Deep Thought
My universe is filled with these people who I've constructed, is it possible that my constructions are only the constructions of someone else, someone else far away, far above, far below, that I, too, am only a construction of someone's mind. Is what is on the inside so false as what is on the outside?

posted by Cassandra 4:52 PM

. . .

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Snow,
Cold,
Bitter stuff,
Kind of thing that bites you when you walk outside,
Dirty streets,
Gray mumblings of shoppers,
Look of everyone bundled up against the elements,
Trees with bare limbs,
Ice,

Danger,
Fun,
Comfort of snuggling up with a warm blanket and hot chocolate to watch the snow fall,
Smell of melting snow and hot bodies in stores,
Uncomfortable hotness of being bundled up in a heated room, waiting,
Too close to the door to take off your gloves,
Too hot to keep them on,
Shock of stepping out underneath those gray skies,
Sun a mild yellow ball hanging forlornly amidst dirty clouds, skimming their way somewhere,
Annoying Christmas music that is played everywhere you go,
Bright Christmas lights dancing in the snow,

Bustle of crowds,
Everyone intent on getting where they're going,
Not stopping to notice the little girl you once were,
Little girl you still are,
Standing,
Watching,
Amazed, frightened,
Loving it, hating it,
Tears flowing in any direction because they need to go,

Cries of the real children,
Too hot, too tired to care,
Cries of the parents,
Too poor, too tired to care,

Way the people change,
Casual hellos and good-byes become more meaningful as the realization of our mortality mixes with a new year,
Poor jokes that try to cover up our feelings of inadequecy,

Closeness of family killing the mood,
Making the mood,
Warm,
Comforting,
Stifling,
Too close,
Too far away,

Peace On Earth,
Good Will To Men,
Bomb 'em,

People oblivious to the dangers faced by others,
Others who can't celebrate,
Who don't celebrate,
Everyone's the same,
So different,
"We Are All Individuals",

But this individual,
Wants only,
To go home.

(Written December 16, 2002)

posted by Cassandra 10:34 PM

. . .

A little break of tradition. Here are two poems written by my Prof.'s to students...:-)

For You

I don't want to say
anything
about last night,
voices dancing
from flame to flame.
The glistening of eyes,
the awkwardness of sentiment,
I have
nothing
to say about them.
And
there are the silhouettes as well
that I
don't want to talk about,
surrounded by friends
sharing laughter.
There's more
to all of that than this,
of course,
and you would know it
better than most,
better I mean
than any other,
which is only to say
I am here,
you are here.
With tomorrow comes
the benediction
of morning rain,
the redemptive caress
of a noon breeze,
the sweet possibility
of something
in the evening air.

(Written by Dr. Phat Vu, December 13, 2002, after we surprised him for his birthday the night before (he lives on campus with us;-) ))


A Farewell to the SUA Students

Like darting fish
in the silver waters,
I marvel at the many
colors and movements
of the students darting
into life's currents,
so alive, so wild in warmth,
eager to enter the next ripple
or even spin in a vortex
as a ride around themselves,
further into themselves.

In my mind, I will always
see the Soka stream of bright
waters, not shooting up
in the bold fountains of the lake,
but streaming by my door
and heart containing
all these flashes of spirits
that are the Soka students
moving downstream,
and my own heart
will swim in their wake.

(Written by Dr. Glen Mazis, May 24, 2002, after announcing he was leaving SUA and a large cry of outrage came from the students.)

posted by Cassandra 10:47 PM

. . .