living

"Die Slowly" Pablo Neruda (1904-1973)

He who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day,
who never changes pace,
who does not risk and change the color of his clothes,
who does not speak and does not experience,
dies slowly.

He or she who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white,
dotting ones "i's" rather than a bundle of emotions, the kind that make your eyes glimmer,
that turn a yawn into a smile,
that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings,
dies slowly.

He or she who does not turn things topsy-turvy,
who is unhappy at work,
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty,
to thus follow a dream,
those who do not forego sound advice at least once in their lives,
die slowly.

He who does not travel, who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself,
she who does not find grace in herself,
dies slowly.

He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself to be helped,
who spends days on end complaining about his own bad luck, about the rain that never stops,
dies slowly.

He or she who abandon a project before starting it, who fail to ask questions on subjects he doesn't know, he or she who don't reply when they are asked something they do know,
die slowly.

Let's try and avoid death in small doses,
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing.

Only a burning patience will lead
to the attainment of a splendid happiness.

on listening

Come, come, whoever you are-

wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving-

what does it matter?

Ours is not a caravan of despair.

Come, even if you have broken your vow

a hundred times,

come, come again, come.

Fireside haiku

small flame glows brightly.
it carries hope, but faintly
waning with the night.

the mirror of

the heart must be

polished constantly

before you can see

clearly in it

Good and Evil.

-rumi

through love,

disaster becomes

good fortune.

through love,

a prison becomes

a garden.

-rumi

work for peace

"870 some years ago was the last time the full moon fell on a friday, saturday, and sunday. This was also the last time that all christians, jews, and muslims were at peace. This weekend the full moon falls on friday saturday and sunday night, the holy days of the muslims, jews and christians. I think there is nothing greater for anyone than to work for peace."

-steve hildebrand