recovery

Be like the flowing river,

Silent in the night.

Be not afraid of the dark.

If there are stars in the sky, reflect them back.

If there are clouds in the sky,

Remember, clouds, like the river, are water,

So, gladly reflect them too,

In your own tranquil depths.

By Manuel Bandeira

clouded sky seen from my window

An odd story :)

Wanting my next uploading after all this time to be light and joyful, I thought to site here an essay my 14 year old daughter had written for practice in writing English. Enjoy!

WRITING

Topic: You have decided to enter a short story competition and the rules of the competition say that you begin with the words: As I locked the front door, the snow was falling.

As I locked the front door, the snow was falling. The wind was really icy, so, I should stay in the house. I was in a big house somewhere in the middle of nowhere because, I was babysitting two little children whose parents were out to the cinema.

Suddenly, I saw something white coming towards me. Then, I heard a glass cracking and a blood-curdling scream. I ran out quickly, and I saw some footprints in front of me. I walked down the road looking for a human presence when I all of a sudden stumbled and fell down. I was shocked! A few meters along me a leg was lying there dead!!! I run quickly there, I pulled the leg and I saw an injured man, attached to the leg.... I dragged him into the house, and helped him to wake up.

After an hour I realised that the white thing was a snowball and it was thrown by this man in an effort to be helped.

After all these things, I called an ambulance for the injured one. When finally everybody left the house, I sat and started thinking of this amazing, odd and full of mystery adventure.

Sophia

unanswered questions, by P. Coelho, the googliest

Climbing up a track in the Pyrenees in search of somewhere to practice archery, I came upon a small French army camp, where I met a colonel who asks me if I am the writer. And then, getting over his almost visible shyness, he tells me that he too has written a book and begins to explain me the curious genesis of his work.

He and his wife made donations for a leper child who originally lived in India but was later transferred to France. One fine day, curious to meet the little girl, they went to the convent where the nuns took care of the child. One of the nuns asked if he would help in the spiritual education of the group of children who lived there. Jean Paul Sétau (the officer’s name) said that he had no experience teaching the catechism but that he would give it some thought and ask God what he should do.

That night, after saying his prayers, he heard the answer: “instead of offering answers, try to find out what the children want to ask.”

From then on Sétau had the idea of visiting several schools, asking children for the questions to be put in writing, so that the more timid among the pupils would lose their fear of exposing themselves.

Here are some of them:

Where do we go after we die?

Why are we afraid of strangers?

Are there extra-terrestrial beings?

Why do accidents happen even to people who believe in God?

Why are we born, if in the end we die?

Who invented war and happiness?

Does the Lord also listen to those who do not believe in the same (Catholic) God?

Why are there poor and sick people?

Why did God create mosquitoes and flies?

Why isn’t the guardian angel close by when we are sad?

Why do we love some people and hate others?

Who gave names to the colors?

If God is in heaven and my mother is up there too because she died, how can He be alive?

I hope that some teachers or parents who read feel stimulated to do the same thing. In that way, instead of trying to impose our adult understanding of the universe, we will end up remembering some of our questions as children – and which were never really answered.

Welcome to Share with Friends – Free Texts for a Free Internet

the load of soul

"Γιατί είναι τόσο μεγάλα τα φτερά για το σώμα σου;" ρώτησε το μυρμήγκι την πεταλούδα. 

"Πολλοί με λένε και ψυχή, κι αυτό έχει μεγάλο βάρος", του απάντησε. (Λουδοβίκος των Ανωγείων)

διάφανη πεταλούδα σε μωβ λουλούδι

Η μέλισσα κι ο άγγελος - Λουδοβίκος των Ανωγείων

Μια μέλισσα καθώς μπαινόβγαινε

στα άνθη του κάμπου, είδε έναν άγγελο

να κάθεται στη σκιά του πεύκου

λευκοντυμένος, με μακριά μαύρα μαλλιά.

-Είσαι ένας άγγελος του Θεού;

-Είμαι ένας άγγελος του Θεού.

-Και είσαι αγόρι ή κορίτσι;

-Δεν είμαι, είπεν ο άγγελος

και γύρισε αλλού το κεφάλι.

-Ούτε κι εγώ είμαι,όμως θέλω να σε ρωτήσω

εκεί στους ουρανούς που γυρνάς,

τον έρωτα τον έχεις δει; Πώς είναι;

-Ένας κλέφτης!

Από σένα πήρε το κεντρί και το μέλι,

κι από μένα τα φτερά, μέλισσά μου !

Ερως και ψυχή- γλυπτό του Αντόνιο Κανόβα

How to climb mountains, P. Coelho

….Learn from someone who has been there before

However unique you may think you are, there is always someone who has had the same dream before, and who will have left signs behind that will make the climb less arduous: the best place to attach a rope, trodden paths, branches broken off to make it easier to pass. It is your climb and it is your responsibility too, but never forget that other people’s experiences are always helpful.

Dangers, seen from close to, are controllable

When you start to climb the mountain of your dreams, pay attention to what is around yo. There are, of course, precipices. There are almost imperceptible cracks. There are stones polished so smooth by rain and wind that they have become as slippery as ice. But if you know where you are putting your foot, you will see any traps and be able to avoid them.

…. Be prepared to go the extra mile

The distance to the top of the mountain is always greater than you think. There is bound to come to a moment when what seemed close is still very far away. But since you are prepared to go still further, this should not be a problem.

…. Make a promise

Now that you have discovered a strength you did not even know you had, tell yourself that you will use it for the rest of your days; promise yourself, too, to discover another mountain and set off on a new adventure.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

photo by Martyn Fordham

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

1923 by Robert Frost

“Η αγνώριστη” (απόσπασμα) του Σολωμού

Ποια είναι τούτη που κατεβαίνει
ασπροεντυμένη οχ, το βουνό;
Τώρα που τούτη η κόρη φαίνεται,
το χόρτο γένεται άνθι απαλό
κι ευθύς ανοίγει τα ωραία του κάλλη
και το κεφάλι συχνοκουνεί
κι ερωτευμένο, να μην το αφήσει,
να το πατήσει, παρακαλεί…

                  δεν είναι τρυφερό;

Mike Oldfield: "No mans land"

Δεν περίμενα να είναι τόσο ωραίο!!!

1 GOAL kids dreams

τα έργα τέχνης είναι πολιτισμός...

... αυτοί που τα καπηλεύονται, είναι πολιτισμένοι;

ο Βάρναλης απαγγέλλει... τη μπαλάντα του κυρ Μέντιου

... συγκινητικό το άκουσμα του ποιητή...
... κι ο καθένας ας κάνει τους συνειρμούς του!!!

Paulo Coelho, tribute

    Χειρότερο από το να περπατάμε μόνοι και δυστυχισμένοι είναι να έχουμε κάποιον πλάι μας και να τον κάνουμε να νιώθει ότι δεν είναι ούτε στο τόσο σημαντικός για τη ζωή μας…

… Στο δόμο της επιστροφής συνάντησα κι άλλους ανθρώπους στην ίδια κατάσταση με μένα και πρόσεξα ότι είχαν δύο ειδών βλέμματα: υπεροπτικά γιατί ήθελαν να προσποιηθούν ότι είχαν επιλέξει τη μοναξιά εκείνη την όμορφη νύχτα, ή θλιμμένα γιατί ντρέπονταν που ήταν μόνοι...

The Zahir  

Ο χρόνος μας σε τούτη τη γη είναι ιερός και πρέπει να γιορτάζουμε την κάθε στιγμή…

Ο χρόνος μου έδειξε και κάτι άλλο παράξενο. Μπορεί κανείς να αγαπήσει πάνω από ένα άτομο στη ζωή του. Πρέπει όμως να φανώ προσεκτικός και να μην προσπαθήσω ποτέ να συγκρίνω τις δυο εμπειρίες… η αγάπη δε μετριέται όπως μετράμε ένα δρόμο ή το ύψος ενός κτιρίου.

«…Έχω αποδεχτεί τις σφυριές που μου δίνει η ζωή και κάποιες φορές νιώθω κρύος και αναίσθητος σαν το νερό που κάνει το χάλυβα να υποφέρει. Θεέ μου, μην παραιτηθείς μέχρις ότου πάρω τη μορφή που περιμένεις από μένα… Ποτέ όμως μη με βάλεις στο σωρό με τα παλιοσίδερα των ψυχών»

…κι ο Χριστός θα της απάντησε: κοίτα, κόρη μου, κι εγώ απ’ έξω είμαι. Πάει πολύς καιρός που δεν με αφήνουν να μπω εκεί μέσα. (εν. εκκλησία)

The witch of Portobello

Κανείς δεν μπορεί να κρίνει. Ο καθένας γνωρίζει τις διαστάσεις του πόνου του ή της απόλυτης απουσίας νοήματος στη ζωή του.

…Σταμάτα να σκέφτεσαι όλη την ώρα ότι ενοχλείς το διπλανό σου. Αν οι άνθρωποι δε σε θέλουν, θα διαμαρτυρηθούν. Κι αν δεν έχουν το θάρρος να το κάνουν, δικό τους πρόβλημα!... 

…οι νόμοι δεν κατασκευάστηκαν για να λύνουν προβλήματα αλλά για να παρατείνουν τις δικαστικές διαμάχες επ’ αόριστον… (! σας λέει κάτι αυτή η σκέψη;)

Veronika decides to die

(apparently my favourite writer!)

"The kingdom of this world" By Paulo Coelho

An old hermit was once invited to visit the court of the most powerful king of those times.

- I envy such a saintly man, who is content with so little – said the ruler.

- I envy Your Majesty, who is content with even less that I – responded the hermit.

- How can you say such a thing, if this entire country belongs to me? – said the offended king.

- For precisely that reason. I have the music of the celestial spheres, I have the rivers and mountains of the whole world, I have the moon and the sun, because I have God in my soul. Your Majesty, on the other hand, has only this kingdom.

Μιχαήλ Άγγελου: «Πιετά»

Ω, γλυκύ μου έαρ, γλυκύτατόν μου τέκνον, πού έδυ σου το κάλλος;