Sore betwixt soul

The stars stare back, blinking their unceasing eyes. The willow to my fore blows gently in the late summer breeze amidst a backdrop of a bright full moon. These, my own, pauperous eyes will soon close only to open on a new day. As I do close these eyes, my thoughts are stolen to where is this half to complete the whole? What sunsets has it to tell of? Tale is told of the two who returned once one. The twain is for benefit of man that more may be healed. But what good am I if longing for the whole?

Long time, no see

So it's been nearly two years since my last post and I guarantee no other post to come soon after as I often have a hard time conveying my thoughts in script. The cozy feeling of fall has set upon my heart and fond memories brew from the moments of peaceful reflection. Maybe I'll be changing jobs soon. My work is hit hard by the economy and the new technology I've been working on may linger only a little longer with so little profitable prospective. My aunt has promised to whisper a good word in the ears of her fellows at the local train yard in regards to a recent opening for an engineering internship. Much the change will be and sad the parting of my precious machines but to survive this downturn many hard decisions may be made.
Nienke, I'm so jealous and don't let anyone call you a laowai or they'll deal with me >.< lol

The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

Picked the book up in the early afternoon. Couldn't put it down and have just finished it after a 6 hour binge reading. Wonderful book, a must read.

The story follows a Spanish shepherd boy named Santiago whose dream was always to travel and see different people and cultures. Since he was a boy, he was used to being a shepherd and taking care of his sheep; but still, his desire never went away . Santiago goes to an old gypsy woman to interpret the dream he has had for two nights in a row. The gypsy tells him that his dream is telling him to look for a treasure buried at the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Santiago doesn't really believe her but she tells him if he does find the treasure he must give one tenth of it to her.

He agrees and goes on his way. He sits down on a bench to wait until the sun goes down and takes out his book when an old man named Melchizedek, who calls himself the old king of Salem, sits down right next to him. He teaches him the basics of searching for his dream and about the Personal Legend. Santiago decides to travel towards the pyramids in search of his dream. As he sets off towards the pyramids, Santiago learns that he will have to sacrifice a lot of things to get there. So he sells his sheep and begins his journey. At first he did not know where he was traveling until he arrived in Tangier, Africa. There he is robbed of his money by a thief. However, he meets a crystal merchant in the streets of the marketplace. They become good friends and the merchant allows the boy to work for him.

Within a year, the boy inspires the crystal merchant to change things in his shop. As a result, more customers come by to purchase more crystal and business improves so much that Santiago receives enough money to cover his loss. Eventually, Santiago leaves and begins his journey home. En route, he meets a group of people, including an Englishman who searches for knowledge about alchemy and a two-hundred-year-old alchemist, as they begin to march through the desert in a caravan towards the Pyramids. The Englishman's words inspire Santiago to continue his search for the treasure and join the caravan. After a few months, they arrive at an oasis in the middle of the desert. There, he meets a girl named Fatima, with whom he eventually falls in love. The boy believes that he has found his treasure, as he is in love, and wants to stay with his lover and the people he has just met for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, a war is raging around the oasis. A masked stranger on his horse, reveals himself to be the Alchemist, and begins asking the boy questions on alchemy.

After a day of warfare, the boy sees the Alchemist at sunset, who tells him to pack up and travel with him away from the oasis to the pyramids. After Santiago and the alchemist leave the enemy camp, they stop at an old church near the Pyramids to use the kitchen.After receiving the gold, the boy and the alchemist go their separate ways and Santiago makes it to the Pyramids within three hours. As he listens to his heart, it eventually cries with joy because he has finally made it. The boy begins digging, but is attacked by some muggers. They beat him almost to death. After the boy claims he is digging for treasure one of the muggers reveals he had a dream of a buried treasure himself, thinking it was nothing. The boy knew the place the mugger described and later digs up the treasure.

Moya Brennan-Always

This poor old heart broke to hear this song.

Humanity

"We are humans of the world and we search for humanity." -Justitia

Am I humane? Am I lacking? My eyes turn skyward, at the sky enveloping us all, and yet...
Bitterness and grief can get the best of us, can leave us broken until we justify any and all actions that are inhumane. Where is my compassion, where then is my empathy? Like the shooting star our life briefly shines leaving little to show for our visit.

Love, sympathy, grief, and sorrow. The willingness to hold out a helping hand or the wisdom to refrain, profoundly a small fragment of what it means to be human.

If you could hie to Kolob

Much I could get into, on Kolob. Modern pop trivia, historical/religious theory, but what I find important is the ideal that there is an ancient eternal place beckoning me home. For those who trully know me, they will realize that my wanderings are because I have no home. My heart is without roots and therefore I drift upon the currents and the winds. This home I seek is summed up in song.

1. If you could hie to Kolob In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward With that same speed to fly,
Do you think that you could ever, Through all eternity,
Find out the generation Where Gods began to be?

2. Or see the grand beginning, Where space did not extend?
Or view the last creation, Where Gods and matter end?
Me thinks the Spirit whispers, “No man has found ‘pure space,’
Nor seen the outside curtains, Where nothing has a place.”

3. The works of God continue, And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter; There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit; There is no end to race.

4. There is no end to virtue; There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom; There is no end to light.
There is no end to union; There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood; There is no end to truth.

5. There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.
There is no end to glory; There is no end to love;
There is no end to being; There is no death above.

Life's Golden Moments

The time are grizly or rather this is the world presented to us. Rumors of war, and mumblings of conspiracy bombard our senses. What little wander, the apathy of our republic. Doom is upon us, and skies darken as the last hope is crushed from our breast. This is a crock of shit! The sun still shines, people still care, and the future will brighten. Downtown, at Coolidge Park, the community gathers to play an impromptu game. The children delight at the sport of fathers fumbling for a ball on the lush green lawn. Mothers hold down the fort setting out afternoon treats. Strangers all with but a golden moment common.

With propaganda, and warmongering, it is easy to get down on the human condition. Nothing more than ants crawling the globe, we have but to remember; we are human. This is both our curse and our blessing. Go out and see the sun for what it is. See hope when despair threatens all. See the delight in a child's eyes, and love of their parents. For good and for bad, we are here.