I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Joyce Kilmer
3 Comments | 
International, News | Tagged: joyce kilmer trees, poems | 
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Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We’ll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.
In Flanders Fields we fought.
Moina Michael
1 Comment | International | Tagged: end of world war 1, poppy day, world war 1 remembrance day | Permalink
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“Drought is an act of nature.
Famine is man made disaster”
Today in East Africa, in a region known as the Horn, more than 13 million people are in crisis with children being particularly affected.
The worst drought the world has seen in 60 years is devastating farmlands, uprooting families and killing tens of thousands in four countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia.
30 000 children have died in three months in the Horn of Africa
Drought, conflict and famine are forcing people from their homes in search of food and water. Nearly 700,000 Somalis have fled ,many walking over 160 km to refugee camps, in search of food and water.
Nearly half of the children arriving at the camps in Kenya and Ethiopia are acutely malnourished; all are in need of emergency assistance.
Drought does not have to lead to famine. Conditions in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti are expected to improve with continued assistance and a good rainy season between now and December.
In stark contrast, the crisis in Somalia is especially dire. Decades of inter-tribal and inter-clan war, instability and conflict have led to an outbreak of famine. Unless more humanitarian aid is allowed into southern Somalia, 750,000 people will die there in the coming months.
Famine: A famine occurs when more than three in 10 children are acutely malnourished, when more than two and when one in five people are unable to access basic foods.
The United Nations officially declared famine in Somalia on 20 July 2011. Famine is now prevalent in six areas of southern Somalia, which is controlled by violent militant groups that are blocking aid worker access and life-saving assistance.
War: Twenty ungoverned years have left the Somali people facing a daily reality of insecurity and conflict.
This historic drought has pushed them beyond their capacity to cope, as degradation of agricultural and pastoral livelihoods, high food prices, violence, and control of resources by armed groups prevent millions from obtaining sufficient food and clean water.
Even before the drought, over half a million Somalis had been living in refugee camps in the Horn, including in Kenya, where the world’s largest refugee camp has been expanding over the past 20 years.
Drought: A severe and extended dry season across the Horn of Africa has withered crops, killed livestock and robbed farmers of any economic opportunity. Agriculture is the main source of income for most in the region, so when a harvest fails or a cow dies, families are left with too little to eat and no way to earn a living.
With 30 000 children having died in the past 3 months, the world can no longer just watch the disaster unfold. The “One” campaign is asking for support in getting world leaders to take action.
Sign their petition here and make a difference to those who are unable to help themselves.
1 Comment | International | Tagged: 30 000 children dead, drought, famine, horn of africa, horn of africa drought, one.org | Permalink
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Tattered lives, ideals and plastic redemptions
Jump the barricades at dawns first light
Where are our tv dinners of slaughtered lives and remote controls
plugged into new elections to slow our electrocutions
Every game has an element of death
Where do you hang the crosses to get the best light
Search on
Curious and mystified, beyond now the barricades an endless night
Lets shed our clothes and dance in forests of life beyond now the city’s watchful eyes
They roll up the sidewalks early around these parts to concrete delights
Let us leave the shattered shop windows for others that need mirrors
Stretch out your arms, raise up your eyes
Stars above, a movable mobile cascading into infinity
Trip the heart and beat once more,
Sing the songs of distant thunder under a canopy of tangible wonder,
And know that you are one among many
That search on.
Written by: Marla Patty
Leave a Comment » | International, News | Tagged: marla patty, poem | Permalink
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South Africans planning to travel to London should postpone their trips, the International Relations and Co-operation department said on yesterday, amid violent riots which have gripped the British capital.
“Given the prevailing conditions in that country, we advise South Africans who can delay or postpone their trips to consider doing so,” spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.
The South African High Commission in Britain is also ready to assist South Africans who require assistance in that country.
“Government continues to monitor the situation and developments in the UK,” Monyela said.
The riots, described as the worst in decades, entered a fifth day on Wednesday.
Scotland Yard said 768 people have been arrested and 111 police officers have been injured so far, according to AFP.
Those needing assistance can contact the department’s consular section for information and updates on 012 351 1000.
Open Water & Squad Training and Learn 2 Swim lessons. Email: kougaswim@vodamail.co.za
1 Comment | International | Tagged: london riots, south africa, travel london | Permalink
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I stared for a long time without seeing
I spoke for a long time without words
I listened for a long time without wanting
I grew silent and lapsed into water
I took no notice of the dust filled heavens
I glanced not once as the sun grew dim
I gathered only what was required
And when the lives breathed no more and grew still
Only then did I weep for sadness
Only then did I pray for another soul
I am the planet you miscarried
I am the world you loved no more
And once upon a time I heard the laughter of children
And I felt the peace from all creatures upon me
And once upon a time I knew what it felt like to be loved
Before the terrible silence descended inside me
Before the tears drowned out this once living home
But now I am so barren.
And now I am so alone.
I, Alone.
Open Water & Squad Training and Learn 2 Swim lessons. Email: kougaswim@vodamail.co.za
Marla Stormwolf-Patty
July 2011
1 Comment | International | Tagged: art, poem | Permalink
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Ethnic violence has flared in the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan leaving hundreds dead and thousands injured and many more have fled the country to avoid the carnage.
Despite pleas from the interim government in the country for peace keepers to be deployed, so far the world is standing by and watching as rape, torture and killings continue unabated.
According to the Economist magazine, the rampage involving Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks began in Osh, Kyrgyzstan’s second-largest city, but the cause remains unclear although it could be drug related as Osh is a major transit point for Afghan heroin.
Although atrocities appear to have been committed by both sides, the Kyrgyz quickly gained the upper hand. Uzbek houses have been looted and set on fire—plumes of smoke are visible for many miles around—women have reportedly been raped, and armed Kyrgyz gangs have been harassing and shooting at Uzbeks. Gas was shut off in much of Osh, as was electricity in some quarters. Shops have been ransacked and food has become scarce.
Many ethnic Uzbeks, mostly women, children and the elderly, have fled the city to the nearby border with Uzbekistan, looking for safety. According to official Uzbek figures, 32,000 people have so far crossed the border and now live in make-shift tents.
Unofficially, at least 75,000 people are believed to have fled the country. An NGO based in Uzbekistan says that there are already more than 200,000 Uzbek refugees sheltering there says the Economist Magazine in their article.
Leave a Comment » | International, News | Tagged: ethnic violence, kyrgyzstan, osh, russia, uzbek | Permalink
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Bono has used the status U2 has attained to highlight many things. U2 expressed outrage at the bombings in Ireland that were killing innocent people and he was critical of the USA invasion of Iraq. In a South African context it was Bono and his landmark speech during the Rattle and Hum tour about Bishop Desmond Tutu that convinced many young South Africans that things had to change in their country.
It is amazing that today, Church leaders are seeking Bono on issues that face humanity in our current generation. In this clip Bono explains why he has never felt comfortable in a Church and what Christianilty really means.
Leave a Comment » | International, News | Tagged: Aids, bishop desmond tutu, bono, christianity, south africa, U2 | Permalink
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Live from Milan in 2009, U2 still know how to rock an audience and on their latest around the world tour they did exactly that. Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry have mellowed out from those passionate young Dublin lads who knew they had a message to elder statesmen of the rock world.
The intensity of the Rattle and Hum days is sadly gone forever and it has to be accepted that the crew from Dublin are pushing 50 years of age now. Bono doesnt seem to hit the same notes with his voice as he used to, but should they ever return to South Africa, I will be found in the Golden Circle yet again.
And lest we ever forget the days when U2 stode into the mainstream of rock music with their music and their message and a long haired Bono prowling the stage arm in a sling, here is U2 live from Madison Square Gardens 0n 11 March 1987 with the New Voices of Freedom.
2 Comments | International, News | Tagged: bono, I still havent found what I am looking for, joshua tree, rattle and hum, U2 | Permalink
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