Mythos & Marginalia

life notes; flaws and all

j.g. lewis

original content and images ©j.g. lewis

a daily breath...

A thought du jour, my daily breath includes collected and conceived observations, questions of life, fortune cookie philosophies, reminders, messages of peace and simplicity, unsolicited advice, inspirations, quotes and words that got me thinking. They may get you thinking too . . .

what could be

Believe in the coming day, the opportunities that will come, and the generations to follow.

   What is now is not what will be, and all we had is only a shadow of where we were.

   Evolution happens, no matter how well, or how poorly, we are prepared. If we have not readied ourselves for the times ahead, we may well gain a more meaningful experience by simply maintaining a spirit open to the expansion and contraction of our lungs, and allowing our eyes to wander.

   If we only look straight ahead, we will certainly miss out on uncertain wonders, necessary distractions, and our true potential.

   Breathe and see what could be, and let others notice exactly what you are.

Celebrate the darkness, and the light, that will guide you through another year.

 

© 2017 j.g.l.

nonsense

Conversations, 
ruminations, noise, 
nonsense and  
contradictory advice 
comes with a price .
 
What was said 
and what was  
meant were 
two completely 
different things. 
 
By all means  
say what you mean 
but please try  
your best to mean 
what you say. 

12/08/2023                                                                                                                       j.g.l. 

Mondays are just young Fridays

With the wars, chaos and conflict, and proliferation of hate speech that surrounds all of us right now, it is difficult to subscribe to the familiar mantra espoused in this season: 
Peace on Earth, good will to all men. 
   We can only wonder if this will ever be possible. More so, how have we even believed for so long that it could ever be probable. Globally or locally, peace and good will are notably absent from our lives. 
   Few of us are even in a position where we can affect enough change, and those who have any sort of ability are caught up in fruitless negotiations within the politics of it all. 
   Hatred has too much power 
   Love thy neighbour; who even tries? Locally or globally is anyone attempting? I do not wish to sound pessimistic and know there is nothing I can do personally to resolve the global catastrophes and calamities, but I am going to do what I can to create, or acknowledge, peace in my own little world. 
   In these coming weeks I intend to connect with family and friends who have been there when I needed them. I will reach out, even to those from a distance, to let them know I am thinking of them and what they mean to me. I should have been doing this long ago, and more consistently. I have neglected thanking people when I should have.  
I need to be more thankful. I need to express my gratitude more often than I have been. 
   We can all do such a thing, even if it is something as simple as sending a Christmas card, dashing off an email, or picking up the phone. 
   We can all pick up the peace.
   Yes, there are big problems on this planet we cannot avoid on the news of the day, but by making a daily attempt to reach out to those we care about our world can become a little smaller. 
   I believe we can find our own peace even in the absence of probability. 
   I still believe that peace is possible. 

12/04/2023                                                                                          j.g.l.

 

I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.

j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.

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Where Is Here

Posted on November 26, 2022 by j.g.lewis Leave a comment

In any language, a scream is a scream,

a cry is a cry, and a tear

a tear.

At a sidewalk café or concert hall,

laughter should be laughter, and music

should be heard. In a civilized nation,

life should be lived without fear,

and with the freedom

to enjoy simple pleasures,

to give, and to love, as we do.

 

Think not of them, idealistically, but

of you and of me. Life, and our

civil lives,

now compressed to fight or flight.

In any language, on any night,

thoughts remain

bursting with pain, the

shadow of terrorism rising

again. In every country, our hearts

have been crushed.

 

Restless night, clouded by sorrow and

the news. The images, and views,

the questions,

the why, and why there. Again,

why? Knowing, without question,

it could be anywhere. The streets are

not safe, not tonight, in any country.

Where is here. You cannot see, or

comprehend inhumanity. Not on

that scale, or of that type.

 

In every language, evil lurks, unexpectedly

displaying its brutal cowardice. We cannot

be shocked,

for it happens, on so many levels,

in so many countries, to many people

on too many streets. Blood is blood.

Knives at home, elsewhere guns

or worse. We see it. We know it.

Yet, on a global scale, our minds

are numb.

 

Hatred begets violence, justice benign

against those who chose to

use themselves

as weapons of destruction. We

are not safe, not there, not here.

These damaged souls believe

in what they believe; wholly

and without question.

If there is no understanding,

there is only resistance.

 

Prayers, or a hymn, cannot be offered to

unbelievers, for they will not, or chose not,

to listen.

Guided by spirits, their Gods, and dictators

who know nothing but this atrocious devotion

to another type of mankind. Historically

and now, they cannot know love

or recognize the value of

a human life. For they

cannot be human.

 

Grieving, raging, and still, beneath our

confusion, above our cries for revenge

or retribution,

lies a love, unpronounced but unfolding.

A heartbeat, sympathies and empathy

to the powerless struggles,

in every language. We, as a civilization,

in any nation, must stand

united in our sense of humanity,

and do so with a fortified will.

 

We must continue believing in love,

and hope, charity, and trust,

and peace.

Right now, however, there is so little

to those words. We must have faith,

in what we believe, in every heart,

in every body. Difficult to imagine,

but we must. To deny

this resurgence of compassion

is to give in to all this terror stands for.

 © 2015 j.g. lewis

 

 

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