Sanctuary

2008-03-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Princess & The Last Dragon

In memory - -
or childhood dreams,
in hearts that be connected;
there is a place
where myths are made
and
tales bemused, abstracted.

Within this place
endures the last
of epoch’s valiant steeds.
Dragon, pure and powerful
hold knowledge close to thee.

Within your cunning, courtesy
accept, as legends will - -
the virgins sent by plain folk,
your wrath in hopes to still.

But Dragons be not hateful things,
‘tis beauty that they seek.
T’was men’s insipid density
that brought bloodlust to thee.

“Princess”
knew this in her heart
and one night took her leave;
of townsfolk who knew not enough
to feel your real need.

The aerie where she found you - -
a dull and joyless place,
but home had it become for you
within men’s mindless waste.

Olive green, her eyes were termed,
yet you could see the truth - -
in her eyes, the green of seas,
and depths . . . . .
In moments meant for silence
you met each other’s gaze
and in those depths you saw your past
and the lost; that bore your name.

Dragon tears began to fall,
splashing at her feet.
In kindness she reached out to soothe
your never released grief.

Her hair she used,
auburn and long - -
as long as journey's end,
to mop away the giant tears
of Dragon become friend.

&

When she slowly moved away,
demuring even now,
you changed your teardrops into gems
of amethyst and diamonds.

At her caress your spirit spoke
and set your huge heart beating - -
fearful lest she fade away,
you touched her with your breathing.

Onto your silken, scaled back,
she slid her naked form.
Away you flew, together then,
to lands as yet unborn.

Princess “true”, had wakened you
and now in joy you fly - -
the Dragon last; in certainty,
‘till end of time is nigh.

A Letter to You from GOD, with Love

2008-02-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

Beloved One:

I just had to sit down and write to remind you of something very important to Me . . . I love you.

I saw you talking with your friends yesterday and I wanted so much to talk with you also. I waited all day but you never called. I hoped we could find time to talk in the evening, but I know you had a lot of other things on your mind. As your day drew to a close, I sent a sunset for you; as you walked to the house, I sent a cool breeze to refresh you after a long day. I put a special scent in the air from the flowers near the driveway, but I guess you didn’t notice as you hurried by. I’m so sad that you have to rush so.

I saw you fall asleep last night and I so wanted to touch your face and stroke your hair, so I spilled a little moonlight on your face and pillow. When you awoke this morning, I hoped we could have a little time together, I wanted to rush down and talk to you, but I guess you had to hurry off to work. My tears were in the rain.

I have so many gifts for you . . . . so much to tell you . . . . so many wonderful things for you to experience because I love you so much. My nature is like that, you know.

Please call Me, talk with Me . . . . ask Me for help. I know the deepest desires of your heart and I so want to be close to you. My love for you is deeper than the oceans . . . . greater than anything you can imagine. I long for us to share some time together - just the two of us.

It hurts Me to see you look so sad today. I really understand what it’s like for friends to let you down. I know your heart aches.

I’ll close now because I know you are very busy and I certainly don’t want to hassle you. You are free to choose Me - or not - it’s your decision. I’ve already chosen you. Please don’t be too long in contacting Me; and remember . . . . I love you.

Your Friend,
GOD

METTA MEDITATION

2008-01-24T16:17:00.000-08:00

May I be safe from inner & outer harm.
(from known or unknown sources)

May I be healthy in Body, Mind & Spirit.

May I be able to care for myself, those that I love & those that are in greater need than I, easily & gracefully.

May I see and understand my path. May I always have Your help in difficult times.

May I be fulfilled and joyous.

Thank you Father.

This Metta (Loving Kindness) meditation can be used for yourself, those you love, those that have hurt you (knowingly or unknowingly), those that have helped you, those in great need, Spiritual or Higher Beings, the smallest and weakest of creatures, for the world and for the universe.

Everybody Hurts

2008-01-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

GOODBYE

2008-01-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

Comes the Dawn

After a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul, and you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning, and company doesn’t always mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts, and presents aren’t promises, and you begin to accept your defeats with the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build all your roads on today, because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans, and futures have a way of falling in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you ask too much. So you plant your own garden, and you decorate your soil, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong, and you really do have worth.

And you learn . . . .

And you learn . . . .

With every Good-Bye . . . .

You learn.

Veronica Shoffstall

November 18th 4:30 am 2001

2008-01-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

Shooting Stars

The fallen leaves provided a soft cover over the unyielding ground.

Crunching softly as I lay down beneath the sky.

A Shadow came and laid his body against me for warmth, purring.

They came one by one.

Streaking. First left then right then all around.

I counted as the time elapsed. 55, 56

Each time I felt it was time to go inside another came.

Each one counted a year added to my life.

I counted 100.

My hands were numb with cold.

My friend stirred.

It was enough. 100.

Michael Sutton (aka Starkin)

Salutation of the Dawn

2008-01-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

Look to this day, for it is Life, the very life of life.

In its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence;
The bliss of growth, the glory of action, the splendor of beauty.

For Yesterday is but a dream and Tomorrow is only a vision;
But Today, well-lived, makes every Yesterday a dream of
Happiness and every Tomorrow a vision of Hope.

Look well, therefore, to this Day!

Such is the salutation of the dawn.

From the Sufi, 1200 B.C.

Declawing Cats

2008-01-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

NEVER, EVER, EVEN THINK OF DECLAWING YOUR CAT. IT IS A BARBARIC AND HURTFUL PRACTICE THAT IS ACTUALLY ILLEGAL IN ELEVEN MORE ENLIGHTENED COUNTRIES THAN AMERICA.

You will hear myriad reasons why it is okay or even “good” to declaw your cat. Veterinarians, friends, experts, technicians, people who have declawed cats . . . all will be more than happy to make you feel good about maiming your new friend. The only real reason that any of these people have is greed. Some veterinarians will be glad to take your money for such a purpose. They may in fact even tell you that it doesn’t hurt the cat. Why then, must the cat walk around bandaged for weeks after? Why must the cat use paper instead of sand in the litter box if its paws don’t hurt? Why is your friend wearing an Elizabethan Collar so that he can’t lick the deep wounds? Declawing is barbaric. Declawing is painful. Declawing leaves your cat with no defenses . . . can you guarantee protection 100% of the time? If you have expensive furniture that is more important than a living being and if you are so engrossed with your belongings that if they were to be scratched (even ruined) it would ruin your life then you should not have a cat! If a child breaks something is the punishment dismemberment. Shall we cut off the child’s hands? Some people think so.

Let us define what the practice of declawing is. In order to stop cat’s claws from growing back it is necessary to cut your friends paws at the first joint. Compare this concept to yourself. Or perhaps you would like to “declaw” your child. You need to use an extremely sharp instrument and cut off their fingers at the first joint. Now you have an animal that cannot defend itself and is maimed for life.

Please, do not declaw your friend! There is no good reason for such a despicable and hurtful practice. I would like to meet those of you who think otherwise so that I can place your hands on a table and severe your fingers with a meat cleaver.

Having addressed the issue of declawing and made a firm decision against it, let’s return to welcoming your new Zen Cat. And guess what? All of your worry over having your furniture scratched is unfounded. A Zen Cat is at peace with itself and will not scratch your possessions. It is also possible to train almost any cat not to scratch certain items.

One simple deterrent to scratching is to provide your friend with its own scratching post. Another is the use of spray on pheromones that make a cat feel that your couch (as an example) is something “marked” as a place that is good, friendly and should not be touched except to rub against lovingly. There are also small rubber “sleeves” called “SoftPaws” than can be placed on your friend’s nails shielding them from doing any damage. Making a practice of trimming your cat’s nails at least monthly (when you apply his flea and tick medication) is a good practice. Finally, there are devices that use the “invisible fence” principal. If your cat jumps on your precious leather sofa with the intention of honing his nails then a small electrical shock will deter him. I do not recommend these devices but I would rather your cat received a minor shock (that will eventually teach through negative re-inforcement) than to have your cat bloodied by declawing. (Declawed cats bleed profusely for at least two weeks and people say this doesn’t hurt!)

So far we have sprayed facial pheromones such as Feliway Brand on the corners of each item that you want the cat to respect. This must be done on a weekly basis until the cat learns to “like” this piece of furniture and that scratching (or spraying) is off bounds. We have provided a high quality scratching post for your cat to do what is only natural. Next we must address cleanliness and privacy.

from "The Zen Cat"
by Michael Sutton

Zen Cats (First Meeting)

2007-12-30T08:16:00.000-08:00

For the purposes of this book we will proceed under the assumption that you and your Zen Cat are new found friends. As such you require the appropriate introductions. Let us further assume that your Zen Cat is a “saved” cat; one that has been abused or abandoned by less enlightened individuals. As such, you are the cat’s new friend and savior. Indeed, you may literally have saved your cat from a horrible death. It is a fact that cat’s left to fend for themselves in the “wilds of suburbia” have a lifespan of approximately five years. The same cat, under your care, can easily live to be 14, 15 even 20 years.

There are many animal shelters and sanctuaries that always have an over abundance of cats requiring good homes. There is also the possibility of actually taming a feral cat on your own but we will cover that in the chapter on feral cats. For our purposes let us assume that you have visited your local animal shelter, fallen in love with a domestic shorthair cat, filled out the adoption paperwork (cats are not just given to anyone as they are living creatures), and are ready to take your cat to his/her new home. In order to accomplish this task you will require a suitable cat carrier. At no time should you try to move a cat from one place to another by holding it, wrapping it or otherwise trying to restrain it. This action will make your cat fearful and in trying to escape the cat will probably do you some damage in the form of scratches and/or bites. Cat carriers can be purchased at any pet shop for reasonable amounts of money and you and your cat will enjoy a safe and uneventful trip home. Some shelters also stock cardboard carriers for one time usage if you find yourself in a position without an appropriate carrier. This cardboard “box” will normally be collapsible, have just enough room when opened to hold an average size cat (9 to 12 pounds) and will have breathing holes and a carry handle. This is a perfectly safe and convenient device for the initial transportation of your cat but should be viewed only as a stopgap measure and a larger and more comfortable carrier should be purchased.

from "The Zen Cat"

by Michael Sutton

Free Speech

2007-12-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

I worry about the world. Do most people do that? I don’t think so. I’m sure that the people in power like “The President of the United States” and "The Pope" don’t care about the world. What they are adept at is keeping the ball rolling in their direction. It’s worrisome to me to have old men with no discernable talent or redeeming social value running the country. Fuck, the president we have now is an idiot, yet people still voted for him. I worry about those people. I worry that they believe everything they hear on TV or read in the small town America Gazette. The frightening thing is that these people think that they voted the president into office. Well, it doesn’t work that way. Money is what rules this country not some wimpy asshole of a man. Then, of coarse there is the possibility that the president thinks he actually was liked so much by the people that he became president. Shit, you’re all assholes in the end because the multi-billion dollar companies and the billionaire entrepreneurs bought the presidency a long time ago.

How about the Pope as leader of the Catholic nation? An old man who is constantly sick has been put in place by other Pope wannabees at the table. Bull Shit again. The Pope is bought and paid for by the Mafia. The deliberation at the table is to decide who will best bear the burden of lying to millions of people who believe in him. After all the Pope can sit in a special place and talk directly to God. I say no way. If he can talk to God and get responses then why doesn’t he ask God to make the world and its people a better place? It may not seem like it but the pope heralds back to the time of King Arthur . . . he didn’t do anything to help that world either. It is appropriate to place the popeship with King Arthur as neither was real. Lies upon lies with more lies on top.

Success

2007-12-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a little bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wisdom

2007-12-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.

Ralph Waldo Emerson