Starlight

Greetings,

Jampa is a star. She is seven. 

My father died in Thailand when I was five. I've been to America. I was in Utah and Florida. My mother is Khmer. She is always sad. I speak Khmer and English. I have a telescope. I can see the moon. Did you know aliens live on the moon? I saw them.

Did they wave at you? Jampa laughed. Are you crazy! They can't see me.

I'm an alien. No you're not. How do you know. Because you're human. It's my disguise. I 'm here to learn from humans. Maybe the moon aliens have a telescope and waved back. They don't have a telescope. How do you know? I don't.

I saw a shooting star. We lived in a place with many rocks. I made a wish. What did you wish for? I can't tell you. If I do, it won't come true. True. Have you seen a shooting star? Yes, you are a star. No I'm not! Yes, you are. 

I was born in the year of the horse. Someday I will have a horse. How long have you been in Cambodia?

All day. I leave tomorrow. I travel on the river to the far north. People there believe in Earth spirits. I'll look for you flying across the sky every night. 

That sounds like fun. Goodbye and good luck to you and your family.

See you star.

Metta.

bright jupiter

all gas jupiter is close

368 million miles away
swimming with Fishes
rising at 18:49, setting at 5:45
with runners on first and third and no outs

top of the ninth at 74º (under the horizon)
there goes the runner through infinite space passing mercury
as pagodas with broken scratchy speakers chime chorus voices 
monks chant four moons - io, europa, ganymede, callisto
108º

The art of Happiness

Greetings,

Here's the morning view. Clouds commute to another part of the sky. They appreciate wind. 

A day for seeing yellow leaves, yellow light dance free. Water light sparkles diamonds.

Hear with your eyes.

You navigate an old bridge. It is made of industrial strength cement, wire and rusty philosophies.

Five things to improve happiness: 

1. Be grateful. Write letters to someone who helped you in some way.
2. Be optimistic. Visualize your ideal future. Describe the image in a journal entry.
3. Count your blessings. Write down three good things that happen to you every week.
4. Use your strengths. 
5. Practice acts of kindness. Helping others helps ourselves. 

Metta.

One Air day

Someone else is writing this.

Now it is dark and I am sitting in a small private zone at Coconut. It is a raised platform with large comfortable pillows, a square table with a red and orange cotton runner. The hand carved flower vase holds two white frangipani flowers , hibiscus and bougainvillea.

The platform has a thatched roof and wooden railings on the sides. It is typical of Balinese - Lombok style. Perfect for snoozing, eating, reading. Delightful, clean simple and elegant in its simplicity.

Today's island walk was clean and peaceful. No motor vehicles, no merchants on scooters selling bread while playing a scratchy recording at ear splitting levels. No young "cowboys" hustling their 125 cc passive aggressive tendencies, such as you find on Lombok and Bali.

The day passed sitting, watching dive boats ply aquamarine blue, arching toward Lombok Strait depths. Lombok is across the way, beaches, palms, rising smoke from field burning, foothills and the rising dark blue clouds shading Mt. Rinjani and the volcano. Blue sky.

So it feels good to be sitting here in the garden. This is the University of the Garden. This blooming forth. Fragrance taken deep into lungs. A mask on the wall. Solemn eyes down, drifting. Yes, this bamboo wood-wind chime. Across the sea all blue calm, singing. 

White coral bones. A dreamcatcher. Feathers.

Swimming sand castles. Blue heaven light. Reflections and strong current desires dance the water.

Wind whistles through high wavering coconut palms.  

Metta.