The Likeness

by Arthur Gregor

How can you live, how exist

without assurance of

or at lest the memory of

someone, something

fantastic, marvelous

always behind you,

a hand, grip on your shoulder,

a presence surrounding you

as a shell surrounds what lives inside?

Song closer to you than flutter of wings!

Word more antique than age!

Without it -- call it intimacy,

your intimate connection --

how do you stand vis-a-vis

the multiplicity of things,

a tree, fence, grass, person in your path?

Unless you find in them

that quality no one defines,

how do you love, what do you

whisper, what song

do you share in the dark?

Without it I am as someone

lost from his caravan,

a sandstorm whipping him,

someone out to find him on a frozen sea,

man alone on a waste of ice

imagining, as the vast and hazy

emptiness absorbs him,

a tattered though victorious

humanity coming toward him,

soldiers linking arms,

a populace with banners

singing and beating drums.

Without it

I am cut off.

I await its sound.

I ravage memory

for sight of it, its melody.

I shape with bare

and desperate hands

its likeness in myself.

Chapunga Stone Sculpture

I am so in love with the Chapunga Stone Sculptures from Zimbabwe I will show them in two segments because I don't want to leave anything out. The sculptors use an assortment of stones, they often leave areas of the stone's natural outer layer combining it with intricately textured areas and highly polished areas.  I have no words to describe how these sculptures move me, there is a poignant beauty about them, combined with enormous strength and beauty of human dignity.

Listening To My Baby Kick

Coming of Age

The End of Hope

Protected by Our Spirits

Counterintuitive

I had dinner with some friends recently and the conversation turned to words - the use and abuse of the English language. We acknowledged that various words and phrases pop up in our culture. They seem to appear out of nowhere, and suddenly we see them everywhere.  It started with “counterintuitive.”  Out came the dictionary. Counterintuitive: contrary to intuition or to common-sense expectation (but often nevertheless true). It’s an adjective but most people use it as a noun.  I’m still not sure what it means.

I then came up with one of my favorite words: “juxtaposition.” To my way of thinking it’s a great word, it kind of rolls off the tongue: place or deal with close together for contrasting effect.  Juxtaposition is kind of sexy. Another word high on my list is "bereft." Bereft says it all to me: deprived of or lacking something, esp. a nonmaterial asset : her room was stark and bereft of color. • (of a person) lonely and abandoned, esp. through someone's death or departure.  Not a happy word, but nonetheless descriptive.

There are several words or phrases used almost every day that drive me crazy:

1) enjoy (when used alone, as in "You're going on vacation? Enjoy.")

2) prototype

3) gravitas

4) It is what it is. (Is it good or is it bad?)

5) It’s all good.  (No it isn’t, far from it.)                                      

                     and last but not least:

6) Have a good one.

Blue Monday

Less Is More

Ron Mueck Sculptures

Check out the ENORMOUS sculptures of Ron Mueck.  He started out as a puppeteer among other things - so I can't get enough of this . . . Mueck, Ron  (1958-  ) Ron Mueck is a London-based photo-realist artist. Born in Melbourne, Australia,  to parents who were toy makers, he labored on children’s television shows for 15 years before working in special effects for such films as “Labyrinth,” a 1986 fantasy epic starring David Bowie.     Mueck then started his own company in London, making models to be photographed for advertisements. He has lots of the dolls he made during his advertising years stored in his home. Although some still have, he feels, “a presence on their own,” many were made just to be photographed from a particular angle—”one strip of a face,” for example, with a lot of loose material lurking an inch outside the camera’s frame.   Eventually Mueck concluded that photography pretty much destroys the physical “presence” of the original object, and so he turned to fine art and sculpture. In the early 1990s, still in his advertising days, Mueck was commissioned to make something highly realistic, and was wondering what material would do the trick. Latex was the usual, but he wanted something harder, more precise. Luckily, he saw a little architectural decor on the wall of a boutique and inquired as to the nice, pink stuff’s nature. Fiberglass resin was the answer, and Mueck has made it his bronze and marble ever since.

A House Is Not a Home

Every once in awhile I find items at my local thrift shop that please me no end. Here are two little houses, one is surprisingly heavy:

I fear all is not well under that roof, although it is solid enough to offer lots of protection for the little people inside. And the other is light, it is only a box:  It looks like an English cottage, it could have been in a P.D. James mystery on Masterpiece Theatre.

         

                  

  

Women in Art

Hypnotic . . .

Michael Behenna

defendmichael.com/

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Michael Behenna story, I would ask that you go to the defendmichael website which will tell you everything you need to know. Michael continues to sit behind bars at Leavenworth. His appeal for a new trial was turned down. Michael was in the Army defending us. Now the tables are turned, and we need to do our part in defending him. Those of us following Michael's story have received email updates from his parents, but the following is a letter from Michael:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

To all of my supporters,

I wanted to write this letter to the thousands of people all over the world who continue to support me and still have hope that justice is indeed attainable in the military justice system.  It is an attempt to show my mindset here in prison to the people whom I have not had the opportunity to meet.

Recently the Army Court of Appeals ruled against my request for a new trial.  As odd as it may sound, I have been preparing for this day for over a year.  That is, I was prepared for an unfavorable decision whereby the court would uphold my conviction and sentence.  Like Shakespeare said, ‘Expectation is the root of all heartache’ because expectation leaves one vulnerable to disappointment.   Expectation is not the same as hope and I promise you I have not lost that.   I was recently reminded of a quote from the movie Shawshank Redemption where the main character (another man who was unjustly sent to prison) says ‘Hope is a good thing; maybe the best of things.’  So while my hope was for a good outcome, my expectation was much more practical for a person sitting behind bars with a lot of time on his hands.  And because I kept my expectations in check the decision by the Appeals Court did not emotionally harm me; for it to do that it would have had to come from within.  No one can harm the man who refuses to harm himself.  

So this court decision does not discourage at all.  Furthermore, I am not bitter or angry, nor do I hate the people that had anything to do with putting me in prison.  If I hated them they would still be controlling me and I refuse to give them that power.  They may have confined my body and taken my physical freedom away, but my mind remains as free as any mans.  I am never left with nothing so long as I retain the freedom to choose how I respond.  While we cannot always control what happens to us, we can control our emotions and how we react to what happens to us. 

I remain hopeful that in the end justice will prevail and that I may have a fair, impartial trial where all the evidence may be heard.  As Judge H. Lee Sarokin said ‘If trials are indeed searches for the truth rather than efforts to conceal it, full and fair disclosure is necessary to protect and preserve the rights of the accused.’  May more people like you begin to shine a light on the unchecked and ‘under the table’ injustice that runs rampant in our military justice system; a system that we here at Leavenworth have known firsthand, and now the public is getting a glimpse of.  This system cannot be “for justice and not against injustice.’ 

May the military courts learn something from the wisdom of King Solomon about being just and fair rather than abusing power.  King Solomon had a dream in which God came to him and said “Ask me anything and I will give it to you.” King Solomon answered “I am but a little child.  I know not how to go out or to come in, but I am a servant of thy people.  Give me, therefore, an understanding heart that I may judge thy people wisely and fairly.”  And God said “Because you did not ask for the lives of your enemies, did not ask for longevity, did not ask for riches, because you asked only for this one thing…understanding, I will give you understanding.  There will be none wiser than you on this earth.”

So each day I strive to not focus on the bad, but to find the good.  I immerse myself in books that take me a thousand miles from this place of concrete and steel.  I push forward in my quest of self-discovery and self-observation seeking wisdom to call my own.   From the small window in my prison cell I can see a cornfield where a farmer toils in the hot summer air and I find myself longing to walk that field and feel the earth beneath my feet and the sun against my face.  My hopes are to someday have my own land upon which I will raise cattle and spend all my waking hours in that warm sun upon my horse whose name only I will know. 

Gratitude is not something one would expect to find behind these walls, but it is here where I found it…waiting to teach me what really matters in this life.  And while I sleep she gently reminds me how truly blessed my life is. 

To my family I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the strength, support, and unconditional love you have given me all the days of my life.   

To my Uncle Rick who is facing his last days on this earth I want you to know how much I love you and admire the life you have lived.

To my girlfriend Shannon for standing beside me I offer up this quote: ‘….and though the road’s end is out of sight, I do not think of the end, for it’s the loving I so love’.  I am so grateful for the love we have for each other and know that it far outweighs the frustration of not being able to have each other like we both want. 

I want to thank each of you who continue to support me with your kind letters and your thoughts and prayers.  It shows that there are people who still care about me and are willing to strike out against injustice.  At the grave of Robert F Kennedy there is a quote which says:  ‘It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.’  You are those ripples in my life that give me hope and for that I am eternally grateful.

Respectfully yours,

Michael

-----------------------------

Here is a note from his family and friends suggesting what you can do to help:

Letters from you are the only real way to convey to Michael that we care and are fighting on his behalf to right this injustice. He has no access to the Internet so he will not see the comments posted on this web site and he can not receive email. Thank you for taking the time to let Michael know that you appreciate him putting his life on the line in Iraq for our freedom and that you are now fighting for him!

We often get questions about what should one say to Michael in your letters.  The short answer is just tell him that you support him and appreciate his military service.  Beyond that share whatever you feel like sharing.  Michael likes to learn about the places that his supporters live so consider including a picture of your town or state in your letter.

Also, we often are asked if Michael can receive books.  He can, but these must be sent directly from the bookseller or distributor (ex: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.)

Michael can also receive money into his prison account for personal items and telephone calls. the prison charges 40 cents per minute for telephone calls, which makes keeping in touch difficult. Only Money Orders can be sent to the prison and they must have “Michael Behenna  87503″ on the payee line. Send books, money orders and your letters of support to:

Michael Behenna #87503

1300 N. Warehouse Road

Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-2304

I've Got Your Back

The bad picture contest continues - although I must confess that I love the last one, I think it a good picture. The view is beautiful and our conversation, as I recall, was deep. Carly and I were comparing arms, a sobering exercise at this point in my life. She wanted to know what all those spots were, and I was looking for hers.  Her spots are freckles, mine are those awful age spots. Such is life.

Blue Monday

I Can't Stop Thinking . . .

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

I notice it as I drive. For no reason I find myself clutching the steering wheel for dear life. I notice it at my computer. My shoulders and neck are as tight as a drum. I notice it as I walk Oskar, hurrying along oblivious to how I use my body.

There is no excuse because I know better. For years I studied The Alexander Technique, a type of body work that focuses on the head, neck, back ratio, particularly how the head is balanced on the neck. The Alexander mantra, “forward and up” has been part of my psyche for years, and yet days go by when it all goes out the window. Ignorance is bliss, but since I know what to do, or rather what NOT to do, I pay a high price for this neglect. 

The Alexander Technique is a process of undoing, rather than doing. It teaches us to inhibit a move until our head, neck and back are in synch. I love it for the same reasons I love Taoism, they are both almost impossible to explain, but well worth the effort to pursue because with perseverance, you will wake up one day and find yourself actually comfortable in your own skin, an unbearable lightness of being.

Don't take my word for it, watch this duck glide along, poetry in motion. No clutching, no tension, just gliding, a perfect forward and up. Easier said than done.

A Person of Interest

No, I am not talking about possible suspects in a crime, but rather charisma. What is it that gives a certain few that indefinable quality or qualities that cause us to stop and stare? It is a force of character, a personal presence that comes to one in a million. The force is not always positive, and it is not always attractive. Many thought Hitler had charisma, his abilities as an orator held people spellbound.

In today's world there is Sarah Palin. If one cannot mention a name without an immediate reaction, there is charisma.  Like her or hate her, you cannot deny Sarah Palin has great charisma.  With a voice like a screech owl, she captivates audiences.  Her enemies are fixated on her to the point they became quite frenzied when thousands of her emails were dumped.  What a disappointment, they were drooling with anticipation of dirt. There was no dirt.

Angelina Jolie is charismatic, although just because one is a movie star, does not mean one has charisma. Looks don't have a lot to do with it, but they help. (Looks always help!) Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Gandolfini, Richard Burton - charismatic all.  And then there was James Dean, taken too soon, who was magical on the big screen.

Charisma is not a matter of fame and celebrity, and it is definitely not something which comes automatically to every famous person. We can all think of countless famous people who have zero charisma. (Abraham Lincoln, Margaret Thatcher) America will never again elect a president who does not have a fair amount of charisma.  If it doesn't come naturally, he/she will have to develop it before entering the cruel limelight of a big time campaign. This should concern us, it makes the possibility of electing a charismatic fool all too real. 

Sound of Music - Antwerp Rail Station

I never tire of watching this, it makes me so happy!

The Taoist Heron

Taoism is the way of man's cooperation with the course or trend of the natural world, whose principles we discover in the flow patterns of water, gas, and fire. In short, tao-chia is a way of life which tries to accommodate the tendencies of nature. Alan Watts You can't find a more perfect Taoist than my friend, the heron.  If you look  carefully you will see him where the water meets the rocks, nestled in his little cubical.  I greet him every morning while walking Oskar although he gives no indication that he is happy about being discovered.

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To quote from my 365 Tao book, "When you know how to hide, you avoid the attention and scorn of others, but retain the strategic advantage of surprise.  You need to do this not for personal advantage, but to manage yourself and your skills well."  365 Tao goes on to say, "Once you can follow Tao with skill, hide your abilities. Privately accumulate extraordinary knowledge and skill, but keep a plain appearance.  There is great wisdom in being inconspicuous. Do not brag or try anything beyond your means.  Don't let yourself become unbalanced before you have fully mastered an art.  

My heron's "strategic advantage of surprise" is impeccable. Sometimes he leaves his cubicle and stands in the water without moving a muscle for what seems like an eternity, blending  softly into his environment, a small statue waiting for the perfect fish. When he takes flight it is as if it happens by itself, a perfect example of "totally mastering his art." Suddenly he is soaring into the sky, a glider glancing at we poor struggling fools down below.

The 365tao website, http://www.365tao.net/, has daily podcasts, downloadable on either your desktop or ipad.  I have read my 365 Tao book until it is literally falling apart so this is a nifty alternative if you are so inclined.

Blue Monday

http://www.youtube.com/user/puddleduckpuppets

What Is It About Judge Judy?

www.judgejudy.com/

There are certain people who have no filters, they have that unique ability to say the first thing that pops into their head without the slightest concern over what other people will think. In an era where people become “offended” at the drop of a hat, I find these filterless people refreshing.

Judge Judy is one of them. Judy does not ”suffer fools gladly.” (I have often wondered about that saying, googled it and learned that to suffer fools gladly is a reference to a Biblical passage.... In the passage Paul is pointing out to the Corinthians that those who tolerate fools are themselves fools.) 

Judy is no fool in spite of the fact that a parade of fools face her every day. Reasonably intelligent-looking women post bail for thugs and expect to be repaid, countless others cosign for loans only to find themselves responsible for truck payments, while the owner of the truck has flown the coop, mothers suing daughters, ex wives suing for child support. The list of horrors one human will inflict upon another never ends. What starts out in a loving relationship ends up first in hate and then in court.

“Sit down,” Judy will yell at one witness while telling another to “shut up and listen.” She tells parents  that “you can always tell when a teenager is lying if their lips are moving.” She tells kids to go back to school and make something of their lives. She tells people on welfare to stop making babies.

Although she is unflappable, I suspect there are days when the judge goes home depressed.  A constant parade of  stupidity and meanness is soul battering. If you are not convinced of the “dumbing down of America,” a steady diet of Judge Judy will change your mind, I am sure there are days when she wishes that it "was all temporary."

FAQ's

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