Photo: istockphoto.com
“Hope is passion for what is possible.” Soren Kierkegaard
Those days, when life seems
constrained somehow
to small spaces of feeling
in the midst of the hurried
affairs of feet rushing past,
in my waiting,
in my knowing,
audacious confidence
burns into my skin as
my words come back to me,
that hope comes from struggle.
©Paul Vincent Cannon
Paul, pvcann.com
Filed under community, Free Verse, life, mindfulness, poem, quote
Anticipation – Word of the Day
The trail is always interesting, and none more so than the bend, and the turn obscurred somewhat by nature, this time by rocks. There’s nothing like anticipation!
We wait for first experiences, that first conscious Christimas or birthday gift, that first kiss, sex, romance, a competition, having a child, catching a fish, flying, swimming, the perfect shiraz (just saying), anticipation plays its part in the build up to the doing or participating thereof. Sometimes we are disappointed (here I think of politics), sometimes we are ecstatic, but yet the anticipation itself is the delicious part. Albert Camus once wrote: “We need the sweet pain of aniticpation to tell us we are really alive.” For some of us that sweet pain is wonderful, a sting of joy. And sometimes the anticipation is far better than the very thing we arrive at, and perhaps that is learned behaviour, that anticipation is better than disappointment, yet for some us – you can’t beat the excitement, the rush of it. I wonder that there are some anticipation junkies out there?
What is harder to anticipate overall is human response. Perhaps our expectations of others are unrealistic? To return to the disappointment of politics, it seems that the individual one votes for and anticipates representation by, is crsuhed under the weight of the party machine which steals whatever it was we anticipated. The partner we pursued in love did not respond as we anticipated. The expectations we place on our children are weighty too.
I think anticipation is a positive thing in and of itself, the energy we engage in living it is life giving, especially when we are engaging with some of the more creative and positive aspects of life. Anticipation also trumps cynicism, and apathy any day, and can build a sense of hope. There’s always a bend in life obscurred, so dream a little, plan some, and live. I can’t wait …
“The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting.” Andy Warhol
And Carly Simon singing her song Anticipation
Paul,
pvcann.com
Filed under bush walking, life, mindfulness, quote
Another shot of one of my many favourite spots – Boranup Forest. This a Karri Forrest in Western Australia’s South West corner. The additional beauty of it is that it is a re-growth forest. All the woodlands of Western Australia’s southern half were depleted from the time of the arrival of the first while colonists and into the 1960s, when people became more aware of the damage and danger instripping our forests, and the fragility of life in some the biospheres.
Trees were cut down in swathes for fire-wood, railway sleepers, locomotive and stationary engine fuel, building materials, and simply stripped out to provide farming land. Land 400 kms east of Perth was decimated in the harvest of timber for the railways and private consumption, as well as the highly prized market for sandalwood. Photographs of the era show depleted vegetation for hundreds of kilometres in every direction. Much of this is now State Reserve and regrowth has been successful.
MC Davies was the principal mill owner and operator at Boranup from 1886 – 1910, Karri was logged and milled for local and international export. The operation ceased in 1910, but not before massive clearing of the ancient forest had left it decimated. Farming was introduced where the forest was cleared, but in the 1920s the State government encouraged a regrowth forest, the results of which we see today. Amazing really, this forest is only 107 yrs old, and yet it looks like it’s been there for a lot longer.
This regrowth forest is also saying something else. As humans we have the capacity for blind, selfish, consumption. We also have a wonderful capacity to help heal our natural environs. For me, the various regrowth forests are a sign of hope, that we can make it in the scramble to halt global warming and work with climate change. If we can manage to sucesfully establish a regrowth forest, then surely there is much more we can put our minds to and achieve. The regrowth forests are, for me, a metaphor for the regrowth of our relationship with all life forms. when we regrow or restore or heal relationships of all forms, we in turn grow, and are also restored and healed. There is a mutuality and vitality, a flourishing, when we respect other forms of life.
Paul,
pvcann.com
Filed under bush walking, Country, environment, life, mindfulness
(Photo: i.pinimg.com Maria Berseneva Photography)
Steam Punk is a sub-genre of science fantasy/science fiction, but is more commonly referred to as speculative fiction. It combines 19th century art and design forms, clothing in particular, with elements of steam powered machinery, and other mechanics of that era. It is, in short, a design aesthetic. Steam Punk proposes an alternative 19th century history, and is therefore anachronistic, often set in Victorian England or the “Wild West”of America. Its philosophy is a combination of Victorian industrial progress and the hope of the 19th century art and literature. There’s a slogan that is used in Steam Punk circles – “This is what the past would have looked like if the future had happened sooner.”
It has been used in film, ‘Cowboys and Aliens’, ‘Wild, Wild West’, ‘Van Helsing’, ‘Hellboy.’ There are elements in the historical episodes of Dr. Who, and in the literature of Jules Verne
As with Cyber Punk and Cosplay, the costumes are a matter of personal taste and design.
I love the creativity of those engaged with the costumery, it fires the imagination, and I can see its appeal. I could look at this stuff for hours.
But my Steam Punk wouldn’t be Steam Punk, nor would it be a romanticised version of some era, though it would be a combination of eras and hopes, and therefore framed idealistically. My alternative history would be based around eschewing violence, all violence, from sexual, to gender, to poltical, playground (not sure if there’s a difference there), domestic, class, environmental, and well, violence. I want to see creative costumes of compassion, respect, care, inclusion and integrity. I want industrial strength love of all kinds. I want costumes that shout justice and mercy.
Johnny it's Rotten punked, but not forgotten the blossom weeps ©Paul
Paul,
pvcann.com
Filed under art, community, history, life, Philosophy/Theology
Early morning somewhere between Norseman and Widgiemooltha, heading north, it’s autumn, dark rain clouds have covered the sunrise. And as I’m driving along dodging roos and brumbies, and road trains (one which passed me when I was doing over 120), and then there was this. There was no safe place on the road to pull over, and I knew this wouldn’t last long, so I was a fortunate this farm gate was open and I parked in there to soak it up for a few minutes. A revelation on so many levels. Something divine, something natural, a special moment in time, the sun finally finding this gap through the rain clouds, signs of hope, a lot of thoughts running through my head. A revelation.
pvcann.com
Filed under life
I must admit to an aspiration, I am looking for a global citizenry. I say aspiration because although I seek it, hope for it, pray for it, it may be many centuries (not-with-standing certain eschatologies) before we could begin to achieve that in non-political, religious, commercial ways. call me an idealist, but how wonderful it would be to wake up to a world without diminished tribalism and selfish individualism. Local identity is important in so much as we can have personal identity, transact culturally, build community etc., but if it becomes a tribalism we devolve to territorialism and become defensive and inwardly focussed. If we could look to a world community and be outwardly focussed I suspect we might just develop workable relationships fro all the key issues that affect every people group.
Filed under Uncategorized
 | pvcann on She Knew – a poem by Pau… |
 | Rupali on In Winter – a poem by Pa… |
 | lync56 on In Winter – a poem by Pa… |
 | Liz Gauffreau on In Winter – a poem by Pa… |
 | Astrid's Words on Days Like That – a poem… |
¡Gracias por pasarte! :)
Easiest GF DF recipes that ANYONE can prepare. No BS.
Gonna fill this page with breathings of my heart 💞
Welcome to my personal blog site. I see myself as a free thinker, life explorer, and wisdom collector. Some of my favorite subjects are psychology, philosophy, relationships, society, reading, writing, technology, and lifestyle.
Climate Change
this love fairy fell in love with her ghost
A Love Affair With The Past
Writing, blogging, journaling
Tales from the Life of a Lost Soul
¡Gracias por pasarte! :)
Easiest GF DF recipes that ANYONE can prepare. No BS.
Gonna fill this page with breathings of my heart 💞
Welcome to my personal blog site. I see myself as a free thinker, life explorer, and wisdom collector. Some of my favorite subjects are psychology, philosophy, relationships, society, reading, writing, technology, and lifestyle.
Climate Change
this love fairy fell in love with her ghost
A Love Affair With The Past
Writing, blogging, journaling
Tales from the Life of a Lost Soul
parallax 