| Starpoet Newsletter Vol. VII, No. LII |
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| News - Newsletters | |
| Written by Lisa Jain Thompson | |
| Friday, 22 December 2006 | |
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The Starpoet
Newsletter
Vol. VII, No. LII
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^^\/\/\/\/^^ <><><><><> Rain and Christmas lights
It just doesn't seem right Tho' to pretend I was raised in snow Is a stretch for a California girl The Sacramento Valley you know The one where the white stuff didn't fall Until after I had moved out
Twenty years of nada then
Poof
Powder all over the place Sometimes life just ain't fair Lisa Jain Thompson c. 2006 C.E.
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^^\/\/\/\/^^ All holidays all the time ...
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^^\/\/\/\/^^ looking back
What It Is
Christmas,
Familly, Long forgotten memories, Fragments of my chilhood, Grandparents and others now gone, The smell of Grandma's old house, Ravioli cooking on the stove, The taste of sauce, The sharpness of cheese, Voices of the women While they washed dishes in the kitchen, The long waiting to home To play with my new toys.
Lisa Jain Thompson
December 2006 __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ meanwhile back at work
'Twas
'Twas the Friday before Christmas
And all through the Pentagon, Not a creature was stirring,
Not even a cockroach;
The rats in the basement
Were all warm and snug, The tour groups in the hallways Were quiet and gone; But deep in the bowels Where the world never sleeps, The troops manned the Op Center Like any other day of the week; When Santa flies out
On Christmas Eve Night,
We'll all be thinking Of our friends in Iraq, Wishing them Godspeed And a sandy Christmas morning. Lisa Jain Thompson
December 2006 __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ From the Gnostic Gospel The Nativity of Mary
Joseph therefore came from Judaea into Galilee, intending to marry the virgin who had been betrothed to him; for already three months had elapsed, and it was the beginning of the fourth since she had been betrothed to him. In the meantime, it was evident from her shape that she was pregnant, nor could she conceal this from Joseph.
For in consequence of his being betrothed to her, coming to her more freely and speaking to her more familiarly, he found out that she was with child. He began then to be in great doubt and perplexity, because he did not know what was best for him to do. For, being a just man, he was not willing to expose her; nor, being a pious man, to injure her fair fame by a suspicion of fornication.
He came to the conclusion, therefore, privately to dissolve their contract, and to send her away secretly.
And while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, thou son of David, fear not; that is, do not have any suspicion of fornication in the virgin, or think any evil of her; and fear not to take her as thy wife: for that which is begotten in her, and which now vexes thy soul, is the work not of man, but of the Holy Spirit. For she alone of all virgins shall bring forth the Son of God, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, that is, Saviour; for He shall save His people from their sins.
Therefore Joseph, according to the command of the angel, took the virgin as his wife; nevertheless he knew her not, but took care of her, and kept her in chastity. And now the ninth month from her conception was at hand, when Joseph, taking with him his wife along with what things he needed, went to Bethlehem, the city from which he came. And it came to pass, while they were there, that her days were fulfilled that she should bring forth; and she brought forth her first-born son.
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^^\/\/\/\/^^ Solstice
Solstice Cheer
Violence runs in a circular motion,
Bombs begat bombs begat missiles and guns; Religion's just a name for tribal hatred, Jesus hates Mohammed hates Buddhah and the Jews. Winter is the time to reflect on creation
Across a frosty universe of planets and stars; Solstice is the moment when time reverses, Bringing us sunlight, spring and rebirth. Everywhere everyone needs to relax some,
Take a step back and look what you've done; Love one another as the sun grows brighter, If you all forget to love then our world is gone. Lisa Jain Thompson December 2006 __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ Greater indeed than the creation of humankind
is the creation of the heavens and the earth. Yet, most of humanity does not understand. Qur'an 40:57
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^^\/\/\/\/^^ Daughter of Infinite Light, born of enlightened love; merciful and compassionate, embodiment of perfect wisdom; begotten in Eternity, beyond Time and Space. __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ darkness
The Darkness at Year's End
The end of the year,
The Holidays, The worst of times To be alone Staring at the walls Inside our minds, Wishing it were spring, Knowing it is not When you open your eyes, Leaving you to wonder
Where the fuck did it all go wrong? Lisa Jain Thompson
December 2006
that was cheery ....
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^^\/\/\/\/^^ Behold, a small star from the Heavens descends to the Earth,
With Light more brilliant than the Sun. It comes to dwell in the Hearts of the children of men, and these hearts are the foundation upon which is built the Eternal City, New Jerusalem. __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ Christmas song
Letters Home
Everyone is plumping up for Christmas,
Eating their fill of cookies, cake, and sweets, Everyone wants some snow on Christmas morning, Just like the ones our Grandma claims she's seen. There'd be sleigh bells, Jimmy Stewart
Alive on the screen, There'd be miracles daily on 34th street; There'd be white people, and Bing Crosby Singing those holiday fantasies, There'd be BB guns under our Christmas trees. Everyone is getting up for Christmas,
Wrapping their children's gifts for under the tree, They're hanging monogrammed stockings for Santa, And attending midnight mass so they can sleep. There'll be explosions, and bright bullets,
In Israel and Palestine, There'll be bombers on the streets of Baghdad; There'll be children, and nursings mothers, Who starve to death across Dafur, There'll be wars around the world come Christmas morning. Lisa Jain Thompson
December 2006 __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ I, the fiery life of divine wisdom,
I ignite the beauty of the plains, I sparkle the waters, I burn in the sun, and the moon, and the stars . --Hildegard Von Bingen __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ this might sound familiar
N'Orlins Christmas Eve
(author unknown)
'Twas the night before Christmas
An' all t'ru de house Dey don't a t'ing pass Not even a mouse De chirren been nezzle Good snug on de flo' An' Mamm pass de pepper T'ru de crack on de do'. Den Mama in de fireplace Done roas' up de ham Stir up de gumbo An' make bake de yam. Den out on de by-you Dey got such a clatter Make soun' link old Boudreau Done fall off his ladder. I run like a rabbit To got to de do' Trip over the dorg An' fall on de flo'. As I look out de do' In de light o' de moon I t'ink "Manh, you crazy Or got ol' too soon." Cuz dere on de by-you W'en I stretch ma' neck stiff Dere's eight alligator A pullin' de skiff. An' a little fat drover Wit' a long pole-ing stick I know r'at away Got to be ole St. Nick. Mo' fas'er and fas'er De 'gator dey came He whistle an' holler An' call dem by name: "Ha Gaston! Ha, Tiboy! Ha, Pierre an' Alcee' Gee, Ninette! Gee Suzette! Celeste and Renee!" "To de top o' de porch To de top o' de wall Make crawl, alligator An' be sho' you don' fall." Like Tante Flo's cat T'ru de treetop he fly W'en de big ol' houn' dorg Come a run hisse'f by Like dat up de porch Dem ole 'gator clim! Wit' de skiff full o' toy An' St. Nicklus behin'. Den on top de porch roof It soun' like de hail W'en all dem big 'gator Done sot down dey tail. Den down de chimney I yell with a bam An' St. Nicklus fall An' sit on de yam. "Sacre!" he axclaim "Ma pant got a hole I done sot ma'se'f On dem red hot coal." He got on his foots An' jump like a card Out to de flo' Where he lan' wit' a SPLAT! He was dress in musk-rat From his head to his foot An' his clothes is all dirty Wit' ashes an' soot. A sack full o' playt'ing He t'row on his back He look like a burglar An' dass fo' a fack. His eyes how dey shine His dimple how merry! Maybe he been drink De wine from blackberry. His cheek was like a rose His nose like a cherry On secon' t'ought maybe He lap up de sherry. Wit' snow-white chin whisker An' quiverin' belly He shook w'en he laugh Like de stomberry jelly! But a wink in his eye An' a shook o' his head Make my confi-dence dat I don' got to be scared. He don' do no talkin' Gone straight to his work Put playt'ing in sock An' den turn wit' a jerk. He put bot' his han' Dere on top o' his head Cas' an eye on de chimney An' den he done said: "Wit' all o' dat fire An' dem burnin' hot flame Me I ain' goin' back By de way dat I came." So he run out de do' An' he clim' to de roof He ain' no fool, him For to make one more goof. He jump in his skiff An' crack his big whip. De 'gator move down An' don' make one slip. An' I hear him shout loud As a splashin' he go "Merry Christmas to all 'Til I saw you some mo'!" __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ Underneath all the texts, all the sacred psalms and canticles,
these watery varieties of sounds and silences, terrifying, mysterious, whirling and sometimes gestating and gentle must somehow be felt in the pulse, ebb, and flow of the music that sings in me. My new song must float like a feather on the breath of God. --Hildegard Von Bingen
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^^\/\/\/\/^^ promise for a new year
The Poet’s Need
Across the ocean of time and stars
I gather light from a sea of forgetfulness,
The poet’s need to take us home again To set the human soul afire And o’er leap these seductive earthen walls That threaten to entrap us in honey’d safety. Lisa Jain Thompson
December 2006 __/\/\/\/\__
^^\/\/\/\/^^ PEACE
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^^\/\/\/\/^^ Copyright © Lisa Jain Thompson 1995-2007. Further distribution of this newsletter in its entirety is authorized. Email your letters and postcards or visit her contact page at the Starpoet website. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 25 December 2006 ) | |
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