to appreciate the delusion you must understand the nightmare
comprehending what veil needs to be penetrated
piercing that veil with dignity and awareness for certainty
be confident that the delusion is not real....

Brian Hill - 2020 # 173

cold rainy day
thinking about living life
intentionally

the mind, a sponge
soaking up stimuli
I bring into my world.

the heart, a soft pillow
welcoming everyone
even the nasties.

the body, a temple
serving me tirelessly
without expectation.

the soul, an observer
wondering when i’ll come to
my senses.

I close my eyes and pray. I hope we see the day,
That all this **** wastes away.
I try to contemplate the same reason I stayed. Hoping not to be afraid.
We empty the soil of our lifeless graves. And still we're the still the same.
Yeah, I know we've had enough.
Oppressors with handcuffs,
Professors that ****** us and the school system that kills us.
I realize that this corruption always was.
But now in this time all the lifeless cries are adding up.
Unarmed. And dead.
The trauma in our heads, The damage said.
TRAYVON MARTIN Walking home when Zimmerman shot him.
KEITH SCOTT Sitting in car, reading.
Shot and killed, bleeding,
ATATIANA JEFFERSON Looking out her window,
Shot by police who was supposed to be protecting her though
JORDAN EDWARDS Riding in a car.
Shot in the head by police went way too far
JONATHAN FERRELL Asking for help after auto accident. Shot twelve times by police,
Facts I can't stand. This should not be our reality
STEPHON CLARK Holdng a cellphone.Things you can't condone.
Shot 8 times It is a extreme crime. Officers not charged. a unjustice at large.
AMADOU DIALLO While taking out wallet, screamed stop it.
Four officers fired 41 shots,  another death added to the profit
RENISHA MCBRIDE Auto accident, This **** I can't stand.
Knocked on door for help. Another perceived racist added to the shelf
Homeowner was found guilty of second-degree ******.
You can't change the past just know how he hurt her
TAMIR RICE Playing with toy gun, no justice for someone's son
Shot and killed by police officer arriving on scene.
Yeah you may not believe it. but it happened see it
SEAN BELL Hosting a bachelor party, this is our reality
50 rounds fired by police officers, who were found not guilty.
Another sin you don't see
WALTER SCOTT Pulled over for brake light,
Shot in the back by police officer who lost his mind.
Another unjust on civil rights
PHILANDO CASTILE Pulled over in car, this went too far.
Told officer he had a legally registered weapon in car.
Shot and killed. No justice instilled
AIYANA JONES  Sleeping, shot and killed by officer in a raid on the wrong apartment.
Justice has lost it. Officer cleared of all charges.
TERRENCE CRUTCHER Disabled vehicle, another death of the people.
Shot and killed. No way to heal
ALTON STERLING Selling CDs, shot at close range while being arrested.
No justice. We can't make sense of this
FREDDIE GRAY Beaten to death while in police custody.
Another way of the oppressed, can't you see
JOHN CRAWFORD Shopping at WalMart,  where are our hearts
shot and killed for holding a BB gun on sale,
Again no justice and sin prevailed
OSCAR GRANT Handcuffed and face-down, officer shot him in the back.
Not even carrying a strap. sadness in its wraps
AHMAUD AUBREY Jogging, Heart stopping just cause of perceived injustice.
Jaw dropping but it doesn't end there
GEORGE FLOYD. Killed by officer who made sin his choice
Hate we can't avoid but one thing we can deploy is the truth.
That these are people too.
Say their names and reconize the pain

A vision yet to be defined
An eye to see beyond
A knowledge very hard to decline
An eerie feeling filling up

but it was all true reality

                and

                        you

The moment when, after many years
of hard work and a long voyage
you stand in the centre of your room,
house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,
knowing at last how you got there,
and say, I own this,

is the same moment when the trees unloose
their soft arms from around you,
the birds take back their language,
the cliffs fissure and collapse,
the air moves back from you like a wave
and you can't breathe.

No, they whisper. You own nothing.
You were a visitor, time after time
climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.
We never belonged to you.
You never found us.
It was always the other way round.

from Poetry of Presence An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems

Do cover your cough or your sneeze,
Dispose of hankies safely please.
Wash your hands immediately,
With soap and water thoroughly
For twenty seconds if not more,
And more frequently than before.

Disinfect ‘oft used surfaces,
Refrain from touching your faces,
Leave space between you and others;
At least six feet or two metres.
Stay at home where safe you shall be
To best protect your family.
The governments guidance obey
And “flatten the curve” we just may.

On each of us there’s an onus
To stop the spread of this virus;
We’re in this together truly,
Do your part! Act responsibly!

She’s smiling.
That soft smile,
Like a whisper of hope
In a world drained of light.

She’s laughing.
A mix of all kinds,
Like a chorus of bells
After the church wedding.

She’s speaking now.
Her voice,
Like a sail or a stream of smoke,
Caught up in the wind.

Here he comes
His strides,
Like ticks of a time bomb
Set within her peace.

She’s silent
Her mouth,
Like a vault full of riches
Is in lock-down.

She laughs,
But it’s bruised,
Like the bulged knuckle
Of his left ring finger.

She smiles,
But it is dull,
Like their worn rings clashing
Upon their linked hands.

They walk away,
Neither happy,
But she will stay in those arms;
the ones that grip her too firmly.