Our noblest weapon

Naysayers derive pleasure from insulting great nations. Who could forget those sounds heard on July 8, 1776? Too many men were sacrificed on a sorrowful journey to win freedom for this land. The hero came in the form of an impoverished farmer with a torn shirt. He clasped the rope and rang the Liberty bell. One and all came to hear those words that formed this great country of ours. Our noblest weapon - the Declaration of Independance.

Columbus' discovery

Columbus charts undiscovered depths in Loch Ness on a cold, rainy day. He finds remnants of Druidic fortifications in a dark, underwater cavern. Out of the fog and mist hands claw at the ship's helm. This is no noble find. This is the bridge to Hell.

Slumber without Dream

The bankrobber congratulates himself for his cunning in managing to evade the eyes of onlookers while traversing the road to Damascus. He will not remain so jubilant and smug when his baptism comes by razor or under the stomping foot of an elephant.

Arrival in Limbo

The gallop of four horses echoes in the halls of Limbo. The moon reflects in the azure river flowing through this heavenly world. A clamour of hosts greets the newcomer. Soon, they hope, Christ will be our juror, advocate and judge all in one. Soon He will deliver us to Heaven.

Bridge of Sighs

Outside the zone of Venice's city centre, the prisons are found. "My only wish," thought the convict as he approached the Bridge of Sighs, " is redemption." A prior life of rape and murder had brought him here, to a future somewhat known in the cloistered rooms of his heart. How did I let myself get here? A suspicious wind yielded a gentle answer to his question. The prison guard made the sign of the cross as the prisoner took one final look at Venice - a practice done by all prisoners. He entered the prison doors and embraced his destiny.

Drunken candle

A drunken candle flickers restlessly through the night. Brother poet with his mind vexed on noble thoughts, keeps vigil. His talent has dimmed in recent years. His page remains blank. Still his only company is a flame wanting to be extinguished.

Sensuousness and Danger

The wench whose sensuous demeanor lies precisely in that word having more than lascivious connotations need not fear Dracula, although she is his icon and the object of his pursuits. It is he whom the EARTH refuses to embrace for long, and for whom that word can mean only a modest, stale, and aged piece of his homeland to which he is confined during the day. He sleeps alone while the sun shines and the smooth clouds hide, while people are merry and go about their business and do not need to cower before the cross which, to them, means salvation rather than danger.

Drunken elephants

An electrifying show - a mother elephant watches her babies practice walking. They fall like angels drunk on wine.

A woman's role

In order to develop to the highest level the humanity specific to husband and children, woman requires the attitude of selfless service. She cannot consider others as her property nor as means for her own purposes; on the contrary, she must consider others as gifts entrusted to her, and she can only do so when she also sees them as God's creatures towards whom she has a holy duty to fulfill. Surely, the development of their God-given nature is a holy task. Of even higher degree is their spiritual development, and we have seen that it is woman's supernatural vocation to enkindle, in the hearts of husband and children, the sparks of love for God or, once enkindled, to fan them into greater rightness. This will come about only if she considers and prepares herself as God's instrument. St. Edith Stein

Beethoven's baptism

For fear of rain, Beethoven carries an umbrella through the day. In front of a piano he smooths a feather quill pen trying to persuade some notes on paper. A baptism of rain bursts through the window. Another symphony is written.

A Curious spider

A curious spider tip-toes across Eve's sleeping hand. In her dream he hears her wish to read a page from the tree of knowing. A bellicose butterfly interrupts the scene, causing him to scurry.

Vision of Eden

Under pressure, a priestly sister examines her conscience. The pull of yin-yang brings a furrow to her brow. Finally she derives pleasure in a vision of Eden.

Zealous fiddler

Honour is found in a dangerous street. Celestial evenings deliver tunes played by a zealous musician on his sensuous violin.

And now for something completely different....

It's been a while but I'm back - this time it's for revenge. I'm going to post mini phrases, lyrics and/or poems using the super-duper, fool-proof Kate method. During my practice teaching I used a method of eliciting descriptions from my grade 7/8 students using word tickets - with the hopes ofcourse of encouraging them to write poems. I had the students 1) think of their favourite words, 2) write them on game/admission/liquor tickets(available at any $1 store), 3) place them in my poetry hat(a horse helmut I bought at a garage sale for $.25) and then 4) draw 7 words from that hat to write a phrase, description or poem. It worked fabulously. Dave and I tried it last night with much success. Here is today's poem. The words in bold are the ones I selected.

From Purgatory's house, I sit at the kitchen table drawing with an azure pencil, the skies I see from the sink window, anticipating Heaven.

At St. John's conservatory in June.