L'aura del Campo

Watching young people die; In Search of Iris

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L'aura del campo

DEATH of WINTER: 14 'Ala (15 March) 47º.

'é a lua, é a lua, na quintana dos mortos'
♣ Federico García Lorca ♣

Watching young people die

I've been upset since I heard Chris, 18, was beat up. Don't know all the details, but I know the folks who did it. Alcohol, drugs, money, sex? All in the mix. Very upsetting to see youth throw their lives away. Hoping that Chris recovers. The others will face felony assault charges, if not worse. It is sad when my friend Cary says that he knows one of the folks involved (Sasha) and wonders that if she went into a rage whether she would stop before killing someone. Very disturbing.

On the other hand, Chris, 32, is doing okay. He fell off the wagon and is a bit embarrassed by that, but I told him he has people who care about him and want to see him regardless. Maybe next time he can last more than 28 days. I hope he goes again to AA and takes one day at a time.

At some point I may want to leave this town, just to get away from all the sadness and bad memories. I've known ~ 15 people who've died in the less-than-3-years I've been here. Emporia or Missoula, Pittsburgh or somewhere beckons ...

This poem was inspired by dragonfly~guess who's back? who has irises blooming! I know where the early variety is planted but haven't seen any in bloom.

In search of Iris

A ray of sunshine has drawn her out,
after the rains have quit.
And golden-eyed in a dark blue dress,
she squats on the lawn to rest.

Dewdrops glisten on eyelids half shut
then dry in the heat of the day
when Iris, dear Iris, will snooze on her lawn
while nearby the daffodils play.

Iris, shy Iris, decked out in blue,
golden-eyed pupil of sun,
Iris, shy Iris, please wake up today,
join in the Springtime fun.

[163.603] "In search of Iris" 

Prayer

This is one of my favorite passages of a favorite scripture. It was read all the time in the community where I once lived. However, from the perspective of a child: why is the nightingale named Lo? Is it short for Lois?

He is the King, the All-Knowing, the Wise! Lo, the Nightingale of Paradise singeth upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity, with holy and sweet melodies, proclaiming to the sincere ones the glad tidings of the nearness of God, calling the believers in the Divine Unity to the court of the Presence of the Generous One, informing the severed ones of the message which hath been revealed by God, the King, the Glorious, the Peerless, guiding the lovers to the seat of sanctity and to this resplendent Beauty.

~ Bahá'u'lláh, Introduction to the Tablet of Ahmad. The complete text: http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/BP/bp-173.html

Me, my friends and my family

Met Brett Grady at Third Planet. He said Megan McHenry will be doing a poetry night sometime soon. I'm sure I've met her. I KNOW I've met her.

Got to pet Buddy, a huge white American bulldog puppy. He's owned by Leslie, Mark and Quinn (who's 7).

Called my mother last night because my cousin Stephen Kocsis sent me an email that my aunt Norma Mikits is in hospital in Utah and not doing well. She's in her 80s like my mother. Somedays, I forget how old I'm getting. (Don't worry, my sisters will remind me.)

In the evening of a very stressful day, I saw George and Bryan (a.k.a. Raquel), and they cheered me up. George understands the stress of living around people who self-destruct; while Bryan has a wit and sense of humor that draws me out of myself.

Do you like rosemary potato rolls? I do. But ... eating them with cream-of-chicken soup before going to bed isn't the brightest idea I've ever had.

I got an email today about managing menopause. I know I get confused as to who I am, but I'm not THAT confused! At least it made me .

WATT'S GNU!

Well there may be lakes on Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. I want beach-front property on Lake Cassini. If it's not cloudy it must be an interesting sky: the sun a big bright star, the radiant face of old man Saturn, and the moons, the moons, the moons ...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070313/ap_on_sc/saturn_titan

I love olive oil. I'm not familiar with sesame oil, but I should be. I butter. (unfortunately)

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/1165/health-tips-about-oil-pros-and-cons

Maybe I'm a teenager who never grew up? An article on stress, raging hormones and how teenagers aren't adults:

http://health.yahoo.com/news/172899

When leaders have a strong sense of morality this is good. We admire them for their personal integrity. However, when their personal morality is imposed on others then things get dicey. At least Pace was honest, if not apologetic. Just don't ask me what I really think about his opinion.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2945618&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

IMAGES and RAMBLINGS

Grape hyacinths, a tinge of color; smell of the very first hyacinth; purple globe crocuses; daffodils in assorted colors; vinca in blue; the first forsythia!

~ "I keep a rough exterior so my estrogen doesn't show", Guitar Dave.

The weather has been Spring-like. I had to wear a short sleeved shirt on Wednesday. (Santa in a tropical shirt ... ) Today is chilly at best.

READING

http://www.rodericktownley.com

Went to reading/signing for Roderick Townley, author of The Great Good Thing and the just published The Red Thread.

Excerpts from his talk:

He spoke about the internal and external person in relation to how in The Red Thread his characters maintain the essential quality of who they are even though their circumstances, even gender has changed.

Originally Mr. Townley got a PhD studying poetry. He wanted to know how the great poets did it. But he became a journalist covering coal miners in Wales and the War in El Salvador. Later he started writing children's stories.

In writing The Great Good Thing he found having a name for his main character, Sylvie, helped him understand her, to write her story. He mentions that when he reaches a brick wall it means he doesn't have enough information. So he asks help from his character or does research. Even when his character is based on himself, as in Sky, he likes to think of himself in this context as 'an original character'.

He loves research. In The Red Thread he went to New Hampshire and learned about sewers. And he went to England to capture the ambience of an old house; went to the North to Townley Hall and used it for the basis of the castle.

In speaking with Lisa and Ruth afterwards, I lamented that there are a lot of writers in town that don't go to these things. Sad. I wish that they would. Writers need support from other writers.

BLOGVILLE

There are blogs everywhere. I went to this website where they have a map of blogs by Baha'is. Just like here they vary greatly. Since mine is more writing-centered and me-centered, I probably won't make a link there to mine. But I'd love to have an interactive map!!!!! I'd put Sarah in Turkey and Startiara in Ghana and Nada with Phyllis on a cruise somewhere.

http://www.bahainine.com/

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 Kåre Enga
~ until everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!
And I let the fish go. ~ Elizabeth Bishop, The Fish