From the open publishing newswire: She leads me

The madness surrounds me.
Wild, crazed, violent
madmen, berserkers
of greed, power
and blood lust continue
their antediluvian creed
of slash, loot, rape and burn.

Taking my hand, She
leads carefully through
forgotten forests into the
highlands of an unfamiliar youth.
Here, underneath the gentle
music of dragonfly wings
lives the cool still waters of remembrance.
.....

NOTE: Be sure to read the rest of this poem in the "Read More" link.

From the open publishing newswire: I pass by this field every day on my way home. It's not important which one it is, it could be any field. It's a rolling, green pasture, sprinkled with spring flowers and bursting with rich, green grasses. There's a pear tree out in the middle, and a stream running through it. On one side, it runs along the river, and often geese gaggle along the shore, haughtily daring anyone to come too close. This time of the year, there are often eagles sitting in the trees near the shore. This is a beautiful and blessed place. But the most conspicuous residents are the cows.

Large, quiet, soft-eyed cows graze the grasses, blink somberly at the geese, and gaze into the fragrant, green light of spring. Heady, heavy thoughts are obviously on their minds. Joyful, spindly-legged calves trot along beside them now, their noses wet with the dew of new life, their eyes full of the wonder of a new day. I love these cows. The mothers and their babies gather in soft communion in the shade of the pear tree, and down along the coolness of the shallow stream. Wisdom and strength reverberate through the bones and hides of these ancient mothers' sturdy bodies, while joy and faith and exuberance ring out from their leaping, wide-eyed progeny.

From the open publishing newswire: Horrible title to have to read today of all days, I know. I've debated long and hard about whether to share this, believe me...

Today is Mother' Day. It is also 15 years to the day of my mother's suicide. I do not offer this bit of information to prompt sympathy or to wrap a cloak of sadness over anyone's day. I do offer this because I have learned first hand how important it is to cherish and embrace the precious gift of time. I also offer this as evidence that it is possible to overcome the most unexpected tragedies and go on to live a life of balance and intent. And maybe I also offer this because there are a couple of people in my life who I love dearly who are struggling to understand why horrible shit has embraced them in the darkest of clouds...

From the open publishing newswire: Tomorrow is Easter, a day to celebrate the turning of the wheel, from decay to resurrection, from winter to spring, from death to life. And in a fitting salute to this ancient Pagan (yes! Pagan!) holiday, the runs are here: The salmon are pulsing through the river again. Life comes surging into the world again with the spring. And with it come the sea lions, gliding through the water with the salmon, as they have for thousands of years.

I can hear them from my window here, barking and trumpeting from the waters as they lounge along the shore, as they gleefully swirl through the water, as they break the grey-green, splashing surface with their whiskered, dog-like faces. I counted four of them this morning, as I walked along the shore. This is good. This is how the spring goddess comes dancing back into the world: She comes with bright blossoms and soft petals and perfumed air. She comes with singing birds and unfurling fronds and awakening earth. And, here in Cascadia, she comes with the salmon and the sea lion.

From the open publishing newswire: I often wonder why any nation would choose war over peace, seems like choosing between chaos and being more human than our parents. It would seem that war would be the exception. The fact that we are at war more often that at peace would indicate a serious flaw in our humanism or that which make us human...

You feed the poor, help the sick, visit the jails and smile at a person who asks you for help. When you help someone ask only that they repay you by helping the next person who may ask them for help. I always try to remember to say that when someone says thanks to me for some favor---it could cause a small revolution...

From the open publishing newswire: The autumn equinox turned the skies nearly a month ago now. Even then, the dry, yellowed grasses waved impassively in the still, warm air. The leaves, while glowing here and there with color, tended to crackle and fall from branches before lighting up the woods. The parched earth gave no indication that the summer had ended. Even the hazy yellow light hung in the air, rather than the crisp, golden light of fall. And we waited, and the world lazily waited. But now, it's autumn.

The first rains came trickling down some days back, and the slugs awakened. The first few wooly bears grubbed across the sun-warmed roadways shortly after. The crickets began chirping in the meadows, and the buzzing, droning, flying things of summer began seeking shelter. Ladybugs and boxelders began appearing on my windows yesterday, searching for the ways inside that all these old houses graciously provide for them. They will climb inside and gather together in great knots, somewhere out of sight, until the spring comes around again. And for now, they will sleep awhile.

From the open publishing newswire: My preferred way of being in the world is optimistic but I have really been struggling these past few weeks. It becomes too easy to see the glass half empty and its contents pain and suffering. The world events easily challenge my basic sense of human decency. But yesterday was such an extraordinary day in Olympia that I am once again seeing the glass filled with light and hope. I headed downtown. As I crossed over the 5th avenue bridge, the salmon were running and the seals were there too.

I attended the weekly peace vigil at Sylvester Park at noon. Normally, there is a just a handful of people. Yesterday, the Japanese Peace Delegation joined, bringing their truth about the horrors of war to Olympia. Buddhists who traveled down from Seattle, whose drumming and chanting called for peace in the world, joined us.

Early that evening, the Citizen's Movement to Impeach Bush/Cheney held an informational meeting on How to Impeach a President. About twenty people came to the library to learn more. People are angry at what is happening to this country and the abuses of the President and Vice President.

From the open publishing newswire: With congressional races heating up in Oregon and around the country, there is a lot of pressure for candidates to "look more religious," or to "talk more about faith." Meanwhile religious leaders want to help get out the vote, but need help navigating the fine line

Today: 11:45am-8:30pm The Benson Hotel: 309 SW Broadway see the full schedule

between civic participation and partisan political activity.

How can the often divisive use of religion in politics be harnessed instead to promote diversity and strengthen our democracy? The Interfaith Alliance is dedicated to providing the very answers to that question.

The Interfaith Alliance is kicking off it's One Nation, Many Faiths, Vote 2006 program in Portland on August 23, 2006 at The Benson Hotel located at 309 SW Broadway. There will be issue trainings and skills building workshops as well as an evening town hall meeting to teach activists, religious leaders and candidates the skills they need to challenge religious political extremism, encourage civic participation, and promote religious liberty.

related: Fast For Peace Unites Religious and Secular Peace Groups | Interfaith Alliance | portland indymedia faith and spirituality page

From the open publishing newswire: 2006 is the 50th year that the Methodist denomination has been ordaining women to full elder clergy positions. On Sunday, Rev. Jeanne Knepper led her North Portland congregation in a special service remembering the struggle to win this access.

Members of the University Park United Methodist Church read from transcripts of the May 7, 1956, meeting of the Methodist "General Conference" during which the vote and deliberations took place. The readers spoke not only the remarks, but also the names and jurisdictions of the speakers, as is tradition in Methodist governance, giving the remembrance a very personal feel.

Rev. Knepper tied the excerpts together with historical details -- including the ironic selection of the hymn that convened the session as it prepared to vote: "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind."

University Park United Methodist Church | UMC Resources for 50 Years of Women Clergy | UM Reconciling Ministries Network | NW Community of Welcoming Congregations

From the open publishing newswire: The Ancient Redwoods are older by centuries than the American Republic itself. They are found only in the northwest coastal region of the nation. They have witnessed this country's birth struggle, its awful Civil War, its rapacious expansion westward, and now, finally, its imperial hubris and rapid decline. By the time the Bush-Cheney Gang gets done ripping the country off (aided by complicit Democrats), the Republic will be a fading memory.

"Man needs...the sense of wonder." - George Orwell

From the open publishing newswire: Over 800 people participated in the Sacred Activism Conference held May 10-13 in Lynwood, WA. Some were activists and others were seeking a way to become more active. Coming from many different wisdom traditions and life circumstances, they shared the beliefs that we are all connected and political activism is the way to create a community, nation and world that reflects our highest selves. Saving the spotted owl and old growth forests is not just about saving those particular living beings but about saving the world for our grandchildren because everything is interconnected and interdependent.

The conference also provided evidence that there is a growing number of Americans who share similar values. Paul Ray calls them the Cultural Creatives and Barbara Marx Hubbard declares we are the New Main Stream. The data show that well over 45% of the voters are disconnected from traditional labels of Democrat and Republican. The data also showed that there is far more agreement on core issues than the media or our political system want us to know. In the so-called Red and Blue states are people in significant numbers who long for meaning in their lives and to provide a safe and caring world for all the children. They share similar views about ecology, limits to growth, planetary survival, elimination of poverty, limiting corporate power in politics and demanding an ethic of social responsibility, enhancing education for all, providing health care for all, and of course, ending this war, and all wars.

From the open publishing newswire: Since it is a fact, that is not often acknowledged or discussed, that the wave of destruction washing over America, and from there over the rest of the planet, has as one of its root causes the activities of the American Church, it seems to me that it is long overdue that the American Church start showing some responsibility and begin doing something to make up for the damage caused by the church.

 http://www.awitness.org

From the open publishing newswire: Another strange phenomena I have noticed lately is that I appear to have established some sort of 'bridge head' within the Christian church. I don't want to make to much of this. Consider the churches of the world to be Europe and Russia together. Well, based on what I have picked up on, I appear to be holding a small patch of beach along the shores of Normandy. Its not much, but its a start.

As I have considered this unusual development, I have become more and more agitated, and my agitation drives me to pick up a keyboard. It is for this reason that I write, not to report on that experiment, since that could wait for Easter, or some weeks after Easter, just depending on how it all works out, but I cannot wait that long.