Kahlil Gibran on Love: Activity II

For Activity two I chose the poem "On Love", written by Kahlil Gibran and taken from his book, The Prophet.
I used a flowing font and the color white for the opening word "Love" to depict love as a pure and fluid word. Attempting -attempting mind you :) to convey the thought that true love is unadulterated and spills over in every aspect of one's life.
I chose to highlight "fulfill" in purple because purple is traditionally thought to represent wealth and opulence, which of course can be interpreted as emotional well-being or satisfaction.
I used the color red for "desires" as red often times represents passion or deep emotion. In one instance I used different variations of pink and the word was accented with hearts, because desires can also be playful and giddy (think school-girl doodling in her notebook during math class).
I arranged the phrase "like a running brook" in an attempt to create the feeling of movement -once again, attempt. I definitely could have chosen a better font for that one.
I accented "pain" because it conveys such a strong emotion and I struck a line through "bleed" as if the word itself were being sliced through the heart.
I like the faded texture of "wake" because it conjures up (at least in my mind) the image that the moments just between dream and consciousness are still slightly hazy and unclear. Likewise with "dawn" because you can see morning (pink) materializing out of the darkness (black).
I chose to highlight "rest" and "meditation" in blue because blue is thought to be calming, relaxing and very contemplative.
I love "ecstasy" because it is this bold, energetic burst of color in the midst of all this darkness, and for me, it perfectly conveys the emotion behind this word.

Here is the poem in its entirety. The last portion, which is highlighted in bold, is the fragment I have used for this assignment.

Kahlil Gibran on Love:

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

Advocacy Project Proposal

Is education a federal responsibility or merely a local matter? This question has been debated since the inception of the Department of Education in 1980, under the Carter Administration. While policy makers disagree on how the educational system should be administrated, both sides agree that serious reform needs to be implemented. Our current educational system is in a sordid state of affairs. Inner-city and poverty-stricken school districts are facing the greatest challenges within the current system. Retention is decreasing, students are not performing at acceptable levels, federal funding is being cut, ergo programs are being abolished, therefore retention is decreasing, students are not performing at acceptable levels, and federal funding continues to be cut.

I cannot offer a solution to the educational crisis, but I wish to address the issue of how local not-for-profit organizations can contribute to the alleviation of such seemingly insurmountable problems. For module one, I shall be doing a power point presentation advocating the creation and development of non-profit organizations in inner-city urban areas (ie; Detroit). I shall demonstrate the effectively of such organizations by presenting primary examples and evidence I have accumulated on the subject first hand.

Life in Hell: A Baghdad Diary

“Life in Hell: A Baghdad Diary” is an article written by Aparism Ghosh, a war-time reporter with Time Magazine, about his experience in and around the Iraqi capital. It was written in the summer of 2006 at a time when Iraqi militia insurgence was on the incline and the conflict in Iraq was looking particularly hopeless, with no end in sight. Ghosh captures the true horror of everyday life in Baghdad and displays both sides of the story. He gives the reader perspective from both the Sunni and Shi’ite line of thought, and most importantly, he gives the war a face. He makes the casualty count personal and a lot more difficult to ignore. Meaningless numbers all of a sudden had a face, a voice, a name.

I cannot gauge society’s reaction to this article; however, I can tell you that in my family and social circle the reaction to this piece was utter horror. The reality and terror of war was presented before us and we could no longer claim ignorance as an excuse for apathy or inaction. I remember feeling a wave of nausea roll over me as I realized I was powerless to change it. How does an ordinary citizen stop a war?

My heart aches for the families who have suffered loss as a result of this conflict. While we can estimate the total cost of this war in terms of dollars, we cannot place a value on a human life. The latter is a debt of war that can never be repaid. I no longer think of the debt in terms of dollars, I think of it in terms of children who have lost a father, wives who have lost a husband, parents who have lost a child, families who are struggling to put food on the table. How many parents lie awake at night and worry about their children’s safety? How many children lie awake at night and worry about their future? Will they go to school? Will they be able to get a job? Will they ever have a family? Will they survive the next day? These were the thoughts and emotions evoked in me, and that is why I chose this article.


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1223363,00.html

Screen Capture

I have decided I am probably the most technologically "un-savvy" (is that even a word? Eh, who cares) person in my age bracket. Not only did I require assistance in capturing my screen shot, but it turns out I didn't even post it when I was absolutely certain I had. Yeah. Pathetic.

I took this screen shot while I was working on assignment one. The photo I used was an ad from Fast Company entitled a 'message in a bottle'. I chose the photograph primarily because of it's political message. It promotes the idea that innovation in manufacturing is needed to protect the environment and preserve our natural resources.