Virgilio is Listening to the Whispers of the Wind

Virgilio is Listening to the Whispers of the Wind http://vergavia.multiply.com/ I love looking at life and all its ramifications, just like Thoreau, Emerson, Thomas Merton, Annie Dillard, etc. I'm trying very hard to be a writer of sort, especially a poet. I don't aspire to be a Pablo Neruda, a Rumi or a Rilke. However, I'm still nurturing a long time dream of coming up with my own book of poems. I hope to study, in depth, the writings of Joseph Campbell, Thomas Merton, Ken Wilber, Rabbi Abraham Heschel, Martin Buber and William Blake. By the way, I embrace quite moments where I can hear life's whispers. Here's my writing philosophy as elucidated by Thomas Merton from the preface to the Japanese edition of Thoughts in Solitude, March 1966: "No writing on the solitary, meditative dimensions of life can say anything that has not already been said better by the wind in the pine trees. These pages seek nothing more than to echo the silence and peace that is 'heard' when the rain wanders freely among the hills and forests. But what can the wind say where there is no hearer? There is then a deeper silence: the silence in which the Hearer is No-Hearer. That deeper silence must be heard before one can can speak truly of solitude." Mon, 6 Oct 2008 17:33:59 -0000 Sat, 4 Oct 2008 13:08:00 -0000 Virgilio is Listening to the Whispers of the Wind http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/logo http://vergavia.multiply.com 100 100 Autumn Leaves <img class="alignright" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SOdpiQoKCtkAAAW65AM1/DSC01970.JPG?et=cPfSfDp9Up7xjclulxtsrw&nmid=0" border="0">  Autumn Leaves. The fallen autumn leaves...not of defeat but it shows the reality of separation, of impermanence, and of decay. And it happens for a reason: to surrender and pave the way for rebirth, for vibrancy, for impetus, for freshness, for new growth, for new opportunity.       The cycle has to go on. A cycle of life and death, And then of resurrection to a new genesis, a new Lease in life, of a chance for others to evolve And unfold and experience the exhilarating and Delicious act of blooming and dancing at the Instance and prodding of the wind.   This cycle is what interrelates us with the fallen leaves, And the rest of the universe. An area where everything is Non-discriminating, where justice does not need to Be dispensed, where being a dog or a plant or a man Does not matter anymore for the invisible lines That separate them are already indistinguishable.   The rhythm of life has to flow to the tune of the Throbbing of the earth and... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/67/Autumn_Leaves Sat, 4 Oct 2008 13:08:00 -0000 i carry your heart with me <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SOWVngoKCtkAAEsFcgQ1/DSC01964.JPG?et=gxF5VDUA%2BLPYtMs77M7QQw&nmid=0" border="0"> <h1 style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">i carry your heart with me</h1> <h1 style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">by ee cummings</h1>   i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)                                   i fear no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world, my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)   One of my favourite love poems written by one of my favourite poets. Simple words yet very profound. Deeply moving. This poem has been read many times in wedding celebrations (and ... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/66/i_carry_your_heart_with_me Fri, 3 Oct 2008 03:49:01 -0000 I See My Beauty in You <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SOElPwoKCtkAABMRbYo1/DSC01967.JPG?et=RDM%2CQe0efi5N%2CyGe8nf4CQ&nmid=0" border="0"> “I See My Beauty in You.” – Rumi   Oh! I love this line from Rumi’s poem. Very unselfish, very giving, very loving. No pretentions, authentic sharing, raw, organic, non- discriminative.   This line is a very fresh approach to expressing love – actually, an expression of the soul -  coming from a poet and a mystic of olden times. The object is the union of two souls. Very relevant even to this day. Ageless. Timeless.   It breaks down self-erected eccentric barriers, tames the wildness of the heart and transcends the illusory boundaries of false self. It also tells me that the person is close to me, body and soul…It’s an invisible embrace that makes two people dissolve in sweet intimacy where the flesh and the self that separate them can no longer be distinguished.   I love this quote from St. John of the Cross:   “I did not have to ask my heart what it wanted Because of all the desires I have ever known, Just one thing did I cling to For it was the e... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/65/I_See_My_Beauty_in_You Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:59:55 -0000 Poem: "Beannacht" One of my favourite writers and poets, John O'Donohue, reading his poem:"Beannacht" which means blessings. I am saddened by his death just this year, 2008. "I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding." -- John O'Donohue http://vergavia.multiply.com/video/item/22/Poem_Beannacht Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:46:22 -0000 Well-Lived Moments <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SN2o-QoKCtkAAGEKH0s1/DSC01921.JPG?et=ipqZr%2BfEwgtc8QHK7VKSEA&nmid=0" border="0"> Look to this day For it is life The very life of life. In its brief course lie all The realities and verities of existence, The bliss of growth, The splendor of action, The glory of power -- For yesterday is but a dream, And tomorrow is only a vision, But today, well-lived, Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness And every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day.                                      -taken from the Rigveda These words were written hundreds of years ago and still relevant to this day. Every day is a new day. It is up to us to create and spread “well-lived” moments throughout the day. Greet the morning with a silent invocation, give a warm smile, listen to good music, drink a cup of you favourite brewed coffee, look at the falling autumn leaves, make people happy, appreciate ... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/64/Well-Lived_Moments Sat, 27 Sep 2008 03:34:04 -0000 Hope and Grace <a class="image" title="An adult male, nominate race" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Blackbird_2.jpg"><img height="176" alt="An adult male, nominate race" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Blackbird_2.jpg/250px-Blackbird_2.jpg" width="250" border="0"></a> Photo of a Blackbird (source: Wikipedia) One of the most intriguing and mysterious poem I have encountered is the “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” by Wallace Stevens. I should say it was heavily draped by a thick black curtain that it will require a very sharp knife to cut through it and reveal its meanings.   The poem consists of 13 parts or verses, but I want to focus only on the first part:   I Among twenty snowy mountains The only moving things Was the eye of the blackbird.   I was floored with mouth agape the first time I encountered this part. It is similar to the elegant Haiku, simple yet profound, delicate yet powerful. It cuts the heart like a sharp cutlass.   I am interpreting this part of the poem from the area of hope because I can relate to it.   There are times when I feel so alone, especially when I am facing struggles in life. I feel abandoned. It is as if I have no one to talk to, no one to spill and share my travails, no one to... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/63/Hope_and_Grace Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:04:26 -0000 Take Time <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SNmqkAoKCtkAAE6mrqA1/DSC01915.JPG?et=XzQ7BVwW%2Bx7sfMW4GWGJSA&nmid=0" border="0"> Witness By Denise Levertov   Sometimes the mountain Is hidden from me in veils Of cloud, sometimes I am hidden from the mountain In veils of inattention, apathy, fatigue, When I forget or refuse to go Down to the shore or a few yards Up the road, on a clear day, To reconfirm That witnessing presence.   This poem reminds me to stop from time to time and feel (really feel) the embrace of the cold wind as it penetrates the pores of our skin, to listen to the song of the larks, to watch the dancing leaves at the instigation of the wind, to smell the fresh air after the rain, to closely look at the dews resting on blades of grasses.   Even the veil of cloud that hides the mountain is a sight to behold if we will just give time to look at it.   All of these things are manifestations of God’s grace. Don’t miss them or you miss the blessings.   Have a nice day. http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/62/Take_Time Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:49:56 -0000 Seton Park Exploration - Toronto Taken the morning of September 19, 2008 http://vergavia.multiply.com/photos/album/34/Seton_Park_Exploration_-_Toronto Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:28:18 -0000 Quite Street <a href="http://vergavia.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SNPmlQoKCtkAABk79Ms1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SNPmlQoKCtkAABk79Ms1/DSC01871.JPG?et=pFLCAwwqi%2BJi%2CiFaijerIA&nmid=0" border="0"></a> Quite Street   There is something about a quite street under a diffused sunlight after the rain. It brings my thoughts to slow down, calms my nerves and tames my wild emotions. An echo of another level of consciousness lingers, like a smoke coming out of a smokestack on a cold day, making the old and common surroundings look new and fresh. Loneliness is transformed into solitude as my mind slips into quite contemplation.   My mind is an open receptacle. I can spend hours immersed and totally absorbed in this clarified milieu, transfixed, and soaking up everything that my senses can accommodate, and be detached, even for a limited and cramped time, from the clutches of fear, of anxiety and of insecurities.   I melt and surrender to this wondrous moment of grace as I feel loved.   It resembles an open monastery, A hermitage without walls, Were contemplation is practiced Under the gaze of the blue skies in day time And the canopy of the quietly pulsing stars at nig... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/61/Quite_Street Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:52:17 -0000 Books I am Currently Reading 1. Silent Fire (Bringing the Spirituality of Silence to Everyday Life) by James A. Connor 2. Sacred Reading (The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina) by Michael Casey 3. Nine Gates (Entering the Mind of Poetry) by Jane Hirshfield 4. Rilke's Book of Hours (Love Poems to God) translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy 5. The Gaze of Love (Meditations of Art & Spiritual Transformation) by Sister Wendy http://vergavia.multiply.com/reviews/item/1 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:04:15 -0000 Roving Eye 3 http://vergavia.multiply.com/photos/album/33/Roving_Eye_3 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:48:10 -0000 Roving Eye 2 http://vergavia.multiply.com/photos/album/32/Roving_Eye_2 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:26:44 -0000 Early Evening <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SNCBSQoKCtkAAEFfFfc1/DSC01889.JPG?et=AzSFANVe%2BIa726K25Mz8og&nmid=0" border="0"> Early Evening   Maple leaves slow-dance As the cold wind whistles A flat tune. The sun is still up But with less blazing glory As the sunrays languidly Stream down to a greying Landscape.   It is serene as people slowly amble their way towards the welcoming atmosphere of their respective abodes. They look listless after slaving 8 hours of work.   I like this time of the day At 6:30 pm   People can’t wait to slouch on their couches, put their wobbly and perhaps arthritic legs on the ever reliable ottoman, flick on the TV set to their favourite programs until they snore them away.   Just like the slow dancing maple leaves. Just like the whistling of the cold wind. Just like the sluggish stream of the sunrays.   Darkness will eventually shoo away the remaining fading sunlight as it stakes its claim on this part of the world. And tired and weary bodies will snuffle their way to where dreams reside, to where Jungian analysts make their living, to where... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/60/Early_Evening Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:03:01 -0000 Massive Stones <a href="http://vergavia.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SM81KQoKCtkAAEn@pDk1"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SM81KQoKCtkAAEn@pDk1/DSC01878.JPG?et=JhxevtVY9vUfZLxn5MJRsw&nmid=0" border="0"></a> massive stones   of a hundred years   defining moments http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/59/Massive_Stones Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:26:16 -0000 Wordless <a href="http://vergavia.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SM5QkAoKCtkAAAo1sD41"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SM5QkAoKCtkAAAo1sD41/DSC01875.JPG?et=Qo2DBuDwL%2CkQHwqe7L%2CG6w&nmid=0" border="0"></a> http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/58/Wordless Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:10:14 -0000 Paul McCartney Celebration Entralling...mysterious, and at times haunting...it's just like a passing cold wind that envelopes you...McCartney is really a true artist to the very core. Very http://vergavia.multiply.com/video/item/21/Paul_McCartney_Celebration Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:51:13 -0000 Love Letters from the Heart and Soul <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SMuxWgoKCtkAADO-P9M1/DSC01867.JPG?et=jrlDXihjU%2CjC9qC74Uyopw&nmid=0" border="0"> [New York] Sunday, February 8, 1914   I wish I could tell you, beloved Mary, what your letters mean to me. They create a soul in my soul. I read them as messages from life. Somehow they always come when I need them most, and they always bring that element which makes us desire more days and more nights and more life. Whenever my heart is bare and quivering, I feel the terrible need of someone to tell me that there is a tomorrow for all bare and quivering and you always do it, Mary.                                                                                     ... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/57/Love_Letters_from_the_Heart_and_Soul Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:27:07 -0000 The Silent Tree <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SMkmeQoKCtkAAGnrn@81/DSC01855.JPG?et=QOGPkitHw7XHw9%2BeENyEww&nmid=0" border="0">                                                      The Silent Tree   Weathered…beaten…but still standing proudly. This tree has been through a lot, with scars expressing silent wisdom, of silent maturity, seasoned by years of standing up against harsh elements.   There is dignity and nobility.   Noble scars…like an old but dignified Samurai warrior meditatively working his hands doing Ikebana.   Scars I prefer not to be obliterated.  Like the scars of the heart. It is a badge of honour for resiliency, healing and survival. An overcomer.   I am reminded of this quote by Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet, Playwright & Essayist, Won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913:   “When I ... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/56/The_Silent_Tree Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:09:59 -0000 Meaning <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SMcz@goKCtkAAEzG9aQ1/DSC01806.JPG?et=7yrhDFlr3qFwWOzomhzC%2CA&nmid=0" border="0"> The quite intensity of the branches and the leaves In a posture of trying to reach out to something only God knows.   Perhaps an act of worship?   I’ve been looking at this photo for hours. There’s an echo of an ancient Chinese Zen painting. Something deep and sincere.   There is something to it…a soft silence beneath. As if my soul is admonishing my heart.   I need to saunter while I reflect.   The meaning will find itself in due time. The meaning is probably in the meaning.                                                           -Virgilio Gavia http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/55/Meaning Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:42:55 -0000 The Inner Significance of Birthdays I am prompted to write this piece after my daughters asked me the deep significance of birthdays aside of course from coming out of this world. (My eldest daughters are identical twins – 26 years old - and they will be celebrating their birthday on Sept. 21).   Anyway, after hours of pondering, here’s what I think is the inner significance of birthdays:   I celebrated my birthday last June without much fanfare (just like the previous years). It came with a very soft thud, without the tooting of horns, which is my preference. We just had a nice quite lunch with family members and some close friends. That’s it. No hoopla. Perhaps the maturity factor has taken hold of me and provided me with a new set of perspectives in life. Maturity has a way of making one see the wisdom of pragmatism.   I know of some people, even in their 50’s and beyond, who still throw parties, lavish parties at that, inviting as many people as possible, measured only by the size of their pockets ... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/54/The_Inner_Significance_of_Birthdays Tue, 9 Sep 2008 05:38:34 -0000 Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage   Unbelievable! My children were howling! I don't know what the howling means but I still love them. Lol. <a href="http://www.myheritage.com">MyHeritage</a>: <a href="http://www.myheritage.com">Family tree</a> - <a href="http://www.myheritage.com/genealogy">Genealogy</a> - <a href="http://www.myheritage.com/celebrities">Celebrity</a><img style="VISIBILITY: hidden;WIDTH: 0px;HEIGHT: 0px;" height="0" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIyMDkzMTgwMDIyNSZwdD*xMjIwOTMxODUzNDE1JnA9MTEwNTcxJmQ9bW9ycGgmbj1tdWx*aXBseSZnPTImdD*mbz*zNjhkYzBiMzM4ODY*N2YzYTIxYjVlNTVkZDkxZjUzZg==.gif" width="0" border="0"> http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/53/Celebrity_Morph_by_MyHeritage Tue, 9 Sep 2008 03:44:06 -0000 Street Walk Toronto 4 http://vergavia.multiply.com/photos/album/31/Street_Walk_Toronto_4 Tue, 9 Sep 2008 03:21:22 -0000 Centered <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SMH5twoKCtkAABWZ5rI1/DSC01674.JPG?et=gmH5dR6hT8EVc3soMyhUBA&nmid=0" border="0"> It’s almost a tragedy. A squirrel and a pigeon. Well, before the squirrel came within a very close striking distance, the pigeon flew away just in the nick of time. Phew! An intention disrupted, a life spared. Could be a tragic ending to a seemingly peaceful, nonchalant existence.   A whack on the side of our heads. Wake up!   The animal instinct, survival, Knowing the smell of blood. The impending danger that lurks everywhere, Like a jaguar stalking its prey. Discernment. Just like the raw discernment of the pigeon Against the wily squirrel.   What’s in between life and death? It is where the struggle of existence lies, Where Jacob wrestled with the angel Or wrestled with himself? Where everything happens…the paradox…the dichotomies, Like joy and suffering, victory and defeat. Sometimes the line curves and swerves unexpectedly, Rattling and disturbing every fibre of our being. Sometimes the line goes straight, Giving us a breather to enjoy the sun, The smile, the g... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/52/Centered Sat, 6 Sep 2008 03:33:13 -0000 Nature 5 http://vergavia.multiply.com/photos/album/30/Nature_5 Wed, 3 Sep 2008 03:42:51 -0000 The Wisdom of the Streaming Sunlight <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SLvvCQoKCtkAAEJL9Rs1/DSC01812.JPG?et=%2Co6SAmQyWj8LcObn%2BxnGAg&nmid=0" border="0"> The wisdom of the Streaming Sunlight   I am entranced in thought.   There’s something about the sunlight filtering through the in-betweens of branches and leaves, the brightness and the refraction, like a streaming of the divine light.   There is transcendence. There is reaching out. There is complementing. There is a bath of newness. There is a moment of solemnity. There is faith, hope and charity. There is even a glimpse of the Good Samaritan.   The wind blows, the shadows move.   It has been this way since Genesis. The birds are silent. There is muted enigma. I look up with wonder as I get a glimpse of the unseen, With the stream of light bathing me.   It is a privilege granted by the sunlight if you are willing to be silent and just be.   I heard a voice saying, “I Am what I Am!” The heart sings, the poet gives the rhythm.   In the meantime, the sunlight streams unabatedly. Until now, it is still a mystery to me.    &nb... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/51/The_Wisdom_of_the_Streaming_Sunlight Mon, 1 Sep 2008 13:34:15 -0000 Crossing Monkey Bars <img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.vergavia.multiply.com/image/2/photos/4/300x300/2/DSC01576.JPG?et=u7O,jEaqfMHE0KNGxQjQSg&nmid=101707720" border="0">                              Monkey Bars (Thorncliffe Public School Playground)  “<a href="http://fw.members.freewebs.com/quotation/getting_over_a_painful_experience_is_much_like/9649.html">Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.</a>” - Joseph Campbell Bull’s-eye! Campbell is right on the dot. Obviously, it makes sense to let go of a painful experience because… it’s painful. But not after embracing it. Yes, you read it right… after embracing it. There’s wisdom in doing so. We can ask deeper questions to unlock the essence of pain but reality tells us that a pain is still a pain no matter how you look at it. It is a mystery that has to be lived through. I’ve been through a lot of painful experiences and, I tell you, I did not just confronted them, but embraced them as well, just like seeing a long lost buddy. I tried hard to squeeze as much painful j... http://vergavia.multiply.com/journal/item/50/Crossing_Monkey_Bars Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:35:26 -0000