Literary Revelations is thrilled to let you know that we have a new book in the making. It is a spectacular book entitled Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X.Turner and James Welsh. We are delighted to work with such talented authors whose poems are breathtaking.
Please watch this space for more info.
We are pleased to introduce you to C.X.Turner and James Welsh.
C.X. Turner – Bio
C.X. Turner (pen name) is a poet living in the UK, and working as a registered social worker. She writes short-form poems, on a daily basis, and she has been widely published in various journals and anthologies.
C.X.Turner is an active member of the British Haiku Society, always feeling there is more to learn. She enjoys working collaboratively with other poets, doing solo projects, and exploring different art mediums to bring added depth to her writing.
In 2023 she had one of her haiku chosen for the global Golden Haiku Poetry Contest. There were 3,100 haiku received, written by 1,600 people, from 75 countries, and hers was one of the 200 that were selected and printed on colorful signs displayed along some of Washington DC’s most iconic streets in the Golden Triangle neighborhood and posted on the BID website. You can find more info at: GLOBAL HAIKU CONTEST ATTRACTS POEMS FROM DC TO AUSTRALIA AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN – Golden Triangle and Golden Haiku Poetry Contest –Golden Triangle.
In 2022 C.X. Turner had three individual short-form poems nominated by three different Journal editors for The Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems, The Haiku Foundation.
You can find C.X. Turner on Twitter @lover_poetic
Short poems by C.X. Turner
wearing a little of your summer daisy chain
(first published in Frogpond 45:3, Autumn 2022)
*
in the bend above a river of sky clouds pause
(first published in British Haiku Society Water Anthology 2022)
James Welsh – Bio
James Welsh (pen name) is a writer and poet living in central England.
His short form poetry began as an effort to learn to create vivid imagery in just a few words, and, while it helped to improved all types of writings – James has fallen in love with this quiet form of poetry.
James Welsh’s poems are an attempt to discover simplicity in complexity, and to allow both his mind, and that of his readers to wonder. He continues to write daily.
Short poems by James Welsh
I recall that day your hand guiding mine building sandcastles
*
the breath in my lungs given delicate form -dandelion seeds
You can find James on Twitter @JamesWelsh35
All featured poems are included in the upcoming book Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X.Turner and James Welsh
The featured art is done by C.X.Turner and will be used by Literary Revelations in the creation of the cover.
Literary Revelations is proud to feature Cassondra Windwalker, an impactful and talented writer, and one of her novels Idle Hands.Idle Hands is our recommendation for this week. The novel is “Heartbreaking, harrowing…brilliantly done.” [Isabella, NetGalley Reviewer]
Bio
Cassondra Windwalker is a poet, essayist, and novelist who presently writes full-time from the southern Alaskan coast. She keeps company with navigationally-challenged ghosts, chatty books, querulous corvids, and her tolerant husband. You can find her on Twitter @WindwalkerWrite.
Cassondra’s poetic work on social justice and the effects of the pandemic, THE BENCH, was awarded the Helen Kay Chapbook Award by Evening Street Press. Her full-length poetry collection TIDE TABLES AND TEA WITH GOD earned the Cinnabar Moth Press Excellence in Poetry Award, and she currently serves as their poet-in-residence. She has a total of five published novels and three poetic works currently available in bookstores and online.
Idle Hands: The devil is in the details in this haunting novel about the choices we make
You can call me Ella. You generally assign me a whole host of other preposterous monikers. I think the least imaginative name I’ve heard is “the devil”, but I’ll answer to it if I must.
After making the courageous decision to leave her abusive husband, Perdie and her three young children start over and finally find the safety and love they deserve. But years later, when tragedy strikes, Perdie is left wondering if the choice she made to leave has led them to this moment.
If she were given the opportunity to take it all back and stay, would she?
In a frantic bid to protect her family, Perdie makes a deal to do just that. But in a world where the devil pulls the strings, can Perdie really change the past? * Brimming with enlightened observations and brilliant voice, Idle Hands is a haunting examination of grief, resilience, and what we’d give to spend another moment with the ones we love. * PRAISE FOR IDLE HANDS
‘Brilliantly engaging.’ —Marie, NetGalley Reviewer ‘Both haunting and inspirational.’ —Lindy, NetGalley Reviewer ‘Compelling and gripping…You will NOT be disappointed.’ —Suzanne, NetGalley Reviewer ‘A book to make you think.’ —Angela, NetGalley Reviewer
Literary Revelations welcomes you to our first French feature: Virginia Mateias – an exceptional writer.
I hope you enjoy her outstanding poetry.
Bio
Virginia Mateias est une écrivaine internationalement publiée. Son œuvre littéraire est parue en roumain, anglais, français, albanais et espagnol. Poète et journaliste, titulaire d’un diplôme universitaire en art dramatique et d’un diplôme post-universitaire en psychologie et pédagogie, Virginia se passionne pour l’éducation des enfants par l’art. Récemment, elle a finalisé son premier roman pour enfants “Greenlandos”. Écrit en français, le livre promet des valeurs écologiques et morales telles que le courage, la loyauté et la connaissance. Présentement, Virginie écrit un livre sur des légendes de plusieurs cultures.
Je regarde la Seine couler À chaque seconde elle crée Une autre vague, un nouveau souvenir.
Et toi, Ma première question Restée sans réponse, Tu m’accompagnes comme une ombre.
J’écris sur le sable; La connaissance est-elle une erreur? Et si elle ne l’est pas Pourquoi goûte-t-elle le poison?
Les arbres se taisent Mais la rivière chuchote : Change de peau encore une fois Et oublie!
Sous le soleil du sud
Avec du sable et de l’eau de mer je lave ma solitude Et elle revient au rivage en écume dentelée …
Sous le soleil du sud Le vent ramasse le sable en dunes Comme une meute de chiens les souvenirs nous chassent! Un fragment du sourire de ma mère, un cri d’enfant, Ta main sur mon front… Il est plus facile de décrire la vie que de la vivre! Peut-être tu crois t’en sortir, devenir libre comme le vent…
Regarde nos pieds superposés, mon amour Ma chemise de nuit couverte de sable et pudeur, La mer qui reprend ses eaux Et nos âmes en train d’y nager. La jeunesse se croit immortelle Et sous le soleil, en pleine lumière, la mort perd son pouvoir. Même si le rivage est de plus en plus loin, Mon amour, les chiens resteront là-bas!
Une mélodie
Les livres brûlés dans les marchés publics Les idées étranglées par le temps Les fontaines déversent leurs eaux Dans la toison d’or du crépuscule Moi cherchant des sens Rêvant à l’arbre de la vie Toi fuyant les choses concrètes, Et les petites vérités de la vie La clef du savoir Je te dis Elle était cachée dans une mélodie Que je n’ai pas écoutée jusqu’au bout Parce que nous nous sommes rencontrés Dans le délire du sang Il sentait le gel, la terre et le trèfle Mais il fait nuit Et je sens venir vers nous Une mélodie qui porte en elle La clef du savoir…
Literary Revelations is proud to bring you the poetry of Dr. Shailja Sharma, a poet that we deeply admire.
I hope everyone will enjoy this feature.
Bio
Dr. Shailja Sharma (Ph.D.), USA, has dedicated her career to the field of psychology and mental health. Apart from scholarly publication and editorial service, her literary writings have been nationally and internationally published. Her poetry book, “Dear Mama: An Immigrant’s Secret Cry,” has been critically acclaimed. Dr. Sharma’s writings have appeared in #1 Best Selling anthologies published nationally and internationally. She is currently serving on the editing panel of a UK-based journal of poetry and artwork related to themes of mental health, health, illness, the mind, the brain, and the body. Dr. Sharma’s publications have appeared in many literary journals/forums of repute across USA, Canada, UK, and Asia. In addition to writing in English, Dr. Sharma is a widely published multi-lingual author. She was awarded special literary honor for her writing contributions in international languages.
It’s Him
A walk in the snow Some sunlight in hand The whole of the sky from her Head to toe It’s him.
In the mirror And in the glean of her untucked hair In her dream And in the branch with a sparrow-pair It’s him. It’s him.
In the sigh within And the breath going out In the quite dew drop And the gushy rain shower In the naughty cloud catching The baby sunflower It’s him. It’s him. It’s him.
(Written exclusively for Literary Revelations)
Remains
The cottage remains The myth of love still lives in the heap of straw and amongst the beads of a broken necklace The footsteps cutting through woods are deep, solid despite the rain through years Life is walking on them rather slowly due to a tangled “Scarf”
(Published in Indian Periodical, June, 2021; Piker Press, November 2021; Setu, February 2022)
Wild Night
Night’s wild locks are open Stars like sparkling hairpins Trying to tuck them in Youthful night will end Into a clear day Clear of mystery Clear of the night’s beauty and charm Naked to stark reality The day pure like death Will stand and stare through No matter how much the sky Sparkles all night
Intensity. Beauty, Talent. Literary Revelations is thrilled to bring you the poetry of David Milligan-Croft.
Bio
David Milligan-Croft was born in Yorkshire and studied Graphic Design at Jacob Kramer College of Art in Leeds and has lived in England, Scotland, New Zealand, Italy and Ireland working as a Creative Director, Art Director and Writer for the Advertising Industry. He has won over 100 awards for creativity and effectiveness in the field of advertising and design.
David was shortlisted for The Guardian TV Pitch Review for his comedy-drama series, The Bible, II. David was also shortlisted for the Independent on Sunday Short Story Competition in 1997. His short story, Woman’s Best Friend, also appears in the IOS New Stories published by Bloomsbury. His screenplay, of the same name, was optioned by Irish production company Nomad Productions in 1999. He was shortlisted for the Mind Short Story Competition in 2019 with his story Ten Orbits of the Sun.
His poetry has been widely published in Ireland, Britain and the US in anthologies and periodicals such as: The Greenhouse Magazine; The Literary Review, (U.S); Envoi; Cyphers; Electric Acorn; W.P. Monthly; Lifelines 3; The Haiku Quarterly; The Pickled Body and The Amnesty International Anthology, Human Rights Have No Borders. He came 3rd in the CN/SALC micro poem competition in 2013.
David is the author of six feature-length screenplays, six short films, a collection of short stories, a poetry collection, two stories for children, and two novels.
David now works on an acute mental health ward as a Technical Instructor.
Landmine
There is a type of landmine that only detonates once you have taken your foot off of it.
It spares you instant disintegration – Instead, it gives you that split-second realisation of the impending horror that is about to ascend upon your hapless body.
Of course, if you are fleet-of-mind, you may realise the error of your way, and keep your weight pressed firmly down on the detonator.
In the hope that someone might come to your rescue. That they collect rocks and sticks and boulders – anything they can lay their hands on to replace the downward pressure, that is you.
And that is how it feels to be in love with you. To have two choices: To wait for you in vain, or to accept fate and lift my foot off.
I shall scour the universe
Where did you go? One minute you were here, the next, you were gone.
There is a hole in the galaxy, the exact size and shape that you used to occupy.
It is now empty. Devoid of your presence.
Surely, you are somewhere, You can’t just disappear.
There is a finite amount of energy In the universe, of which you are an intrinsic part.
Perhaps you are in the soil, as nutrients for worms and bugs and fungi.
Or delicate forget-me-nots luring honey bees to do their bidding.
Maybe you are pollen carried upon the summer breeze.
You could be anywhere by now. But I’ll keep searching,
in the trees and in the streams, in the flowers and on the wind.
I’ll shall scour the universe for you, even down to the cracks of my hands.
Dear readers, we are thrilled to let you know that Literary Revelations has signed new publication agreements for this calendar year. We are fully booked. We look forward to showcasing more outstanding poetry. We work diligently to bring our poets to a #1 Amazon bestselling place in Amazon Hot New Releases [poetry categories] – place where they deserve to be. We do not guarantee that will happen but we will work hard to try to achieve this goal. More updates coming soon.
As a reminder we do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.
Starting June 1, 2023 Literary Revelations offers author services and accepts artwork submissions
1. Author Services
writing and publication consultations via Zoom short forewords blurbs advanced praise for books
For more information please email us at literaryrevelations@pm.me and label your email Author Services.
2. Artwork Submission
We accept only original artwork. Please submit your art in electronic form accompanied by your bio and a short description of your art. Submit only one piece of art at the time. Literary Revelations is not liable for any kind of plagiarism, or incorrect information that submissions may contain. Submit your art at literaryrevelations@pm.me and label your email Art Submission.
Follow us
Please follow us on Instagram @lr_publisher and on Twitter @LR_Publisher.
Our #1 Amazon bestselling books
The books we published until now have become #1 Amazon bestselling books in Amazon Hot New Releases [various categories]. Congratulations again to the contributors to our anthology Hidden in Childhood and to Swarn Gill on his book, Love, Stars and Paradigms.
Please click on the images to go to Amazon.com
We have a considerable amount of poetry and short stories already submitted for publication in our Journal. Please be patient. We will get back to you shortly. Please remember that we are not a poetry site that publishes all submissions. As we write in the About section:
“We expect work that dazzles the intellect, and delights the soul; work that makes feelings blossom into symphonies of love, beauty, and sorrow. Interpret the silence. Find the place where love was born, and tears are entombed. Be the voice of prophets. Be the soft whisper of Sakura.”
Literary Revelations is thrilled to bring you the exceptional poetry of Gary Gauthier. We hope you enjoy this feature.
Bio
Gary Gautier has taught university writing and literature and given numerous radio interviews. His poetry book, Schematics and Assemblies of the Cosmic Heart, was shortlisted for the Faulkner-Wisdom Poetry Prize, and his novels have earned a #1 Amazon bestseller rank in two categories. His latest novel, Alice, was selected for the Innovative Fiction Book Club, and a screen adaptation of his novel, Mr. Robert’s Bones, made the second round at the Austin Film Festival.
Gary’s forthcoming book of poems, The Day We Met in Earthly Time, like his previous book, builds a landscape that is rich in emotion and intimacy, yet resonant with the archetypal, the eternal, the mythical. The poems in the new book rely more heavily on the local imagery of particular places, but the mood and manner of sculpting the language will be familiar to readers of Gary’s previous poetry.
Gary has hitchhiked through 17 countries and 35 US states, and currently lives in the pueblos mágicos of Mexico. You can see all of his books at http://www.garygautier.weebly.com.
Dragons of the earth flashing red and green and gold once moved to the galaxies above cry out, they rage against fate and thrash their tails in a glitter of fiery stars.
Sirens of the ocean weaving seaspawn and seawrack removed to the same night sky, they rage against time and weep for their watery home in teardrop stars.
And we, what have we to do with dragons, with sirens, we who see only the stars, only beauty, we who’ve lost the exquisite pain of those elemental beings?
We have nothing to do but await the next wound, await being ripped aloft from the earth, soothed for now in soft forgetfulness, in the bare beauty of the night sky, where sirens silently weep the more because they cannot weep for us.
Andrew grew up in The Evergreen State. He fell in love with writing short stories and poems in high school. He found writing cathartic through foster care. After high school, he served three years in the army. Andrew was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He was a paratrooper, and the fragility of life grew his faith in God. After his contract, he returned to Washington and graduated college with a degree in general studies. He nearly completed a master’s degree. Among other things, Andrew is an avid runner, a self-published writer, and a pop-punk music enthusiast.
Love in Front of Me
I’ll never love again, not until I perish. I ought not to allow myself to absorb the reflection of a lover’s frostbite. It ends with the sting of reasons to stay put or to depart, so I hit the open road. But Beth is so cool, and I hate it. I observe stolen love in her rejection. Beth evades my lips, and I envision her kiss. Beth is on a date, and it’s with me. She beams with a glint in her gaze. Warmth surged through my chest and I found what I’d been missing right in front of me.
Dating Anxiety
I accept the blame, blame for this, but not for that. I’ll never admit to being wrong, not for that. I concealed my scars, giving hope to thaw the frozen lake of my damaged ambitions. I took too long to ask because I caught a case of nerves, lost the lines, my pickup lines, fell behind the enemy lines of failure. But something in me transformed one night. I tossed the backbiter inside myself to the wind. I approached you before you could say hello.
Litarary Revelations is thrilled to bring you again the stunning art of Hikari, as well as the story of her generosity toward our publishing house.
Hikari is a Japanese artist whose craft is influenced by Nohgaku, one of the traditional styles of Japanese theater passed down from generation to generation for more than 650 years. In 2001 Nohgaku was proclaimed by UNESCO a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” [https://www.unesco.emb-japan.go.jp/htm/nogaku.htm]
More on Nohgaku
Nohgaku is a traditional Japanese performing art combining music, dance, and theatre.
The program of Nohgaku performances typically starts with a Kyogen play followed by a Noh play or consists of two Noh plays and one Kyogen play which is performed in between the Noh plays. The performance style of presenting a Kyogen play in between Noh plays was established already in the Muromachi Period. This is, of course, largely due to the historical fact that Noh and Kyogen have belonged to the same performing arts group as forms of theater derived from Sarugaku, but it is also a result of the popularity of Kyogen plays that carry on the comical quality of Sarugaku. The audiences have been enjoying the relaxing time offered by the Kyogen plays performed in between profound Noh plays. This perfect balance between Noh and Kyogen is perhaps one of the reasons why Nohgaku has been loved for centuries.
Hikari was born in Tokyo. She lived in Paris until the age of 15 when she returned to Tokyo where she presently resides. After graduating from university, Hikari started working as a Certified Public Accountant.
Here is Hikari talking about her own art: “I am an artist, and my works express something that cannot be expressed in words. My passion for drawing and colors conveys a beautiful world in harmony with nature through the gradation of colors. My art is inspired by the spirit of Japanese Nohgaku, an art which I also practice.”
Most recently Hikari drew for Literary Revelations a piece of exquisite art. We are more than thrilled to feature it and most grateful for it. The art below is Hikari’s second gift to us and is inspired by the “Lotus Flower” a work of her mentor Professor Naoki Kimura. You can find her first drawing she gifted to us here.
My Thoughts on Hikari’s Fabulous Work
Hikari uses vibrant colors to showcase the intricacy and depth of the Nohgaku art. She captures the atmosphere in which any spectator of a Nohgaku performance is emersed in. Hikari’s drawings engage most senses and recreate an entire performance with its lively movements and striking facial expressions. Her colors are sonorous and silent at the same time. They transport you in a world of formidable emotions where the link between the human soul and nature blossoms like a beautiful lotus at the end of a long rainy season.
There is power in Hikari’s drawings: power stemming from the delicacy of the line, the finesse of the structure, the patterns of the costumes, and the dimensionality of the spaces she creates.
There is beauty in Hikari’s drawings: beauty lasts forever, and so will Hikari’s drawings.
Hikari, thank you.
Hikari: Exhibition, Beauty, and Generosity
Between February 27 – March 4, 2023 Hikari had an exhibition at Gallery Art Point [Reflection 1] Tokyo, Japan. Together with her beautiful drawings that you can see below she displayed copies of Literary Revelations’ first published book Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology. She bought copies of our book and she gifted them to her friends. She translated into Japanize my poem If I say I love you, a poem nominated for 2019 Publication of the Year at Spillwords Press, and her interpretation of it. I am deeply grateful for her generosity toward me and toward Literary Revelations.
My thanks to you Hikari are forever. And so is my friendship.
Pictures from Gallery Art Point [Reflection 1] Tokyo, Japan.
Hikari and her mentor Professor Naoki Kimura. On the walls Hikari’s beautiful drawings.
Hikari’s drawings. In one of the pictures on a glass tables you can see copies of our book Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology.
The last picture features Hikari’s presentation of me and Literary Revelations, as well as that of Virginia Mateias, a superb poet and friend, and one of Literary Revelations’ collaborators.
For Orthodox Christians, theological foundations rooted in the earliest Christian community set the tone for beliefs which take expression in liturgical practice, which directly confronts the experience of the dying and bereaved. The liturgical practices in Orthodoxy, speak to the holistic nature of our experience of death—engaging through ritual, body, mind, and soul, and activating all our senses.
John T. Chirban, Greek Orthodox Understandings of Death: Implications for Living the Easter Faith, (Routledge, 2002), abstract
The Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, not the Gregorian calendar, to calculate when Easter is. The Julian calendar was officially implemented by Julius Caesar and was in use primarily between 45 BC and 1582 AD. Though much of the world now uses the Gregorian calendar, which replaced the Julian calendar, in the Orthodox Church the custom has remained to use it to calculate the date of Easter.
Good morning/good afternoon everyone. To those of you who celebrate the Orthodox Easter: He is Risen. Christos Anesti.
To those of you who do not celebrate Literary Revelations wishes you a thousand years of love. We welcome submissions from all over the world and from people of all faiths.
On this day we are thrilled to feature a short interview conducted by Virginia Mateias with Vasilie Trif, as well as, art and poetry.
Short bios:
Virginia Mateias is the result of two cultures and draws her creative inspiration from her European roots and her North American perspective. Virginia has published three volumes of poetry to date. She is an internationally published author, and an award winning author. Her literary work appeared in various magazines and anthologies. Virginia loves nature, travel and all the little things that give life beauty and meaning.
Vasile Trif is a priest at the Saint-Eustache parish in Canada. He is both a poet and a plastic artist. Born in Transylvania, into an art-loving family, Vasile Trif made his debut with the volume The Prodigal Son, published by Risoprint. A graduate of the Theology and Philosophy Faculties of Cluj-Napoca, Vasile emigrated to Montreal in 2006. He was initiated into linocut and collography techniques at the Valuard Ancient Arts Atelier. In his artistic approach, Vasile Trif tries to make “the Invisible visible through word, line and color.”
Featured art: Vasile Trif.
Interview
Virginia Mateias: Art, just like religion, befits a human superior need. There was a time when art used to serve religion. The architecture of ancient times, Greek sculpture during Pericles’ time, West-European Renaissance painting, religious dances, music and poetry in the Judaic cult, are all the fruits of the human thirst for the absolute. You are both a priest and an artist. You write poetry, paint, and study engraving. What role does faith play in your painting and poetry?
Vasile Trif: When I was a child, eager to know my village and its surroundings, curiosity often drove me to the graveyard. I was fascinated by the wooden crosses, and I tried to decipher the epitaphs. Many of them were reduced to only the vertical pole, stuck in the ground, while the horizontal arm had either fallen down or was totally rotten. I was aware of a strange, deep feeling. For us, children, that was another world, a mysterious world of penetrating silence. It is this axis of vertical communication that endures after we are no more, the other one, of horizontal communication, is left behind. In other words, we are that something that aspires upward; our tellurian being remains frozen in gravity and decay. The human being is not only a colony of shifting cells, as a scholar said. We are so much more complex, much more than just a system that has been programmed to stop at a given time, like a pendulum. I think that Art is a part of this vertical communication, meaningfully revealing the Primordial Sense.
Poetry is a mystic way to our inner selves, to the others, and to God. The person who dares to expose themselves to the risk of creation finally emerges as a new, changed person. Trying to change the world is a gigantic attempt, but we can change ourselves and, paradoxically, our endeavor touches the depths of others. Any act of creation becomes the water into which the readers dive and heal themselves. Our creative way of expression leads to a change deep inside the others.
A 20th century thaumaturge entered an artist workshop and saw a vase sitting upside-down on a table. Feeling annoyed, he took it and put it in the natural position, explaining that this was the correct way: open to the outer life so that it could gather its energy. The human being is a vase who is responsible of their content and has the privilege to choose this content. I think an artist is endowed by God with this sensitivity that allows them to receive and reveal the Sense.
For me, Poetry is one of the states inhabited by God. He makes Himself known through it and, sometimes, He surprises me by inviting me in.
Virginia Mateias: 33% of the world population is Christian today. What is the meaning of Easter and how do you prepare yourself for this celebration?
Vasile Trif: The contemporary human being has to face the absurd, cruel reality of death and if they lack faith, they are overcome by this destiny. The only way out is to give it a transcendental sense. Flemish painters used to paint some still life symbols on the backside of the portraits of young people: an hourglass, a flower, a skull. There is a binal relationship between appearance and reality: we can see youth and beauty but on the other side there is the mark of the ephemeral truth. Time marks people, things, nature, it grinds them and crushes them in a few seconds. The flower in the vase lingers away. ‘What’s our life? Truly flower, and haze, and morning dew.’ The Christian orthodox funeral ritual intones so poetically.
At one point in art history, the still life takes centre stage, no more on the backside. It discloses its woeful message of our own passing. The backsides of these paintings is bare: an empty grave, after Resurrection, hope giving. Here we are, in a state of grace, ready to create another binal structure: death (passing) – Resurrection.
And still, our life in its wholeness is flower, and haze, and morning dew…
The joy of life is present at the aesthetic level in a flawless creation which brings so much bliss when you watch it. Our own life should be understood as joy, blooming and touching others.
On the other hand, the joy of life reveals itself at a mystical level, the level of initiatory knowledge. The haze always hide something. It hides the true reality which is beyond it, which surprises us, which we have been longing for: the eternal life.
Then we have that joy of walking barefoot through the morning dew towards the morning of our own Resurrection.
To be prepared for the Resurrection celebration means to be in a permanent state of internal and external equilibrium, to consciously aim to reach this state. The human being is a receptacle that ceaselessly collects rational and emotional information. It is important to filter this information lest we might get burdened in our joy of creation. By meditating and praying we communicate on the vertical axis with He who gives a sense to our search. It is true that, many times, distraction, weakness, fear and doubt become our partners. It is essential that they shouldn’t become permanent parts of our being. Christ felt them on the cross.
Every day we follow
the path of Light towards the dark womb of the earth and we can choose to join It, to spring with It overthrowing death.
How many times we willingly die every day emotionally, rationally? We can also rouse from death. We have the ability to live every day as a Resurrection day, a celebration of life. We can do this by meditating and praying.
Opening their arms during prayer turns human beings into receptacles asking for their own content. This is the state of the priest when he calls forth the Holy Spirit. When we declaim The Lord’s Prayer we call the Holy Spirit to organizes our life and gives life to amorphous matter. (‘And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.’ – Genesis 1,2) When we talk to Him, He hovers over the waters of our minds, permeting them with divine energy.
The equation of our life contains not only terms like beauty, youth, joy, but also ephemerality, loss, pain. The One who solves the ontological equation of His own creation is his own Creator. Christ restores it, opens it to Resurrection. Death becomes just a passage.
Poetry
Jesus of Nazareth by Virginia Mateis
The millennia is split because of His blood Before and After After the worm’s pit in the ground. The pain that keeps you warm The innocence sentenced to death All crucified… The Way, the Truth, and the Life. A word, a light A faith, a crusade A weakness, a path to knowledge An understanding, a burning A burning, a rebirth… Waters carry the memory of the first Adam Earth moans in nostalgia for its lost innocence The desire of eternal spring The fear of the worm’s dominion The hunger for His Blood
Today is Sunday by Vasile Trif
Rungs organize themselves in a spiral just like Jacob’s ladder, endless as evening fell as morning dawned it happened so often that on a Sunday I woke up holding a living book
it occurred to me that I could make some changes for example, to connect the dots as close to the center as possible
to unite in pairs unfulfilled and lonely words to take back my harsh words to incinerate them and grind up their bones So they wouldn’t tread miserably and barefoot on anyone’s soul
to visit those I didn’t say goodbye to it’s true that I still think of them and welcome them to evening prayer and in the morning I see myself enjoying a good cup of coffee with them
but suddenly an angel leaning on his wing informed me that it is not written in the language of men that I cannot change anything since today is Sunday and every shop it is closed
I consoled myself with this perhaps, at least these last thoughts God finds them and will throw them as seeds of grass into her round white hollows
Enjoy this 2016 beautiful Easter celebration in Santorini, Greece.
