Stories

Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day

Today, March 30th is a holiday in Trinidad and Tobago. 'Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day', quite a mouthful but if you speak to the observers of this holiday, they will tell you that there are baptists and baptists.
The baptists, who all take their name from Saint John the Baptist have long been in our society as a religious group; but the shouters, when they got their holy spirit visions, they took to the street shouting, singing and chanting, sometimes trance like. They are the ones who were persecuted, ridiculed, harassed, imprisoned and chased off the streets.
Well up until 1951 when the law stated it was Ok for them to freely practise their religious rites.

bare feet step-
the swirling, swirling
waters
--gillena cox

Happy Holiday March 30th 2009
Monday 30th March 2009 - the 13th anniversary of this holiday
more info here

Blue Vase

Blue Vase a 2007 photo senyru

Sea Of

Eye

Send an Ixora e-greeting

Tortuga

Nestled in the hills of Monserrat, in Central Trinidad, amidst a constant twittering of birds, is the beautiful little church of Our Lady of Monserrat; a rustic wooden structure; overseeing, from the highest point of the Central Range, miles of cultivated land sloping down toward the coast of the Gulf of Paria.

Hundreds of Catholics visit Tortuga on September 8 each year to be part of the street procession in the patronal feast. This village church is famous for its statue of the Black Virgin, which is kept in a small niche inside the Church.
One reported view of how the statue came to Tortuga, is that it was brought there by the Capuchin monks from Spain.

The Spaniards were the ones who called the hills Montserrat Hills because they resemble Montserrat (mons serratus),a jagged set of hills in Barcelona, northeast Spain, where a famous monastery was built in 880 AD.

smell of rain-
circling circling
chicken hawks

My Tortuga Pics
link to Tortuga

Windy

Afternoon Moon

green fig - in Trinidad and Tobago, green bananas that are used for cooking.

Pulling Weeds

Twists

Morning

Hiss

The Music

wait for slide show OR click view all images

Tuesday evening-
mas and crowds mix and mingle
of colour

--© gillena cox 2009

this post has been edited to include a Tuesday evening mas slideshow

And So

Hmmmm, i can breathe again
My son - Khama had a car accident the Saturday before my birthday. The car is a write off. He is alive and well but for minor pains and bruises. I am grateful, i am thankful. Today Lord, and again, my hope is in You. Today is my son's birthday
and so…

Love Circle February 14th

gifts to loved ones-
European florists sell
flowers from Gaza

-gillena cox, TT

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my eyes brimmed with tears
it seemed to take forever
my first Valentine

As a first grader in school, I thought the teacher would never hand me a card from anyone. Everyone at my table had at least one and in tears I longed to hear my name called out.

Reason A. Poteet, USA, IN


my best Valentine
red, foil “I Love You” balloon
from a teen-age son

At an age, when parents are non-existent, our church youth had a balloon fund-raiser and my son bought a balloon for me.

Reason A. Poteet, USA, IN


“puppy love” spelled out
my worst Valentine mem’ry
the gift of a dog

When our son married and took his dog, my husband suffered terribly from dog-withdrawal. The next Valentine’s Day he showed up with
a new puppy and I can’t remember anything else in my shock.He knew how much I hate dogs.

Reason A. Poteet, USA, IN

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Valentine Day:
last year's card
still unopened
-Keith A. SIMMONDS, TT

Happy Valentine to all those who love,to those who want love, to those who want to love, but cannot love, and to thosewho cherish love above all else!Let the light of love keep leading usto togetherness and hope for a betterworld!

*

Steadfast in every
Situation faithfully
Love is life's constant


Happy Valentines Day
-Que; US

*

paper doilies
and red construction paper
her first valentine

a baby girl
mother's valentine's
present

Valentine's Day is my 55th birthday. The doctor told my mother I was "too smart to live" and would be dead by my 5th birthday. (All because I cried when he drew his hand back to spank me!)

-Brenda; US

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Mostly, when I think of Valentine's Day it's the exchange of love and gifts between those who are in love - married or dating couples. Yet, it's the love of friends (for those who are single and not in a relationship) that is so very meaningful and lasting. In His wisdom, God did not only mean love for lovers. Today, I have been touched by the blessing of love today from the Lord and my friends. I feel exceptionally blessed and fortunate. If you've been touched like this, then you are, too. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

Michelle ; US

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A Valentine's Day Game Dating through the Ages

Love Circle Feb 11th 09

Today Feb 11th is my birthday; i'm coughing, sneezing, headachy; but its my birthday, the day i like second best to Christmas day; the day i reaffirm in the words of Descartes "ergo". Thanks to all who sent me greetings; much love in return
Visitors, friends, e-pals welcome to my online birthday party

celebrating life
again-
morning prayer

sweep of
the street cleaner's broom-
first sounds

first feathered call-
crowing of the roosters
in the distance

somnambulant cooo
cooo of pigeons-
morning light

quietly-
my thoughts expand into
haiku to you
-gillena cox; TT

*

happy birthday
love circles
around you

live aloha
shanna; Hawaii

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Gillena様

sakuo様から
グリーティングカードが届いてます！！

ご覧になるには下記のＵＲＬにアクセスしてください。

http://www.eastbeans.com/cr.php/123405605067gESr
（カードは60日間ご覧になれます。）
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Gillena: For the birthday special, I send this haiku inspired by a friend who received her husband safely back from his second tour of duty in Iraq.

this year’s gift of love
getting him back from Iraq
she needs no other

Reason A. Poteet, USA, IN

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birthday love
crossing my computer screen
february sunshine

an'ya; US

*

bright stars twinkling
in the great blue sky
~birthday festival

Happy birthday, Gillena
Keith Simmonds; TT

*

Happy Birthday to you, my friend!
May you have all the love and blessings possible today.

Michelle Rose; US

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Hihippity hop
Hoppy hoppy birthday too
Having rarebit stew

Que; US

*
Hi G:


Happy birthday from me to you.

Anthony OConnor; CA

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Gillena,
Thanks for the gift of your site-
I found something most useful
for my "budding" writing career.

Many happy returns, darlin'!
Willie-- **WHCworkshop

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Hippo bird deer doe ewe
Hippo bird deer doe ewe
Hippo bird deer deer Gillena
Hippo bird deer doe ewe

Jim; CA

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birthday party-
a string of haiku
garners the day
-gillena cox ; TT

Thanks to all of you who sent greetings by email, and posted at comments; you made my day special.

**WHCworkshop - a yahoo poetry group

February Rain

February rain
the lingering redness
on poinsettias
-gillena cox 2009

Grasshopper#02 - Pegged Legs

#02 - Pegged Legs

in olden days
men with pegged legs always
had a tale to tell
--gillena cox 2009

...Then the goddess wept sorrowfully. "The king of the gods gave me what I asked for," she wailed, "and I begged that you should be immortal. I did not remember to ask that you should be always young."
Every day Tithonus grew older and smaller. "I am no longer happy in your father's home," he said, "with your brothers who are as beautiful and as strong as I was when I first saw you. Let me go back to my own country. Let me be a bird or an insect and live in the fields where we first roamed together. Let me go, dearest goddess."
"You shall do as you will," replied Aurora sadly. "You shall be a grasshopper, and whenever I hear the grasshopper's clear, merry song, I shall remember the happy days when we were together."


Story Excerpt from 'THE STORY OF THE FIRST GRASSHOPPER' at http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/bnm/bnm25.htm

Grasshopper#01- Bright Morning

A Funeral Mass