Polluted Paradise

The wind races the sea; waves rush to the shore.

Sparkling surf foams on the beach,

embraces the land with rhythmic roar:

SEEK ME.

The prairie grass grows tall; along with the forest bough.

Gentle rain refreshes the earth,

the dawning day sheds light on its worth:

FIND ME.

A robin sings in a tree, a wary fawn starts to feed.

Butterflies floating sail on the breeze,

fish are found in the clear cool stream:

TRUST ME.

Ships appear on the sea, men rush to the shore;

Paths are trodden in from the beach,

divide up the land make room for more:

HONOR ME.

The tall grass is seared; the forest bough is cleared;

Wood is cut, logs dragged away;

the mid-day sun beats hot on the clay:

KNOW ME.

A young man’s voice shouts with glee, a deer was shot from a tree;

Grey poisoned sky from the city is seen,

fish are dead the waters unclean:

FEAR ME.

Mankind is lost in greed; he can hardly even breathe;

The sun of truth shines bright indeed,

if he’d clear the air he just might see:

SERVE ME.

The Mystic Paradise sings, refreshing breezes to bring;

Cleanse the weary world renew,

a timeless cycle, fresh morning dew:

FOLLOW ME.

Deep within his own heart, mankind can find a new start.

Veiled in the mists of Creative Love,

the inner eye beholds a new heart:

BE TRANSFORMED IN ME!

For more on issues of environmental lesson of stwewardship see

http://onenessbecomesus.com

Four Haiku describing Northern Winter scenes

(when the cold is well below zeroF. Snow looks and acts different.)

Crystal world in white;

Shroud of snow, aurora’s glow;

crisp cold of silence.

A full moon rising;

scintillating sparkled snowlight,

twinkling beauty bright.

Timber wolves howling;

harmonies of ancient song,

rising yet falling.

Frozen haze of dawn.

glinting crystals, brilliant white,

Cold, clear in sunlight.

New Dawning: a Haiku for a new age.

The dawning new day;

Clarity brings inner sight:

A changing of ways.

For more on the the case for world unity see http://onenessbecomesus.com.

Metamorphosis: A Rebirth of Spirit.

First, all insects hatch from an egg, on a food source whence it was laid.

Eating, growing, crawling through life, instars - shedding when skin is tight.

Larva, caterpillar grows so fast, for destined change will be a task.

Soon a chrysalis will affirm, an inward change with no return.

Chrysalis, a synthesis of of function shape and form, such wonder of mystery, efficiency adorned.

Cradle of magnificence protects the change within, Hidden from the eyes of men as it has always been.

Colors of a butterfly slowly showing through, the skin of protection, delicate but true.

its time for emergence, the chrysalis must die, so its inner being can spread new wings and fly.

Pushing and pumping, the pupal skin is cracked, out slips the insect from its previous form intact.

Coming together as it works on many parts, if all is successful a new life soon will start.

Wings now in symmetry the butterfly has flown, patterned in language code each species calls its own.

Now in a world that no human can discern, a metaphor of life reborn for which we often yearn.

For pictures showing butterfly metamorphosis see http://lifecycle.onenessbecomesus.com

Hi. from David

In mid-September of “97″ a Christmas display in a local mega-store; complete with trees, lights, and toys; led me to rewrite the lyrics on a medley of popular Christmas songs with the thought of illustrating modern day Christmas themes.

The songs are

“JINGLE BELLS”, “DECK THE HALLS”, “WHITE CHRISTMAS”, and “JINGLE BELL ROCK”.

I call this work “Plastic Christmas” in reference to the plastic trees, toys, and; of course; the mighty Credit Card.Hope you enjoy reading it. I had a lot of fun writing it.

” PLASTIC CHRISTMAS “

David

Oct, 1997

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
how we love to laugh and sing as we play this Christmas day.
Oh, ring the bells, hear the bells, listen to them chime.
For it’s time to do what’s fine with a merry Christmas rhyme.

Dashing through the snow in our fancy Sunday best.
To the church we go laughing with our guests.
Sharing what we bring so all in joy take part, the spirit of this special time uplifting heavy hearts.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.
How we love to laugh and sing as we play this Christmas day.
Oh, ring the bells, hear the bells, listen to them chime.
For it’s time to do what’s fine with a merry Christmas rhyme.

BUT NOW; (as the Industrial Revolution has taken on a
“Commercial Evolution”) Christmas time has turned to…

Jingles here, jingles there, jingles everywhere.
Once again it’s time to get those commercials “on the air”.
Yes! Advertise, merchandise, make that sale tonight.
Get it priced to sell on sight, gotta make the season right.

Dashing through the snow with a credit card in hand.
To the stores we go charging all we can.
Watch those totals ring, bringing such delight,
with such a hustle-bustle it’s a merry Christmas sight.
Oh, Jingles here, jingles there, jingles everywhere.
Oh what fun it is to see those commercials “on the air”,
Yes! Advertise, merchandise, hang those Yuletide signs,
tis the time, the sales are fine, gotta make that profit line.

…Yet somehow…
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones of long ago
where the starlight glistens and children listen to hear much more than can be told.
I’m dreaming of a warm Christmas, a love and peace for all to see.
Is there something else we might need? something more than what this shopping brings.

Deck the halls with season’s greetings, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
Don’t forget the scenes appealing, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
Don the tree with gay apparel, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
Set the mood and play those carols, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
Come enjoy the tinseled trappings, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
Celebrate with gifts and wrappings, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
Watch the football game that’s playing, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
Hear successful merchants saying, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.

For it’s…
Holiday, holiday, holiday hop, get in the car you’d better go shop.
Wrap Santa’s presents while kids are in school, better go get grandma too.
Pick-it-up, clean-it-up, swing with your mop, dance with the beat, don’t stop.
Need to start cooking for more than a few. Its the holidays, so busy you would say, “join in the Holiday Hop!”

…Yet surely…
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, a yuletide spirit to behold,
where the warmest memories with cozy families delight in stories from the old.
I’m dreaming of a warm Christmas, a love and peace we long to see,
it’s a dream of how we can be, as we gather around the Christmas Tree.

For more the the case for world unity see http://onenessbecomesus.com.

Here is a set of Haiku poems. Haiku is a Japanese poetic style. Each stanza contains three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables each.

Fall

Clouds come rolling in;
as the sky begins to dim,
north winds bring a chill.

Leaves rise in the sky;
whirls of color flying by,
restless winds of change.

Trees bare branches stark;
frost condensing in the dark,
crystals of beauty.

Snow flies from the north;
as the length of day is waning
birds fly to the south.

Winter

Winter wonderland;
moonlit snow, aurora’s glow;
crisp cold of silence.

Cold, clear as starlight;
glinting crystals, twinkling lights,
catching full moonlight.

Timber wolves howling;
harmonies of ancient song,
rising yet falling.

Spring

Icy grip softens;
snow is sagging wet with slush,
melting streamlets rush.

Promise of sunlight;
rippling. melting signs of spring,
warm, longer daylight.

Thawing warmth quickens;
life rhythms corresponding
ancient cycles flowing.

Summer

Long warm hazy days,
shouting children run and play.
“Let’s go to the fair”.

Come look, there’s a snake,
evolution at its best.
No, its not a pest.

Graceful, masterful
swallow in perfected flight.
We watch in delight.

Metamorphosis

Chrysalis breaking;
a new form overtaking,
freed from confinement.

Metamorphosis:
Winged wonder soon will depart;
showing what it is.

Unsustainability

Dozers dueling earth;
plowing under, asunder
overturned plunder

Unsustainable:
weathered carcass of topsoil.
Irreclaimable.

Spirituality

A dawning new day;
multi-hued new morning light:
A changing of ways.

Philosophy

Potential Being;
pre-existent what could be,
brings forth existence.

Birth, death, cycles change;
elemental force being
everywhere the same.

Pre-destined free will,
potential is essential;
Existence becomes.

For more the the case for world unity see  http://onenessbecomesus.com. 

Culture Shock

I was asked to comment on my experiences with the drug culture in Stanton, KY.

This article in no way is meant to promote a negative stereotype of the Appalachian people or the culture of Eastern Kentucky. I am simply reporting my own experience and putting forth a “snap shot” of how the drug culture is destroying the real meaning of what traditional Appalachian is living all about.

The year 2000 not only marked the beginning of a new millennium but opened up a chapter in my life I never could have imagined. The saga began when, from the beginning, I was misguided as to where I should set up my new mobile home. I naively ended up in, according to the State Police, “one of the worst pockets of drug abuse in the state”.

Having just left Minnesota, I was totally unaware of the “drug culture”. I tended to assume the innate goodness in neighbors and individuals until proven otherwise. Even as my trailer was set up in the lot the neighbors were open and friendly. Little did I know what the real hidden motives would be behind this apparent “friendship”

As the first months went by it became obvious the culture, education and mind-set of these people was very different. I was not cautioned or prepared; after all, was I not in the middle of the United States? Was this not the beginning of the 21^st century? Had we not sent people to the moon and explored the stars? Did not people believe in the sciences, and good education? Was not ancient medievalist thinking in the past? As experiences began to unfold I began to wonder.

As for education; most of the people, including the youth, were high school drop outs. The parents did not discourage even their own high school aged children from dropping out saying,” you don’t need education, school education is not necessary, it won’t help you get any better job than you can get without it. School teaching could even lead you astray from Jesus,”

As the locals became aware I was not one of them and was brought up in a middle class well educated neighborhood far to the North, there seemed to be an element of suspicion but the open camaraderie continued. They began by asking if I would help the younger elementary children with school assignments. Soon this escalated to needing money to buy clothing and food for the children.

During this time I was invited to a Pentecostal church. The service was very different. There was “calling upon the Holy Spirit” to descend where members would stand, wave their hands while reaching upwards in chant. Later came a remarkable scene where people, coming up to the alter to be healed, would be gripped by the minister, told they were healed by the power of Jesus, and then pushed hard on the forehead causing them to fall backwards seemingly in a catatonic trance. People standing directly in back would catch them and lay the unconscious believer on the floor.

The hallmark of the end of the service was a marked increase in “speaking in tongues”. Although sporadic at first, it reached a crescendo. Soon more members were lying on the floor between the chairs. Shaking and/or speaking in tongues all the while seemingly unaware of the outside world.

Needless to say, my Midwest educated mind was not prepared for this. I truly was confused and uncomfortable with the whole situation. I wanted to leave but since I had driven my neighbors to the church I had to wait for them. At this point I began walking around the perimeter of the sanctuary and, while carefully stepping over people lying on the floor, proceeded to say my own prayers for guidance. Almost immediately the preacher hurriedly came up to me asking in a firm tone,” who are you praying to,” I answered,” God,” Then the minister asked,” are you praying to Jesus,” I replied simply,” I am praying to God,” At this the minister said,” in this church you can only pray in the name of Jesus,”.

It was soon after this surreal experience (where I had also been approached to be saved through “laying on of hands”) I learned that these people are so suspicious of anything new or different because it might be an attempt of a satanic spirit to mislead them. The preacher apparently thought I was conjuring up the devil!

As time went on the neighbors (who were continously asking favors from “Minnesota Man”) approached me to see if I would exorcize a demon from a wooden peace symbol that had a history of being used in Witchcraft Coven Ceremonials. They said,” We have been hearing voices and felt strange powers from this log. Our Pastor told us it was full of demons which had to be driven out. We know you don’t believe in this sort of thing so would you burn it? We are scared but we know you are our friend. Would you help us?” They gave me some kerosene, and, fearfully backing away, placing both arms as a shielding cross across their breasts.

All this time there was an inordinate amount of traffic coming in and out of the trailer park. Once, during a visit one of two friend’s speech began to slur. Within minutes she was unable to communicate and was flaccid and drooling. She had just taken a “Soma” Before she came. Soon a cop came by wondering if I had knowledge of or had seen a young man who had just died of a drug overdose. ,”Yes, I had seen him earlier today. He came to look at some chameleons I was selling,” The officer told me,” this was just a routine investigation. He was found dead in his trailer,” Then the officer stated,” You know, you don’t belong here.”

It was now clear to the drug dealers I knew what was going on. They offered to let me in on a deal if I would drive them to Beattyville, loan them $200 dollars for the Doctor’s fee (which was the cover charge for writing them prescriptions for drugs they would sell on the street). I of course, would have to pay the pharmacy bill as well in order to get a ten percent cut of the street sales profit. I could not believe what they were asking and backed away saying,” I want nothing to do with this”

The grand finale was yet to come.
About a year and a half after moving there I left to visit Minnesota. Upon my return, the homecoming scene was a horror. The trailer home was vandalized to the point of needing major repair, checks from a blank checkbook were embezzled and somehow, they had gotten my credit card number and charged a large total on the account through the internet.

The local Police were of little help. It seems, back in the year 2000; most of the Law Enforcement was corrupted by drugs, favors and nepotism. Threatening phone calls from people impersonating police officers and lawyers we common. So much else was going on I cannot recount them all. This writing could easily become a book! Suffice it to say a car given to me by my parents was rolled down a hill and totaled. My total losses added up to about $60,000 dollars.

One nice young officer came to my door saying,” We can tell you are not from here. We know what is going on with the drug dealings in the neighborhood and are gathering evidence to stop it. I strongly suggest you move out.” Indeed, it was time to leave.

My misadventure caused me major disillusion about humanity. Even as I write this nearly seven years later it is an emotional experience.

I went bankrupt, yet my overall faith in supreme goodness came to my aid. I see God as far larger than any single creed or doctrine. I am, thankfully, in comfortable housing and have met some true friends helping me to recover. This was a great lesson.

Thanks be to God, the Lord of all the worlds!

Feel free to visit “serving the case for world unity” http://onenessbecomesus.com and you will see where I am coming from.

Elements Of The Stars

A poem sung to Mozart’s tune used for the children’s “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”.

1. Twinkling twinkling stars of night, how I wonder at the sight,

Far beyond the earth and sky, how can I not wonder why?

Guiding constellations bright, how I wonder at the sight.

2. Looking at a myriad stars, can we know of what you are,

As we seek what may we find, peering into space and time,

Light-years distant oh so far, can we know of what you are.

3. Blue, white, yellow, red and brown, stars in billions all around

Color spectrum radiant light, nuclear fusion in its might

Common elements now are found, stars in billions all around.

4. Now a star implodes its mass, heavier elements fuse at last

A super nova blasts away; the force of gravity is obeyed

Nebulosity, rings of gas bring heavier elements fused at last.

5. Spinning, spinning neutron star, oh how small and dense you are

Flashing pulsar in the night, with you neutrons packed so tight

Relic of a long dead star, oh how small and dense you are

6. Quasar, quasar oh so bright, can we understand your might

Great object of the distant past, ten million stars are not as vast

Galaxy birth could this be right? Will we understand your might?

7. There’s a black hole over there, the event horizon shows us where.

Twisted realms of time and space, matter and energy can’t escape

X ray bursts as matter tears, the event horizon shows its there

8. There’s are own main sequence star, so familiar yet so far

Source of warmth and light of day, ninety three million miles away

We are elements of the stars, so familiar yet so far.

Check out how we are elements of the stars. Link to http://onenessbecomesus.com. Here you will find much dealing with different aspects of essential unity between humanity, the earthly ecosystem, the stars and our own bodies and speculations on the underlying intrinsic common source between matter and energy.

As is evident from space, the Earth is but one home and mankind its citizens.

Boundaries of nation and creed are not visible but dwell only in the imaginations of men.

Unity is the password here as is >global thinking.

Surely It Is time For >A Different Perspective.

For we Are Cradled Within A Matrix Of Immensity..

Here is a thought:

Science is showing that humanity is genetically a very closely related family. Mitocondrial DNA analysis from populations worldwide point to a common ancester who lived 150 thousand years ago. Racial differences, such as the degree of skin pigmentation, all happened as mankind spread across the globe. As different environments were encountered adaptations over many thousands of years resulted in the variations of hue, height, hair, habits etc. that we see today.

Let us not think of ourselves as Jew, Christian, Muslim, Palestinian, American, etc. But rather as a single humanity dwelling upon one world, calling upon the same universal God of all.

>The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.

It is time, it is essential for our future, we learn to recognize:

1. The need for global awareness and mutual acceptance:

Unity, diversity, tolerance, appreciation; to know we all share the same deep needs for fellowship, satisfaction, peace and tranquility in our lives.

2. The validity of diverse ways of relating to and worshipping God:

Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism: the “Eightfold Path”, the “Ten Commandments”, “Sermon On The Mount”, the Native American “Four Directions” and much more.

3. The worth of both science and religion:

Science, reason, philosophy; seeing modern technologies as a means of fostering enlightenment and acceptance based on knowledge, communicating with and uniting the world in peace.

link to >Investigating the “Case For World Unity”.pdf or htm”

Or for more on philosophy and interfaith studies link to

http://onenessbecomesus.com

For a list of faiths and a comparison of scriptures se

http://onenessbecomesus.com/Faithslisting.html

This post is a little different than the normal writing blog. The main focus here is pictures. You know the old saying,”a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, in this case in particular, it is very true. Below are links to pictures showing in detail the transformation of a caterpillar to a chrysalis, and then, a chrysalis into a butterfly.

I have had a deep fascination with insects, especially Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) literally since kindergarten. Instead of playing “Cowboys and Indians” with the neighbor kids I was out in a nearby field poking around at all sorts of critters. However, it was always the mystery of the beauty and flight of the butterflies that deeply absorbed my attention.

It really was an all consuming passion. Early grade school years saw me collecting butterflies and then going to the college library to classify them. When it was possible to travel a little south of northern Minnesota it was challenging to see if I could find hybrids of white banded and red spotted purples. I thought about things like,” Female white morph sulpher butterflies are so common; why can’t I find any white males?” and so on.

One outcome of this rather eccentric childhood is the photos presented below.

Here are two sets of pictures of a monarch butterfly complete metamorphosis life cycle.

In the first set the entire metamorphosis, including the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, was captured however, the slides are not the crisp quality of the set of digital images. They do a good job of getting the point across. Link here to a set showing metamorphosis taken with 35mm slides about forty years ago in Bemidji, Minnesota.

The digital photos show a nice sequence of the caterpillar to chrysalis transformation as well as showing the developing colors of the butterfly within the chrysalis prior to emergence. Sadly, I missed the actual butterfly emergence this time around. Click on the link to see the digital photos taken August 2007 in Richmond Kentucky.

For more on metamorphosis and a few facts about butterflies and other invertebrates go to http://lifecycle.onenessbecomesus.com There are more pictures, facts, and links to other related sites you should enjoy