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<blogEntries>
<blogEntry id="4768">
	<title><![CDATA[Spring]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Spring

Only half way there
my strength, spent
the widest part of the river
was yet to cross

The current, strong
my will, fading
until all that remained
was the other half of the journey

As stubborn as a mule on a mid summer afternoon
nothing left to do but cross
I turned back only for a moment
just enough to say goodbye

The distance traveled seemed so far 
as I wished with all my might
a gentle breeze upon all that was
sent with the speed of a stormy gale

Dissipating only upon arrival
harmony restored
the continuum of practice
in the dojo of life

Where one ends
the other begins
behind, a cold harsh winter
ahead, Spring



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KJL1Tah_40


Linda - thank you for your recent response regarding the writer's forum...a few other folks also expressed interest so I'll send Jun an email and he can make the decision he thinks is best for aikiweb...either way, thank you for sharing your beautiful blog.


Wishing everyone a wonderful Spring.


M]]></body>
	<date>03-17-2013</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4692">
	<title><![CDATA[Aiki Writers Forum?]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[... In regards to writing, I was thinking about asking Jun to open a new Forum category for Aiki writers.  It would be a place to park, share, explore processes, projects, insights, challenges, post tools, resources, joys of writing, agony of editing etc.  It would be a space to discuss/explore various types of publications, books/articles/essays/ memoirs, practice logs, fiction/nonfiction....Would that be helpful for Aiki Writers?   Linda, do you think folks in your Mirror group might be interested? Mathew also mentioned he was interested in exploring writing...can other writers weight in?

I don't want to ask Jun unless we have folks who would actually use it... 


Peace and Light,


Marium]]></body>
	<date>01-04-2013</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4690">
	<title><![CDATA[Happy New Year!]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Happy New Year everyone!  


We all know life has valleys....it makes the summit that much sweeter...so whatever may be on your path, may laughter, peace and joy accompany your journey.......Enjoy putting on YOUR RITZ!  



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KgoapkOo4vg


Peace and Light,


M]]></body>
	<date>01-04-2013</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4679">
	<title><![CDATA[The Crossing]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[The Crossing (O Siyeza)

Soon, the time will come
to discuss gun control and mental illness
acceptance and perhaps the consequences of rejection

For new laws 
and action plans
but for now can we refrain?

Pausing to offer
prayer and reverence
as they cross into the Light


*Diana, it is my deepest honor that you liked and shared the Casualties of War piece.  Sometimes an image comes to me and if I give it space, it reveals its story...I just get to write it down...all this to say, sometimes the process is equally surprising/chilling for me too...Anyway, in 1996, while teaching in S. Africa, I attended the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Hearings in Cape Town and Joburg.  Apartheid ended in '93 so I came three years into the new era but the wounds of Apartheid were still very fresh for the country.  During that time, I met many survivors of Apartheid and witnessed hundreds of their testimonies.  It was all too evident that all human beings carry the ability to do great good and terrible ill.... it is the duality of human nature....Ultimately it all comes down to choices.   The testimonies shared by the survivors of Apartheid were beyond any horror most of us can ever imagine.  However, time after time, the survivors FORGAVE.  When asked, they sought only what they needed...a proper burial, school fees for the children that remained, food, medical expenses etc.  One woman wanted only medical care to remove the bullet lodged in her vagina after the perpetrators raped and shot her....Yet, time and again, there was forgiveness in the hearts of the survivors... working in Nicaragua and West Africa, living in Pakistan as a child, I saw the same human spirit...Apartheid,  Sandinista Revolution, poverty after colonization, religious abuse through it all, the human spirit stumbles and falls but we rise, time and again, we rise.   Because anger rises, pain rises, suffering rises BUT love rises higher...it is unfortunate that in a world with so much human life is lost daily to violence and poverty...but from out of the darkness, the Light shines on...

In Aikido, our Sensei teaches that uke and nage are one, a part of one wave, one flow....and harmony is constantly being restored by the choices we make...She empresses upon us that a true Samurai believes in the way of peace and honors all life, fighting only if absolutely necessary...Ultimately, we can not control the choices other people make but we can certainly chose the way of peace...

...soon the time for “action”  and “change”...but for now I hope we can put our energy towards honoring their crossing into the Light...Jonny Clegg wrote this song for his friend who was killed in S. Africa...the song is about the crossing of the spirit from our world into that which is beyond our world.....eventually, our nation and perhaps the world can grapple with the issues of mental illness, gun control, the importance wellness and community etc...the time for action will indeed come but for now, I hope we can take time to honor all the Light in this situation...honor the many teachers and staff who were true heroes...the Light is ALWAYS there....the Light is never diminished by the existence of darkness...so before we jump into action plans I hope we just give reverence to life itself and honor the lives lost in whatever way...prayer/meditation/hope etc... Ultimately, we will have to allow anger, pain and suffering to subside and make way for forgiveness and healing so peace can be restored...otherwise, we commit ourselves to a perpetual state of pain....we have to let go...in order to move forward...much the same as Sensei teaches us about throws she says “you have to let go”



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hCJn60egyI



Peace and Light,


Marium]]></body>
	<date>12-18-2012</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4677">
	<title><![CDATA[Casualties of War]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Casualties of War

There is nothing civil about this perdition that shackles me
days on and off the battle field churn slowly like years
entrenched under this quivering canopy 
nothing is sturdy in this wretched landscape

Outside, the once green prairie grass is engulfed by blood mud
inside, the strained voices of other nurses
and moaning of patients
blend into one

A loathsome symphony of pain
coming in and out of my perception
as distant cannons and nearing bullets 
drum the sky, shaking out the stars each night

Arms flailing without their rightful bodies 
legs torn, detached from their home
I stitch up what I can and cut off what I can not 
just a few drops of whisky remain

Those arriving in a moment’s notice
will clamp down their pain with a wooden spoon
death does not differentiate
between North and South

The smell of blood is thick, wreaking of iron
my sterilizing bucket, murky with tissue and blood
even the serrated saw seems to be dulling
this war lingers on beyond my contempt of it

I loathe it and the price of freedom
And what of the wedding bands on amputated arms?
The letters stuffed in the pant pockets of amputated legs?
Where do I put these sacred casualties of war?

No hallowed ground has been consecrated for such bereavement	
What will two thousand headstones look like?
as the stains continue to layer on my tattered uniform
I meld into these soldiers that lay in front of me

We become each other’s
I, their sister, mother, friend
I am the last sight upon which they gaze for this lifetime
and as the final moment nears
rapid blinking commences, mostly in disbelief

Some will miss the love of their lives, family, friends
others will miss nothing 
for them,  I am their only hope and witness and they are mine 
as my exhausted candle writes away each starry night
corresponding back to the pile of letters that remain



*I wrote this years ago and it resurfaces every time I think of war...and holidays with war...is this what freedom was fought for??? ....most recently, I am saddened to see the tragedy in Conn.  I pray for the families that have been torn apart and for the pain that must have consumed the perpetrator to have committed such an act..but praying doesn't bring the dead back as my Sensei says...that peaceful choices are the way to a peaceful future...so I ask you this, can we let this tragedy serve to be more mindful of our fellow human beings so that our energy can be a positive impact even on strangers....there is nothing we can do about the choices people make...and mental illness is a serious issue...nevertheless, I'd like to think that maybe, just maybe, some of these tragedies can be avoided if  these pained people just had a sense of acceptance and belonging...I don't have the answers, I am simply saddened by this tragedy...and though I know there are millions of positive things happening everyday, the human loss in Conn. is massive because in addition to the loss of life, their is a silent tragedy of the loss of innocence and childhood for hundreds of children ...I am always hopeful for humanity so I guess it comes down to choices...For God's sake!!!! THIS is not the freedom, soldiers have given their lives for...I'd like to think the human condition has evolved through the ages, but such tragedies show differently....peace and happiness is an inner choice but we all have a role in our journey as fellow humans...I once read that one of the ways the Dali Lama meditates is through breathing in the pains of this world and breathing them out...in effect he uses himself as a human filter realizing that he can not change the behavior/choices of people but that he can indeed do his part to create positive energy in this world...if nothing else...Can we all breathe together in peace today?...breathe positive energy into the world?  ...as these sweet souls make their journey beyond our world, perhaps our prayers/positive energy can help that journey towards the Light? 



Peace and Light,

Marium]]></body>
	<date>12-15-2012</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4663">
	<title><![CDATA[Choices]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Choices

We watch quietly from the summit
celebrating the trek
as the blue yonder reveals
What it wills

Boulders we scaled
become smaller now
disappearing
into the distant trail below

We try to decipher
But can not
what lays just beyond the clouds
Guiding Light comes in many forms

You can stretch it, bend it
still, possibility knows no boundary
as choices appear and reappear
amidst a million rustling leaves

The faint sound of a distant dojo bell
summons practice
we hear and see as we will
in communion with Gaia


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCBBkuN_8so




Peace and Light,


M]]></body>
	<date>11-13-2012</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4651">
	<title><![CDATA[Peripheral vision]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Peripheral vision


Recently, while tucking her in
my daughter turned to me 
"Mama, what happened to your hand today?"
noticing my bewilderment 
she touched the three paper cuts on my index finger
undetected by all others
this wasn’t the first time her Spider Sense tingled


A few weeks ago, she accompanied me to the dojo
watching me ever so intently
little did she know about my back pains
yet when asked of her favorite part
she quickly responded "the backward rolls mama"
somehow knowing
those were the hardest earned


The eyes of children
see and feel ever so completely
as acutely from their peripheral vision
as their center gaze 
where between horizon and sky
all things are seen and experienced
clearly and crisply


Teaching the art of true sight
seeing all dimensions
celebrating every leaf 
with the heart of kami 
until all that is becomes one hum
Nature’s first lullaby


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpqpvGSR3Bg



Peace and light,


Marium]]></body>
	<date>10-23-2012</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4638">
	<title><![CDATA[Communion]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Communion

But for these ancient truths
that linger beyond time
anchoring even the moon
in the darkest hours
of the midnight sky
enduring
is the path of understanding
and the joy it brings

though left to free will
I too could strike
but If we are one
How then, can one half hurt the other?
How does one unsee the sacred in another?
How does the drop separate itself from the ocean
when the ocean is but a drop itself?
and so despite the imminent prelude
in assailant eyes
harmony is restored
before intent sets motion

Still, unable to answer an attack
with an attack
I bow to the Gods that be 
accompanied by silent summits
and humming forests
but for their cairns, I would be lost
knowing that neither strike nor sword
with all its bloody might
can pierce this budo communion

Harmony, barters not
it simply is
the nature of human condition
both hideous and beautiful
be it pin or throw
Nage mind screams to Uke
‘For God’s sake, tap out!’
somewhere between namaste and ubuntu 
where yin and yang
In balance, hold sway.




Marium]]></body>
	<date>10-01-2012</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4615">
	<title><![CDATA[Samurai spirit]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Samurai spirit

A true Samurai honors all life
Does not want to fight
But will die defending honor
And finish the fight 

Chris Stevens 
A fellow former Peace Corps Volunteer
Was that
Believing in the way of peace until his end

The attack, deliberate and committed
His response, deliberate and committed
He died a warrior
Trying to help others evacuate


In the news, in the subway, on the streets
I see the ego of hate daily 
In the same news, in the same subway, on the same streets
I see the light of life daily


The duality of all beings
 In harmony
The great Yin/Yang of the universe
In balance

But today my heart is heavy with the loss of Chris 
There is comfort only in knowing 
Trusting in
Believing in the light

The great harmony and beauty of all life
Is always there
The moon can not shine without the sun
The moon needs the sun, as the sun needs the moon

The moon shines BECAUSE of the sun
And only through the reflection of the moon does the sun assure us that it is still there
Though we can not see when night falls
Teaching us to trust in that which the eye can not see



To believe in peace, amidst war
To live by the light of the universe
To trust in the Way
Celebrate it
Honor it
Defend it
Die for it


Here’s to you Chris...]]></body>
	<date>09-13-2012</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4599">
	<title><![CDATA[Practice]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Practice


Within the incense
Spirit of Budo swirls
as we step in and bow
to all that is 

Sensei's clap
sets the Tao into motion
each of us, a drop
in this sacred ocean

For a moment
the mat becomes a sea of waves
uke, nage blend
two parts of the same sword

Inside the dojo
we practice, practice, practice 
outside the dojo
we practice, practice, practice...]]></body>
	<date>08-22-2012</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="4583">
	<title><![CDATA[this week's practices....]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[...had great practices this week in MMA and Aikido....simply amazing.... 

In aikido, I took my first (hopefully last) accidental kick to the face.....it was a pure accident but painful nonetheless.....for a brief moment nothing but my throbbing nose/face existed, it felt like drinking an entire bottle of a carbonated drink from my nose....not a great feeling...Yet somehow, moving past the pain made practice even more fun...


We tested in MMA tonight...no injuries...but definitely some great moments of laughter...
I got my first black stripe on my white belt (in MMA).  Personally I like practicing just to practice though I do understand and accept that testing has a function...Still, I can't deny that testing brings an awareness of the depth of the ocean, the height of the mountain...a mountain is biggest when seen from the valley..and the only way to reach the summit is to enjoy each step of the hike....


...I'm off to editing my book briefly before calling it a day........someday it will be done....


...peace and light,


M]]></body>
	<date>08-03-2012</date>
</blogEntry>


</blogEntries>