The mind inhabits every body cell
When we’re tense the mind is tense as well
Thoughts are strangled choked the mind is crazed
All our body cells this crush obey.
Suspicion narrows eyes. And purses lips.
As we tense, the mind itself will shrink
Turning violent, hearts attacked by pain
No good thoughts are nurtured by this strain
How can we relax and trust once more?
The war dead moan, the Jews scream, Ariel roars.
Feel the pain precisely, let it go
Warmer heart remember there’s no foe
Turn back, live again, he asked of me
Do not wander in this darkness anymore
One false step might give death victory
We are each connected to that tree
The sunlit top, the roots hid in earth’s floor
Come back, live again, he asked of me
While we live, we’ll live with dignity
Not scrabbling for the gold in blood and gore
One more lie will give sin victory
The kindness of the golden light was clear
And left an image in my mind’s deep core
Come back, live your life, he then soothed me
Do not wonder now why you are here
We’re here to live and living shall restore
What our suffering self has found so dear
I had never seen the Light before
Only Christ the Tyger with his roar
Come back, live through pain, he asked of me
One right step will give love victory
In my despair I felt that I was stuck
Paralysed by grief and guilt I failed
By the end I had tried every trick
From prayer unthought to deeps of logic black
My life, my engine ,juddered off the rails
I hated God and of “his” Church was sick
Starving and alone I was in shock
The death of one I loved had made me frail
By the end I had tried every trick
I felt Love’s arms around me, death to block
I knew this goodness, why else would I wail?
I thought I hated God but Love had struck
Warm and golden light that did me hold
Where are you now when Evil has grown bold?
Kind despair that made me long time sit
By the end I learned Love needs no trick
We lose our health we lose our lovers friends
Death comes slow but faster at the end
Now we can’t afford to use the lights
We feebly rage against the coming night.
Once our life expanded as we grew
Every year was filled with actions new.
Marriage job promotion travel fun
We never thought that one day we’d be done.
Who can fight against the dying light?
Once so strong and fierce your heart gave up
Oh my love I miss you in the night..
Filled with sorrow, we must drain the cup.
Aging is like dying everyday
Slowly slowly each life ebbs away
In the year 1989 I learnt that one of my students a young woman called Heather who was married to another student was diagnosed with cancer of the bone.. she had told me in the summer term that she had a pain in her thigh.
I think I may have told them if I had surgery on my foot in 19 78 for a tumour between the bones
When we started the autumn term Heather told me that she has cancer and she was going to the Royal Marsden hospital for treatment that was the end of September l
ByChristmas time Heather has died leaving a young husband devastated
Before she got so much worse I went to see her in her flat on about the 20th floor of a tower block.
She was sitting at the table Open in front of her a text book and she show me that she waskeeping up even though she could not come to the classes.
When I was coming back from seeing heather the last time I went into Marks and Spencer’s and bought a blue coat.
I had the urge to take something in because I was going to lose someone.
It would have been more rational to give the money to Jeather who was very poor or to donate to an appropriate charity.
I remember after leaving Heather’s tower block I had to walk along the street in a very rough area and young men were swearing at me even though tears were running down my face like rain.
But Heather had never complained about that. But I realise why she had bought a dog
If I had not bought the blue coat I suppose I would have forgotten about it but we don’t know do we ?
Why not buy yourself a brand new winter coat in your favourite colour even if you already have 10 winter coats
And since the autumn is coming on why don’t we subscribw to our favourite magazines as the weather gets bad and we can’t get out to the newsagents to buy them.
Doesn’t every woman deserve some new new leather boots for the winter even if it never snows where she lives.
Why bother to go shopping stock up your food cupboard or fridge when you can order a takeaway delivered to your door every evening?
Oh maybe one of your friends would like to eat in restaurant with you. You can pay with your credit card.
Why not start the academic year with a new watch so that you get to the lecture room on time and don’t take the students waiting.
If you work in an office that’s a reason to buy a new watch
Your sister will need one too.Buy online and have it delivered. You need to show how much you love her and you can’t see how to do it without spending a lot of money
Because everybody else including your sister will buy one and you can get some with red straps and red faces that will keep winter depression at bay. Though it might bring on panic disorder when you get new credit card bill and then you have to pay a therapist to help you with your depression
Then you might think why am I wasting money on the cheap therapist when I can spend 10 years in 4 times a week Freudian psycho analysis. That will help me to get to the bottom of why do I waste money on things I don’t need and it will also make me bankrupt at the same time
Escalation
One of the most common characteristics of confrontational and hostile individuals is that they project their aggression to push your buttons and keep you off balance. By doing so, they create an advantage from which they can exploit your weaknesses.
If you are required to deal with a difficult individual, one of the most important rules of thumb to keep your cool. The less reactive you are to provocations, the more you can use your better judgment to handle the situation.
When you feel upset with or challenged by someone, before you say or do something you might later regret, take a deep breath and count slowly to ten. In many instances, by the time you reach ten, you would have regained composure, and figured out a better response to the issue, so that you can reduce, instead of exacerbate the problem. If you’re still upset after counting to ten, take a time out if possible, and revisit the issue after you calm down. If necessary, use phrases such as “this is not a good time for me to talk…,” or “let’s deal with this after we cool off…” to buy yourself time. By maintaining self-control, you leverage more power to manage the situation.
The fewer our possessions are, the better.
If you have no bread you need no butter.
Turn away from Envy Use your will.
If there is no illness there’s no pill
Comparisons are painful to the weak
If you and rhey persist the outlook’s bleak.
Be grateful you can see and feel and taste
The wonders of perception go to waste.
When we lose a sense we realise
Nothing can replace our ears and eyes.
Adding more possessions makes more work.
In the maze of choice do not get stuck
In the empty space perception grows
Lots of weeds or just a single rose
From anguish,pain and paranoia flee
Into calm and joyful states of mind
Keep your balance so that you can see
To yourself and all the lost be kind
Do not linger in the shopping mall.
Do not meet the ladies as they lunch
Flee to parks and gardens, flowers and soil.
Flee to sandy beaches,find a bench.
If you feel such hatred, what’s the evidence?
If you have been wronged oh do not sulk.
Much good in life arrives by happenstance.
Do not cling to angry thoughts in bulk.
Exercise your body with romance
Even nasty places give a start
To finding the true path with mind and heart
Noone saw me,no one met my eyes.
I felt the life inside me wilt and die
Of no value to the human race
If no-one saw them they would not exist
Leonard Cohen”s name was on a list.
I almost burned away in hot distress
The charred remains would have no fixed address.
Like the Jews who wandered for a space,
No eyes no gold ,no teeth, I am a Jew
I have no tongue to speak, nor language too.
How my heart sings 