Christmas 2011

Looking back over my year in writing, here are a few reflections I have come across:

I break the bread, gladly, willingly even, but I am scared to drink from the chalice of passion. My thirst seems so dangerous and yet so necessary if I am to be a self.

Self-examination is the 'hell' or the valley of fear one must travel through in order to be closer to God. There is no such thing as the good soul that Dante talks about in Canto III. As soon as one chooses self-examination, the pretense of the good soul vanishes, forcing one to look at the sin and darkness of their existence as well as acknowledge their rightful place in hell.

I wonder at the survival instinct of humans. I marvel at our ability to absorb the tragedies of life. I laugh at Despair, ruthlessly attempting to rip me apart. You will not win. My hope absolves my fear.

Gentle words are a tree of life.

To indulge or contain. They seem to counter one another but I am finding they reflect one another. Indulging is necessary only once containment has taken place. Rather than being helpful, one without the other is detrimental and hazardous to one's well being.

No coward soul is mine.

"Honesty reaches up from within you and eventually tattoos itself on your face."

- Tom Pickett, actor in Vancouver

"There are two lines in my music. One line is my sins and the other line is forgiveness."

-Arvo Part

Here's to a Happy New Year.