WHY POETRY?

Because poetry can penetrate and illuminate like no other form of expression.

Poetry is the language of the soul!

Our aim is to collect fifty suitable poems to create an anthology for publication. The proceeds of book sales will then go to support  humanitarian and environmental projects.

Theme: MOTHER EARTH. (Pacha Mama) and associated topics.

The prize: Seeing your own work published and sharing your inner voice with the world.

All selected poetry will also be published in the Sanctuary Network ‘reading room’.

More details on http://www.sanctnet.ning.com

God bless America.

God bless you for the Buffalo, the Indian, the Deer.
God bless you for Mc Donald’s, and for Budweiser beer.
God bless your puppet presidents, your foreign policy
Your need for oil, your greed for gold, your land of the free.

God bless you for Vietnam.
God bless you for Iraq.
God bless you for Afghanistan.
God bless your blue on blue attack.
God bless you for Al Qaeda.
God bless your Bible belted fear.
God bless your paranoia that increases year by year.
God bless your Dollar that keeps other nations poor.
God bless the prejudice that still thrives upon your shore.
God bless your contribution to the pollution of this world.
God bless the stars and stripes.

Please…..keep them tightly furled!

Jonathan Handiman 2010. All rights reserved.

It seems that the Highest Aspiration of modern society is to become as disrespectful and ignorant as possible.. Please excuse the Moronic advertsements that have appeared on this blog. I do not want them, and I do not subscribe to them. And I will be damned if I will pay the Moral Blackmail fee to have them removed.

I shall be putting future posts onto the blog pages of : THE SANCTUARY NETWORK, An Oasis of Reason in this world of foolishness, in a bid to find some CLEAN space, where Sanity and Higher Values are respected… http://www.sanctnet.ning.com   Come and join us, for your CLEAN FREE SPACE.

It seems that the Highest Aspiration of modern society is to become as disrespectful and ignorant as possible.. Please excuse the Moronic advertsements that have appeared on this blog. I do not want them and I do not subscribe to them. And I will be damned if I will pay the moral blackmail fee to have them removed.

I shall be putting future posts onto the blog pages of The Sanctuary Network in a bid to find some CLEAN space, where sanity and personal values are respected…www.sanctnet.ning.com  Come and join us for your clean free space, all who have self respect  and respect for others are welcome.

How to catch a monkey

First; fix an empty calabash or similar vessel to the ground, and cut a hole in it just big enough for a monkey to fit its hand through when its fingers are extended.
Put a good handful of nuts inside, and wait.
When the monkey comes along it will grab a handful of nuts and try to run off with them. But the monkey cannot get its hand back out because its hand is now full of nuts, so you have caught a monkey.
The monkey never thinks to let go of the nuts, it has effectively trapped itself through its own grasping, and cannot see that its only way of escape is to let go.

Are you like the monkey?
Desperately holding on to aspects of life that are negative and causing you distress. Are you trapped in a grasping cycle of debt, overwork, and misery, with no means of escape?
The lifestyle you cling to has got you by the nuts then!
And you cannot do anything about it until you let go of it.
You can stay where you are; holding on to your precious nuts, and spend the rest of your life in a state of self imposed captivity.
Or; let go of the nuts, and enjoy your freedom!
The choice is simple- even the monkey will get wise eventually!

Remedy discovered!

An effective remedy has been developed to treat the effects of the insidious Plague of Stupidity that is sweeping the planet.
In recent clinical trials the vaccine proved 100% successful in eradicating Stupidity from the Icelandic population. (See following article)

The vaccine has been developed from a mixture of: Common Sense and Moral Values. Combined with equal proportions of: Rational Thinking, Awareness, Courage and Conviction.

It is important to ensure that you and your family are immunised.

The Stupidity Virus can lie dormant for generations and surface suddenly in adulthood affecting seemingly intelligent and rational people. The Virus can affect everyone regardless of intellectual capacity or status.
In a recent survey conducted by Icelandic psychologists it was proved that the disease is more pronounced and prevalent in people who hold positions of power and public office, or hold positions of responsibility. IE Managers, Corporate boards of directors, Politicians, Public Servants, and Bankers etc.

Obvious symptoms:

Look out for these symptoms in people you know, and alert them as soon as possible.

Symptoms:
Speaking corporate gibberish.
Habitually buying into the latest fashion or craze.
Believing that global homogenisation is a good thing.
Believing capitalist structures are beneficial to the earth and the environment.
Also look out for signs of:
Selfish behaviour, hoarding, callousness, bullying, habitual lying, believing TV represents reality.

Vaccines are freely available from:

Medicines sans Frontiers. Amnesty org. Greenpeace international. Green cross international,
Eco-Philosophy org. The Sanctuary Network. http://www.sanctnet.ning.com And all ‘caring’ organisations worldwide.

Join us today for your free vaccination against Global Stupidity, and see the following  instructional video, courtesy of the people of Iceland.

Unfortunately
Nature doesn’t provide an overdraft facility!
Nor does it offer credit, with or without interest!
Nature doesn’t give ten percent extra gratis
Or two for the price of one!
Nature doesn’t announce special offers or discounts for bulk!
Wholesale and retail are not on nature’s agenda,
And loyalty cards are not accepted, (no matter how loyal you might have been).
Nature doesn’t consider itself a resource,
Though in all other respects it is very resourceful
Nature gives all that it has, but alas,
When we have emptied the shelves
They will not be restocked.
So, as is the nature of nature: When it finally closes for business,
It will remain closed.
For Ever and Ever.

Amen.

I have never known my cat to be late!
Nor, for that matter: Birds, Butterflies, Fish, or other creatures!
Trees are never late! They are always in their appointed place at the appointed time.
It’s also noticeable that: The Sun rises and sets with unerring accuracy,
And has never, (as far as I am aware), taken a day off, even when it’s raining.
The Moon of course is famous for its orbital regularity
Keeping tightly to its schedules of nightly waxing/waning.

Ocean waves break onto timely shores, at their designated moment,
Not one nanosecond after, or one minute premature.
The punctuality of flowers signals Bees to be prompt.
And unselfishly, prevailing weather `prevails` whether or not.
Even solid stubborn rocks don’t erode, after or before.
The universe, for reasons known only to itself,
Has always been, and it still is, and will be for evermore.

But now we have the Atomic Clock! Accurate to the Nth!
Another scientific miracle, another expensive gadget!
And the TV announcer, Announces: `The leap second`
For purposes of; Blah, blah, blah.
Earth-shattered by this news, and obviously in shock
My cat stretches, yawns, and goes back to sleep
Dreaming: Hickory, Dickory, Dock.

Cosmic connections

The soul
Is the kernel of the nut
That lives in the nutshell
That fell from the tree
That grows in the mountains
From where spring the rivers
That flow to the oceans
That bathe the earth
That orbits the sun
That is one of the stars
That fill the heavens

That we gaze at in wonder
Deep in the kernel
Of our soul

As long as Light exists: there will be Life.

As long as Life exists: there will be Love.

As long as Love exists: there will be Peace.

As long as Peace exists: there will be Happiness.

Enjoy your Life, Share your Love,

Live in Peace, be Happy

Live your Life in Light,

And Rejoice!

John the Seeker 2012

 Sorry, That I have neglected the blog.

I have been away for a while, moving house, and taking care of practical matters.

I also had a little talk with myself and with life, the results of which I would like to share with you.

During my time out, I stood for a while on the top of a mountain on a clear day, and from this vantage-point, I started to see a few things going on around the world.

It became apparent from up there, that people are becoming more and more dissatisfied with life, and with the established ideologies of our societies.

People are looking for new ways of living, and new ethics to live by. They are tired of the merry-go-round of current politics, old traditional religions, and our short sighted modern consumer society. I found myself looking down on a fragmented world, separated by a fragmented world view.

From up on the mountain I could also see a restlessness in the world. In India, the Hindu tradition believes that we are entering a new Epoch, the epoch of Surya Yuga (The epoch of the sun) the epoch of light! Then there is all this fuss about the Maya and their predictions of a major catastrophe in 2012 that will bring about huge changes. We have also just had the Super Moon and planetary alignments, that are supposed to herald a new era. And all of these things are pointing to new beginnings. If we add to these the general unrest in the world, the Arab spring etc. then we can see that change is on its way! The question is: do we want Positive or Negative change?

So I looked a little further, and saw that: Because we are divided by so many Political, Religious and Geographic boundaries, we need to find a “Common ground” between all of humanity before we can possibly hope to move towards a peaceful coexistence and a new way of living on this planet.

If we want to change, then we need to work together to bring about changes that will last and benefit us all in the future.

So I looked again, and from where I stood: I could see that slowly we are making progress.

We now have this amazing technology that I have here on my lap, to communicate with each other.

We have a common desire to live in peace.. We have the same needs and hopes.. And slowly we are seeing the world and our lives in a different light…

The only thing that seems to be lacking to unify this fragmented world, is a common Belief.

Or a common philosophy which is acceptable to us all.

So I thought: Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all “see the light”, through the same eyes?

And when I came down to civilisation again, I met a friend who had been thinking very deeply about this problem, and he suggested to me that “Light” is in fact the answer!

“What has light got to do with Politics or Religion, or how we live”, you might well ask?

Well, light has everything to do with it!

You see, as my friend explained….. Light is the source of all life. From simple biological organisms right up to the most complex forms of life like us human beings, without light, life would not exist!

“We” would not exist, and everything that we do, or believe in, would cease to exist. Therefore it naturally follows that: Light is the common denominator of all life in the universe, including the human race! Including Me and You, because it is the source of our lives!

So here lies the basis of our common ground! “LIGHT”

Once you can get your head around the fact that LIGHT is the source of all life, and the fact that: you and I only exist because of LIGHT, then you will begin to realise the full significance of LIGHT. Light is the Creator and Sustainer of all Living things.

You will not only see your life from a different perspective, but you will also begin to understand that: All of life is sacred, not just the lives of human beings! Because all of life is created and sustained by “Light” and is therefore interconnected by light!

And how would this affect our Political, Or religious beliefs?

Well, it would give us a new start point, a common ground for humanity, from which to reassess our beliefs and our Ideals, and from there we would be able to construct a new set of Ethics, based upon the needs of humanity, and the natural world that we depend upon for our existence. All of which is interconnected through LIGHT. Of course there will be sceptics and scoffers. But remember that “scoffing comes not from wisdom” and even the most ardent sceptics have to concede to the truth, and it is an undeniable and true fact, that life is created by LIGHT.

So if this seems too simple and obvious, or quite implausible, then I would suggest that you look out for my friends books on this subject., his name is: Henryk Skolimowski, and his Books are available from Amazon…

”Let there be light”: The mysterious journey of cosmic creativity. Wisdom tree.2010

“World as Sanctuary”: Creative fire Press 2010

“The Lotus and the Mud” Creative fire press 2011

Or, you could always take a walk up a mountain and see the LIGHT for yourself, like I did!

 

Sunsets are gratis

                                                       Personality Quiz

Simply select “A” or “B” from the following list of words to reveal your personality.

There are no prizes, there are no right or wrong answers, and there is no adjudicator except for yourself.

There are no rules, but cheating and lying to yourself will give a false conclusion.

 1)      “A”    EFFICIENCY                       “B”  KINDNESS

2)      “A”   FRIENDSHIP                       “B”  LUXURY

3)      “ A”   REASON                               “B” HONESTY

4)      “A”   PROFIT                                 “B”  COMPASSION

5)      “A”   MATERIALISM                   “B”  SHARING

6)      “A”   WISDOM                               “B”   LOGIC 

7)      “A”   KNOWLEDGE                      “B” MYSTERY

8)      “A”    PROGRESS                          “B” CHARITY

9)      “A”    PROFFESSIONAL              “B”  CURIOUS

10)   “A”    SUNSHINE                           “B”  CONFORMITY

11)     “A”    MONEY                                “B”   FREEDOM

                                    CONGRATULATIONS.

If you answered honestly you should now have reached the        conclusions that:   You are a contradiction!   And you are human!

Contradictory because whichever answers you have chosen, you probably live your everyday life by their opposite.

And human, because its in our nature to wish for a better world, but unfortunatly we are held in the grip of the world we have created.

Life’s a lottery.

Last week I took a trip to the UK to visit family and friends. On my return journey I was accosted at the airport by a young man selling tickets for a prize draw, the prize being a modern super-car. Nearby on a raised platform these objects of desire were on display, two glossy mechanical monsters, examples of what is deemed to be the highest aspiration of our modern consumer society.
The young man asked me if I would like a ticket for the draw. “ Only a tenner Sir, to win the car of your dreams”!
I responded by saying: “I’m sorry but I don’t dream of cars, and anyway it wouldn’t fit in my hand luggage”!
Now, I don’t mean to appear self righteous but it struck me that: He wrongly assumed everyone subscribes to the same set of values, and that these motorcars represent the highest physical manifestation of human achievement, and should be worshipped as such.
I on the other hand, wrongly assumed he might recognise and understand that: There are more worthy goals in life other than glamour and prestige!
Needless to say: He didn’t get my ten pounds wager, and I didn’t win a fancy sports car!
He probably thought of me as being a little odd, or just an old misery guts.
As for my part, I came away feeling deeply saddened and disillusioned at bearing witness to yet another public demonstration of human folly and short-sightedness. People are unwittingly subscribing to this false world of make-belief and fantasy, which is slowly undermining the reality of our lives, replacing our individual creativity and spirituality with poor imitations and the false idols of consumerism.
It also prompted me to write another little poem!

A question of values.

I have no need of Diamonds
I don’t like Champagne
I  dislike the taste of Caviare
I don’t want a private Plane.
I don’t need a super-car
I don’t dream of Luxury Yachts.
All I want is freedom, to enjoy what I have got.
My Health, My Life, My Liberty,
My Friends and Nature too.
And Freedom for all Humanity
“Above” the favoured Few.

To live everyday with eyes open, or to stay hiding in the dark?

Its your choice!

“You ask me of my business and what I have in mind?

I’m busy selling mirrors in the cities of the blind!

                                                                                            Ancient Urdu couplet

Short-sight.

Think only of your greedy self

Take everything from natures shelf

Good advice can go to hell

More,more,more, we need to sell

Slaves by choice, and sworn on oath

To serve the  gods of money and growth

Until the well of plenty dries

And oceans of tears,

fall from  foolish eyes.

‘SOMETIMES’

POETRY FOR LIFE, WRITTEN WITH LOVE

“The poetry is fantastic, and accesible to a wide audience, not just avid poetry readers. I recommend checking it out”!

Chloe Johnstone, New Zealand

The Saffron Robe

Just a Little old man in a saffron robe

He harbours no animosity,

he carries no weapons

He holds no grudges,

or hidden agenda’s

He would gladly share his bowl of rice

with a beggar, a soldier, a president

                                                            He has no possessions to call his own, save

                                                       Truth, Compassion, and Kindness.

                                                           And yet, great nations tremble before him

                                                       Hiding their Fear, their Guilt, and their Shame

                                                                  Just a little old man in a saffron robe

                                                    Without even a homeland, or name.