Sigh In Relief

Blithely my spiritual guru declares, happy smile
on channellers' face, hands swinging in the air:
the difference between sickness and wellness
is determined by the amount of time it takes us
to figure out how to feel good when seeing a lot  
of things that make us feel bad; I have seen so
many things that make me feel bad lately, I do
not know how to begin to feel good again
 
The only saving grace is laughter and humour, a
high-ranking official recently declared: Criminals
should feel unwelcome in South Africa - which
means most of the country’s inhabitants - from
educated, sophisticated white collar fraudsters to
violent, uncouth street thugs - should feel unwel-
come in our own country, including all politicians,
what a marvellously funny idea - her remark
 
Was cause for great mirth in a world where most
everybody has joined criminal cadres for survival,
where dishonesty, laziness and lack of integrity
are actually rewarded – and I sigh in relief - at
least it means there is room for me…

From Four In The Morning

Getting ready to face the long drive from

four in the morning to Kliptown in Soweto

by carefully investigating the library and

finding ‘Und Don Camillo Mittendrin’ by

Giovanni Guareschi and to be very safe:

Paul Gallico - a charlady nearly wrecking

international relations in order to help me

get into the spirit of things, as well as my

all-time favourite - Which Witch - by Eva

Ibbotson - to keep my mind fixed on the

wickedest wizard to balance formality of

polite protocol - I can travel anywhere on

earth with these books in my hand, heart

and mind safe against anything life might

bring, warmly ensconced in my dreams…

A Passing Glance

Madame La Pompadour took hold of

my document, an anonymous letter to

the President descrying him as well as

the Government, and used it to attack

the kindest of beings in the office

building - I saw red - went mad

Exploded like a bomb, shouted like a

banshee, jumped up and down, nearly

burst a vein, muscles tightening with

hatred - deep, red, deadly – welling up

inside me for such nasty arrogance; ‘tis

a real test of character for me

To be free to CHOOSE my actions - I’m

turning the other cheek since I am such

a cheeky person, putting my power be-

hind the principles I believe in, choosing

the path of dignity – ugliness never is

worth more than a passing glance

Erring Together

Went through the National Cohesion document
with a fine-toothed comb, found that Unity will
be based on policy and strategy, not even once
were the terms ‘Universal, Self-Evident Principle
or Honesty or Integrity’ mentioned - therefore the
discussion of social unity lacks a principle-centred
basis; the exercise will have little result, without
teaching ethics and morality, self-sacrifice and
self-discipline, Justice and Wisdom, the Summit
will be about facts without pragmatic guidelines,
little change will be wrought - but I look forward
to enjoy the company of warm, fun-loving, sincere
people without a clue about the value of principles
uniting races beyond local values, everyone knows
crime pays, especially if a politician is empowered
to take without considering principles of kindness –
the joy of erring together is so comforting!

Drag VIP’s Around

The lonely life where solitude does not offer enough challenge
and adventure, excitement and exercise became so depressing,
no happy idea, story or theory made any difference - I sank into
a gloom so dark, so deep, my body became a painful prison of
muscle spasms and allergy symptoms while I did not know how
to let go of the sad habit of breathing and life, how to give up the
spirit to find solace in non-physical existence

Then came the clarion call to action, a Social Cohesion Summit

where I shall be an usher, oh joy, now I can take care of people,
courteously drag VIP’s around, respectfully address Ministers or
an Ambassador or two, help strangers to obtain accreditation and
show them to the tea table and where to be seated in the Plenary,
everybody else is relieved that I am willing to leave the routine of
translation texts to practice protocol and etiquette  

Hoping I might become dignified at the same time...

Diary Notes Wednesday 27 June 2012

Voice Of Modern Poets

When we discover an admirable talent
in another person we try to encourage
it, we don’t care about principles and
true north when a genius arrives, only
try to help the flame burning brighter
 
When this wonderful person is blocked
from realising their potential, first thing
is to keep the flame of genius burning,
if only it is possible, if only the support
is allowed, you always seemed like
 
The King of the Internet, to speak of
your time online being curtailed is to
present something terrible, you were
born to be the voice of modern poets
and should be free to admonish
 
And express all the time…

Round Peg In Square Hole

Principle-Centred Leadership a brilliant dissertation on the
difference between values (maps) & principles (compasses)
and the interplay between Security, Guidance, Wisdom and
Power; I recognise the noble and balanced personality Covey
describes in favourite fictional, literary and integrity characters:
 
Dr Serfontein, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr Darcy, Jane Eyre, Charlotte
Bronte herself, Mouche in Love of Seven Dolls, Victor Frankl,
Richard Wurmbrand, Shantaram - mine has ever been a quest
to find personification of WISDOM in life, the meaning of
principles as SELF-EVIDENT and UNIVERSAL
 
Stephen Covey presents this information beautifully, I loved the
course in ethics we did at university BUT it was childish and this
is more sophisticated, I understand so much better after my life
experience - I am mature enough to realise that few people are
interested in principles; politicians do not even know what
 
The term PRINCIPLE means, artists have neither the time nor
the inclination to find out because it is all about sublimating
feelings - I have been trying to conquer my feelings for ages,
having been born with artistic dreams, been fighting my own
nature to become principle-orientated
 
I have not been successful, I developed a great admiration for
principles and dream about these; this is light-years away from
Covey’s POWER and WISDOM – at least I have the capacity
to pay homage to great ethical things, though I can’t change
my nature, my passionate feelings, I understand WHY
 
I cannot sublimate my feelings and become a successful official
in a corporate assembly-line organisation – insight is consolation
indeed, it helps to know why I’m a round peg in a square hole…
 
Principle-Centred Leadership by Stephen R Covey

State Of Utter Bliss

Had a lovely time wolfing down a waffle, talking to the marvellous

manager of our local restaurant, my storybook hugely entertaining

laughing unrestrainedly while swirling in whirl of social schedules

then wafting everywhere enveloped in an atmosphere of good-will

Breaking the evil spell laid upon me by a horrible text, when typing

lower-case the computer changed typescript into capitals, setting

fireworks off in my head, a red mist covered my eyes destroying

my comprehension till only my inner Mr Hyde was left, Dr Jekyll

Left in a huff;  I researched equivalent English terms - but nothing

made sense and in the end there was no progress, I was wasting

my time being miserable to no effect - I stopped throwing good

money after bad, feasted my eyes on the book I love

Then proceeded to eat and read myself into a state of utter bliss…

A Loving Perspective

Did the right thing for the

wrong reasons, it worked

like a charm - life teaches

good intentions often have

disastrous consequences

Justice and consideration

will be the compass within

which we can be free to do

what makes us happy - our

society does not allow this

But I am a dreamer looking

at the magnificent potential

hidden within reality, lovely

ideals always shine - in the

light of a loving perspective  

Die Multidimensionele Werklikheid

Het die regte ding om die verkeerde redes gedoen

die resultate was ‘n reuse sukses, dus laat vaar ek

nou maar die etiese hoogheilige standpunt dat mens

eerder die verkeerde ding om die regte redes moet

doen as die regte ding om die verkeerde redes – ek

het nou vrede met redes, al wat nou tel, is resultate

Goeie bedoelings het die geneigdheid om te ontplof

die lewe het my geleer dat mens net chaos bereik met

goeie bedoelings, al wat werk is om pragmaties dit te

doen wat werk – geregtigheid en konsiderasie dien as

kompas om respek vir mens en wêreld te betoon; my

gunsteling-beginsel is die VRYHEID van eie keuse

Vry van voorskrifte en vereistes – die vryheid om binne

geregtigheid met selfbeskikking op te tree en niemand

teen hul sin tot hul eie voordeel te forseer nie; vryheid

om te sterf as die individu dit so verkies – in plaas van

om mense te dwing om minderwaardige lewens te lei

bloot omdat hulle in die lewe beland het; duidelik is dit

Die toppunt van aanmatigende dwingelandy en die begin

van so baie ellende in die wêreld; as mense vry is om te

doen wat hul gelukkig maak, vind iets wonderliks plaas:

die mense skep ‘n wonderlike wêreld waarin elkeen sy

doel kan bereik sonder om op mekaar se tone te trap -

ons huidige samelewing laat dit nie toe nie, maar

Ek is ‘n dromer van formaat wat die multidimensionele

aard van die werklikheid wil eksploreer om soveel as

moontlik van die verborge potensiaal to ontvou…

Woensdag 20 Junie 2012

Reading Being My Link

Why is it that neither Rhyme nor Reason can help me now:

feeling ill, Rhyme in notorious doldrums without immediate

cause thus Reason cannot claim jurisdiction – unless this is

a food problem, marinated chicken on Sunday, had to rinse

oven pan three times with boiling water before running clear

from black, oily ooze; maybe my system requires three days

at least to process this sludge also, eyes swollen - all mental

effort causes pain - scared of everyone suspecting they see

me as non compos mentis, a simpleton, the way I feel, if only

I could hide away until I was human again BUT anxiety keeps

me riveted to my chair

Rhyme and Reason – As described in “The Phantom Tollbooth”

By Norton Juster – reading being my only link to sanity

Effervescence Of Flaming Incense

All manifestation is an approximation,

a symbol, of the deeper metaphysical

meaning and being behind it, thus the

dance - the sultry but stylised tango -

is a symbol of spiritual communion,

regeneration through reconstitution

of different energies, transcending

confines of physical existence in the

effervescence of flaming incense

Delight and joyous movement in an

eternal perpendicular movement of

seeking and finding - engaging and

escaping in continuous flight towards

the magical realms beyond the path

of the sun within the ever-expanding

universe - which is only accessible to

ecstasy, the wise insight experienced

by the wondering human spirit…

Language Of Emotion

Amazing - the cushion given to and

rejected by the dog works perfectly

to lift me higher on my new red chair,

I spilled pepper on the library book I

read during breakfast, returned to the

crypt-like silence and freezing cold of

the open-plan office, wrapped myself

Peruvian style in a blanket still smiling

about my book’s cosy domestic scenes

and breaking the tedium by listening to

The Merry Widow on my earphones

While trying to recall stern advice given

in Covey’s book Principle-Centred Leader-

ship, setting priorities - not deviating one

inch to become a full-rounded person, not

allowing the language of feeling to deafen

the language of logic - I just succeeded in

growing rounder by eating a powerful meal;

but my heart is light and my life has meaning,

hope that counts for something when the final

trumpet call sounds at the end of my life and

that my overusing the language of emotion

Will be forgiven...

Passion For Passion’s Sake

 












I focus on things I ENJOY, that make me feel

better, richer, happier, more content, energetic,

optimistic, uplifted, empowered and enthusiastic

I tried a lot of things, if I disliked the person or the

genre I don’t return to it, only revisiting those with

dividends in terms of more happiness and wisdom

and enjoyment of beauty, harmony and music

This is why I return to poetry, the aesthetic joy in

rhythmical, flowing lines of words is FABULOUS

I’m resigned to be me – isn’t it wonderful, to grow

old and resigned to oneself, all our shortcomings

and idiotic phobias and just focus on strong points?

I FEEL joy when reading beautiful lines, unwilling to

lose this joy in order to gain the ability to read horrible,

painful, insulting, embarrassing, heart-breaking things

without feeling the pain

I respect everybody’s right to inflict as much pain

on themselves and others as they please while

reserving the freedom to refuse participation

unless my presence and action can make

a difference

I willingly share problems and sorrows if my presence

empathy and insight can ease discomfort and bring 
peace of mind BUT if a situation is outside my 
interactive ability, I won’t force entry to try to 
change anything

I regard my ability to wonder and experience wonderment

as my most precious possession, the cornerstone of my

attitude towards life - a lack of curiosity about religious

texts and spiritual material is strange to my insatiable

quest, I stare in wonderment at cynical material

Losing the ability to wonder means losing the most

beautiful, exciting, adventurous feeling and experience

I know of, I GUARD this TREASURE with total dedication

My experiments with cynicism and worldly-wise boredom

proved these experiences to be the most horrible of my 
life - I LOVE passion for passion’s sake