What Moon?
Four seasons past, we gazed at the same moon, the one that shines over the prairie and through my window here, tonight. Wish you could see it there, in the desert sky and know, as you did then, that distance matters not-- but no... So, I am left to wonder, what moon you smile upon this summer night.
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I watched Banaz A Love Story, and did so in horror, confusion, and sadness. I wondered to myself, "Where is the honor, in 'Honor Killing'?" If this isn’t a contradiction in terms, I don’t know what is! To say that I felt dis-ease is an understatement. While I understand that culture shapes our sense of self, religion, beliefs, etc., I cannot tolerate murdering someone because it is culturally acceptable for a family’s honor to take precedence over a life. Yet, I wonder how it is possible for "humans" who possess the capacity to love, get to the point where we see another human as a commodity—something of less or no value at all? How do we get there? What is it at our very core that grants us permission to proceed with such hate? At the age of 17, Banaz Mahmod was in an arranged marriage to a man she did not know previously and who was 10 years older than she was. He abused her in every way possible. Although she had left him on numerous occasions, her family sent her back each time because it was neccesary for their honor—it was preferable that she endure the abuse rather than they endure the shame. After 2 years of leaving her abuser and being sent back to him by her family, she left for the last time and returned to her family home. 7 months later, her father arranged for everyone in the family, with the exception of Banaz, to leave their home so that her cousins could enter specifically to kill her. But killing Banaz wasn't enough; in fact, for over 2 hours they raped and tortured her. They eventually strangled her to death, stuffed her body in a suitcase and buried her 6 feet underground. Her father, her uncle, and 3 cousins were later convicted of her murder—this was as much “justice” Banaz could get within a legal system after her death. Tragically, she had reached out to the police, but was unable to get the protection that she needed before her death. The quote below is from the film. It was something Banaz said as she spoke about the man she was forced to marry. "It was like I was his shoe and he would wear it.""Her "self"
Her “self”, at its nucleus is calm and courageous-- as it was at birth, but life insisted on darkness; extinguished its brilliance to smoke, and shattered her “self” at its core. Each of the fragments needful, but in a space in time that no longer was, or is. Their voices, she silenced in ignorance, conflicted by their tantrums and pleas. 'Til one day the atomic rage ignited and all the chatter spewed forth. Squeezing her heart and lungs fiercely, her parts demanded to be heard. She relented and listened summer through summer to their stories of anger and fear. And so it was in her own compassion, that she led her back to the "self" of her birth. In Silhouette
A glance at a photo, there-- in the place we called home. I imagined you in silhouette walking on our beach though not you, it is, there-- offshore in the deep at rest and waiting... Like a Mist
Touch that doesn’t feel your skin. Sight that doesn’t see your chocolate complexion-- instead, the ether like a mist where you are. If I listen, will you whisper the way, so I know where to go? she asked ‘you are in love, /souˈdädə/ /saʊˈdɑdə/ The following video was created by the very talented Jesse Arseneau. I appreciate his patience, hard work, and creativity in its production. A series of small, quick , “mindful” self-reflective work completed during the pandemic—an epoch, which I consider the most challenging of my life for many of the same reasons that others do also—many of us experienced fear, isolation, confusion, anger, sadness, and loss.
These works were completed from late November 2020 to March 2021. I updated the post as I completed a new piece. I am better off for having done this “art therapy” and now, I can move forward. This is a poem by Maria Sabina Magdalena Garcia, a healer. I had no idea who she was until a saw a painting of her by a very talented artist, Javier Chavira. It was years ago, but it is my understanding that it is still part of the National Museum of Mexican Art's permanent collection in Chicago. It is an extraordinary painting titled Maria Sabina: I am Woman of Light--a must see in person. artsandculture.google.com/asset/maria-sabina-i-am-woman-of-light-javier-chavira/eAG6Ap2RlulXpA?hl=en Cúrate mijita, con la luz del sol y los rayos de la luna. |
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