It’s another Sunday, another week for the history books, another week of tragedies and triumphs, truths and lies, smoke and mirrors, all fueled by our amazing technology that blasts it all uncensored into our living rooms, cars and earbuds.

Try as we may to avoid it, by taking a break, diverting our attention to blue skies, baby’s breath, wild flower-speckled fields and la-la-la happy thoughts, it is impossible to completely shut the monster we have created down. Even in moments of sublime zen the cacophony rages relentlessly on, its mesmerism droning like a train wreck. We cannot turn away once it has dipped a toe into our shuttered hearts.

I believe those of us who live live’s of good will and gentle intentions, who are most horrified, should fight our aversion and take it all in, letting it rip our souls asunder. Not because we are masochists, but because only the meek are promised earth’s inheritance. The drowning do not realize they are drowning once instinct kicks in. Fierce survival takes over causing the victim to flail and fight for air, taking even their rescuer down under with them.

It is wishfully indulgent of me to think I can avoid it. But with feet firmly planted on dry land I am compelled again and again to offer my hand in rescue. The greatest tragedy is that some will refuse my hand to be swallowed into the abyss.

These are wild and weary times for so many of us. May those of us who still have embers of hope left in our hearts fan the flames and not be afraid to let our light shine.

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 21 August 2016

remember without lingering
and don’t get too comfortable here
evil lurks in carry-ons
of souls longing for warmth
and fiery sun glows red at cusp of day,
people get jumpy
had a mind for something sweet
fire and ice collide
‘tis mesmerism
breaks my heart to see it like this
let’s leave this withering world and stroll along the ancient path to eden’s sacred garden…

kat

The Shi Sai, (formerly known as a ReVerse) is a new form I came up with during Poetry Month in April 2016. I’ve actually been writing shu sai for years but was inspired to give it a prooer name. It is a poem created by taking one line of verse from several poems of an author’s own collection. The shi sai is done as a review of a series or collection of poems and therefore, each line should flow in chronological order of the dates the poems were written (from oldest to new). The lines chosen should be the author’s favorite from each poem. This form works best if the author resists the temptation to read the full new poem before all the verses have been added. (It helps one to resist the impulse to change a line to make it “fit”.