August 14, 2015 I got my first tattoo. It was done by my 28 year old cousin who is a tattoo artist. My children thought I was going through a midlife crisis. My husband always wanted me to get one even though he does not have any. My daughter has a small one, and my son has several. So, at 56 years old, I decided to go for it – but, it would be what I want and where I want. My cousin loved it. He said it reminded him of the painting Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. He also convinced me to let him make it a bit bigger than I wanted or it would not look good.
I knew it would be on leg. On my leg it can be easily covered if need to be. A peace sign of some kind always on the list but Yin-Yang symbol important too. Then I saw it when googling Yin-Yang peace signs. Yin-Yang – a brief meaning:
Yin-Yang
In a nutshell, Chinese Yin-Yang symbols represent perfect balance. Seemingly, the whole of Chinese philosophy stems from the concept of Yin and Yang – opposites interacting and supposedly the seed of all things. For example, evil results from an imbalance in Yin and Yang, and good comes from the two being in harmonic balance.
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/yin-yang-symbols.html
I strongly feel that dark and light were design to work together in balance. The should compliment each other and not be in discord. So, what more perfect symbol for than a Yin-Yang peace sign.
“Imagine” represents John Lennon’s song:
Imagine
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today…
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world…
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnlennon/imagine.html
I have always loved this song. I believe there tremendous power in the focus of mind and heart. Honest and private thoughts and feelings can change the attitude of the world. When I sign By the Pond I write “Imagine Peace” before my name.
“Kyrie Eleison” or “Lord have mercy” is a simple prayer. I believe in simple language when talking to God. Kyrie Eleison by Mr. Mister was one of my favorite songs in my younger days and is still. Below are a definition and the song lyrics.
(ˈkɪər iˌeɪ ɛˈleɪ əˌsɔn, -ˌsɒn, -sən)
n.
The wind blows hard against this mountain side
Across the sea into my soul
It reaches into where I cannot hide
Setting my feet upon the road
My heart is old it holds my memories
My body burns a gem-like flame
Somewhere between the soul and soft machine
Is where I find myself again
*CHORUS*
Kyrie Eleison
Down the road that I must travel
Kyrie Eleison
Through the darkness of the night
Kyrie Eleison
Where I’m going will you follow
Kyrie Eleison
On a highway in the night
When I was young I thought of growing old
Of what my life would mean to me
Would I have followed down my chosen road
Or only wished what I could be
(repeat chorus)
Oh…Oh…Oh
Oh…Oh…Oh
Oh…Oh…Oh
Oh…Oh…Oh
(repeat chorus to end)
http://www.metrolyrics.com/kyrie-eleison-lyrics-mr-mister.html
My poetry has been my therapy over the years. In 1993, an unusual traumatic event occurred with me. Poetry over the years has been my sorting out process. I have always had a strong spiritual nature balanced by strong doubt. During period of tremendous confusion, my poetry (sometimes more like stories my son thinks) helped me remember who I am, how I feel, and what I think and always have from a child. The theme I hope comes through is that we should not have our heads too far into the clouds or too deeply into the dirt. Life lives as balance somewhere in the middle with little visits to both edges. All 56 years of my life I have lived in Michigan. I was born in Kalamazoo September 16, 1958. My parents separated when I was young do to my mother’s mental illness. Dad died in 1965 at 29 from a cerebral hemorrhage. I was 6 when he passed. Grandma Peggy (my dad’s mother) went to court 7 times in a year and a half to fight for my younger sister (Kim who was mentally impaired) and me, because my dad had asked her too. She won custody of us. So, I lived with her in Bangor, Michigan through high school and college. I didn’t begin to write poetry until I went to live with my aunt (my mother’s sister) in Wartervliet, Michigan while attending Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor. My aunt lived near my mother and her mother (my Grandma Elsie). After 2 years there, I attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts major in English and minor in Elementary Education. Right out of college fall of 1984 I was hired at St. Mary’s in Paw Paw, Michigan as a kindergarten teacher. I taught kindergarten for 1 year half days and was moved into a full-time first grade position for three years. I met my husband Gary during that time. On October 17, 1987, we married and I moved to Fennville, Michigan where I still live. Gary and I have a son age 24 and a daughter age 19.
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