strange land

the littlies back today
yesterday i spent half the clock
talking about progress
about what had been done n undone
about the future and the past
some heard it well
some didn't want to hear
that all was not well
with their offspring
(sigh)
i see it
i really do
but
the truth is not easy
anytime
and especially when
the children are little
and are only beginning
this great journey
we expect fully formed little humans
the opportunities for exploration
for growth
for delving n diving
are small
no more after school by the creek
tearing around town on your bike
playing street football with ya mates
now its all
catch up worksheets
french horn lessons
Chinese whispers dancing hedgehog training
god, what a mess we are making
over stimulated
under creative
tired
stressed
under tens
we expect brilliance in everything
no time for failure
for learning
its all win win win
now now now
succeed succeed succeed
take take take take
beat beat beat
higher faster longer
more more more
what a disease
my repulsion for this grows stronger
but you can't help
getting sucked in when you have your own littlies
but i guess
their time will come
they too will seek
the mystery
some will become come great teachers
n monks n nuns n priests n ministers n gurus
some will ever seek
some will go to their graves
not caring one iota about the mystery
or the other
about life beyond these spatial confines
but we must keep prodding them
the smallest see this without promting
with every breathe
in a heart beat
we need
to give them space
and learn from them.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mad Men 101

Thanks to a conservative blog for peace I have become quite intrigued by with US series “Mad men”. For most Australians this is quite an unknown program, the second series being premiered this Sunday night on specialized broadcaster SBS, leaving us well behind the US which is currently airing the fourth series. For those who don’t know, Mad Men takes place in the early 1960’s, varying its setting between the main characters Advertising office workspace, their homes and social lives. As the series progresses we discover that the characters are not at all what they seem, both outwardly and inwardly, as we journey with them through the historical events and changing social patterns which have influenced so much of our modern culture. It is this historical element which captured me. The ways husbands, wives and children inter-related. The constant smoking and drinking. The more relaxed pace of life. Infidelity and the subsequent risks and consequences. Psycho-analysis just beginning
Read more

december heart

my soul is tired but my hands want to keep being busy my mind restless but full of plans the days of christmas and summer stretch before me like fresh paper a beach in winter a monks cell these days of opportunity a paradox to not do: is to heal is to just be: frustrating leaving the year behind and moving forward a challenge. Sleep. Wine. Silence. Prayer. Zen. Friends. Walks. Love. My solution.
Read more

Spiritual Friends - Henri Nouwen

Image
I thought I might write a short series of posts about Spiritual Friends - those writers and people who have influenced my spiritual growth and contributed to my search for God. Henri Nouwen, the Dutch Catholic  priest,  was the first writer who really captured my imagination about what it meant to be a spiritual being and take the search for God seriously.  I can see my life in both before and after discovering Nouwen stages! My dad suggested I read "Genesee Diary: Report from a Trappist Monastery" with the words. "I think you'll like this. If you do you won't be able to put it down and then you'll want to read all his books!". He was right. I counsumed the book in about two days and then began buying/borrowing/scrounging for more! Loads has been written about Nouwen, and you can get lots of information from the society website. His personal influence in my life really falls into three  - disciplines, community, and freedom.  Disciplines : Henri was big
Read more