ManuScrita: Poems on Life, Love and the Nature of Reality by Michael Teichberg

 

“It’s always something to know you’ve done the most you could. But don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last!”

Charles Dickens

 This time of the year is a period of reflection for some of us. Witnessing so much violence, hate and extremism across the world, the mind seeks the light afforded by wisdom and hope. Today’s poetry collection responds to this need. It is a favorite of mine because it offers a sanctuary of wisdom, a universe of aspirations, and an introspective journey in which the spiritual-self reunites with the bonds that are meaningful to us, the connections that leave an indelible memento in the heart…

 Confusion and helplessness are part of grief, so it is a relief to settle on this poetical land of fortitude to embrace who we are amid the chaos, to acknowledge that life matters, even when others try to convince us that this is not the case. 

 Peace without safety may remain elusive. Yet inner peace is still something one can cultivate amid dire circumstances as a fuel that sustains one’s inner strength and resilience.

 Michael Teichberg’s poetry is unique, but it contains the wisdom and simplicity of Kahlil Gibran’s poetical style. Teichberg’s writing is direct and sincere. I am sharing a fragment of his poem “Anger Management”:

“Always strive for a life of peace.

For the heart easily sways to a negative place.

Let not the things that trouble us, trouble us.

The mind is fortified by the peace we choose and trust.

Existence is simplicity and in simplicity

We find great capacity

To embrace the positivity and beauty of the world.

 

We are quick to react to evil,

Letting brute instinct unfurl.

But self-discipline and reason can reign supreme

To overcome the chaos of our reactive extremes.

Those on the path to Enlightenment

Must embrace the oneness of all, without resentment.

In moments of conflict, patience is key,

For rash actions only serve to multiply the debris”.

 

 

  There is something addictive about Teichberg’s poetry. I feel compelled to understand how his consciousness swims through the mystery and confusion of life’s uncertainty. With many of his poems, I fall into a trance of emotions or thoughts and ideas that transport me…

 His poems are endowed with percipience and a sense of hope, but some of them simply feel magical in the way they help us to connect with our own roots. For example, the first poem, “My Light”, is about his grandmother:

“New loves and friendships may arise,

But none can compare to the familial love

From my first moments to her final ones.

Her laughter, my favorite song.”

When he describes his grandmother, I think of my own grandmother:

“Her warm disposition, a hug with each gaze,

Her selflessness, a rare and precious gem.”              

The metaphor of their bond is accurate and heartening. I feel the same way about my own grandmothers:

“A bond built on laughter, safety and comfort.

Our own temple, a retreat from the world,

Where we talked about everything.”

 This is a poetry collection “to be transported, challenged and moved” while “celebrating life, love and the nature of reality through a mystic’s lens.”

  The land of his poetry is a place where the reader can take a break and reflect upon the complexity of the self, the freedom of being detached from the prisons of stereotypes and labels, without being confined to the tyranny of prejudices.

  I appreciate how Michael Teichberg’s poetical world awakens the reader to see something beyond the expected conventions of reality, reminding us that the mystic’s lens nurtures the mind in a way that may leave the soul in a place that is unfamiliar to others. (The author of this blog post creates that lens from the clay of experiences, discipline and steady intentions).

  Do I agree with every message? Not necessarily. I don’t embrace the animalistic concept he shares in a couple of his poems because this concept can be used as a weapon to place humanity on a pedestal. The author of this post does not believe that humanity has earned such a position. (As I mentioned in another post, I don’t need to agree with everything a writer says to love a book). I also disagree with the drastic distinction made between East and West in his poem “The Divide”. I don't see "the east as being obsessed with the self as part of everyone and everything else." 

    Teichberg’s insightful poetry collection includes prose poetry and photo poetry as well…

 “Being driven to live life from within creates a greater mind that when hatched can achieve anything. A life lived solely externally is one run by shallow desires and limiting moralities.”

 Poetry speaks for itself, so my words here are somewhat redundant. I will close the post on MichaelTeichberg’s ManuScrita with a fragment from his poem “Babbling Bliss”:

 “In the shadowy corners, where ideas take root,

Like mushrooms sprouting amidst the darkness,

Even as authoritarian forces seek to tear them apart,

Silky threads of freedom persist.

 

The heart, propelled by revolutionary fervor,

Is catapulted into bleeding passion for change.

Words possess the power to transform,

Turning brothels into sanctuaries of worship,

Where sin and vulgarity can dissolve the veils of myth.”

 

 Photo by Benjamin Lizardo. Source: Unsplash.com 

 Everyday I think of the hostages abducted by Hamas, and I hope that peaceful negotiations will be reached to set them free as soon as possible. My heart is with them and with their families. Let's not forget them. Let's speak up for their release.

 

 

 

Remember This Day by Linda Drattell

 

 

  Linda Drattell’s latest poetry collection is a reflection born out of resilience. Wisdom emanates from life experience when one chooses a path of humility and growth. Her poems are about tenacity, healing, dealing with unexpected trials and contemplating the wonder of everyday life. It may be a subtle invitation to accept challenges with authenticity, patience, perseverance: the gifts that the wisdom of experience can provide when we open up to them…

   My favorite poem from Remember This day is the one she dedicates to her special friend: an ageing horse whose tenderness and gentle attitude captivated my heart. Every time I read this poem to somebody tears flood my eyes.

   I appreciate that there is no preaching in her poetry. Her poems honor the precious bonds with loved ones and contemplate the transformation that results from resilience. There is a paradox between the fragility of life and the strength that evolves from life struggles.

   I like to revisit her words, to savor them in silence or share them… Linda is a poet, author and advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing in California.

  Linda Drattell is also the survivor of a terrorist attack by a radical Islamist on Bastille Day in Paris in 2016.

  One of her poems narrates her terrifying experience and reveals the inner emotional landscape of being the survivor of a terrorist attack, but I will only share a brief fragment of her poem:

 “Trauma creates a gravel road in our brains.

Thinking too much about what happened

widens that gravel road…

I avoid crowds these days.

Always keep my phone charged.

Every so often, my husband and I cry.

July 14, 2016.

I am slowly forgetting the date.

Then a similar attack occurs another date,

elsewhere.

How do we know when we are healed—"

 

  Let’s not forget…

 I received a copy of Linda Drattell’s Remember this Day in exchange for an honest review.

 You can learn more about the author’s literary works by checking her website.

 

Photo by Pieter Van Noorden. Source: Unsplash.com

Machig Labdron and the Foundations of Chod

 

“To consider adversity as a friend is the instruction of Chod.”

Machig Labdron

 

 True liberation happens when one is free from the restraints of the ego. If you read Across many Mountains by Yangzom Brauen--a book I wrote about last February--you are somewhat familiar with Machig Labdron’s teachings. The Chod is a spiritual Tibetan practice introduced by a woman a thousand years ago. Her name was Machig Labdron, an eleventh century Tibetan yogini.

 After reading Across Many Mountains I was intrigued to learn more about this aspect of Tibetan culture and Buddhism, so I searched reading material on the subject, and I found “Machig Labdron and the Foundations of Chod” by Jerome Edou. Jerome Edou has been an interpreter for various lamas, and is an author and translator of works on Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism.

 The book chronicles the life story of Machig Labdron, revealing her teachings and wisdom. The writer of this blog post has been a meditation practitioner for many years; the book meets the needs of this practitioner, responding to doubts and concerns and clearing spots of confusion. It helps to integrate various aspects of meditation, transcending the act of meditation itself.

  It is not clear to me whether this book will be appreciated by somebody who has no experience in the practice of meditation. Machig Labdron’s words suggest there is truth in my statement:

 “My Chod instructions consist in the authentic teaching of Mahamudra,

And the Mahamudra cannot be explained by words.”

 Buddhists agree that people tend to be enslaved by what the ego dictates. The   Chod guides the practitioner to let go of the desires of the ego. This liberation enables the mind to find its state of true freedom and clarity.

 If you are just starting to explore this subject, Loving-kindness by Sharon Salzberg may be a good beginning to introduce this topic. Eventually, you may choose Jerome Edou’s book on Machig Labdron and the Foundations of Chod.

It is time for a break. By the end of April I will be back to My Writing Life blog with more book recommendations, both fiction and non-fiction.

Enjoy the ride, wherever it takes you.

Till next time.

 

 

Interesting references:

https://dakinitranslations.com/2021/10/13/gender-blindness-patriarchy-denial-and-female-tokenism-in-buddhism/

https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/10-health-benefits-of-meditation-and-how-to-focus-on-mindfulness-and-compassion/2022/12

https://www.taramandala.org/teachings/what-is-a-dakini/

 

 

 Note: the next post will by published in May. Thank you for your interest in My Writing Life blog.

Rebirth

 

“Could we just look at what unites us instead of always searching for what divides us?”

Galatea Georgiou

 There is no way out of grief. It is through the emotions of grief that we can heal and become whole. Galatea’s poetry flows like the clear waters of a stream. It is transparent and straightforward. It refreshes the soul, washing away the resistance to feel what one needs to feel.  

  Her poetry is simple yet profound. The blending of the poems with her photography deepens the message.

“It takes guts to be gentle and kind.”

   With so much going on in the world today it is easy to fall. Despite the turmoil and disappointments, working toward our life purpose contributes to our own healing, and as we persevere, we build resilience and kindle the fragile light of hope within ourselves.

 I embrace the reflections and observations that her healing process evinced.

 Rebirth is the inspiring expression of her authentic self and the wisdom drawn out of pain and solitude. Rebirth is a journey toward healing. It is the discovery of one’s inner strength. It is about finding one’s spiritual home and caring for the inner child.

 

“fill your mind with knowledge

 and your heart with unconditional love

change yourself to the best version of you

only then we can rebuild the world.”

 

 I thank the poet for sharing Rebirth with me for My Writing Life blog. Galatea Georgiou is also a songwriter, musician and photographer. She lives in Sweden. You can visit her website here:

                     https://galateageorgiou.com/

Note: the photo added to this post is by Andy Holmes. 

Counting Breaths by Jen Kress

 

“tenderness will

always remain,

look at the horizon and watch

for a new day will come…”

Jen Kress (From her poem “Meraki”)

To inhabit the world of poetry is to sail a raft on unsteady waves while relishing the vastness of the sky and savoring the beauty of each moment with a sense of ease and hope.

To inhabit the world of poetry is to meet the uncertainty of life with courage, breathing in the light that keeps oneself strong and balanced.

 Jen Kress’s poetry collection is an adventurous quest for resilience, a poetical oasis where the waters of solitude and understanding intertwine into a harmony of souls to persevere and look forward to a new sunrise.

 Her personal journey evokes the depths of inner joy and sadness, merging them into breathtaking stories. Her expressive skills are outstanding; her metaphors evince intimate aspects of herself, painting the quandaries, struggles and longings of her heart with delicate precision.

 I will be revisiting her poems in search of new meanings and inspiration.

 

“This journey light, to follow through

my tunneled dreams;

heaven’s woven map hides your chosen path,

a constellation, home… picture the stars above,

a blanket littered with uncharted possibility!”

 

There may be no clear answers to life uncertainties and mysteries, but there is poetry…

I thank the poet for sharing Counting Breaths with me for My Writing Life blog.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also appreciate my writing on “The Winds through the Trees at Night.”

 

Till next year.

 

 

Gabe's Christmas Wish by Katrina Doucet

  

 A heartwarming story, endearing characters and cozy scenes make this children’s book a unique read.

 Gabe lost his loving parents. This is his first Christmas Eve without them. He misses them and makes a wish as he contemplates his snow globe, the last gift from his parents.

 The mysterious snow globe will carry him into an intriguing adventure.

Gabe’s Christmas Wish creates a safe space to acknowledge and accept the emotions and feelings of grief, while empowering children to stay hopeful.

 I marveled at the illustrations by Natasha Pelley-Smith, for they transport our minds to imaginary places of peace and solace.

 With so many lives lost to war, COVID, extreme weather events across the world, shootings and other social ailments, we need resources to support children through their grief.

 Exquisite words, delicate illustrations and a message of hope will help children to allay their stress. The book will remind them they are not alone in their plight.

Gabe’s Christmas Wish is a warm refuge for kids, an invitation to travel with the imagination and dream; it will be comforting to people of all ages who lost loved ones. It may help children to come to terms with the emptiness that cannot be erased or ignored, but can only be filled with love.

 I thank Katrina Doucet for kindly sending me a copy of her precious book, which will be released in August 2022.

You can visit her website here.

Marathon Man

  

 Confronting the health vulnerabilities of our parents is one of the great challenges of life.

  When Alan Corcoran’s father suffered a stroke at age 60, he was desperate for answers, but the future was uncertain. To make matters worse, he was not physically close to his dad when the stroke happened, which made him feel guilty. Even though he had awakened to the fragile nature of life before through the unexpected loss of young friends, he had never thought about the possibility of losing his parents. 

 Amid the turmoil, Alan opened a door of hope: he decided to revive the dream he had harbored in his mind for years; he would run the lap of Ireland, circumnavigating the whole country on foot in 35 days, and he would use this endeavor to fundraise for the Irish Heart Foundation and the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), to support their stroke and brain injury unit. Furthermore, he would contribute ten percent of his fundraising to a peacebuilding charity that his dad, Milo Corcoran, had established: The Football Village of Hope, an organization that brought Israeli and Palestinian children together through the game.

   Alan Corcoran had pushed aside his athletic aspirations years before this incident because of an unexpected stress fracture. 

  His lack of training and experience with marathons did not scare him. His resolute attitude drove him toward his dream. He was steadfast in his plan. The preparation to be ready for this special marathon is one of the relevant aspects of the story. It happened in 2012, when Alan was busy completing his last year of college, writing his dissertation and working part-time as a hotel dish-scrubber.

 Athletic training is multidimensional, involving physical skills as well as mental and emotional resilience. Yet in this specific case it also pertained to the activity of raising funds, the logistics of which was not a minor aspect of the whole process.

   While his dad would be busy working hard on his rehabilitation, Alan would be training to accomplish a goal that would make his father proud, promote health and support their community. 

  Alan Corcoran’s vibrant personality shines through every page of the story combining humor, wisdom and patience. I appreciated the brief descriptions of the landscapes of Ireland, where he enjoyed the freedom of running in nature.

  Alan Corcoran’s book, “Marathon Man” recounts how he accomplished his feat, propelling us to pursue our own dreams, reminding us that no matter what we do, there will always be hurdles and challenges. It is imperative to accept those obstacles, and to be prepared to cope with them. 

 

 You don’t need to be an athlete to benefit from reading this book, but those who are interested in running a marathon will learn a lot from his advice and experience.

  Getting close to the end of this marathon, I could see how Alan learned to embrace the difficulties and to use them to build up resilience and determination in the face of adversity:

“More seasoned now, I’d accepted there’d be punches and life was easier if I just rolled with them. There’d be wrong turns, injuries, malfunctioning watches, missed feeds but I had to get on with things the best I could and keep the positive vibes flowing.”

 This inspiring read is also a celebration of family bonds, friendship and the power of community. His words on running epitomize his gratitude for life and for the joy and gift of aligning his talent with the wellbeing of others:

 “Whenever the haze of energy-zapping suffering lifted, mental space became available to appreciate my surroundings and my fortunate circumstances. I was outside, roaming Ireland’s landscapes, grateful for the lull in pain. I felt more than just gratitude in scenery like this. I was euphoric, deeply inhaling the countryside. I was engaged in a passion project for a meaningful cause, with my friends and family supporting me, travelling on foot through a postcard landscape. I went through an overwhelming pendulum of emotions, from cursing my Achilles and the barrage of hills to feeling like I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.”

To learn more about Alan Corcoran, you can visit his websites.

https://linktr.ee/MarathonMan1

https://www.marathonman.co/

 

 If you enjoyed this post, feel  free to check my writing on "Running for Good":

  https://juliahoneswritinglife.blogspot.com/2021/12/running-for-good-fiona-oakes-story.html

 

 

A message from Jane Goodall