Desolation
[Dedicated to Poet Bei Dao of China]

We are only Free
Because the hunter
Is far away,
(but he is coming)
The sun used to blind
His eyesused to!
Should the prey, think
He is not pray
He will be bellowing
Over dray corpses
Trembling as the hunter wipes
The sun from his face.

Evil comes,
When freedom sleeps:
Comes with a frown,
And leaves with a smile,
Vanishes in the creek.

Evil says:
‘Look at what I’ve done,’
He paints a picture
On a canvas for everyone:
To see, his …desolation.

#838 8/6/05

Newspapers
[Dedicated to: Ryuichi Tamura: of Japan]

I would think
Reading papers, newspapers
Would be hard on your system
IT”S ALL DEPRESSING
Misery loves company they say
Desolation, destruction
In the world everyday
Headlines, phrases
That sways a person’s eye:
Then sways a persons heart,
Ripping his nervous system
Apart…apart, apart!…
And then there is the
Financial pagewhere
Everyone seems to be
In a state of rage.
Reading newspapers
May not be a healthy thing,
Sensationalism-Yes
With not much good to say.

#839 9/05

Macchu PicchuSleeps

[Dedicated to Pablo Neruda: of Chile]

Macchu Picchu sleeps, amongst the stones and shrubbery (on a mountain peak], above, a world, that is bottomless; beside, the golden arms of he Ancient Andes. Macchu Picchu almost touches the sky; unhurried, she remains a symbol of a vague and vibrant time. Her wings now clipped, but not her pride!…

#840 9/05

Note by Rosa; Dennis will be going back to South America in October, for 6-weeks, but will of course be doing some writings, and he will be visiting more countries than Peru. And so, look for his new writings during the 4th of October, and the 19 of November. He will be giving a presentation of his poetry at the Recardo Palma House, in Peru, and perhaps at the Unversity Los Andes, in Huancayo; among other things. Rosa

You can see Dennis’s books at LapidaryArt.com, or his site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

HOLIDAY GIFT-GIVING SIMPLIFIED

Every year I spend all my time, energy and money shopping for
the ‘perfect’ gift for everyone on my list. Each day after work
I race to my car, change into some comfortable shopping shoes,
and then fight my way to the Mall where there are a million
other people joining the same race. I walk through store after
store feeling completely overwhelmed by all of the merchandise
on the shelves and my mind goes blank - what am I here to buy?
So, I fumble through my purse and pull out my ‘list’ so I can
focus on my task at hand.

First on my list is Mom - she has everything already, what could
I possibly buy her that would be ‘perfect’ for her and that she
would remember for years to come? Well, since I live on a very
small budget I guess a cruise or some fine jewelry is out of the
question so I will think on that one a little more and move on
to the next person on my list - my sisters. I could buy them
some perfume or maybe this nice sweater that is all the rage
this year, but it just doesn’t seem very special. I bet if you
ask them in just a few short months if they remember what you
gave them for the holidays they would have to really think hard
about that one. So I keep looking, store after store, trying to
find the ‘perfect’ gift that says how much they mean to me only
to finally give up after hours of walking around and the only
thing I actually got was a headache from not eating dinner yet.
So I go home empty handed, again!

I lay in bed that night thinking why does gift-giving have to be
so hard? After all, the holidays are not suppose to be about
suffering, it’s suppose to be about fun times with family and
friends. I remembered one of my favorite quotes from H.L.
Mencken “Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence”.
So let’s have some FUN!

I later came across some ideas on how to make Survival Kits,
which I thought would be ‘perfect’ for the holidays, so here are
a few that could work for you. First, all of the items used for
these kits are very easy to find just about anywhere. Add your
items to any container you like and use your imagination!

Christmas Survival Kit Chocolate kisses - to remind you that
you are loved Starbursts - to give you a burst of energy on days
you don’t have any Snickers - to remind you to take time to
laugh Candle - to remind you to shine brightly Peppermints - to
settle the tummy from overindulging Note Pad - to track all of
the must do’s Lifesavers - to keep you from drowning in all you
have to do Tape - to use to wrap the gifts because you forgot to
buy any Bubble bath - to soothe the weary body Tea - To sit
back, relax and count your blessings.

Sister Survival Kit Tootsie Roll - For all the times we’ve let
the good times “roll” . Payday - So we will always have money to
go - SHOPPING! Gobstopper - For the “gobs” of trouble we have
gotten into over the years . Gum - To remind you that a family
that “sticks” together stays together . Mars - Through the rough
times, just remember Men are from Mars…women are from Venus .
Sweet Tarts - We are individuals and should celebrate our
differences . Popcorn - Even if we haven’t talked yet today -
you have already “popped” into my thoughts . Jolly Rancher - For
the times I can’t be there with you to make you smile .
Starburst - For the times you feel like you will “burst” if you
don’t share your secret with me . Puzzle Piece - Don’t ever
forget you are an important piece of my life . Coversation
Hearts - For all of our “heartfelt” conversations . Tissues -
For all the joyful tears we’ve shared . Peppermint Patty - In
case I can’t be there to give you a ‘pat’ on the back this will
have to do! Two Quarters - In case you need to call on me for
advice . Nail File - For all the times you smoothed things over
for me - so I wouldn’t get into trouble! Tea Bags - To get you
back for all those times you “teased” me! You can always visit
my gift basket store at www.berwickbaskets.com for more ideas!

In the world of fitness, there can be a vast difference in the
method of which an individual will chose to maintain their
health. For many, even a healthy combination of different
exercises throughout the week will center around a preferred
exercise. These favorites can range from the serenity of a low
impact yoga session to the grunt work of a steel-assisted
resistance program. Through all the different tastes, there is
one crucial element that applies for all - breathing. Correct
breathing will insure that plenty of oxygen makes its way
through your body and sustains your essential bout of exercise.

Weight lifting specifically has many rules of thumb when
performing each repetition. One common mistake is the urge to
hold one’s breath, most often referred to as the Valsalva
Maneuver. While the Valsalva Maneuver is utilized in the medical
field (to measure the autonomic reflex of cardio-pulmonary
functioning), recreation (diver’s use it for clearing ears),
entertainment (a modified version is used by trumpeters) and
even in our daily life (in the bathroom…if you catch my
drift), the combination of breath-holding mixed with lifting
weights puts your health and safety at risk. Holding your breath
heavily increases your blood pressure, may cause headaches,
dizziness or lead to unconsciousness and even land you in the
hospital with a stroke.

Another common mistake is chest breathing. When a person
breathes through their chest, their upper body will rise with
each inhalation. This method takes a lot of energy to execute as
you will need far more breaths per minute and still be less
oxygenated than if you were to perform the correct method which
is stomach breathing. You may have learned this if you are a fan
of Yoga class, in which Pranayama uses controlled and deep
cleansing breathing. When you breathe through your stomach, you
will notice your stomach expands and your chest, nor upper body,
will move much at all. As a woman in snug-fitting workout
attire, the last thing we want to hear is let our tummy expand
when inhaling, but if you want to insure an effective routine
throughout your session, you will need to supply your body with
adequate oxygen which is done through stomach breathing.

To assist you with your breathing, remember to breathe through
pursed lips. After an invigorating inhalation, exhaling through
pursed lips will maintain air pressure in your airways. In
effect, it will help your airway clear out more stale air, in
addition to controlling your breathing rate (include shortness
of breath), increasing the flow of air out of your lungs and
reducing your bodily energy required to take the next breath.

Finally, a good rule of thumb is that when performing a
repetition, the hardest part necessitating focus for good form
and strength is when you will be exhaling. Most often, you will
find it is during the contraction of the movement. As an
example, when performing a Bicep Curl, you will exhale as you
pull the weight toward your shoulder. After pausing for a moment
at the shoulder, you will begin your inhalation as you slowly
lower the weight back to starting position.

Though breathing is an involuntary process, it can enhanced by
your own conscientiousness. Proper breathing takes practice as
studies show that up to 83% of adults have developed improper
techniques. Collectively, all the facets of proper breathing
will not only insure an effective workout, but also lower your
stress (including all of its disease-ridden effects), rid your
body of a fair amount of toxins and lead to overall better
health.