~~~SisterSea~~~

First Reading:     Jeremiah 20:10-13 Gospel:       Matthew 10:26-33   Jeremiah lived during one of the Bible's most terrifying times: the destruction of the Temple built by Solomon and the first destruction of Jerusalem.   This was followed by the beginning of the Babylonian exile.   As one of the key witnesses to the last years of the kingdom of Judah, Jeremiah is one of the major figures who grappled with the theological problems posed by the destruction of the nation.... In the course of his struggles to understand the tragic events of his lifetime, he tells the reader more about himself than any other prophet, including his anguish and empathy at the suffering of his people, his outrage at God for forcing him to speak such terrible words of judgment against his own nation. Yet through all of this, Jeremiah holds on to his firm belief that the people of Israel would return to their land and rebuild Jerusalem once the period of punishment was over. [1] In addition

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:37-40, NRSV). The above quote from the Gospel According to Matthew, should be a guiding ideal for those who profess to be Christian. However, current events and policies lead me to believe that many political leaders who claim to be followers of Jesus are actually followers of Jeffery Amherst, an 18 th century proponent of using germ warfare against the Indigenous Peoples of North America. Amherst infamously wrote, “You will Do well to try to Innoculate [sic] the Indians by means of Blankets, as well as to try Every

Considering that life is fleeting and years are flying by fast better post poems I’ve written before I breathe my last   On Saturday, May 27, 2017, I went to the Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative Town Hall at the Carnegie Centre.   The following is my message to the mayor City of Vancouver's “Them & Us” Victoria Marie For them, the City builds bicycle lanes and such For us, they think potable water too much For them, two bathrooms, bidet, ensuite For us, they condemn to toilet in street For them, city bi-law enforcement a right For us, even to ask, eviction's our plight For them, fancy dogs, fancy cats, fancy vets For us, rats, roaches, vermin our pets What city do you wish to see? Is it one where only they have rights? Are “them and us” pitted to perpetually fight? We demand a city where Where everyone's dwelling is safe, is clean,   Where concern for them AND us, more than a dream. Poem Retrospective 5 Poem Retrosp

Considering that life is fleeting and years are flying by fast better post poems I’ve written before I breathe my last We Know We Grow Victoria Marie June 15, 2017 Bruised, abused living in unloving soil hold tight, take flight escape from this crippling coil wild youth, forsooth, kept finding myself in hostile places despairing, heart tearing, will I ever find welcoming spaces Black skin is sin, is what they want me to feel Yet I know as I grow, such thinking cannot be real As I age, channel my rage into fighting fallacious surety To fight for what's right, travelling the road to maturity To preach hate speech against those you think defenceless Is the sin, not our skin, showing your words false and senseless Begin to see a glimmer in me of all that I have for giving Black skin, not sin but an ebony love-filled living I'm one plot, on one spot on soil fed by gladness and woe Part in a field in which I'm sea