If I pour myself into an alambic,
lock myself within shining copper containers
and boil down under pressure,
what concentrate would distill out?
Vapors of sweet goodness and honesty,
kindness and understanding,
condensing into quintessential droplets
of eau-de-vie and pure love?
What refuse of me would remain
black and charred at the bottom?
And so liberated, transformed, would a scent of freedom
then filter out untethered through the open window
into limitless spaces?

To remind me of what I don’t want
I’ve tied knots in red yarn on every finger

One for incomprehension
One for self-centeredness
One for abandonment
One for prejudice
One for jealousy
One for hunger
One for anger
One for guilt
One for hate
One for pain

I’ve run out of fingers
but not of dreams.

with ashen daylight
dawn erases from my dreams
the last wisps of you

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

- Alan Kay

How often do we stop to reflect how truly lucky we are? And how often do we make a gesture to help those truly in need? What difference will one voice make? If you think of how many drops of water are in the ocean, then the answer is “a lot.” The only way to mobilize political commitment for important causes is through public pressure, one voice at a time.

I’ve personally just made the decision to sign the ONE Declaration committing myself to help fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. And I’m asking you to make that commitment, too, by adding your voice. http://www.one.org/declare/

ONE is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans – one by one. So far, over two million have signed the declaration in support of a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world.

ONE is Americans of all beliefs and every walk of life – united as ONE – to help make poverty history. We are a campaign of over 2.4 million people and growing from all 50 states and over 100 of America’s most well-known and respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. As ONE, we are asking our leaders to do more to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE believes that allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the world’s poorest countries.

ONE is nonpartisan; there’s only one side in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty. Working on the ground in communities, colleges and churches across the United States, ONE members ask America’s leaders to increase efforts to fight global AIDS and extreme poverty, from the U.S. budget and presidential elections to specific legislation on debt cancellation, increasing effective international assistance, making trade fair, and fighting corruption. Everyone can join the fight.

The goal of ending poverty may seem lofty, but it is within our reach if we take action together as one. You can start now by joining the ONE Campaign and pledging your voice to the fight against extreme poverty and global AIDS.

Together as ONE we can make a difference!

Thanks!

“Among politicians and businessmen, ‘pragmatism’ is the current term for ‘to hell with our children.’”

- Edward Abbey