Athens, Georgia
January 13, 2012
For Karen Armstrong and the Charter for Compassion
Poem notes and additional links are provided in my comment below.
Poem notes and additional links are provided in my comment below.
When
reptile brains assert command
and
timid hearts give way to fear,
compassion
lies outside the land.
When
hate is staged and rage is planned,
mistrust
is sewn, emotions steered,
our reptile core retains command.
When
Roark sells his selfish brand
and
liberality is jeered,
compassion
lies outside the land.
When
righteous dictates make demand
to
smite the stranger, scorn the queer,
then
reptile spirit steals command.
When
bleeding hearts begin to stand
against
oppression, be of cheer:
compassion
creeps upon the land.
When
loving-kindness countermands
the
ancient bonds that buttress fear,
then
reptile brains release command,
compassion
lies astride the land.
A marvelous poem! Thanks. I've twittered it, facebooked it, and google+ ed it.
ReplyDeleteBroDave
Love it!
Delete-Carolyn
Wonderful, yet sobering poem Bob. It caused me to reflect on three bbc reports I read in the past week regarding internal struggles that remain in Libya, and deadly fighting in Southern Sudan. Much has to do with tribalism, Xenophobia and lack of revenge. So oposite of what we should reflect of the image of our Creator, who is "the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort..." 2 Cor 1:3 for BBC reports reference see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16570594 ; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16575153 ; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16465272
ReplyDeleteI meant, revenge - not lack of revenge.
ReplyDeleteNotes: Reptile brain - the "reptilian brain" refers to the collection of brain structures related to territoriality, ritual behavior and other "reptile" behaviors, sometimes referred to as the four F's (feeding, fight, flight, and fornication). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triune_brain Roark - Howard Roark, the protagonist in Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead." For an overview of the book, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fountainhead A copy of Roark's courtroom speech is at: http://nasonart.com/personal/lifelessons/fountainhead.html Karen Armstrong - A leading scholar of religious affairs, and the author of (among others) "The Case for God," "The History of God," and recently "Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life." She was awarded the TED Prize in 2008, and began working on the Charter for Compassion. See: www.charterforcompassion.org on
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