Tears in victory - by Tisha

Jasmine's soft touch

on her mother's cheek,

who was overwhelmed

by the emotion of Obama's victory,

tried to soothe away the symbolic pain

caused by decades of racial discrimination;

the intense pain of untold injustice suffered

by African-Americans at the hands

of white fanatical bigots.

Her innocent gesture is symbolic

of the not-so-distant past,

but especially of the future.

Is it possible to have the:

"Audacity of Hope?"

I loved - Pablo Neruda

I loved and loved and loved

every scrap that was mine

till I came on existence itself,

grape after grape

Photo by Tisha

You're the result of yourself - Pablo Neruda

You're the Result of Yourself

Pablo Neruda

Don't blame anyone,

never complain of anyone or anything

Because basically you have made

of your life what you wanted.

Accept the difficulties of edifying yourself

And the worth of starting to correct your character.

The triumph of the true man

arises from the ashes of his mistakes.

Never complain of your loneliness or your luck.

Face it with courage and accept it.

Somehow, they are the result of your acts and

It shows that you'll always win.

Don't feel frustrated of your own failures,

neither unload them to someone else.

Accept yourself now

or you'll go on justifying yourself like a child.

Remember that any time is good to start

And that no time is so good to give up.

Don't forget that the cause

of your present is your past,

As the cause of your future

will be your present.

Learn from the brave, from the strong,

From who doesn't accept situations

From who will live in spite of everything.

Think less of your problems

and more of your work.

Learn to arise from your pain,

And to be greater than

the greatest of your obstacles.

Look at the mirror of yourself

and you'll be free and strong

And you'll stop being

a puppet of circumstances.

For you yourself are your destiny.

Wake up and stare at the sun

in the mornings

and breathe the sun of dawn.

You're part of the strength of your life now,

Rise up, fight, walk, be sure

and you'll win in life.

Don't ever think of 'fate'

For fate is the excuse of failures.

photo by Tisha

The Orchid

Delicate, one-day wonder

Photo by Tisha

Curiosity at my window

A magnificent view for the curious

Photo by Tisha

From my bedroom window

Photo taken @ 9.30 on 13-08-08

by Tisha

Moon reflections over the Atlantic

Photo taken @ 1.15 am on 13-08-08

by Tisha

Novos lugares de UNESCO

http://static.publico.clix.pt/docs/cultura/patrimoniomundialunesco/index.html

The power of stupidity - by Tisha

Never underestimate the power of stupidity,
nor the inelegance of wilful ignorance.
Tasteless, undignified vulgarity
culminating in the indiscretion
of uncouth, disagreable words;
harsh and ungraceful
in agitation or turmoil.
Screaming open mouth,

closed, selfish mind,
fighting against the windmills of the past
of a boorish world of self-delusion,
self-importance, self-glorification,
without any knowledge,

or awareness of the future,

just vague, distant memories
of an imagined glorious past.

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=bd245bd8d6b946cd3d2720346f7fc426f23eefad

"Friendship"

"Friendship is two souls in one body"

"Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which strengthens with the setting of the sun."

Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695)

"The best part of beauty"

"The best part of beauty is that which a picture cannot express."

Francis Bacon

"There is a pleasure"

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods;

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,

There is society, where none intrudes,

By the deep sea, and music in its roar."

Lord Byron

Photo by Tisha

Year 2008 - Challenge or Defeat - by Tisha

When the clock struck twelve,
and opened a new door,
to the Year 2008,
no-one was able to delve
into the secret corridor,
of my thoughts and soul.

Everyone was hesitant to explore,
to question, to even care about
the possible emotional outpour
of qualified indignation

and stark loneliness
drifting ashore in waves

of perplexed feelings

running out-of-control.

While there was mirth and laughing,
excessive binge-drinking

and passionate kissing
and lots of fun in the dancing crowds,
I desperately tried to gain some
superficial damage control.

What does 2008 hold for me?

And for everyone of us?
More of the same of 2007?
Many new exciting challenges,
or devastating new defeats?

Only time will tell what will be my role,
in expanding the ozone hole,

in the relentless global warming

and climate change,
in preventing racial hatred

and material greed,
avoiding the hidden assassin's bullet.

What will my role be
in denouncing political corruption,

fraud and social injustice,

religious discrimination,

the accumulation of incredible wealth

and ostentation, bigotry,

false self-righteousness

and moral decline.

How can I relieve the suffering of

victims of sexual abuse

and domestic violence,

of orphans, and homeless

and millions of refugees caused by

the never-ending aggression

and wars for oil

and international power,

of political prisoners tortured

and the millions of victims

suffering from AIDS?

Will I just passively stand by
waiting for this mess to unfold,
fervently wishing to finally embrace
the shining light, which beckons me,
at the end of the never-ending tunnel?