, that remember what it was like just thirty or forty years ago, see their new freedoms threatened by this attempt to bring back the past, yet it seems plain by the evidence that the attempt by many at stepping backward is failing, and that the future may be better than we hoped for.

It's amazing what changes a year can bring. Well worth waiting for, I think!

 

 

 

I admire your optimism, Geron, and I try to have the same. 

"Earlier this year, Brazil's Supreme Court made a historic decision: discrimination against LGBT+ people should be treated as a crime." ... It's these kind of things I hold onto. Brazil has been a horrible place for LGBTQ+ people. Their president is a committed homophobe, even going so far as to encourage violence against all gay people. However, an organization I donate too (All Out), works diligently to help educate and protect, and lobby for gay rights. They were a big part of the BSC victory, gathering over 700, 000 signatures on a petition, and literally taking to the streets to fight discrimination. These people are courageous and determined, and the back up your thoughts that the future might be better than it looks at the moment. 

You're right: so much can change in a year, to our detriment or to our good.   

I've seen that line about Brazil worded just that way before, in an email from All Out just the other day.  I support them, too! 

Hey, eastern Europe is every bit as bad as Brazil. Poland is the new place 'not to be' if you are LGBTQ. But there are still plenty of accepting places, and Eastern Europe (and Brazil) are not exactly on the cutting edge of human thinking. What is most important is that we do not let the areas of the planet that accept us revert. So far, that war is staying won, though here in the US, battles are still being fought to drag us backwards.

I do believe that this is a problem caused by older people clinging to the past. Younger people will eventually be in power, and they are not so easily swayed by the past. So I feel I have reason to be optimistic for the long run.

3 minutes ago, Geron Kees said:

I've seen that line about Brazil worded just that way before, in an email from All Out just the other day.  I support them, too! 

Hey, eastern Europe is every bit as bad as Brazil. Poland is the new place 'not to be' if you are LGBTQ. But there are still plenty of accepting places, and Eastern Europe (and Brazil) are not exactly on the cutting edge of human thinking. What is most important is that we do not let the areas of the planet that accept us revert. So far, that war is staying won, though here in the US, battles are still being fought to drag us backwards.

I do believe that this is a problem caused by older people clinging to the past. Younger people will eventually be in power, and they are not so easily swayed by the past. So I feel I have reason to be optimistic for the long run.

 

They are a great organization, and well worth our support. Chechnya is a continuing horror story, as are many countries in Africa. I have to say, I am very proud of Canada with regards to gay rights... we aren't perfect, but we are handling the alt-right movements for now.

I hope you are right, but I didn't see any older people in the march at Charlottesville, Virginia. Of course, that's not to say they are not involved.  

The internet, for all its good, gives voice and a safe place to haters... I hope there are those who will push for banning as much hate as possible. Freedom of speech shouldn't be used to protect hate speech, and all these social media platforms have a responsibility. I'll get down from my soapbox now... I don't have the answers... only the fears and the hopes we all share.  

21 hours ago, Headstall said:

They are a great organization, and well worth our support. Chechnya is a continuing horror story, as are many countries in Africa. I have to say, I am very proud of Canada with regards to gay rights... we aren't perfect, but we are handling the alt-right movements for now.

I hope you are right, but I didn't see any older people in the march at Charlottesville, Virginia. Of course, that's not to say they are not involved.  

The internet, for all its good, gives voice and a safe place to haters... I hope there are those who will push for banning as much hate as possible. Freedom of speech shouldn't be used to protect hate speech, and all these social media platforms have a responsibility. I'll get down from my soapbox now... I don't have the answers... only the fears and the hopes we all share.  

Yes, All Out does good work, and I've been happy to help with that. So far we have not needed their assistance here in the US (or Canada). Let''s hope it doesn't come to that.

I was basing what I said about young people being more accepting then their parents (and certainly more accepting than their grandparents, for the most part) on my own son and his friends, and the kids of people I know. I suppose much of that has to do with their environment, but it''s an established fact that young people are turning away from the the religious-based hate in the US in droves. It may take years for this to shake out in a way that will mean less overall hate, but the trend is more positive than not.

Yeah, Charlottesville. Can't say what I'd like to here, so won't say anything more at all.

For now!