The time of the year

when fledglings

hop around on the ground

trying to fly

and the neighbour's cat

and the local fox

are on the prowl

scattering feathers.

31.05.2014

raindrops

and clouds:

the evening

of the last

day of may

31.05.2014

third opening of the tomb of henry vii of luxembourg(1275-1313),

king of germany(1308-1313) and holy roman emperor(1312-1313)

remains of a

boiled head

and burned bones

ash

and

some master weaver's cloth

enclosing them

more valuable

than those

and the emperor's

silver toys

crown

orb

sceptre

31.05.2014

Pirkkala

red and yellow tulips

on the graveyard

i wonder why

now when

never before

31.05.2014

salome klaibin

from occupied west papua

on her hospital bed

dying of indonesian bullet

30 april 2013

has the same look

on her face

as my mother

as she awaited her death

same eyes

my mother's eyes

31.05.2014

You are

what the world

makes of you

and how

much you

can push back.

28.05.2014

The point of life

is not to avoid death,

the point of life

is to live

before we die

and live well,

and if we are

not allowed to live well

then die

roaring.

28.05.2014

The Enemy of my Enemy

The Enemy of my Enemy

is not my Friend.

The Friend of my Friend

is not my Friend.

The Enemy of my Friend

is not my Enemy.

The Friend of my Enemy

is not my Enemy.

27.-28.05.2014

After reading a Zen koan about suffering

1

There might not be a reason for suffering,

but there is always a cause

and if we can't have effect on it,

if we can't end it,

then least we can try to ease the suffering.

2

We don't need to

understand what causes suffering

all we need is to know

how to ease it.

Compassion is the key.

23.05.2014

News from Vietnam's battlefields

Two children died today in the Vietnam War,
in the province of Quang Binh
grenades exploded
killing them aged five and nine.

Two children died today in the Vietnam War,
in May of the year 2014.

Two children died today in the Vietnam war,
they found grenades in the fields,
to them the grenades looked like toys
and they brought them back home to play.

And in their home they died
as the grenades exploded,
and so the Vietnam War goes on.

23.05.2014

The children died yesterday, but I took an "artistic" liberty to use "today" instead of "yesterday", because it sounds better to me.

Words for a Human Being Misbehaving

or Martin Schulz Educated

Forever shall we pay

for the crimes of our ancestors

with the blood of other nations.

Your message to oppressors.

You are a human being,

endowed with intelligence and conscience,

compassion and empathy.

Act like one.

Don't be a disappointment to the species.

Don't be a reason

why future generations

have to say

"Never again."

Act like a human being.

21.05.2014

The Days

On some days,

some days

like Atlas

you carry the world on your back.

On many days,

many days,

like Sisyphus

you roll the boulder uphill.

But look and see

the Danaids,

the endless ranks of Danaids

working around you.

19.05.2014

Evening,
birds sing,
the air is fresh
after thunder and rain
came sweeping over the land.
So brief visitors
who drove away
the heat that overstayed
it's welcome.

19.05.2014

Irreversible collapse of West Antarctic glaciers has begun

The spring opens it leaves,

long have the birds sang

of the coming of this day

after the short winter.

The world is changing,

but spring opened it's leaves

and the golden hue

of the late evening

speaks gently

of days gone

and days to come.

We have failed,

yet we are still struggling -

something will survive

to cross the long years

to a redeemed world.

17.05.2014

Fame, Inherited

Peaches, Peaches,
the media repeats

as you must know

her name and fate

- for her father was

famous, briefly,

when I was a boy

and Chernenko

was a name

all knew.

04.05.2014