Comments on: To Gather Up One’s Rage

By: Incognita

Incognita — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:51:28 +0000

Hi Herman, I’m in the same land as Gandhi was! He had his strengths(some incredible ones) and his inevitable weaknesses. Gandhian-style non-violence is not necessarily the perfect solution in every context. Better ones can evolve to cope with changing situations. My country was birthed in the idealism of a new national identity. But also in violence and bloodshed arising from the petty tussles for power and capitulating to egos. Which is not to say that it isn’t an amazing country, but we live with the fact that we are needlessly three countries where we should have been one.(My personal opinion, I know many who’ll disagree). And that far too much blood has soaked Mother Earth in the process of their creation. Stephen’s latest post speaks eloquently and without blinkers about the similar process through which America came into being.

There’s a way of directing rage. Good rage is what drives us. No, it need not explode violently or be destructive. Despite the fact that much of my countrymens’ rage is misdirected and often frittered in meaningless acts, democracy is alive and well in India. As I believe it is in America. And therefore, good(great?) leaders can channel and direct that rage and carry the people with them.

I’m more than familiar with the internal conflicts of the 3 Peoples of The Book. And with the fact that most bitter conflicts are usually within a “family” and these are the toughest to resolve.

I’ll get off my soapbox now!

By: Herman G

Herman G — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:40:46 +0000

“At 29″?

“Peace, Love and Understanding!”

And Reconciliation.

Herman

By: Herman G

Herman G — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:26:54 +0000

Don’t you feel the two-faced side of the message of the above; the awe and admiration of dr. King and the almost non-acceptance of what good also followed of John the Baptist? Because dr. King was a true believer.

In the Koran Jesus is hailed as one of the biggest prophets, and there is talk about the three peoples of the Book, The Jews, The Christians and the Moslems. And yet all this is forgotten by all sides in the present bigger conflict. Bigger and closer than the Global Warming that will happen no matter what we do or don’t.

It is not “rage” leading to violent protests that is necessary NOW. It is the “non-violence” of the kind of Ghandi. All over the world. But especially on “The Hill”.

I do believe that Barack Obama knows two things; He cannot change Wall Street and he cannot stop the Talibans by bombings in Afghanistan. Both groups are going to persue their road to their goals, no matter what victims it takes among the non-participants. And the actors of Wall Street and the Talibans are not location-bound, they are present all over the Globe.

(Where are you?)

But Barack Obama must be seen as if he could, in order to keep up the spirit and courage of his country-men and -women. Because HIS America was and still is is the hope of the World.

May The Force…

It is also yours.

Herman

By: Incognita

Incognita — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:50:54 +0000

Herman I’m sure this poem came to your mind also because of the theme of this post.
“Martin Luther King risked everything to gather up that rage to try to use it to hew that mountain.”

And the lines in the poem:

“Good rage. Burn us to the ground.
Good rage. So little good seems
to have come of John the Baptist
and what followed. Your grandfather
loved John the Baptist. Wept and sung
his words and went too easily
into their good night
which I won’t do.”

By: Incognita

Incognita — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:45:03 +0000

I eagerly look forward to the new poems.

My favorite line from “At 25″
“I witnessed you suck
that first breath in and turn
as white as snow on top
of Everest. Pure. Pure.”

The miracle of the first breath, the pure innocence of the newborn, the snow-white slate we all start our lives on. ]

I like the choice of Everest. A sense of the divine and mystical(Everest is revered as sacred,) the heights you dream your child will rise to, snow unsullied by footprints, challenges of the unknown and unexplored. Is there a story behind it?

I’ve so many thoughts around your video reading Communion. Wish I had more time.

By: stephen

stephen — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:27:09 +0000

Thank you. In the past few weeks I’ve started writing poetry again. We’ll see where it all leads…

By: Herman G

Herman G — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:28:00 +0000

When reading your citation T.S. Eliot’s ““I grow old, I grow old/…” I can’t help thinking of one of the best poems about age, both one’s own and that of one’s offspring, that I have read: “At 25″.