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Retired from 10 years in the Canadian Navy, and 28 years in the Canadian Diplomatic Service, with postings in Beijing, Mexico City, Sri Lanka, Romania, Abu Dhabi, Guyana, Ireland, Trinidad, and, last but not least, India.

Sunday 20 November 2011

Diminished Responsibility



Her pregnancy, only minutes from term,
gave her the look of a tumbleweed
as she stumbled
through killing December cold.
Sally Ann band on windswept corner
marked the passage of one whose experience
was the cosmic opposite of their celestial joy:
''...crib for His bed
the little Lord..."

With labour pains almost constant
she turned into the alley,
sheltering in the shadow of
a green dumpster, which exhorted
a more affluent society to
"Keep our City Clean."
She squatted as her water broke,
and cursed her most recent companion
for throwing her out
when her condition
invalidated her use to him.
She blasted her last two rocks
in the lifeline of her pipe,
and suddenly
“God!”
it was done.

The investigative team
discovered the icy creche
near the area where
the Paras had found her,
collapsed,
in the street.
The rookie swore
when he opened
the dumpster,
quick tears freezing
on his cheeks,
while in the distance,
the Army concluded their ministry
with "O Holy Night."

The Christmas Tree Box

We have a plywood box that we had made in Abu Dhabi in 1984.  We use for storing our artificial tree purchased at Eaton's West Mall, Nepean, in 1983. We used the box (about 4 ft x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 ft) to take with us in our 15 ft Piranha boat. We had a sponge cushion made so the box could act as a seat. When we left Abu Dhabi for Guyana, we packed our tree in the boat box.
Our tree had a home that lasted until this moment.
We unpacked the tree in Guyana in 1986, 87, and 88.
Dublin was home for two unpackings, in 1989 and 1990.
1991, 1992, 1993 saw the tree unpacked at our house on Orchid Lane, Diego Martin, Port of Spain.
1994 and 1995 saw the festivities at Craig Henry, Nepean.
1996, 1997, 1998, saw the tree unpacked in New Delhi. First at D7/9 Vasant Vihar, then in SQ D2 on the Canadian High Commission compound on Shantipath.
1999 and onwards sees our tree well set in its routine of jumping into the box after the Season is over, and resting quietly, while it thinks of distant Christmases, departed friends and family, and loved ones and family around the world.

Our tree doesn't dream of the baby Jesus, nor choirs of angels.
Our tree doesn't dream of little match girls, or snowmen flying through the air.
Our tree dreams a strong and powerful dream of Peace, and each year when we unpack that tree, Peace prevails throughout Greyhavens.




The Ancient Hippie

The Ancient Hippie
Natraj dances with us all.

Welcome, and Namaste

Greetings fellow travellers,

For you American friends visiting, you will notice that this old Canadian uses Canadian English in this blog: kindly bear with me. As I blog primarily on subjects that are vitally interesting to me, I appreciate all feedback.

As I tend to be a bit of a language usage freak, I will, as required, edit obscenity and rude comments. That said, I welcome your opinions and discussion.

May your Dharma be clear

Peace

"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended:
That you have but slumb'red here,
While these visions did appear."


Puck’s epilogue to A Midsummer Night’s Dream