In The News Today…

A whole lot of nothing happened in the news today.
At least not here…
That anyone told me.

They’re talking about the possibility
of another hurricane
heading for the US.

They’re talking about Ghadaffi
and about how
the porn industry has come to a halt.

Though I don’t think that is
because of
anything to do with Ghadaffi?

They’re talking about lots of sports,
prices rising,
profits of companies falling.

A whole lot happened in the news today
but not so much of interest…
To someone like me.

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A Crack in the World

Your world has a crack in it
where you hide what you don’t want to see.
I didn’t see it as clearly before,
and you might not agree.

Your world has a crack in it.
a refuse center of sorts.
That’s where you stash the uncomfortable,
those thoughts you quickly abort.

Your world has a crack in it
where mistakes you have made go to die.
I didn’t realise it before
but I guess one of them is I.

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31 August: Did you know?

Did you know that it was on this day in 1314 King Håkon V Magnusson moves the capital of Norway from Bergen to Oslo? Or that it was on this day in 1803 that  Lewis and Clark start their expedition to the west by leaving Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 11 in the morning? And on this day in 1895  German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his Navigable Balloon, in 1897 Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope, the first movie projector and in 1920 the first radio news program is broadcast by 8MK in Detroit, Michigan. Also on this day in 1980, after two weeks of nationwide strikes, the Polish government was forced to sign the Gdańsk Agreement, allowing for the creation of the trade union Solidarity, in 1994 the Provisional Irish Republican Army declares a ceasefire and in 1997 Diana, Princess of Wales, her companion Dodi Al-Fayed and driver Henri Paul die in a car crash in Paris.

Some birthdays to remember on this day are William Saroyan, American novelist (1908-1981), Richard Gere, American actor (1949), Anita Moen, Norwegian cross-country skier (1967), Queen Rania of Jordan (1970) and Ted Ligety, American alpine skier (1984).

If you need a reason to raise a glass of bubbly on this day, why not raise it in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales (1961-1997), to celebrate Day of Solidarity and Freedom (Poland), Day of Our Language or Limba Noastra (Moldova) or Independence Day for Malaysia from the United Kingdom in 1957, for Trinidad and Tobago from the United Kingdom in 1962 or for Kyrgyzstan from the Soviet Union in 1991?

For more information on historic events on this day, go here.

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A Modern-day Colony of Volcanoes and Ice

What would it do
to my world view
if China one day owns Iceland?

If my images of
volcanoes
suddenly became rice-land?

I know the economic recess
on Iceland has put an awful stress,
but I hope it’s not too vile of me
to wish for a future more ice than tea?

This piece was scribbled as a response to the reports that a Chinese billionaire is hoping to buy an area 300 square meters (0.3% of the country’s surface) in Iceland for USD 8.8 million with a view to build a tourist resort and golf course. Please note I have nothing against the Chinese and that I’m only poking fun at the preconceptions we have of China as a country of rice and tea.

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One of the Elements: Water

You run like water through my mind.
A bubbly creek in spring.
I wish I could float away with those thoughts
just let my needy heart sing.
I fear I lack the language to
explain how the creek swells and floods.
I fear I lack the ability to
send my pleas to the distant Gods.

You run like water through my mind.
A raging river in fall.
I wish I could tame the torrents’ flow
that you would hear my call.
I fear I lack the capacity to
not panic as I try to cross.
I fear I lack the ability to
not sink with the feeling of loss.

You run like water through my mind.
A never-ending ocean.
I wish I could drown myself in you
and give in with complete devotion.
I fear I lack the beauty and grace
to swim among the dolphins.
I fear I lack just what it takes
to not make us my watery coffin.

This scribble was inspired by the poem ‘Does it flow as it goes?’, by Wyoming Diva. Thank you so very much for being my muse – and such a lovely and warm person!

Please also take a moment to read my previous scribble called Water, about how precious, and under appreciated, water really is.

This is also my entry for Open Link Night Week 7 over at d’Verse Poets Pub.

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Charity and Greed

There’s a link
if you think
about it.
Between need,
greed
and outright pain.
Many people
like to flaunt it
but money
is basically all the same.
If you don’t know how to use it,
how to share,
to spare
those most in need.
What’s the use if we lose
a whole generation
because of one person’s painful greed?

I am actually strangely proud to be Swedish today (again). The IKEA Foundation has just decided to donate USD 62 million to UNHCR and their work in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya where the current African famine poses new threats to the lives of thousands of people. This is reportedly the largest donation received by UNHCR in their 60 year history.

The Swedish founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, has received quite a lot of adverse publicity in his home country lately (though he does live in Switzerland these days), but I am just about naive to believe this is about more than publicity, which leads me back to the “being proud to be Swedish” statement.

Here is a little something I’ve written about the horrible famine on the ‘Horn of Africa’ before.

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