A widowed wife. A mother of two. Living in a country of chaos. She lives in a scattered pile of concrete held together by fractured planks of wood. Trying to survive in a country that wants everyone dead. Seeking refuge in any broken, run-down house that is still standing. Living every moment of her life in constant fear of death for herself and her children.
Our house was the result of years of hard labour on the back of swarthy Bengali-speaking workers. At the height of its sumptuousness, it was the jewel of the river; the house of an important government official. Even when we lived, nearly five decades later, its pertinence and grandeur endured. But the formality of the house was both frivolous and well receded, so our childish endeavours could be fulfilled and we were free to squander away what was left our childhood on the riches of the land.
The fear came as crashing waves, those of a winter beach rather than with any warmth. It came as a chill that went to the core of who I am and it snarled that I should cower. So I learned how to swim in the ice and live in that salty water with my own bravery as a furnace. For that is what being brave did for me, it gave me the strength to conquer fear and accept my pains as lessons I needed to master. It was a choice to walk through hell to find my heaven or remain in some half-life of neither for eternity. I chose to walk. That's brave. I'm proud of my choice.
When I'm hungry, I can't think of anything but food. I'll sit down to do my algebra donut, but my x's will turn into broccolis and my y's will turn into cupcakes! I spaghetti would like to stop thinking about food all of the cake, but I guess I'm just tofu distracted by my stomach.
Soon enough Ray heard a door open and shut, its creaking noise bringing a chill to his spine. It sounded like some dying animal, crying out its pain and sorrow with its last breath.
Let's have a "hero corp," a body of socially and environmentally minded folks that are paid a comfortable living wage for fifteen hours service per week with a bonus for education or training that is additional. They can work in health, education, environment, community service (including the arts, festivals and care of the elderly and disabled), relieving the workloads of overstressed caring staff. Then, when possible, those overburdened staff can be paid their regular full time wage for less hours until their hours match the "hero corp" workers. It would be a significant step up from Universal Basic Income because it gets people out of the house, interacting with others and learning new skills. For the disabled or elderly who want to join in we can find ways to help them get involved rather than leaving them out, enabling them to do whatever tasks they can contribute and enjoy. Everyone has a skill they can offer and whatever they can do is good enough for the rest of us... we should include them with thanks and with joy. When we run our society this way, there will be enough love nurture and care for everyone. It is a stepping stone into a fabulous future that is thriving and ecologically sound.
This would boost the health of workers in brain and body. It is vital that we do welcome them as heroes for the system to work and give them the same respect as any other worker in our vital services. The "Hero Corp" workers can choose whatever good cause they wish to support, to join an existing service/team or start a new one. There's a lot of people out there from all walks of life that want to improve our communities and environment, let's give them the help they need to help us all. In time we would expect to see happier communities with greater health, greater educational outcomes and greater law & order. In essence, we could expect to see a recovery of society and nature. Plus it is cheaper to solve poverty than not to, so this is the more fiscally sound option.
I am in love with your soul not your body. Your temperament is what lures me into you. Your deep soothing voice is what I crave for and your warmth is what I covet. When you smile at me it seems as if the whole world is mine. When our eyes exchange looks it feels as if everything has paused and belongs right in its place. Your mesmerising oceanic eyes have locked themselves in my mind and only thoughts about you mingle in my head. These feeling I have for you are stronger than just admiration, I think I am falling for you
hard, like the falling of stars.
The wheels of straw rest on their earthen bed, soaking in sunshine, adding their fragrance to the day that develops as an old photographic film may. Under the sky that is made all the more pretty for the scattered clouds, the white puffs that radiate white light, every colour is made more gay. Perhaps this is the pride of nature, this simple scene of flora and fauna, and the biggest blessing is to witness its beauty.
With the rain came the doors that banged, the wind that wanted nothing more than to announce its arrival, to say, "I'm here." And so it went on, the grass outside flattening in waves that reflected the light and the surface of the river covered in waves as if it were in open water.
Editor recommendation: There is much unexplored material for novels, screenplays and movies in, "The Condition of the Working Class in England," by Friedrich Engels. I suspect the information in it would lend itself nicely to creating Netflix series and such.
Happy Writing!
Angela Abraham
Massive amounts of wind are both music and the dance-floor for the clouds... vagrant, white and puffy as they are - playing and teasing with other clouds and moving freely in the sky as if they own freedom itself. Yet I wondered why at times they cry with fierce and sonorous thunder...
Be a leader who is a servant - both 'tall' and humble. The wise chief is one who is so loved that the community come to them and ask the questions they need answers to. The leader's answers are wonderful and right because of their love for the community, because their only motivation is to help. That's why I want you to lead, to stand up tall, with all that love... and speak with a quiet voice that enables others and heals humankind.