Kōan Fragments of a Distorted World [2] | Poetry of Mankh |Axisoflogic.com

        “What is there to say?
        The beautiful creatures are going away.”
          - Bruce Cockburn

from his song “Beautiful Creatures [2]

“More Than One Billion Animals Killed in Australia Wildfires Called a 'Very Conservative' Estimate” [3]

The scope of the sadness is challenging to process, what amounts, by numbers, to nearly one-eighth of the entire human population . . . which for one thing goes to prove that humans are out-numbered by animals, by trees, grains of sand and stars, to name a few. Of stars that will remain true, yet of the others . . . ?

Also challenging is the fact that entire countries/areas are at risk, what with Australia’s fires and an earthquake “knocking out power to virtually the entire island [Puerto Rico] of more than 3 million.” [4]

It may seem like Einstein's God is playing dice with the universe yet somehow I think there are cosmic-mundane messages happening, for one at least: Got your attention?!

Yet the geo-political-corporate-media-whirlwind-plex overlooks that at least two of the stories are connected ― Australia fires and Iran, because fossil-fools fuel climate crimes and “US military is a bigger polluter than as many as 140 countries – shrinking this war machine is a must.” [5] and Australia is a huge exporter of fossil fuels. [6]

But hey, not much can get in the way of corporate smiley-face:
“Exxon Mobil Australia tweeted a message to “Stay safe and have fun this new year” on Wednesday, prompting international backlash as people pointed out how the oil giant has contributed to the climate crisis exacerbating the deadly wildfires in Australia.” [7]

Meanwhile, I'm wondering what the Australian Aboriginal Peoples have to say about all this.

Then there's a heads-up regarding potentially coup-tainted lithium from Bolivia going into electric car batteries. Any way you look at it, energy/transportation choices are challenging. 2020 Nissan Rickshaw, anyone?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The solidarity of the throngs of people in the streets of Iran is impressive, yet there, too, living beings are fragilely subject to the perils of mass highly emotional gatherings, as more than 50 people were stampeded to death. [8]

One irony of the USEmpire's demonization of Iran is that for some of recent years, the best-selling poet in America has been Rumi, [9] a 13th century Persian, Sufi master, mystic poet so beloved in Iran that some of those throngs are gathering at Rumi Square.

So it would be bad for book business sales to destroy Iranian cultural sites, as Trump as threatened. Rumi has worldwide appeal beyond imaginary borders and lines in the sand, beyond ideologies and finger pointing, beyond terror and greed and the havoc they wreak.

A few translations of his voluminous writings which were, during his time, written down by scribes, as Rumi spun 'round in a whirling dervish ecstatic state . . . reciting:

“You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.”

“Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom.”

“Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words.”

“Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.”

“There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground; there are a thousand ways to go home again.”

“I know you’re tired but come, this is the way.” [10]

Whether tired, sad, outraged, depressed . . . the stark realities of Fires and Earthquakes and Ice Melts and Floods and Droughts, and of assassinations, are prompting us to, in “a thousands ways” journey “the way.”

NOTES:
[1] with a nod to Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s book "Pictures of the Gone World"

[2] See here.

[3] See here.

[4] “6.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Puerile Rico, killing at least 1 person and knocking out island's power”

[5] See here.

[6] “Australia is third largest exporter of fossil fuels behind Russia and Saudi Arabia”

[7] “Exxon Mobil Australia Blasted For ‘Astoundingly Tone-Deaf’ Tweet Amid Wildfires”

[8] “Deadly stampede erupts at General Suleiman's funeral in Merman”

[9] “The ecstatic poems of Jamal ad-Din Muhammad Ru mi, acclaimed Persian poet and Sufi master born 808 years ago in 1207, have sold millions of copies for the second consecutive year, making him the most popular poet in the US, Nonlinear reported.” “Rumi Best-Selling Poet in US”

[10] “Rumi Quotes” & “55 Great Rumi Quotes to Give You a More Positive Outlook on Life”

Mankh (Walter E. Harris III) is an essayist and resident poet at Axis of Logic. In addition to his work as a writer and small press publisher, he travels a holistic mystic pathway staying in touch with Turtle Island. See his new book of nonfiction with a poetic touch, “photo albums of the heart-mind”.

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