This next item is a snapshot of a day in my life.

One day in my life

Today was an average sort of day,

I got up at the crack of dawn- sleeping in for at least 10 minutes,

I put some clothes on and went for a walk outside,

I noticed the potatoes needed to be harvested so with fork and trowel I started.

Coming inside with a bucket of potatoes, it was time for breakfast,

Cereal with fruit and nuts topped with a dollop of yoghurt,

Sitting on the back veranda watching the rainbow lorikeets having their breakfast,

In amongst the blossoms in the tree tops tall.

I ponder the upcoming task of installing a new water line to the house,

The route that it would take,

The parts required, I draw up a list and consider the work involved,

Do I contract a ditch witch or do I attempt this task by hand.

It is 24 meters long with pipes and paths to navigate under and across,

And then the unknown pipes, I choose the more labour-intensive method,

I see it as the least chance of accidently breaking a pipe,

I think it’s a job for another day.

The grass is very high and needs to be cut,

So, I get the brush cutter all fuelled up and head down all geared up,

After about two hours I come in saturated in sweat on this sultry day,

I come in for a cool drink of homemade lemon cordial and carbonated water.

I step out of my sweat saturated cloths and jump into the pool for a cool reprieve,

The sun is hot, and the air is still,

I stay a while to enjoy and linger a little longer,

In my mind I hear a voice, there is work to be done.

I take a three-hour break and go inside to respond to messages and emails,

While at my desk I consider other projects, concepts and ideas

that are wanting to come into fruition flow through my mind,

I make some notes on scraps of paper,

Draw out designs and make a list of hardware that may be required,

Thinking about design, how will it come together,

Will it be glued, screwed, doweled, or nailed.

The time is moving on and the temperature is dropping below thirty,

so, I venture out again to consider what was not completed earlier.

By six thirty I am inside, and my darling wife has created a delicious meal.

How blessed am I, how fortunate am I to be alive today.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

13 March 2023

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My mum had passed over some months earlier, and as I was thinking of her this came to mind. It is a thought that I will always keep close. She was such an inspiration as a gardener, painter and cook.

In Mums Memory

You were there when I came to this world,

You helped me up when I fell,

You bandaged my scrapes,

You cared for me in so many ways.

You never shied away from hard work,

From early times, clearing the land,

Later, planting row upon row of seedlings,

Then again manually pulling out grasses that invaded the seedlings,

Whether it was working on the farm, or making delightful dinners,

Making preparations for celebrating festivities, or helping with homework,

You were there to help us, to guide us, a shining lamp,

The glue that kept it all together.

You expanded your experiences by travelling to far off lands,

You were a pathfinder,

When you came home you shared your experiences,

We all drank deep of your experiences.

Life without you was inconceivable,

You created beautiful gardens,

Gardens with vistas, fragrant blossoms,

Plants of different colours and textures.

You turned your hand to paints and oils,

Created as you did in the garden beautiful imagery,

Paintings both mystical and imaginative,

Of real places and from memory.

You were the matriarch with care and love.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

28 February 2023

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I was reflecting on my time in Haifa, Israel and what I saw and felt as I walked the paths in the gardens and a special visit to the Shrine of The Báb.

Sacred Moments

I walked the path of red,

I saw the hedges, so low on either side,

I saw the gardens, with geraniums blossoming red,

I looked around and noticed the beauty in it all.

In front of me, the structure so majestic,

The arches; the colonnades,

And mounted on top: the golden dome,

In the sounds of the day, nothing but the beating of my heart.

Leaving my shoes outside, I enter through the heavy steel door,

To be greeted by a sense of peace,

The carpet under foot, so soft and welcoming,

Stepping forward, not sure where to look.

Another step forward,

My gaze fixed on the arched opening in front of me,

An opening to another room,

Almost like looking into another dimension.

Another step forward,

My mind goes numb,

I cannot see, what I can see, that is in front of me,

I keep looking, and all I can hear, is my heart thumping.

The threshold in front of me,

So beautifully decorated, with rose petals,

The fragrance so stunning, it will be remembered,

I prostrate in reverence, in memory of the Gate.

The Gate whose life was cut short,

I wished I lingered longer, in this sacred place,

But I can, I can, but through the memory of this moment,

And so, I treasure this sacred moment.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

23 February 2023 10.30pm

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Sometimes thoughts whizz through my mind, which could be seen as a light bulb moment that we all have from time to time. Well, this poem came to me and the words just flowed.

Justice is right action

When we hear the word ‘justice’ we think of the law,

But justice is more than the law,

It is, what is right,

It is how each of us would like to be treated,

In the balance of things neither too much here or there,

When it is all in my favour, is that justice?

When it is in another’s favour, is that justice?

Justice is about finding common ground.

For rich and poor, for tall and short,

for men and for women, for black and white,

It does not matter how we see ourselves,

Justice applies to all,

There are no favourites,

no special privileges,

no one sidesteps the law.

Justice is for you,

Justice is for me,

It is an agreement between all,

On how we will live our days,

With justice, is how we will live our lives.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

22 February 2023

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As humans we can love, or we can hurt others. Sometimes it is done unintentionally, but occasionally by misunderstanding we hurt others. This problem can be deeply encrusted in us through generations of misinformation and abuse. It is time to change this, to do the right thing, and look at how I, we, can do things better.

What is Equality?

If my schooling is different to yours,

If my health care support is different to yours,

If my privileges are different to yours,

If my rights as a human are different yours,

Is this justice? Is this equality?

Without gender equality, humanity misses out,

Without racial inclusion, humanity misses out,

Without education equality, humanity misses out,

Without equality, we all lose out,

We need equality.

Equality is when we all have access to clean water,

Equality is when we all have food to nourish our bodies,

Equality is when we all have access to education,

Equality is when each of us include all others,

This is equality.

We all can see the beauty of things around us,

We all can smell the fragrance rose,

We all can hear the twitter of the birds,

We all can walk and move in nature,

This is equality.

For humanity to grow we all need equality,

Justice cannot be achieved until we have equality,

Freedom cannot be administered until we have equality,

Can you help to bring about equality in all spheres of life?

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

16 December 2022

Revised 21 Feb 2023

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Every three months our community has what is called a ‘reflection meeting’. It is where success as well as challenges undergone over the previous three months are shared and then plans are made for the upcoming three months.

After one such meeting these thoughts came to mind, and this is the resulting poem.

Reflections and Growth

Last week we had a think, and discussed as a group,

We looked into what we were all doing,

Our reflection on what had transpired,

We thought and challenged ourselves to look a little deeper.

Through this reflection we took steps,

We got to know ourselves just that little bit better,

We now know what we would like to do,

We know what we can do, and now what needs to be done.

So, each of us made a personal plan,

In our own mind,

In our small group,

Small baby steps were taken.

Mis  takes were made,

And so, takes were redone,

Each time we improved,

Lessons learnt.

After further discussion and prayer,

Participating in study, seeking guidance, and reflection individually and as a group,

We become emboldened and brave,

It was not so hard.

An acquaintance is invited for a chat and a cuppa,

Followed this up with another invitation,

And slowly they become more than an acquaintance,

Soon friendships are borne.

Trusts are built,

Truths are told,

Pain is felt,

Shared experiences go deeper.

Soon the nucleus grows and become part of us,

Our new friends are one of us,

Begin to share understanding with others,

Then invite others to join in on the search and discovery of things made new.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

13 February 2023

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I had a most colourful dream with movement grace and form. It was as if I were viewing from above the world. It was a most beautiful dream, and as we all know it is often difficult to recall them in the morning. So, I got out of bed and started to write it all down.

Gossamer Flight

This morning, I saw the world from above in darkness.

I saw the occasional light, streak across the world.

Progressively, I saw more and more of these.

After some time, it seemed to build up, a light gossamer cover over the world.

The gossamer had a pink, mauve hue about it.

As time progressed, the gossamer covering started to thicken just a little, in places.

And as it thickened, its intensity also grew.

Then diving down into and amongst the gossamer,

I could see more detail, of what was going on, of what was causing this effect.

The populace was large and were very interactive with each other.

Some of the individuals were helping others, in acts of service.

And when they did, they lit up.

The more acts of service they did for each other, their light got brighter, and stayed lit longer.

On the streets, and in the suburban arterials, cars were whizzing by, as if without a care.

But good things were happening, even here.

In the dim half-light of the morning, or in the short hours after sunset,

Sparkles and snaps of light could be seen.

Moving back above, – the gossamer covering was changing.

The intensity became stronger.

There seemed to be a certain flow and form.

Before long these became so strong that the flow became like rivers of light that weaved and moved over the world.

Streams of light flowed, spiralled, and twisted, over, through and around all that was there.

It was like the light danced for joy.

It was a joy to see it, so animated, as it curved with grace.

Life in this mortal world, could it be so beautiful and intense?

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

6 February 2023 2am

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 I had just read an inspiring document about activities that have been happening around the world. And I thought, how could this influence the lives of others. I imagined all the good things that could be done here and in other communities and thought that a spark is all that is needed. I then wrote this piece.

Will you step up?

Will you arise today?

Will today be a new day for you?

Will you shrug off the old, and put on the mantle of the new system of things?

Are you ready to step up, and be a better version of your yesterday?

Then join your brothers and sisters all over this great country and become aware of the happenings in this world, and learn of what will fortify you and your close ones,

so that you may know,

and in your knowing, be better prepared,

for the tomorrow that is coming at an ever-greater speed.

Your shield is in your knowing,

your spear will pierce the darkness of ignorance with words of truth.

Will you join me?

Shall we do this together?

Let’s start by calling the almighty in prayer,

 for assistance and guidance,

for steadfastness during these tests and trials.

Let justice be done,

let peace be laid out across the land,

the sea, the sky, and the ice.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

16 January 2023

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I was sitting at my desk doing something mundane, and this thought of detachment came to me. I started writing and the words just flowed.

On Detachment

I need to be detached from things of this World,

Food, toys, trees, sea, views, …

I need to be detached from friends and family,

I need to be detached from this life here,

Detachment will guide me to be true to my higher self.

In the spirit world, I will need to be detached from the physical plane,

In the spirit world, I will need to be detached from the Earth planet

and let go of all connection and cleave to all that is divine.

In the spirit world, I will need to be detached from the physical,

I am energy,

I am a thought,

I am spirit,

I am part of everything,

yet I am nothing.

With detachment comes the understanding of balance and wisdom.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

21 August 2022

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My father, who passed some years before came to my mind. I thought, “what can I write to honour him”? What came to mind most was the work ethic instilled in me from a young age. Also, the capacity to stop what we were doing and go fishing. We also often went fishing in the river to supplement the meals at home.

O Maijn Papa

You have taught me,

You have shown me,

You have guided me,

To do the things that I did not know.

When we went fishing,

you showed me how to tie knots,

you showed me how to thread the hook,

you showed me how to cast the line.

And when it came time to reel in the fish,

you were there for me, too,

and oh, what a fish, was that fish,

that we caught that day.

We did things on the farm,

that needed to be done,

the milking of the cows before school,

walking the field to confirm the canals had not burst their banks,

that the trickle tubes all had a regular flow.

Work was not work as we call it today,

it was an experience, a process,

it might be seen as mundane and repetitive,

yet I saw it as a challenge, to do it better.

There was excitement and competitiveness built in,

this made the day go faster,

there was no time to be bored,

there was a job to do.

We all rallied around and supported this activity,

and time and again we got the job done,

to finish the day,

to go fishing again.

Luigi Giuseppe Vittorio

26 February 2017

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