Christmas

Old December days

golden flames in starlit skies

newly born sunlight

(by Maria)

Wachsendes Glück

Wachsendes Glück

Ein Wüstenfuchs jagte eine Wüstenspringmaus, fraß, vergrub einige Reste für später, und genoss den Rest des Tages.

Ein anderer Wüstenfuchs hatte Angst früher oder später zu verhungern.

So jagte er an einem Tag 9 Wüstenspringmäuse, fraß so viel er konnte, wurde müde, musste nun aber für die anderen toten Wüstenspringmäuse einen Kühlschrank organisieren. Rastlos durchstreifte er die Wüste bis zum späten Abend, immer auf der Suche nach einem Kühlschrank.

Um Mitternacht, immer noch erfolglos, war er so traurig und erschöpft, dass er in einen traumlosen, unruhigen Schlaf fiel.

Der eine Wüstenfuchs erwachte am nächsten Morgen erfrischt und munter. Er wusste, er würde gleich wieder eine Springmaus fangen. Und so kam es.

Der andere Wüstenfuchs erwachte spät. Er war verwirrt und spürte noch mehr Angst als vorher, weil die 8 toten Springmäuse anfingen in der Mittagssonne zu verrotten und er noch immer keinen Kühlschrank organisiert hatte. 

Gleichzeitig überlegte er, ob er noch mehr Springmäuse jagen müsste, weil jeder wusste, dass schlechte Zeiten bevorstanden.

In seiner Meute suchte und fand er Verbündete.

Mit der Zeit entwickelten sie einen Wüstenfuchsstaat, der darauf gründete, möglichst viele Wüstenspringmäuse zu jagen, zu horten und zu kühlen und einigen Berechtigten den Zugang zu den gefüllten Kühlschränken zu gestatten.

Einige Jahre später:

Springmäuse waren beinah ausgestorben. Viele Wüstenfüchse hungerten.

Der erste Wüstenfuchs ist kein Staatsbürger geworden. Er fand immer genug zu essen, auch Früchte und Knollen, spürte aber mit der Zeit, dass seine Kräfte nachließen, dass sein Ende nahte und er war einverstanden. Eines Abends legte er sich in den Schatten eines Baumes und schlief für immer ein. Einige seiner Gefährten waren bei ihm.

Der andere Wüstenfuchs ist Chef eines Kühlschrankverteilungsunternehmens geworden. Er war immer noch ängstlich, aber nun auch krank und fett (das Jagen übernahmen nun andere) und süchtig nach seltenem Springmausschmalz. Er starb eines Tages an seinem Affenbrotbaumschreibtisch, weil sein Herz einfach stehen blieb.

Er wurde in dem von ihm gegründeten Fuchsstaat schnell ersetzt und nicht vermisst. Aber eine Plakette mit seinem Porträt schmückte nach seinem Tod nun jeden Kühlschrank, den es übrigens für Berechtigte jetzt auch schon in der hippen Version XXL A 430b gibt, und im August ist wieder Sommerschlussverkauf in der Wüste. 

Viele Jahre später:

Die, die sich noch an den ersten Wüstenfuchs erinnern konnten, bedauerten den Mangel an allem. Sie hatten die Idee, ein System des "wachsenden Glücks" zu entwickeln.

Sie glaubten nicht an getrennte Staaten, wollten aber auch nicht Staatsbürger des alten Staates sein. Sie sannen auf Wege der Gemeinsamkeit mit allen Wüstenfüchsen, ohne dass sie die Regeln des alten Staates übernehmen mussten. 

Als erstes suchten sie das Gespräch mit "den anderen" über Möglichkeiten der Oasengestaltung. 

Daneben fanden sie innerhalb ihrer Gruppe Wege der Herstellung von Dingen, die satt machten. Dazu legten sie Gärten vielfältiger Art an. Sie boten an,  ihre Früchte und Knollen mit "den anderen" zu teilen. Diese aber fühlten sich bedroht, befürchteten den Verlust von Wüstengrundstücken und lehnten "die Gärtner" ab, bildeten sogar Anti-Gärtner-Kampfgruppen. Trotz vieler Rückschläge gaben die Gärtner aber nicht auf und fuhren fort, zu gärtnern und ihre Früchte mit allen zu teilen, denen sie schmeckten.

"Die anderen" aber wurden mehr und mehr ratlos, müde und hungrig. Es gab keine Springmäuse mehr zu jagen. In der Wüste stapelte sich der Kühlschrankschrott. 

In "den anderen" wuchs die Angst vor der endgültigen großen Katastrophe und die Sehnsucht nach den saftigen Früchten der noch kleinen Oasengärten. Sie fingen an, die Gärten auszurauben. Sie nahmen und fraßen alles, dessen sie habhaft werden konnten. Nach jedem dieser Raubzüge wurden die Jäger krank, weil sie zu viel auf einmal und auch Unreifes fraßen. Tonnen geraubter Früchte verrotteten in der Wüstensonne; die modernsten Kühlschränke des Staates halfen nichts, denn diese Früchte wurden im Kühlschrank nur noch schneller welk.

Die Gärtner ließen sich nicht beirren. Sie bauten neue Gärten an.

Die Jägerfüchse gingen schließlich auf das Angebot der Gärtnerfüchse ein, gemeinsam ein Oasensystem zu gründen und zu entwickeln. Dort sollte jeder Fuchs und jede Füchsin Mitglied sein, in der Fürsorge der Gemeinschaft leben und das Recht haben auf die Gestaltung eines eigenen Oasengartens von frühester Kindheit an.

Und so kam es.

Sehr viel später:

Niemand will mehr Kühlschränke in der Wüste verteilen. Es gibt keinen Mangel mehr. Niemand kennt den Unterschied zwischen Berechtigten und Unberechtigten.

Niemand hat Angst zu verhungern, weil nun viele Gärten blühen.

- Maria

 

...well, I tried to translate my story into English... please excuse any mistakes!

Increasing Bliss

A desert fox caught a gerbil, ate it, buried the leftovers and enjoyed the rest of the day.

Another desert fox worried about starving to death, sooner or later.

So one day he caught 9 gerbils, ate as much as he could, became tired, but felt the need to arrange for a refrigerator to keep fresh the other dead gerbils. Restlessly he roamed through the desert until evening came, all the time searching for a refrigerator.

At midnight, having been unsuccessful, he was so sad and exhausted that he fell into a dreamless, troubled sleep.

The first desert fox woke up the next morning and felt fresh and lively. He knew he would catch a gerbil soon again, and so it happened.

The other fox woke up late. He felt confused and more worried than ever before, because the 8 dead gerbils were beginning to spoil in the midday sun and he still hadn't been able to arrange for a refrigerator.

Also he wondered whether he could catch more gerbils because - as everyone knows - times are getting worse and worse.

He was searching for allies among the members of his pack and he found them.

As time went by they founded a state with a government that was based on the idea to catch, hoard and cool as many gerbils as possible and to grant authorized personnel access to the filled refrigerators .

Some years later:

Gerbils were nearly extinct. Many foxes were starving.

The first fox did not become a citizen. He always found enough to eat, fruit and tubers also, but as time went by he felt his strength was vanishing, his end was coming, and he consented to die. One evening he lay down in the shadow of a tree and passed away. Some of his friends were with him.

The other fox became the CEO of a refrigerator-distributing-company. He still felt anxious, but now he was sick and fat also (others did the hunting now), plus he was an addict for rare gerbil dripping. One day he died at his baobab-desk, his heart simply stopped beating.

The state he had been the founder of replaced him quickly and noone missed him. However,  a plaque with his portrait is adorning every refrigerator since then, - by the way, it is available to authorized personnel in the hip version XXL A 430b now and don't miss the special desert summer sales in August.

Many years later:

Those who had good memories of the first fox, mourned over the shortage of everything everywhere. They got the idea to develop a system of "increasing bliss".

They did not believe in different states , but they also refused to become citizens of the old state. They were thinking about possibilities to find togetherness with all desert foxes without having to obey the rules of the old state.

First they tried to talk to "the others" about creating an oasis.

At the same time they devised ways of growing things that would satiate every fox. So they created various gardens. They offered to share their fruit with "the others". But those felt threatened, they feared to lose property in the desert and were scornful about "the gardeners", they even formed Anti-Gardener-Troops.

Although they suffered many a backlash the gardeners didn't give up. They continued to do gardening and shared their fruit with everyone who found it delicious.

"The others" however became more and more helpless, tired and hungry. There were no more gerbils to catch. Tons of scrapped refrigerators piled up in the desert..

"The others" became more and more fearful of the looming final big catastrophe and were more and more yearning for the juicy fruit from the small oasis-gardens. They began to carry out raids on the gardens. They took and ate everything they could get hold of. After each of these raids the hunters became sick because they ate too much, and unripe fruit, too. Tons of stolen fruit spoiled under the desert sun; even the most state-of-the-art refrigerators were useless because this fruit spoiled even faster when refrigerated.

The gardeners did not allow themselves to get confused. They created new gardens.

Finally the hunting foxes accepted the gardeners' offer to create a joint oasis-system. Every male and female fox should be a native member, should live under the protection of the community and should have the right to create a garden of their own from early childhood on.

And so it happened.

Much later:

Noone wants to distribute refrigerators in the desert anymore. There is no shortage of any kind anymore. Noone knows the difference between authorized  and not authorized foxes.

Noone is afraid of starving to death, because now so many gardens are in full bloom.

- by Maria

Und weiß, was zu tun ist.

I'm so glad: 
A friend sent me these wonderful lines here and I'm allowed to put them onto this site! 
Ich bin sehr froh, dass ein Freund mir diese wunderbaren Zeilen geschickt hat, damit ich sie hier mit auf die Seite setzen kann. Danke!

Der Wind lässt nach, der Sturm ist vorbei.
Die Sonne schickt ihre ersten, wärmenden Strahlen.
Ein willkommener Gruß aus ferner Zeit.
Ein Hauch von Sommer erreicht ihr samt-lilanes Herz.
Endlich.
Und demütig senkt sie ihr Haupt.
Wohin nur, jetzt? Wohin?
Und zaghaft richtet sie ihren Blick in alle Himmelsrichtungen.
Unentschlossen.
„Nur Mut, Lupinchen“, hört sie den Wind säuseln. „Nur Mut“.
Sie hebt den Kopf, verwundert, ungläubig, ängstlich zugleich.
Weiß nicht, was sie denken soll.
Wartet.
„Wie?“ will sie endlich fragen, setzt an – und verstummt. Wie so oft.
Doch der Wind kennt die Antwort schon. Kennt das Unausgesprochene, nicht Gesagte.
Und weiß, was zu tun ist.
Er kommt von weit her, hat viel gesehen, nicht nur in dieser Welt, in diesem Leben.
„Geh“, becirct er sie. „Geh deines Weges. Schau nicht nach vorne und blicke nicht zurück. Frage nicht nach dem, was war oder nach dem, was sein wird. Erfreu dich an dem, was ist.“
Der Wind hält inne.
„Und noch eins, Lupinchen“, sagt er dann, schon ganz, ganz leise, kaum noch zu hören, ein Hauch nur noch von dem, was er gerade noch gewesen ist.
„Geh nur daher, wo noch niemand vor dir war. Denn blumige Wege bleiben unsichtbar für den, der nur auf Tampelpfaden wandert.“
Bewegungslos steht sie da. Eine ganze Weile lang. Horcht in sich hinein, ganz tief.
Stunden.
Tage.
Und fast schon kündigt sich wieder der nächste Herbst an.
Dann erst versteht sie.
Und richtet sich auf, zunächst ein kleines bisschen nur, dann immer mehr.
Und ein wenig entwurzelt, ein Stückchen größer nun, gewachsen, wagt sie den ersten Schritt hinaus in eine fremde, neue Welt.

(Dieses Bild habe ich irgendwo gefunden und ich weiß nicht mehr wo, wenn also jemand es als seines wieder erkennt - bitte melden! - I found this picture somewhere, but I forgot where, so: if someone recognizes this picture as his, please notify me. Thank you. - Maria)

a morning in Nice

noises from the street below

Matisse had been here

(by Maria)

picture by: Miller'sImageBank

warm raindrops

keep falling down

but

a rainbow

will come out

soon

warmer Regen fällt

eine Katze schüttelt sich

in meinem Garten

Eisblume

Eisblume im Licht

bevor sie sich erwärmt hat

atme ich sie ein

- von Maria

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

I'm standing in line

eventually it will be my turn

I'm waiting

I'm standing in line

there are not many persons ahead of me

they are called up, one by one

I'm standing in line

eventually it will be my turn

- by Maria

Limerick

After I talked about Avenidas, Hay(na)kus, Haikus and Roundels, now here is another way to create a poem with a certain structure which is more or less easy to use if one wishes to be creative: a Limerick. 
It consists of 5 lines. In the first line a place and a person/ an inhabitant are mentioned, the last line offers some kind of a punch - line. There is a rhyme at the end of the first/second/fifth line and the end of the third/fourth line. Also: this poetry form often shows some kind of humor - I think it is of British origin :-) - and there is a certain good rhythm when the lines are spoken.




I tried an example:

On the beach near the sea I stand,

happily holding a piece of cake in my hand,

when suddenly a seagull flies by

and graps my cake with a cry,

leaving for me only a few crumbs in the sand!

- by Maria

Dancer

Jeder kann tanzen

der Schwerkraft trotzend

nur mit den Zehenspitzen

Musik atmend

die Welt berührend

das Unmögliche wagend

in Gedanken

tanze ich

auch

- von Maria

everyone can dance

in defiance of gravity

on tiptoe only

breathing music

touching the world

trying for something that's impossible

in my thoughts

I dance

too

- by Maria

Meine Erinnerung wird niemals verblassen. - My Memory Will Never Fade

An meiner Pinnwand hängt die Eintrittskarte für ein Ballett: 

Zeitblicke.

Der Titel inspiriert mich.

Ich denke an Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi.

Ich schaue mir meine Fotos an - Zeitblicke

Eine intensive Lebensphase,

meine intensivste!

2 1/2 Jahre, die mich bereichert haben, 

2 1/2 Jahre von denen ich immer noch zehre.

Dennoch Sehnsucht. 

Trost finde ich in dem Zitat von Jean Paul:

"Die Erinnerung ist das einzige Paradies, aus dem man nicht vertrieben werden kann."

Meine Erinnerung wird niemals verblassen.

- von Karola 

At my pinboard there is a ticket for a ballett performance:

Views of Time.

I'm inspired by this title.

I'm thinking of Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi.

I look at my photographs - Views of Time.

An intense phase of my life,

my most intense!

2 1/2 years, I gained a lot from that time,

2 1/2 years, I'm still living of that time.

But nonetheless: there is a longing.

I find comfort with the quotation by Jean Paul:

"Recollection is the only paradise from which we cannot be turned out."

My memory will never fade.

- by Karola 

Poetry Form: Roundel (Rondell)

A "roundel"  ("Rondell" in German) is a poetry form with repititions of certain lines. There are many variations possible, here is my favourite form:

The poem has 8 lines, and the 1st/ 4th/ 7th line are the same, also the 2nd/ 8th line are the same.

Here is an example in German (and I try to write it in English, too.)

Ich habe eine Fahrkarte gekauft.

Ich verreise.

Ich weiß, wohin ich fahre.

Ich habe eine Fahrkarte gekauft.

Wohin fahren Sie?, fragt mich jemand.

Nach Hause, sage ich.

Ich habe eine Fahrkarte gekauft.

Ich verreise.

I bought a ticket.

I'm on a trip.

I know where I'm going to.

I bought a ticket.

Where are you going to?, someone asks me.

Home, I say.

I bought a ticket.

I'm on a trip.


- by Maria

Poetry Form: Haiku

ich schrieb einen Brief

ein Sturm trug die Seiten fort

aber etwas bleibt

- von Maria

This poetry form called "Haiku" consists of 3 lines, the first line has 5 syllables, the second 7, the third line has 5 syllables again.

A Haiku-poem tries to be simple and precise like a Zen painting. It describes situations, not emotions. The emotions are present within the reader when reading the poem, because there is room for him or her to  create his or her own images, sentiments and connections.

A Haiku usually makes a reference to nature (seasons, weather, animals) and is often written in the present tense.

walking to and fro
a panther in a small cage
the door stands ajar

by Maria

A Note For My Pinboard

A Note For My Pinboard

desaster and brokenness

these multifaceted twins in flamboyant disguise -

don't flirt with them

they might accept the invitation readily

and come along

abundance keeping its balance
a sparkling fountain surrounded by melodies -
go and listen
it will sing a song just for you in a low voice
and be your guide


- by Maria

Poetry Form: Hay(na)ku

This poetry form called "Hay(na)ku" consists of 3 lines and 6 words, which are arranged like this:

one word in the first line, two in the second, three in the last line.

There are variations possible, so the three-word-line can be the first one and the one-word-line the last one.

Also: multiple Hay(na)kus can be chained so that you create a longer poem.

Poetry Form: Avenida

Chaos

Chaos und Aufräumen

Aufräumen

Aufräumen und Wegwerfen

Chaos

Chaos und Wegwerfen

Chaos und Aufräumen und Wegwerfen und

ein Lied

might be something like this in English (being German, I have not really an idea if it sounds ok in English, as always: I just try):

chaos

chaos and cleaning

cleaning

cleaning and removing

chaos

chaos and removing

chaos and cleaning and removing and

a song

This poetry form called "Avenida" consists of 4 words which are arranged like this:

###

### and ---

---

--- and ===

###

### and ===

### and --- and === and

a(n) ***

It's fun to play with that, also with kids, they love it.


The original poem which led to this poetry-form was written by Eugen Gomringer and goes like this:

avenidas
avenidas y flores

flores
flores y mujeres

avenidas
avenidas y mujeres

avenidas y flores y mujeres y
un admirador

9/ 11/ 95

die rote rose träumt vom nächsten morgen

dunkle nacht

silberne spiegel

vereinzelte Lichter -

  

morgen

leuchten die farben

ganz bestimmt leuchten sie

spielt der fisch im wasser

ganz bestimmt spielt er 

im wasser

duftet die rose

ganz bestimmt 

duftet sie

tickt die uhr

laut

(von Maria)

Fragments

Fragments / Chicago / Winter 2006

Today, Sunday, Dec 17, 2006, Chicago

Sees the performance of Daniel Barenboim‘s

„The West-Eastern-Divan“ youth orchestra. Go!

A young man, serving in the Navy, joins

A group of nuns, skating in the Millenium Park.

He is careful not to fall and break one of his joints.

The little dog on the old man‘s arm begins to bark.

He is carried across Michigan Avenue. Snow lies high.

In a wheelchair it‘s not easy to get home before dark.

At the Christkindlmarket ‚Under the Picasso‘ people try

To slurp hot ‚Gluehwein‘ from red mugs, shaped like St.-Claus-boots.

„Do I buy this Southamerican scarf? Or this oilpainting of the Loreley?“

On Dec 1, 2006, the weather has one of its famous moods.

Snow comes down in tons. O‘Hare is closed down.

To come to Chicago you have to find your own routes.

At the wintry, dry Buckingham Fountains two cops on brown

Horses chat with a boy and his dog. The horses stretch

And give the dog a nose-to-nose-kiss, saying: „You‘re a nice clown!“

It‘s warm inside the J.R. Thompson Center. A homeless boy tries to catch

Some sleep. His head lies on a littered table.

„On time“ is what you can read on his baseball-cap-badge.

At the Harold Washington Library a blind lady is not able

To go to the restroom without help. I assist and we talk.

When I say „good-bye“ her answer is affable:

„Welcome to the United States!“

Snow falls, wind blows, I decide to go for a walk.

- by Maria

Picture by H. M.

Great Musicians

Here are two very nice and VERY talented musicians and songwriters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlNZ89mqJW4

Enjoy!

http://www.johnandsam.co.uk/

Coming To Germany

well, I love to live in Germany (most of the times) and this is a bit sarcastic, but with some truth in it, don't you think? :-)

If you should ever plan to visit Germany coming from abroad....

...ask yourself first: is it really necessary? There must be a very good reason... noone comes to Germany just for fun, usually. In most cases you HAVE to come: business, duties, commitments, love. Regarding the first three possible reasons Germany is the perfect place: everyone is correct, punctual, reliable, serious about things...well, in most cases. You will probably manage to do your work there quite well, IF... if you speak German perfectly and look like a German and behave like a German...which means: you have to be a linguistic genius and an actor as well. 

Regarding the l(e)ast possible reason to come to Germany, love...: what happened that you fell in love in GERMANY? Was this really necessary? Italian, French, English, Irish, African, Indian, American people are much more charming than GERMANS! Do you really want to fall in love with a German banker, clerk, post-office official...? Oh no...

So, but you DO have important unavoidable commitments in Germany?

So here is what you have to know when you arrive at a German airport: first be prepared to humiliate yourself because you will have many difficulties to find the right way. No administration whatsoever in Germany feels the duty to put up the right signposts so that everybody and even strangers can get along easily. You surely will have to ask someone and that‘s the first hurdle for anyone who comes from abroad and doesn‘t speak German perfectly (who does? not even the Germans do!) So you try to ask for the right way in English ... and that‘s a huge sin in Germany. Ask in proper German and be devoted as well...maybe someone will show you the way then mumbling: „Da lang!“ (which means: this way!) You won‘t understand this answer at once and I bet you won‘t dare to ask again... you are not a masochist, are you? But you say „Thank you“ nevertheless because you are NOT German, no, YOU are educated...

So ...you stand in line then in front of a clerk‘s desk, because these people do really manage to give information in English - generally speaking. While you are standing in line be prepared to be scrutinized intensely, especially if you are dark or black skinned or you‘re wearing funnily coloured or unusually cut clothes. German people do mistrust anyone who seems to know other cultures or even comes from a very different one. Be perfectly relaxed, maybe you know Thai Chi or something?... because you surely don‘t want to wreck your nerves during your stay in Germany? You plan to stay for a longer period of time, really? For more than a few days? Why??? ok, we discussed that above...

You know...the Germans are proud of their great culture which they believe is woven around Goethe, Schiller and two or three more, none of whom anyone really knows in Germany. And they refuse bitterly to have this great culture influenced badly by strange habits, like for example: be helpful and polite to everyone, smile at someone nice who comes your way, buy a coffee for „to go“ and say „Excuse me“ if you have pushed someone on the street unintentionally... German people do use their elbows in any sense of the word. They are used to fighting individually first and foremost and it‘s completely unusual for them to put a value on ideas like solidarity, friendship, welcoming new things, easy-living. So you will never find a park in Germany where black, white, young, old people are dancing together to Samba-rhythms in the summer, on a work day at noon. Never. So, why would you like to come to Germany then? You will soon start to ask this question yourself.

So, if you managed to ask the clerk at the airport for the „kiss and ride“-area of the airport and you survived having looked at the intense disgust written in his face (kiss???? and what????) and managed to deal coolly with his reply: „Sie suchen die Abfertigungshalle? Oder den ÖPNV- Kassenautomat?“(untranslatable) ...you will decide that it‘s the best to ask quickly for the flight-departure-area instead, find it quickly - it‘s not impossible!, take the next plane to Samoa or somewhere else, breathe deeply and make plans to evacuate your love or your little money or both to a more friendly place on earth. 

by Maria :-)

http://waschbrettbauch.umagic.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/oepnv.gif