one
then many
each
filled with stillness
each somehow seeing past the darkness
with eyes like souls
eyes like hearts
eyes like mouths
warming the air
with cinnamon
breath-clouds
each breathing
for
the souls they see for
for the hearts they see for
each
locating reconciliation
redemption even
in the voice
of one man
sitting
alone
with the many
"i have also called it love-force or soul-force. in the application of satyagraha, i discovered in the earliest stages that pursuit of truth did not admit of violence being inflicted on one’s opponent but that he must be weaned from error by patience and compassion. for what appears to be truth to the one may appear to be error to the other. and patience means self-suffering. so the doctrine came to mean vindication of truth, not by infliction of suffering on the opponent, but on oneself."
mahatma gandhi
12 comments:
Okay, maybe it's the wine I drank tonight with friends,but did you structure your words to appear in the form of a single man as you wrote it, or is it serendipitous?
Hearing this simple yet beautiful melody as a background to the enchanting single voice is the perfect way to bid farewell to this day.
My goodness, Steven. My goodness.
Thank you.
Building 'word power' through soul force ... As long as I can learn something new like this every day, ageing is to be welcomed more than feared. Today my 'classroom' is illuminated by the light of this word satyagraha. Thanks.
Late winter is the perfect season for cinnamon. It works in pretty much everything.
Love to you, Steven.
jo- it's serendipitous but i'm left to wonder if anything wonderful or magical is a product of chance . . . i don't know. i've sent several days to bed with this piece of music. the composer phillip glass has long been a person i can trust to take me to good and magical places. steven
lorenzo - it was a learning for me also ... i'm aware of gandhi's work and to a limited degree, his place in this emerging world . . . but this was a kind and timely revelation. steven
hello reya - cinnamon and cardamom have special places in my world. cinnamon for its evocation of so much beyond itself and then cardamom because one of my heroes - t.e. lawrence (known popularly as lawrence of arabia) used it in his coffee. i have a jar of cardamom seeds on ym desk at school that i sniff periodically to remind myself of how simple goodness can be brought into this world. my love to you reya. steven
I read Gandhi's Autobiography in 1968 in high school. I was thunderstruck. He's one of first heroes, an example of immense courage and insight.
Did you see the documentary about Philip Glass: A Portrait in 12 Parts? Netflix is streaming it now. You might like it.
hello dan - i've not seen the documentary but then i don't have netflix either. it's been hovering off to the side of my thinking for a while now and i may just go ahead. thanks for the prompt!!! steven
"cinnamon
breath-clouds"
another beautiful post steven,
thank you.
enjoy your weekend.
No doubt you are aman of peace, Steven!
Absolutely wonderful
D.
your post is as fragrant as spices, lyrical as the voice os an angel and then there is the music to top it off.
liza - thankyou. this is a weekend of some intensity as it includes a commitment to my schoolwork and also a commitment to my housework and then also a commitment to my personal work. boingggg!!! steven
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