Haiku Tweets r Sweet!

It all started with me reading a Haiku that one of my tweeps (@purelovenergy) wrote:

when the echo ends ~

vibration grows in stillness ~

sweet ecstatic love  #haiku @purelovenergy

That simple and beautiful haiku inspired me. I am not the only one either, many folks think Haiku and Twitter were made for each other.

Here are my Haiku tweets so far:

1st try:

Gentle love -

flows sweetly thru all-

time and sings.

2nd:

I understand more today:

You love sky-

hope opens up there-

like treasure.

I wrote that particular one about the sky for Yoko Ono (@yokoono) in response to her tweets about what the sky means to her and the announcement of her latest album: “Between My Head and the Sky”.  Yoko’s relationship to the sky inspired and mystified me.  The night before I wrote this Haiku, I went for a walk with our beagle and my husband, Jeff.  The sky that night was amazing.  We do not often see the sky as it was that night.  It was cosmic, in a way, because I wanted to understand what gave Yoko such hope about the sky.

I photographed it that night, and posted a “Voice of the Sky” series in my Love, Hope, Make Art gallery today (see link above).  The next day, I sent that Haiku to Yoko.  Funny what happens with Tweets and Haiku.  Magic sometimes.

My 3rd, 4th &5th Haiku:

Birds in glass-

cages eyes looking-

up at me.

I leave them-

with some sense of care-

awareness.

With prayer then-

they shiver and shift-

Namaste.

These were after getting food for the dog and cats at a pet store.  The birds always reach my heart.

6th, 7th & 8th Haiku tweets:

Baby laughs-

as I sing her name-

applauding life.

Strong courage-

freeing compassion-

love’s humor.

Cat loves the baby

too licks her knees

welcome.

These I wrote yesterday, as I was so happy to care for our  3 month old great niece most of the day.

There are many folks making sweet tweets of Haiku.  The tools before us offer so many beautiful ways to share our gifts and talents in the present moment.

Find my sweet tweets @CS_Sherin

happy weekend,

with love, gratitude & Namaste,

Chandra

Cosmic Awareness and Compassionate Action

Earth day today and every day:

All life is Sacred. Love this global family with cosmic awareness and compassionate action. Greenpeace is a great place to start.

namaste,

Chandra

Thank You Ezra

I first got a fish tank in 2004, after I had heard my biological father had died.  He was someone estranged from my life since I was seven, and the memories of him before that were not happy ones.  So the news of his death was a disconnect and a striving in me to seek something beyond him, something of my ancestors, rather than of what I knew of him.  My art mentor and friend, Peter Fletcher, had also died and I also sought some kind of investment to water and fish for a reason I could not define.

The first fish I found was an Oranda goldfish, white with a red “cap” as they call it.  He jumped in the net to come with me.  I knew it was the right decision.  I was pretty inexperienced then about the whole thing and learned the hard way in some instances.  That first fishes name was Ezra.  He was remarkable.  The fish in the pic up above was taken yesterday.  Her name is Clara and she knew Ezra, they were friends, so to speak.  When I got Clara she was much smaller and orange mostly.  She is gimpy, with a front fin missing and a bit of a deformed inner tail.  She gets along fine though.  She is a Lion-head goldfish.  They have no dorsal fin and usually grow a “mane” of sorts around their faces.  Hers never developed.  She was in a tank of bubble-eyed goldfish when I got her.  Probably because of the gimpy fin, which I didn’t notice till she got home.

Ezra really enjoyed being with Clara and he noticed her missing fin and how she compensated in her swimming.  I watched him on several occasions, hold down his own fin, the same that Clara doesn’t have.  He held it down, so as to not use it while he swam.  He wanted to know how she felt or how she accomplished swimming in that way.  He was remarkable like that.  He was never afraid of me.  He would rest in my hand when I would put it in the tank.  Ezra only lived a few years.  I couldn’t believe how much I had grown to love and appreciate him.

Two fish came after Ezra that Clara has known.  They were just not as hardy and didn’t make it long.  That is the hard part of having “fancy” goldfish.  They have been genetically manipulated in ways that challenge their ability to thrive.  Also, there is my learning curve for giving them the best environment possible, which has factored in to survival rate as well.  But, I have to say, I am learning the art of it now, and I feel pretty good about the condition of the tank and the care I give, though it has taken time and loss for it to be.

The two fish after Ezra were not like him at all.  They were scared of people.  They seemed to not trust as Ezra had.  They certainly liked Clara and related to her peacefully, but when I approached I sensed they weren’t sure if I was there to eat them or feed them.  Clara is like Ezra, she trusts and is peaceful. She has a gentle emptiness in her.  Not a mindlessness, but an emptiness that one has when they are at one.

I have a sticker on the tank from Masaru Emoto,  one of the Franciscan Sisters gave to me.  It says, “Thank You.  Namasmarana–Divine Love Heals All”, Clara loves to rest in front of it.  I find that interesting.  The buddha in the tank reminds me of Peter Fletcher actually.  He had such an interesting life, and he practiced Buddhism as well as a respect for Christianity.  He taught me a lot about art and about Buddha and Boddhisattvas.  He was generous in his sharing with me.  I think of the finger touching the ground from a buddha and the meaning of that,  which is resolution.  When Peter talked with me about that, it was like a dance of sharing while we did the work of hanging our art.  I think of Quan Yin, the boddhisattva of compassion, and how Peter called upon that embodiment in his art in the midst of deep grief.

I have learned something important in practicing the art of aquarium maintenance and fish care.  It is a practice that teaches one to face and let go of selfish impatience, and it strengthens one’s respect for the delicate balance needed for healthy, life sustaining water.  I treasure knowing Ezra and Clara especially.  They have shown me and taught me that they possess kindness and wisdom despite any scientific measurements and judgements that have been made about their kind.  I hold each of the fish I have cared for as gift and love them.  I embrace the discipline that can come with caregiving and loss.  Thank you.

On Parenting, When my daughter was two:

Nothing has given me more insight into God’s love than in being a parent. My daughter is at the age where my movement from one room to another is both remarkable and distressing. I recently had a dream about a little alligator that follows me everywhere and snaps at my heels. This is definitely a processing of the intensity of her need for me. I make a move to leave a room and she drops everything she is doing, everything in her hands, and runs to me. She then shows me with great effort her hands are empty. She does not put her arms up to be carried, but simply shows me she has nothing and she needs me.

This was a striking communication. I immediately thought of how we pray the “Our Father” in our church. We pray with hands held out to reflect our inner emptiness, to offer that to God. My daughter has inspired me with this genuine gesture. She is running to me and with that sweet action, seems to be saying, “I want to follow you, don’t leave me, see, I am not doing anything, take me with you!” and “I feel like crying if you do not see my hands are empty and you do not pick me up.”

This is precious. She is showing me how to pray, how to be with God. With the same pure expression I want to say, “Holy One, I could cry with the desire to follow You in Your Holy movement.” To realize God’s love for us is like a parent’s love is deeply affirming and heartening.

My daughter was so sick this weekend, with a fever that kept going up to 104.5 and 104.9 degrees Fahrenheit. The nurses are not alarmed by this kind of high fever. They say as long as she is not too lethargic it is alright. And if she has seizures from the fever I should not be alarmed. This seems like unreasonable counsel to a parent, dangerous even. My doctor’s child had the same high fever and agreed it was alarming and a serious level of fever. Finally, I thought, someone who is not so desensitized!

I really learned the vulnerability of loving and caring for my child. I was so agitated with adrenaline at seeing the thermometers reading. Diligently applying cool cloths and water to drink and cool baths to counter the heat in her, I thought I’d go mad with worried love. I kept in mind the harrowing trials of other parents and prayed with them and for all. My understanding opens, realizing the need for the compassion and sharing of prayer.

I think of God offering up his son for the sake of all life. That is now unimaginable to me, utterly unimaginable. When I was a young single person I could, fairly easily, find in my religious imagination the reality of God giving up His son’s life for all. Now, having become a parent, it is too horrible a pain to think of.

There is an immense Love that Reigns, and loves us more than the best of human parents love their children. A way that God accomplished and invites us to. I feel neither brave nor big hearted enough for this. Like the Archangel Michael said, “Who is like God?” I am aware of my own limitations in heart and mind. And like my daughter I am glad to face my limitations. And I seek to learn more.

I have noticed my daughter crying and protesting my discipline, yet the end result leaves her with more esteem and a happy relief in understanding.

What is discipline for a two or three year old, you may ask? For instance, my daughter may try to poke at the baby we care for in a rough way or pull the cat’s fur or tail or throw something at a person. She does not mean to hurt really, she does not fully understand. I patiently and calmly show and tell her how to handle the situation, with repetition. If she continues to be rough, despite my example I then know she is testing me. I gently and swiftly sit her down on the floor. I tell her she needs to sit down. I then, with great feeling, explain why, “That is ouch! to the baby, touch her nice, like this.” I pat her arm in a gentle way, so she can feel the way and imitate it, Or, “That is ouch! to the kitty, pet her like this.” And I show her.

Sometimes her actions give her a sense of power, in not listening and dominating with roughness. Sitting her down for a minute on the floor deflates some of that misguided power she is feeling. She sometimes cries in response, but it is a cry of will not of pain. We then talk about it. We talk about what delicate is and how to be gentle and what hurts. She seems to feel safer and more secure with the boundaries I mark for her. I can see she feels good about it, safer, despite the difficulty of the process. She wants those limits to be set, especially because she does not know how to.

This too has been a reflection of God’s love for me. I am humbled in my understanding and role as parent. My daughter teaches me the beauty of making myself empty handed for the Lord. I learn that although my responsibility to raise a child is great, I am utterly powerless to control all the things that could, would or might threaten us. I feel vulnerable as a child. I continually need to turn to God and hand things over to God. I realize God’s Love for all of us is much bigger than my heart is able to hold at this time.

“For God so loved the world, He gave up His only begotten son…” How much more I take into account the ramifications of this statement. Divine Parent, you gave up more than we can know, and Your Love made all things new. Through Love, death was/is conquered. My little lessons for my daughter are baby steps to a greater love.

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A Shift of Thought and Action

Wielding Habit and Temperance for the Common Good:

I recently watched the one hour documentary on PBS entitled “Buyer Be Fair”. In addition to the PBS website, there is also a site about the documentary and it’s mission at buyerbefair.org

It is an excellent view into the effects and value of supporting fair trade products/people. I would recommend it to anyone who needs more information on this subject.

“Habit” as defined in the Fourth Edition of Webster’s New World College Dictionary: 4a: “a thing done often and hence, usually, done easily;practice; custom” 4b: “a pattern of action that is acquired and has become so automatic that it is difficult to break. SYN.–habit refers to an act repeated so often by an individual that is has become automatic…”

Driving becomes habitual in the sense that we can go on automatic pilot to a certain degree and follow with a good measure of trust, the “maps” set in our brains for the area in which we live. So it is in navigating our surroundings at home and work. Some of us have mapping so sturdily carved in our neural pathways that we can walk blindfolded or in the dark in our home and find our way around without any trouble. What has been discovered about our brains, as I found in reading “Primal Leadership” by Daniel Goleman is that our brains do form strong pathways through our habits. And those pathways are changeable, but it takes a lot of effort and practice to do that. As is experienced by those who are addicted to any substance, or act, such as food, cigarettes, shopping, pop, etc.

Along with this information is the fact that we don’t make the efforts for that kind of brain pathway changes unless we believe it is necessary and right in all levels of our being. If 1 to 5% (not a scientific example) of us is not on board with the change in habit, sabotaging behavior will manifest and interfere with progress along the way.

My own experience with this is especially in regards to life decisions I strive to make in accordance with a sense of moral and conscientious behavior. I first learned about Factory Farms and the reality for chickens, cows, pigs and turkeys in a thoroughly mechanized and totally objectifying environment about 15 years ago. My experience of nature and all living beings, especially the animal kingdom has been a healing and loving experience. I see all animals as gift, beautiful and sentient. I respect a hunter who kills to eat. I respect an animal who kills only to eat. Beyond that I cannot respect killing just to kill, for sport or torture.

To object the holocaust conditions that animals in factory farms live in, I became a vegetarian and then a vegan. That lasted for about five years until I met my husband. His father and brothers were hunters, the kind I can respect and admire in their passion and responsibility for nature and it’s balance. So, I started eating meat again, because I could not alienate myself from a tribe of people I was marrying into who I respect and who I wanted to be a part of. That meant sitting at table in their home, eating their food. In the time that I had been vegan and I also didn’t eat refined sugar, I found many people not only alienated by my strict choices, but also some people who I found to be normally kind and compassionate became angry and mean about my personal food choices, especially regarding sugar, as a matter of fact. I realize that people attach comfort and leisure with their desserts, and there is also a minor addiction involved as well. I observed quietly and calmly all of the reactions as I went along.

When I broke all of my diet restrictions back in about 1999ish I found out a lot of things about myself. I like the taste of meat, as I always have, but more importantly, I felt there needs to be a middle ground in my actions, a bridge between what I believe and the people I love. Gradually, I found that I wanted to eat meat again, but I did not want to support McDonald’s or Kentucky Fried Chicken or other chain restaurants who hugely support factory farms and contribute greatly to enormous acts of cruelty towards living beings.

In the last five years I discovered that the shift of thought and action that had started in my heart and mind 15 years ago had finally reached all levels of my being in understanding…my body no longer enjoys digesting or eating chicken, cow, pig or turkey. Turkey was the last to go. I no longer worry about alienating others. I know that my actions are for a greater good and the shift has taken a long time for me, but I can thoroughly understand it now. I do not want to support factory farms who treat and define life as commodity, as objects. Some other folks can make a shift in a day, a week, for others like me, it has been a longer journey.

If the animals are left to remain in this way, there will be no logic that will keep humans from being objectified in the same way, as of course we are. If one life is made to seem as an object, then all others will follow. We desensitize by saying nuggets rather than pieces of chicken flesh, or hamburgers instead of ground up cow flesh. We do not kill the animals we eat, so we have lost that act of gratitude and reverence for a life given for our nourishment. Our meals are all fast and mechanized. I hope this important issue becomes a greater focus for all people. Factory farms are also responsible for a huge amount of pollution and waste of water and land.

When I mentioned “Buyer Be Fair” at the beginning of this post, I was thinking of a statement made in the documentary about “waking the sleeping giant”, who are American Consumers…

One of the most powerful skills we can develop as Americans is the ability to DISCERN. What an important word. Our discernment, looking at where we eat, who has labored to provide us with what we wear/eat/use and how, is indeed a key to our survival and the survival of all life on this little planet. In our discernment we can empower ourselves and those we are in relationship with through our consumption. I do not want to empower people who are looking at animals as only commodity, with no respect for life. I want to empower a poor person who is close to the land and the animals and wants to support a family and honor the land and living things.

So, it costs more and I don’t have enough money. You know what I do? I don’t drink pop. I don’t buy junk food, I don’t buy meat, etc. There are ways to choose what is right and still afford to live.

We best educate ourselves and each other in a compassionate and gentle way. I realize there are people who are not capable at this point in their being to stop eating meat. I can appreciate that. I would eat meat for survival reasons. I eat fish, though less and less considering the strain of non-sustainable fishing methods being used in the waters.

It is still reasonable to request that an omnivorous person evaluate where the meat they are eating is coming from and to make, gradually, more humane empowering choices in their consumption. Where are the cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys living, what is their quality of life? Do their “farmers” care about and value life? What impact is there on our environment, health, values through these practices?

I am known amongst my family and friends for continually re-arranging things in my home. I have always done this since I was quite young. It is a sense within me of how energy flows and changes and I keep up with it to keep things fresh and open. The biggest challenge with that lately has been in moving the garbage can. For some reason the path to the garbage is a strong, less flexible path in the brain. I have moved it 3 times in the last year and I have met it as a challenge to myself to not get so comfortable about the convenience of garbage (throw away/apathetic mentality). Every time I would walk to where the garbage used to be, I would say to myself, “Aha, there’s my automatic pilot, so easily ingrained in a habit.” Surely, there is nothing wrong with our automatic pilot, it is a fine adaptation, but inserting intelligent, thoughtful, responsible choices within that ability is also a valuable tool in the shifting of action and thought.

My challenges on this front at present are in : the garbage I produce, the plastics I use and the ways I approach cleaning(free of unnecessary chemicals–pollutants, carcinogens). When I read about the plastic vortex in the ocean I felt such a despair for the marine animals falling victim to this senseless garbage and the reality of it’s eventual return to our own bodies. My habits in using plastic bags and such are frivolously ingrained. I have bags I use for grocery shopping, but sometimes when shopping for other things, I look down and before I know it, I have plastic in my hands. On other fronts, I have successfully become a chemical free home, using natural ingredients for cleaning the house, floors, toilet, laundry. This shift came slow too, but the result is filling me with well being!

We are capable of such innovative, and compassionate action, surely we can advance morally beyond our present habits that have such destructive repercussions…..

Trying and making progress fills me with hope and the momentum of industriousness, the strength that comes with right action. May we all go forward more mindfully, shifting to a more hopeful and healing future and reality for all life. May it be so!

peace and gratitude,

C.S.S. Moonseeds