Sunday, February 8, 2015

SPELLBOUND

Site of car bomb explosions in Syria
latimes.com


I am spellbound by the fact
that a beautiful perfect mysterious earth
displays its beauties across its many lands
and, at the same time,
people who have forgotten 
they are human beings
go about the  business  
of killing other humans.

War is an oxymoron when placed beside
peace, religion and freedom
in the same sentence.

Bombs send blasts of ominous smoke skyward,
women and children fleeing in terror.
All over the earth,
the animals are disappearing,
the ecosystem is being destroyed.
We are fouling our nests 
and blaming everyone else
for the damage.
Waiting for everyone else
for the cure.

Someone, please,
break the spell
and topple us into affirmative action
on a global scale.
Wake us up from this nightmare
disguised as the American Dream.

For, no matter how fast or how slowly
we kill each other off,
none of us has yet had
time enough to love.

italicized words are Carilda Olivar Labra's
for the prompt at Toads: to write a piece inspired by her work.

After writing this, I plugged the documentary I Am (by Tom Shadyac) into the dvd player, and am amazed at the discussion. The question is "what is wrong with our world and what can we do about it?" 

"People have to substantially change their way of thinking, if we are to survive," Albert Einstein. 

"The ethnosphere is the sum total of all the ways that human beings have imagined the world," David Suzuki. 

I have only watched for a few minutes, and already have resonated with so much. Participants discuss which is the strongest drive of human beings: cooperation or domination. Indigenous societies view cooperation as the highest, and competition taken to its extreme is considered mental illness. In our society, competition is the strongest drive. Ha! 

20 comments:

  1. it is a sad state of being...that for whatever reason we feel the need to destroy...each other...and what we create...for land, for wealth, for power...it is the only answer we seem to have come up with

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  2. I love the slant of your words, destruction and war being our main occupation, instead of peace and love ~

    Thanks for participating Sherry & wishing you happy weekend ~

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  3. "We are fouling our nests and blaming everyone else for the damage"--yes, I think you've hit on something here....until we start taking responsibility and quit the blame game, nothing is going to change in the big scheme of things!

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  4. So true, Sherry! We really need to take time to love....

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  5. Yes, much of the world is under a spell. I hope more and more people awaken from it. Your writing is so passionate. I love it.

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  6. Says a lot that we value competition...once I left it behind I felt like a human being....but your are right we have forgotten how to be a human being....and this country will make it worse because we value money instead of the earth and each other...this was fabulous as usual Sherry! Can you tell I have strong emotions here....

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  7. Oh my...Sherry...my heart erupts from the truth that you bring so eloquently...your voice of reason is practical, peaceful and most of all Powerful. Thank you, Sherry for this prayer-like plea of a beautiful poem.

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  8. What is wrong with us? Preferring destruction to love!!!

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  9. The saddest thing is that I don't think that peole are actually fighting over resources much of the time--if they were fighting to cure the planet or because of differences on that score at least they would recognize the problem! I agree with your poem, Sherry--but step apart in one place- in that I think it's a bit unfair to the American Dream==I really don't think the U.S. is nearly as responsible for what happens in the world as people like to think. I'm pretty critical of U.S. policies often, and certainly at times in the Mid-East--but actually there are many people who are plenty hateful without US encouragement! More than enough! Although you may also be talking about the endless wish of consumption, and you are certainly right in all of that--it is just insane. Thanks as always for your passion and all-out heart . K. ps--and please no offense is meant! (k.) (manicddaily)

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    1. None taken, kiddo! Thanks for your thoughts. I dont mean just the US, I refer to North America, where we gobble up resources and consumption is rampant. I know things are even worse in some other developing countries, corruption, genocide, horrible things. I take heart from the film which says if we put out positive into the world, it is no small thing, that it all contributes to the global mind and if enough of us try, shifts can happen. I have long trusted a transformation of consciousness will happen - but with recent news so dire have begun to lose hope. I now think a shift may one day happen - but we may have to be forced to by circumstances, natural disasters or economic collapse. .

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    2. That is for sure the fear--that consciousness won't change until change is forced--and the forcing of change will not be pleasant for sure. Oh, it is terrible and deeply sad. Thanks, Sherry. k.

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  10. Let us build a society where each of us has enough time to love.

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  11. I think the balance between cooperation and competition can actually benefit the earth.. To me the drive for cooperation can be damaged by inclusion and exclusion.. I have lived in a country with consensus and collaboration... and it works as long as you never add an element of exclusion... For sure love is very important... A great summary Sherry

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  12. i wouldn't romanticize indigenous societies
    they might cooperate internally but still war with each other
    war is a unifying overarching theme through all of human history
    and it always boils down to greed

    namaste
    jzb

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  13. Wonderful points in your poem today, Sherry! I always thought about competition as crazy thing.
    Cooperation is what going on more and more this year!

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  14. Greed and power are a world problem - and dehumanization begins when life begins to not be sacred Let's hope in the end wherever pockets of peace exist they spread like wildfire.

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  15. In your poems a true and powerful voice is there that stands for nature and earth....I totally love this...

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  16. we should def. take the time to love - and it's up to everyone of us what we do with the things we've been given... def. i try to make the world a bit a better place - and just with the small things i have

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  17. We humans seem to be hell bent on destruction. Somehow we must learn to love one another. Beautiful piece.

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