7. Reflect: A poem for Friday

1. (transient verb) To give back or mirror. 2. (Intransient verb) To give something back as light. 3(Intransient verb). Carefully considered thoughts.

Even though it was not personal to me, the Connecticut shootings last Friday was something I will continue thinking about for a long time. On the day of the shootings my family went to hear my husband perform in the Nutcracker. The artistic director gave a very tactful address towards the tragedy and reminded of the importance of art and beauty. Coincidentally (I think?) several times in the blocking of the first scene there were exactly 27 people on stage. Then all left the stage, going to bed, and all that was left was darkness and a giant twinkling Christmas tree. For me it was a reminder of lives lost. With deepest sympathy, here is my reflection in poem and photo essay from the day.

A Poem for Friday

Often, in December, the wind is piercing cold;

leaves linger and fall,

and even the mocking bird sits-too chilled to move,

and dead butterflies (still brilliant)

collect on the ground.

The ends of our eyes stick together

and sound is drowned.
A void

is blowing us down.

Light shines through

the holes.

Angels, lay unnoticed,

just beyond view.

We close our eyes

(Praying: mercy; raindrops), 

and hold hands.

Move forward

together.

The seed pod is waiting. 

To spread exuberance,

and, miraculously,

flowers still bloom

in December. 

I hold the Thanksgiving wishbone

in my hand 

and wonder:

What comes next year?

A snowflake touches the ground 

with it's toe.

We embrace 

a dream,

the morning.

The laughter of children

echoes

in the air.

----------------------------

Twenty eight people were killed on December 14th by guns. Disgusting. There are countless responsible gun owners in this country, but that does not discount the facts that additionally "every year there are 30,000 gun deaths in the United States and 300,000 gun related assalts."  I firmly believe that we are long overdue for some much different gun regulations in this country. And while I don't know all of the answers to this complex problem, I feel that more stringent gun regulations (not elimination) will be an important step in prevention. Period.

I've been asking what I can do as an individual. I had already been in progress of beginning to sell photo cards on Etsy and through the Oklahoma Food Coop and have decided that some of this collection of images will be amongst my first set to sell and that 15% of my proceeds will go towards organizations that help prevent gun violence and organizations that promote juvenille access to mental health. I am aiming to have these for sale by the end of this week. (Also I'm taking suggestions on organizations to donate to meeting either of these criteria as I am still researching that).

World War III erupts

Remember that face William Wallace makes as he's charging into battle? The primordial-I'm going to eat your eyes out-I run with spears-I chop heads in one swoop-I eat mammoths for breakfast raw-look? That was my five year old, Cris, when he woke up this morning.

Connor had had THE AUDACITY to rearrange the Legos. In case you are unaware, this is a crime equatable with sinking U-boats, bombing the harbor, and crossing into enemy territory-- combined. It is not an exaggeration to say World War III is on the brink of erupting in my living room. Catapult carts should always trump cars. Cris is literally jumping on Connor's head. There will be screaming, clawing, and gnashing of teeth. So, therefore, my pacifist self wants to retreat to a cave, write, and hope that if I throw newspapers, flowers and (organic) donuts they will be happily resolve the conflict, become enlightened, plant a garden, and have a feast. Funny how that parental strategy never seems to work out well...Here was a decent alternative.

Step 1: Cease fire
Remove warring children from the battleground.

Step 2: Acknowledge the transgressions and air the emotions.
You *felt* you were majorly wronged. You need to cry and complain. You also hurt others.

Step 3: Recognize ownership and equity
The Legos (kind of like the land and the water) actually belongs to all of us. Probably not fair for you to hoard all the legos and "allow" Connor to only have one small car (Cris was generously going to concede him one Lego dude too).

Step 4: Accept responsibility
You can be mad, but you can't be rageful. You can't hurt others.

Step 5: Begin Negotiations
Use words. Discuss the needs of others. Make a decision that will appease all.

Step 6: Re-draw boundary lines
One or two built Lego structures in the window can be off-limits for a few days.

Step 7: Make peace offering
Cris built Connor a car.

Step 8: Start the process over again...
Connor's not entirely on board. After agreeing that Cris can rebuild the structure his way, Connor is very sad.

These are the days when my morning is on par with that of UN peacekeeping levels of negotiations. (At least they probably first get to brew their coffee). However, as their mama always says "the good thing about legos" (unlike parcels of land, boats, planes, and bodies) "is that they can always be rebuilt"!

7: Peace

7

Peace

December 4th

     1. (noun) A state of harmony between people or groups.

    2. (idiom) at peace: in a state of relationship of non-belligerence or concord