Is that you, God?

I’m looking for God again
The small southern churches welcome me
Where are you from and what church do you go to?
But they ask in reverse order
First the church
My lips form the answer
Buddhist
But I am cautious
A newcomer, hesitating
You’re a sinner aren’t you?
I laugh but they are right
In this strange new world of a million churches
I am lost
How can there be so much holiness
In one place?
The Baptists win

~ Gwen C.Murray

A sacred holy place

Varanasi, also Benares, Banaras or Kashi, is a city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It is holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism and Jainism.

Imagination

I believe imagination is stronger than knowledge
That myth is more potent than history
That dreams are more powerful than facts
That hope triumphs over experience
That laughter is the only cure for grief
And I believe that love is stronger than death

~ Author Unknown

Talk to me of nothing

“You smiled and talked to me of nothing and I felt that for this I had been waiting long.” ― Rabindranath Tagore

All photos below taken by Gwen C. Murray on an overland trip with her husband Jerry from Beijing to Pakistan in September/October of 1994.

The Dowager

The Dowager Empress of China

Fattened like a Buddha
Filled her mouth with the state jewels
Kept her talon nails
Long, curved and blood red
Like ancient lacquered knives
Protecting her from her own subjects.
When she died her ivory teeth
Were the color of gravestones
Sealing the ancient vault of royal diamonds
Until the revolutionaries
Slit her throat
Yielding finely carved jewels
Dazzling in blood

~ Gwen C. Murray

Guatemala ~ some photos

Guatemala

Photos taken by Gwen C. Murray on a trip to Guatemala in 2005

A thought about being short

Shortness in this world

This little woman, not me, was fluttering around at a party recently. Alas she was short, as am I. Oh lets see if we are the same size she chirped, I took two steps back, she followed with a friend. Stand together they coaxed. I should have pushed her down, I lost the nerve. Oh look we are the same size, much like two stalks of celery I thought what does it matter?

Then I looked at her and realized that is what I look like to others, easily overlooked, lost in any crowd, last to be served at the butchers. I often look around the grocery isles to find a normal person to haul down a product I want.

How is it that in Petite sections of a store the merchandise takes a very tall person to reach those little jackets. I am not above climbing on the bottom of the shelf, balancing myself until some angry associate comes running, they are all afraid of lawsuits .

I have been known to buy a jacket in the boy’s department, changing buttons impossible.

Every clerk reminds me,You will have to shorten this pants, skirts, nightgowns, sleeves too.

I know I know I know

Not the last but another deterrent to this condition is food, each ounce finds its way to park on my body, not as much room as a normal person, so there it sits.

In my next life I will be tall and thin and a real bitch, watch for me!