Poema para Los Integrantes del Cafe Literario de Padre Hernan!!!

TÓTEM ESPIRITUAL Y TOTEMISMO

m. Ser u objeto de la naturaleza, generalmente un animal, que en la mitología de algunas sociedades se toma como emblema protector.  Emblema tallado o pintado que representa estos seres u objetos.  Columna o poste con las figuras de dichos seres u objetos que labran los indios de tierras americanas cercanas a Alaska.  Objeto de la naturaleza (animal, planta, etc.) que actúa como símbolo o emblema colectivo y al que una tribu o un individuo veneran y otorga un valor protector o considera como antepasado.  Símbolo o representación de este objeto de la naturaleza.  "un tótem de piedra milenaria"

Entre algunas tribus indígenas y naciones nativas de Norteamérica las cualidades de los animales reflejan o reflejaban fuerzas sobrenaturales y atribuciones espirituales. Entre algunos de los animales reconocidos está el oso, el halcón, el pez, el bisonte o búfalo, y el tejón. Estos eran animales de gran importancia. También en algunas culturas representaba los tres niveles del ser humano: el yo inferior (o inconsciente), el yo medio (la mente) y el yo superior, éste último representado con una figura alada o un pájaro, símbolo de la expansión. Si arriba de la figura alada había otras figuras, estas significaban otras deidades de planos superiores.

TOTEM

(Pensando en una conversación con Jorge Santisteban,

Compañero del Cafe Literario de Padre Hernan!)

Dios hace lazos especiales entre ciertos seres.

La poesía, Arquitectura, y El Arte son como sus cuerdas.

Hay seres que mueven al mismo sonido,

Y encontrando nuestros pares y los que estén en armonía,

Se hace sinfonía:

¨Baila, mueva conmigo¨, dice el pentagrama.

¨Pinta, pinta conmigo¨, pide el lienzo vacío.

¨Auméntame, compartirme¨, pronuncia la harina.

¨Construye¨, murmura la torre.

Vive, vive, eternamente¨, dice el Espíritu repleta y saliente.

                     Por: Karla

YET ANOTHER BIRTHDAY POEM!!! Especially for brother, Paul and sister, Mary!

EMPTY WALL

(Written on August 21, 2015)

I imagined an image on an empty Wall.

Like intimate feelings, Winter passed, as had Fall.

My mastery work was slow to show.

The neighbor had the wall painted a blank bright white.

Then the Greatest of all Artists used the sun as His brush,

                    With a hope-filled glow…

It was an appropriate work.

Flittering, passing shadows lasting such a short time;

Not to be shared, by no other to be seen.

Yet somehow, fulfilling life,

And yet another affirmation

Of Glory´s greatest dream!

      By: Karla

Naci en un Domingo!

DOMINGO

(El nombre «domingo» proviene del  latín, dies Dominicus, ('día del Señor'), debido a la celebración cristiana de la Resurrección de Jesús.  En la antigua Roma se llamaba a este día dies solis ('día del sol').

Vivió tantos años, la vecina, Doña Carmen,

Siempre presente en la vereda,

Con una sonrisa dispuesta, charla alegre, y buen humor.

Ahora, la reja en donde se solía sentar esta´ vacía, se murió su perro,

Queda solo una flor.

¨La Gallega¨ que siempre barría y limpiaba a la calle,

Quien nos contaba de España y la Guerra Civil.

Queda muda, pero en nuestros memorias,

Atrás en la historia, quedaron los bombardeos y proyectil.

Como algo íntimo y personal, se murió en un día de mi cumpleaños,

Como aquel domingo en que nací, con la misma fecha.

Tantas veces pase´ y me charlaba; nunca entendí ni una sola palabra…

Pero las dos entregadas a las promesas al que el día Domingo se abra.

Solo comprendía gestos y las expresiones contentas,

el sonido de palabras de sus maneras,

En compartir y encontrarse dos peregrinas y extranjeras!

                                     Por: Karla

Response to a letter from John!

KUMQUAT!

What a coincidence that you have the same name as John Keats!  Incredible how the poem (¨A Kumquat for John Keats¨, by Tony Harrison), keeps rhyme all the way through!

We have two Kumquat trees here.  One is at Mustang Ranch (our little countryside house), and was planted by Pascual´s parents some 65 or more, years ago!  It is an old tree and has a lot of kumquats.  The other tree is at the kid´s house.  We gave it to Pascual for father´s day one year.  I found it at a neighborhood plant store and bought it because Pascual introduced me to the fruit when we were young in our relationship.  We made them in conac and laughed about it when we ate them.

The day we bought the tree, Pascual came from his brother-in-law´s house where they had given a similar tree with flowers on it (but I think it was an orange tree or something) to his brother-in-law.  Pascual was shocked to see another tree for him and amazed at the casualty!  He felt he had gone crazy or something!

Sometime later, the tree got a tree disease and it didn´t have even one leaf on it.  I was about to throw it away, when the plant man told me to use a special insect spray he had.  I sprayed the plant, moved the dirt around it, put more good loose dirt, gave it water, and prayed for it.  It resuscitated, and so now it is our resurrection tree, which goes well with Pascual´s name, which means ¨Easter¨ in latin (or so the Carmelita nuns taught us when I was a young child). 

I gave the name ¨Pascual¨ to my son who we call by his second name, ¨Angelo¨.  Easter has always been a very special occasion for me, and I have come to believe even more faithfully in it and the conversion of humaity, as I get older!  The name is much of the reason I went with Pascual when we met in 1975.  In Argentina there was a very difficult political situation.  The University, UBA, had been closed, there was not much opportunity for young people and Pascual went backpacking through South America.  I was a student at a branch from the University of New Mexico, studying Spanish to be a teacher and maybe writer some day!  We met and both of our plans changed drastically.

Well, the trees still produce much fruit and the plan is to take the one that is here in Buenos Aires to Mustang Ranch, where we plan to spend much more time too.  It is in a huge pot, but needs more room!  Maybe it will even be re-born once again!  I don´t have much hope for Pascual, although life has given me many blessed surprises.  He is what he is, basically a good person, but with a very Italian personality.  Angelo, on the other hand is my hope for all mankind, as are all my children!!! 

Oh, I also chose the name ¨Pascual¨ for Angelo because the name has been in the family for many, many generations!  Some people believe that if you invoke a name it brings the essence of the name into being!  Let´s hope this can happen.  I am convinced this is so!

The height of the Kumquat´s season coincides with the Lunar New Year (Chines New Year).  The plant symbolizes good luck in Asian countries.  They are kept as houseplants and are common gifts during the Lunar New Year.  The flowers symbolize prosperity, and are used to decorate during the New Year celebrations.  They give much fruit, are resilient and can be bonsied.  The kumquat appears early in Chinese and other Literature.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE KURTO!!!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Go to Work!!!

CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS FOR A PROMISED CONVERSION OF MANKIND:

(Ephesians, Chapter 4):

¨I, THEREFORE, THE PRISONER OF THE Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,

2. With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,

3. Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;

5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism;

6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you and all.

7. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ´s gift.

8. Therefore He says: ¨When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men¨. 

9. (Now this, ¨He ascended¨- what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?

10. He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things).

11.  And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12.  For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for edifying of the body of Christ,       

13. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14. That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15. But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ –

16. From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

17.  This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,

18. Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

19. Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20. But you have not so learned Christ,

21. If indeed you have heard Him and been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22. That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24. And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

25. Therefore, putting away lying, ¨Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor¨, for we are members of one another.

26. ¨If you be angry, do not sin¨: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

27. Nor give place to the devil.

28. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

29. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

30. And do not grieve concerning the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

32. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.¨

MUCH VIOLENCE!!!

YOU CAN CATCH MORE FLIES WITH HONEY THAN WITH VINEGAR.

Definition:

You can win people to your side more easily by gentle persuasion and flattery than by hostile confrontation.

¨The other day a Facebook friend posted the old saying, “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar,” and it struck a chord. As with so many truisms, this one has proven true for me over and over again—especially in my work in marketing and public relations.

It just makes sense. Relationship building is one of the foundations of public relations and being cordial, respectful, kind and even generous draws people to you and encourages them to listen to your point of view.  

It’s really easy to lose sight of this. Today, life feels heavy with pressure and people are stressed, anxious and often frustrated. You see it in traffic, in online conversations and in face-to-face interactions. I’ve seen a volunteer committee chairman use hostility and sarcasm to the point where he has driven members away and limited the group’s ability to do what it has committed to do for the organization.

And, as corny as the honey versus vinegar truism sounds, it really is basic human nature. We deal with the “vinegar people” and “honey people” every day. Which ones do you find you want to work with and help out¨?  (Wrote:  Allen Mirales)

TECHNIQUES TO LOWER VIOLENCE

At first these techniques are difficult to follow, (almost impossible it seems, but like all skills and abilities), they get easier to implement with practice

¨It takes two to Tango¨.  The situation is never only on one side of the coin.  What one side does affects the other.

1.        Give ´em a chance.  Open up to others, giving them the opportunity to please you.  Many times (especially our children), they desire to please, but are confused about what we want, or uncertain about how to go about it too.

2.       Go over the vocabulary used in a situation a second, or more times, if necessary, with the other person to try to find where things got out of hand and reverse the violence into understanding and even compassion.

3.       Do a little theatre.  Psychodrama.  Sometimes a professional is needed to guide this process, but it is very effective.

4.       Horses and gestures.  With patience and consistency African tribes trained horses in the past touching and caressing them instead of training them violently.  Jesus once said, ¨Consistency will save you¨.   It may take longer and seem arduous, but in the long run, it is the best manner of being.

5.       Put yourself in the other´s shoes.  What is happening with them, and in their environment?  How is it seen from different angles?

6.       Come to terms with others and the environment.  Build on the other´s attributes and strong points.  Downplay negative traits.

7.       Try new and innovative reactions to old situations.  Practice it and imagine what could be said, or left unsaid, when it is necessary to be silent, or when a firm, skillful word should be used.  This has an element of surprise and can even lead to jokes or laughter since the other is not expecting the new reaction.

8.       Make fun of an extreme situation or attitude.  Help the other to see how ridiculous their violent reaction is; make a little fun of extreme reactions.  Be careful not to overdo it.  Too much can be provocation.  Sometimes it helps to make a little fun of oneself too!

9.       Deter and stop situations before they get out of hand.  This is so important.  See warning signs and take actions to calm things.  Your gestures, smiles, attitudes, body language all say something.  It is so important to be aware and care.  Indifference creates Monsters quickly!

10.   LISTEN AND BE HONEST.  This is really a step before Step No. 1.  But it is never too late!  Be honest and listen to yourself too, do a little fine tuning to know what is really happening!

11.   Find a common purpose or project.

12.   Find common grounds.

13.   Recognize what you do to irritate, if it is reasonable or necessary, or how you can modify or change too.

14.   CONCESSION. Learn to come to terms.  Learn to share and give others what they need too.

15.   Don´t fight over petty matters.  Reserve debate for what really matters.

16.   Search for support.  Professionals recommended through good sources, persons who have a say or authority with the other person…

17.   FORGIVE AND FORGET!  Remorse only wears away at your own soul.  Mending a broken heart is one of the hardest achievements possible, but one of the most rewarding.

18.   WIN ´EM OVER.  With sincere love and peaceful methods, following the example of forerunners like Gandhi, Jesus, Martin Luther King, or others you know of who used peaceful means.  Our priest in Mass one day explained, ¨taking the Bible´s writings and Word into our difficult situations is miraculous in making things better.  Armed with this there is no obstacle that is too great¨.  In my personal life, prayer has made it possible for me to find solutions where I had found only dead end streets.  I really believe, and have found it to be true, that prayer, sincerity, and a contrite heart works where Angels fear to tread!

19.   Sometimes it is simply better to wait (upon the Lord) and do nothing at all than to take action.  Moses and the Israelites kept going, doing nothing, waiting for 40 years for direction.  Jesus drank his Cup to be later resurrected.  And, thusly, many situations like this in history.  At another point in time things can fall into place almost magically, and you will leave the bad times behind, and,

20.   Find and discover what a treasure it is… GROWING OLD TOGETHER!