PAIN-O-METER ANYONE?

PAIN-O-METER ANYONE? Until and unless a "pain-o-meter" is invented, enabling others to measure the location and intensity of your pain, you must remain, at least, the co-guarantor, co-surety of your health, along with selected doctors, dentists , herbalists, and spiritualists. Nobody knows you like you; better than you; beside of you. You feel what others cannot about you ! That's why they must ask you "Where does it hurt? How're you doing?" "Let me review your chart." If you don't say, they don't know !

GIFTED

We are all gifted with genius otherwise known to us as life; development of that "life," of that genius is our duty in life. Sharing our blessings therefrom is our supreme charge from God the giver of life, and our most sacred, symbiotic obligation !

TOY HORSE

TOY HORSE One cannot ride one's toy horse forever. Either it breaks down or you outgrow its dimensions. As with youth's toy horse, so are life's childhood ambitions and superstitions, moments in time.

ARMY LIFE IN A BLACK REGIMENT

"Arriving there at sunrise (February 2, 1863), I made my way with Dr. Rogers to General Saxton's bedroom, and laid before him the keys and shackles of the slave prison, with my report of the good conduct of the men... "Slight as this expedition now seems among the vast events of war , the future student of the newspapers of that day will find that it occupied no little space in their columns, so intense was the interest which then attached to the novel experiment of employing black troops. So obvious, too, was the value, during the raid, of their local knowledge and enthusiasm, that it was not impossible to find in its successes new suggestions for the war. Certainly, I would not have consented to repeat the enterprise with the bravest white troops, leaving Corporal Sutton and his mates behind, for I should have expected to fail.... " The memory of our raid was preserved in the camp by many legends of adventure , growing vaster and more incredible as time wore on,--and by the morning appeals to the surgeon of some veteran invalids , who could now cut off all reproofs and suspicions with 'Doctor, I's been a sickly pusson eber since deexpeditious.' Bur to me the most vivid memory was the flock of sheep that we 'lifted.' The Post Quartermaster discreetly gave us charge of them, and they rilled a gap in the landscape and the larder,--which last had before presented one unvaried round of impenetrable beef. .. I had been familiar, in Kansas, with the metaphor by which the sentiments of an owner were credited to his property, and had heard of a proslavery colt and an antislavery cow. The fact that these sheep were but recently converted from 'Se-cesh ' sentiments was their crowning charm." P.47-8, ARMY LIFE IN A BLACK REGIMENT by Thomas Wentworth Higginson (1866)

APPREHENDING IMMANENCE

APPREHENDING IMMANENCE The flash at the scratch of a match; The evanescent luminosity of falling stars; The crenellated cracking of glacial ice; The creeping of crustaceans washed ashore; The window-rattling roar of sonic booms; The epochal blasts of atomic bombs ; The nerve-jarring annunciation of babies ' cries; Crystallize more, connote more, represent more--than flickering moments' microseconds in time. Each event epitomizes productive love, whether produced by man, displayed by God, or a compound. All demonstrate God's marvelously mysterious interactivity. Even as that divine interactivity animates and enables us humans to "see through the glass darkly;" ephemerally, ever apprehending the Almighty's engendering glory immanent in infinity & ourselves!

OLD WELLS

We drank well- water in the country from our very own well. That fact and metaphor will preach! But, "country" is not "cool," is it? We would rather pay more and be deceived with being "hip," "conscious," "organic" or "natural." Well, ain't nothing more hip organic or natural than drinking healing water from old folks' well! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCxK2Pn8-FU

BLACK MAN ARMY

Apply yourself to excellence, to integrity, and to undying love

BEST AND RIGHT

BEST AND RIGHT Do the best thing, not the right thing. Best is better than right, like right is better than wrong . Right can get you killed as easily as wrong. Best can keep you alive. The right thing is to observe the traffic lights. The best thing is to watch the cars. The right thing is to be mindful of others. The best thing is to be mindful of yourself. In short, if doing what is best is unavailing , fruitless, then doing what is right will be even worse!

WIDOWED MATRIARCHS EXTRAORDINAIRE

Matriarchs, mothers, wives, stabilizers, enablers, comforters, confidantes, friends.

GOD IS. WE ARE PROOF.

GOD IS. WE ARE PROOF! The astounding amount of input-output activities extant in just one living cell is exponentially daunting. That activity alone is sufficient to discount "random chance" as its source of morphological gestation. Multiplied across all that lives, or all that has ever lived, during life's 4.1 billion years on Earth reveals the fallacy of such a brazen attribution. Life is not a function of any random chance, nor an incident of it, either! Life is divine, ordered, purposeful, faithful to known laws and cycles. But what is "random chance?" http://mobile-dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/random%20chance "Purposelessness without any pre-arranged order" is a fair definition of 'random.' Chance is very similar. Tautological it is; double talk! Natural selection is defined as http://www.bing.com/search?q=natural+selection+definition&a=results&MID=2500 "A process by which organisms best adapt to their environments, which reproduce successfully," is 'natural selection 's definition. That defines nothing about the organism itself nor its environs. Given the condign order that actuates our solar system, our planet, our seasons, and ourselves, to even suggest that random chance crystallized to create that order is to invert, is to defy, logic, sequence, geometry & God. God is. I am; you are. We are proof!

SWEET AUTUMN MEMORIES

During my senior year at Howard, in October 1972, I met a beautiful Ethiopian woman in a cafeteria one Sunday. She spoke English , Amharic, and several other tongues, and was majoring in pharmacy. When she spoke, it was as though tiny bells tinkled and birds stopped to listen. We talked until the cafeteria closed. Unable to leave her so soon, I proposed that we ride into Virginia to enjoy the foliage: the golden, brown, and red autumn leaves. She agreed. Away we rode into the countryside, until, nearing a marine base I espied a resplendent hill regally beaming. So, we parked. Then we trekked to the top of that sacred hill that glowed and beckoned to just us in the late fall afternoon. Attaining its summit, we found ourselves ensconced amid a bevy of burdened trees whose leaves were falling like snow, cascading down to earth. She laid down in the leaves, looking up, and was soon, laughing as leaves laved her from on high. Mystified and magnetized, I lay down beside her and looked up. Soon we were both being buried alive in fallen leaves and laughing uproariously. Sweet, romantic memories are borne by fallen autumn leaves.

EVERYONE CANNOT BE SAVED

EVERYONE CANNOT BE SAVED Education ill-befits those who disdain learning. They will acclaim the clown and the charlatan and bury the exemplary educators from their ineffable ignorance! Everyone cannot, will not, has never been saved! Some must and will fall by the wayside as chaff must, will blow from threshed grains.

HANNIBAL BARCA OF CARTHAGE

Hannibal Barca of Carthage 's troops, war elephants and mahouts waged war in Italy for 16 years kicking Roman legions' behind in the Punic wars, until he was recalled to Africa to defend Carthage from Roman invaders' legions, and their duped African allies, who defeated him finally in 202 BC, under Gen. Scipio Africanus and changed the course of history!

HOLY GHOST FIRE

CATCH ON FIRE! An African proverb says: "Wood already touched by fire is not hard to ignite." Like a soul already basking in light, love, wisdom, and understanding, That soul is ready to "catch on fire and burn with the Holy Ghost!"

COMPACTING BLACK ELECTORAL DISTRICTS DIMINISHES BLACK POWER

http://ballotpedia.org/Missouri's_5th_Congressional_District This is my Congressional district, served by Rev. Emanuel Cleaver for years, and Alan Wheat before him, with a white female serving briefly between these two black men. This district is only 21% black. Just goes to show that compacting blacks into one congressional district, like the 1st district in St. Louis, and elsewhere, diminishes black voting strength, while strengthening others' who care less than nothing about blacks. This gerrymandered dilution of black voting power hurts on both state and federal levels. Barack Obama was twice elected President, and his base is the less--than--20 % black, oppressed minority in America. Wise up, my people. Do the math!

FOOLING FOLKS

FOOLING FOLKS You can fool some of the people some of the time. But you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. Time disrobes all frauds and fakes, even as it dismantles dissemblers. One can't hide forever among the bamboo shoots, because even rainy seasons turn dry after while.

JESUS CHRIST, COPTIC MUSEUM

Conceiving of Jesus Christ as a black man is very revolutionary, given his recurring portrayal from the Italian Renaissance era painters as European like them and theirs, which was their right--whatever the truth--just as my visualization of Jesus Christ as black like me and mine, whatever his true creed or color is my right! Jesus was not concerned with outward man only inward man ! Me too!

comity

COMITY "Fair to you, fair to me; fair by you, fair by me," would be a wonderful recitation for each party to proclaim at the conclusion of any bargained-for exchange, whether it be contractual or informal barter. That recital reflects the factual premise that the parties have viewed their negotiations from their own, unique perspective and from the peculiar perspectives of their opposition and, having done so , would gladly accept either side. Such a proclamation being comity,http://i.word.com/idictionary/comity is mutually beneficial, delightful.

NO "COSMIC BELLHOP" IS GOD

NO "COSMIC BELLHOP" IS GOD God purposely placed man (male and female ) in this "garden," on this earth, to work it and to keep it. http://biblehub.com/genesis/2-15.htm In so doing, God necessarily equipped man with all things required to do that, his work. Without limitations, being perfectly formed and endowed, being made in God's own likeness and image, man was imbued with all powers and privileges appurtenant thereto. Man was perfect in the beginning . Man is perfect now, truth be known! Which is why Jesus said "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." But, our conceptional knowledge of our actual and ancient perfection was lost in the dusty desuetudes of devolved time. It was impaired by the eons' continental rifts and drifts of history and biological evolution. Today, mankind's poisoned self-perception of self is so weak, is so pitiable, is so fragile as to be dependent upon the consent of others, basically useless, fruitless . Lacking confidence in themselves, of their own combined labor, some men have allowed those deceivers of men to lead them away from the glory of God in doing God's work, in taking care of God's kingdom. Those deceived have deemed God to be man's own "cosmic bellhop," --ever alert to answer our prayers--instead of man being God's earthly bellhop ever alert to do God's will, to quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King's vision was clear, and collegial; his signally extraordinary achievements were and are legendary. Dr. King's work, deliverance of his folks, yet awaits completion by those with a sense of who they are, of whose they are!

"BORN AGAIN" REEXAMINED

"BORN AGAIN" REEXAMINED "Born again" is vital, spiritual and conceptional, not ritual, physical and doctrinal. It transforms one's relationship to God and to all else. Jesus replied "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God, unless they are born again. http://biblehub.com/john/3-3.htm Unless one undergoes gestation and deliverance from the mother's womb--the first birth--the second birth, born again, is totally moot. The first birth being physical, the second birth cannot be physical, leaving the spiritual or intellectual. Man is born of both "water and spirit;" with water being physical, man's rebirth must be spiritual. http://biblehub.com/john/3-5.htm But, Jesus also says "Except" or "Unless" one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. This scripture implies a troublesome fact, tacitly--that some of us are very different men--despite their appearances. Some men are not truly born of the "Spirit," hence the qualifying words, "except" or "unless" are present! Neither do I impute this lack, this evil absence of Spirit, this woeful lack to race, creed, color, gender! Flesh is flesh and spirit is spirit. Having a discerning spirit is a necessary gift that distinguishes those with and those without Spirit. It therefore clearly follows that not everyone may be, or even can be, "born again" due to a lack of Spirit. Every seed won't grow, in a word !

PURPOSEFULNESS

PURPOSEFULNESS Once you learn 'how long that the train's been gone,' what then? Knowledge for knowledge's sake is productive of nothing; neither is art for art's sake; love for love's sake. Anything for its own sake is vain, barren, burdensome, brutish . Purposefulness remedies and banishes brutish uselessness. Be purposeful in all things!

PUNCTUATION AND ME

PUNCTUATION AND ME Punctuation is placing diacritical marks in writing so that readers might understand your sense. That placement process is governed by rules, particular to each such mark, whether : the comma, period, semicolon ; exclamation mark; colon; dash; parentheses; question mark; apostrophe; brackets or ellipsis. My fifth grade teacher , Ms. Lydia Brooks, once asked me about the punctuation of a given sentence in class. I told her that it "sounded" right. She then proceeded to tell me, to tell us , that rules not sound governs punctuation and that I must learn--we must learn--the rules of punctuation in order to write properly, elegantly. So, she gave us a dose of punctuation exercises that emphasized rules. I love, I am deeply indebted to Ms. Brooks. Knowing the rules enables one to break them freely, creatively, cleverly, for effect, for emphasis! Sounds engaged me early in punctuation . Later came sight and sound; then feel was added. Most recently, I have begun to taste too. So hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, being aboard, smell only is lacking. Might it be that writing engages all of the senses? Might it be that smell too may join my panoply of punctuation tools and impulses?

ST. CHARLES MISSOURI'S BLACK HISTORY OMISSIONS

There is no marker nor statue acknowledging black-Haitian, Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable in St. Charles, Missouri. DuSable founded that state's first capitol, St. Charles, after leaving Chicago, which he had earlier founded. DuSable died in St. Charles in 1818, before Missouri became a state in 1821. Similarly, St. Charles' statue of Lewis and Clark does not depict York, just a dog! York was regarded by the Indians as the leader of the expedition due to his power, prowess, and appearance; "Big Medicine" was the cognomen they assigned to him, not "servent," as Lewis usually noted him in the Journals of "Lewis & Clark."

EXPIATION

EXPIATION Emptying ourselves by internal cleansing, though momentarily disarming and humbling, is also essential, being expiatory, renewing, vital, preparatory for something else, holy, and hygienic . Like washing dishes or pots and pan, washing oneself and one's living space is no less invigorating.

FRANCE'S EXTORTION OF HISPANOLA (THEN-UNDER HAITIAN RULE) IN 1825 UNDER THREAT OF RENEWED NAVAL INVASION OF 150 MILLION FRANCS, UNCONSCIONABLE!

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Haiti:_Her_History_and_Her_Detractors/Part_I:_Chapter_XII "Territorial unity having now become an accomplished fact, it remained for Haiti to strive to put an end to her misunderstanding with France. It was impossible to make the most of the riches of the island so long as there was the probability of an attack from the former mother country. Complete security could only be obtained through the recognition of Haitian independence by France. It was thought that Great Britain would gladly help in bringing about this result. In consequence, Pétion and Christophe unhesitatingly granted special privileges to British commerce. Boyer adopted the same policy. Whilst all foreign products had to pay an import duty of 12 per cent, those from Great Britain paid only 7 per cent; and when these products were imported by Haitian ships, the duty was further reduced to 5 per cent. Great Britain profited by these advantages but did not show the least inclination to lend assistance to Haiti. On the contrary, in the treaty additional to the Paris treaty, Great Britain promised not to counteract any of the means to which France might resort in order to "recover Saint-Domingue and to subdue the inhabitants of that colony." And as it would be perhaps necessary to almost exterminate "the inhabitants of the colony" in order to subdue them, Great Britain, though requesting the abolition of the slave-trade, forgot for a while her philanthropic principles and authorized France to continue this barbarous trade for five years, as it would probably be the only way of repeopling the depopulated island. In spite of this attitude, greatly out of keeping with the commercial privileges which had been granted her, the Haitians had still the hope that Great Britain could be induced to recognize their independence and to help them to obtain the same recognition from France. But they were rudely disillusioned when, in 1823, Great Britain recognized the independence of Mexico, Colombia, etc., and refrained from recognizing theirs. They knew finally that they could not expect any assistance from this Power. In consequence, in 1825, they abolished all the privileges by which the British were profiting and ordered that henceforth the import tax of 12 per cent would be indiscriminately levied on all foreign products. As to the United States, Haiti had not even thought of having recourse to their intervention. In that country the partisans of slavery were at that time omnipotent. They naturally could not help bearing ill-will against the former slaves, who had not only created a sovereign State, but who had even dared to transform their territory into an asylum of freedom and liberty for the unfortunate human beings who, on account of their color, were elsewhere subjected to a shameful yoke. President Boyer had even sent an agent to New York to encourage the men of the black race to emigrate to Haiti. No wonder then was it that the United States recognized the independence of Colombia, etc., and ignored that of Haiti. Thus the young Republic, at the very beginning of its existence, found itself isolated and compelled to face the power of France without the sympathy of a single nation. But Haiti, with a sense of her responsibility, remained undaunted and spared nothing in order to preserve her autonomy. French commerce was suffering no less than that of Haiti, owing to the bad feeling existing between the two countries. On both sides the necessity of coming to some kind of an agreement was felt. Still, France could not yet make up her mind to accept as an accomplished fact the loss of her colony. In 1821, after the failure of the agents sent to Pétion, she once again entertained the idea of forcibly establishing a protectorate over Haiti; with that end in view Mr. Dupetit Thouars was despatched to Haiti. Boyer, like his predecessor, flatly refused to take such a proposal into consideration. This evidently did not have the effect of discouraging France, as in 1823 another agent, Mr. Liot, was sent to Port-au-Prince. His instructions were to try to induce President Boyer to take the initiative in the negotiations for the acknowledgment of the independence of his country. In May the President of Haiti charged the French General, Jacques Boyé, who had given many proofs of his friendship to the Haitians, to enter into a parley with France. The French Government commissioned Mr. Esmangart to confer with the Haitian envoy. The two agents opened the negotiations at Brussels on the 16th of August, 1823. The Haitian plenipotentiary requested the full recognition of the independence of the Republic and, in return, offered freedom from all import duties, during the next five years, on all French products; and at the conclusion of that time the duties on French products were to be only one-half of the amount levied on all other foreign products. Mr. Esmangart refused to recognize the full independence of Haiti; he put an end to the parleys and left Brussels on the 22d of August. This last display of France's ill will produced a very bad impression in Haiti. On the 6th of January, 1824, President Boyer issued a proclamation ordering various energetic measures relative to the defense of the Haitian territory. Arms and ammunition were stored in the interior of the island, in all places which could serve as the basis of military operations. Once more the country was preparing for war. The inhabitants were still in a state of great agitation when Mr. Laujon, the new agent of France, arrived in Haiti and requested President Boyer to take up the negotiations once more. Accordingly, two Haitian agents, Mr. Rouanez and Senator Larose, were again sent to France. They left Haiti on the 1st of May, 1824, and arrived at Havre on the 14th of June. The Haitian plenipotentiaries were at first taken to Saint-Germain, and afterward to Strasbourg, where they met Mr. Esmangart, the French agent. Upon their declaring that the negotiations could not be successfully carried on at so great a distance from Paris, the conferences were transferred to Meaux. The Haitian envoys kept their patience throughout all these changes and finally succeeded in arranging that the parleys be held in Paris. They were instructed to secure the recognition of the independence of Haiti, and in return to agree to the payment of an indemnity to the former colonists; the French products, however, were to enjoy no greater privileges than those granted to the more favored nations; and Haitian products were not to pay higher duties in France than importations from the French colonies. As soon as Larose and Rouanez had made known the views of their Government, the French agent raised a grave question. He contended that the King of France having in 1814 reconveyed the Spanish portion of the island to Spain was empowered to negotiate only for the French portion of Saint-Domingue. Since 1822 there existed neither a French nor a Spanish portion: the Republic of Haiti was in peaceful possession of the whole island. In consequence, the Haitian envoys refused to take into consideration any such discrimination and threatened to break up the parleys. They were then invited to confer directly with Marquis de Clermont-Tonnerre, the Minister of War and of the colonies. In an interview with him on the 31st of July they were astounded to learn that the King of France, whilst willing to recognize the independence of Haiti, intended, however, to retain the right to manage the foreign relations of the Republic. They energetically protested against such a pretension, and considering it useless to prolong the negotiations, they left France on the 15th of August. Their arrival in Haiti created great excitement. President Boyer at once acquainted the people with France's intention of forcing a protectorate upon them; he informed the Senate of the failure of his plenipotentiaries and summoned the most important among the generals of the Haitian army to Port-au-Prince. War appeared to be inevitable. Once more the necessary measures were taken in order to enable the country to repel a foreign invasion. Whilst resorting to the precautions rendered necessary by circumstances, President Boyer did not neglect to complete the organization of the Republic. A Civil Code, a Code of Civil Procedure, a Commercial Code, a Penal Code, and a Code of Criminal Instruction were successively enacted and proclaimed. The whole country was thus under the same laws. Whilst the Haitians, in spite of the ill will shown them abroad, were striving to consolidate their government, France harassed them still further by a humiliation in the guise of a favor. This was the act of Charles X, who bestowed on them as a charity the recognition of their independence. Without their consent, regardless of their desire in the matter, and without taking the slightest notice of the arduous negotiations which had been hitherto carried on, the haughty Bourbon signed, on the 17th of April, 1825, the following ordinance: "Charles, by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre. "Wishing to attend to the interest of French Commerce, to the misfortunes of the former colonists of Saint-Domingue and to the precarious condition of the present inhabitants of the island; "We have ordered and order the following: "Art. I. The ports of the French part of Saint-Domingue shall be open to the commerce of all nations. "The duties levied in these ports either on ships or merchandise at the times of their entry or departure shall be equal and uniform for all nations except for the French flag, on behalf of which these duties are to be reduced to half the amount. "Art. II. The present inhabitants of the French part of Saint-Domingue shall pay at the Caisse des Dépots et Consignations of France, in five annual instalments, the first one due on the 31st of December, 1825, the sum of one hundred and fifty millions of francs, in order to compensate the former colonists who may claim an indemnity. "Art. III. Under these conditions we grant, by the present Ordinance, to the present inhabitants of the French part of Saint-Domingue the full independence of their Government. "And the present Ordinance shall be sealed with the great seal. "Done at Paris in the Palace of Tuileries, this 17th of April A. D. 1825, and the first of our reign. "Charles. "By the King: The Peer of France, Minister-Secretary of State for the Navy and the colonies. "Comte de Chabrol." Baron Mackau, a captain in the French Navy, was intrusted with the mission of submitting the ordinance to the approval of the President of Haiti. He left on the 4th of May, 1825, and arrived at Port-au-Prince on the third of July on the frigate La Circé, accompanied by two other men-of-war. Soon after there arrived also several squadrons under the command of Admirals Jurien de la Gravière and Grivel, who had been instructed to cruise in Haitian waters. This display of forces served to create the impression that France was willing to renew hostilities should the ordinance of the King be rejected. Did President Boyer shrink from the responsibility of provoking war, or did he consider it wiser to remove the most important cause of conflict with France so as to be able henceforth to devote his whole efforts to the improvement of his country! After four days of hesitation he finally accepted, on the 4th of July, the ordinance, which the Senate approved on the llth. When the exact wording of the ordinance became known, a shudder of indignation ran through the whole country. The old warriors took offense at the very thought of their independence being granted to them after their having fought so hard to gain it for themselves. The people were highly incensed at the lordly tone adopted by the King of France, as well as at the heavy burden laid upon them. As a result of this step President Boyer's popularity was deeply affected. Seeing the mistake he had made he set to work to try and counteract the ill effects of it. On the 21st of July, 1825, he despatched three plenipotentiaries to France with instructions to negotiate a treaty less offensive to the nation's self-respect. It was urgent to come to a clear understanding, for France, through a misconstruction of the Ordinance of April, 1825, was paying half of the duties, not only on her products imported to Haiti, but also on those exported from the island: in consequence there was an important decrease in the revenues at the very moment when Haiti was in sore need of money on account of the indemnity which was being extorted by France. In order to pay the first instalment, viz., 30,000,000 francs, it was necessary to resort to a loan, which was floated at Paris in November, 1825, and yielded 24,000,000 francs, though the Republic issued bonds for 30,000,000 francs. To make up the required sum the country was thus compelled to ship 6,000,000 of francs; all the disposable cash was in consequence sent to France. In this way the effects of payment of the indemnity and of the interest on the loan began to be heavily felt. The export of the metallic currency compelled the Haitian Government to issue paper money in September, 1826. The evil consequence of the Ordinance of 1825 could not be questioned. No wonder was it that the Haitians devoted all their energies to have it annulled. However, the plenipotentiaries sent to France in 1825 had failed to obtain either a reduction in the amount of the indemnity or the determining of a date for the discontinuance of the privilege of the payment of half duty on all the French products. On the 31st of October, 1825, they signed a commercial convention[3] which the President of Haiti refused to approve. Instead of improving, the relations between Haiti and France grew daily worse. It was impossible for Haiti to pay the enormous sum which Charles X had forced upon her. There were unavoidable delays in the payment of the instalments, which gave rise to endless disputes and misunderstandings with France. In 1828 a Haitian agent, Mr. St. Macary, went to Paris; he also failed in his mission, and returned in 1829 to Haiti, where the French Consul-General again took up the negotiations. As a result of this a commercial treaty and a convention concerning the indemnity were signed in April, 1829. These, however, France refused to ratify; and Baron Pichon was appointed to carry on new negotiations. He arrived at Port-au-Prince in 1830, and failing to come to an agreement with the Haitian plenipotentiaries, he returned to France in April. Thus relations between the two countries became very strained; for the Haitian Government was bent on discontinuing the advantage of the payment of half duty which the Ordinance of 1825 had granted to French commerce. The instalments were irregularly paid and the French products were made to pay the same taxes levied on the merchandise of all other nations. The ordinance of 1825, the cause of so much trouble, was thus little by little repudiated by the Haitians. To prevent any complaint on the part of France, Boyer, in April, 1830, again sent St. Macary to France. The negotiations were being carried on in Paris when the revolution of 1830 occurred. The downfall of Charles X put an end to the parleys, which were not resumed until the following year; and on the 2d of April, 1831, St. Macary and Pichon signed a commercial treaty and a convention relating to the indemnity.[4] These two documents, instead of annulling the Ordinance of 1825, which the Haitians had firmly decided to abolish, granted new favors to the French. Thus it was that Louis Philippe lost no time in ratifying them, whilst President Boyer flatly refused to sanction them. This refusal so incensed the King of France that his Consul was immediately withdrawn from Port-au-Prince. This time all semblance of friendliness in the relations between the two countries was at an end. War seemed to be unavoidable. And the people, glad at having an opportunity to wipe out the insult placed upon them by the Ordinance of 1825, showed the greatest enthusiasm. The Haitians were ready to make the greatest sacrifices in order to obtain not the concession, but the recognition of their independence by a treaty voluntarily drawn and agreed upon."

REVERENCE FOR THE TRUTH

"May those, whose holy task it is To guide impulsive youth, Fail not to cherish in their souls A reverence for the truth; For teachings which the lips impart Must have their source within the heart." --Charlotte L. Forten, "A Parting Hymn," abstracted from THE BLACK MAN HIS ANTECEDENTS GENIUS AND ACHIEVEMENTS by William Wells Brown (2014)

IS PERFECTION POSSIBLE? IS JESUS A LIAR?

IS JESUS CHRIST A LIAR? The compulsive discipline to do what is right, be it a job or duty, is often frustratingly vexing, to be sure; since, that innately constraining discipline, "rightness," is as often diametrically opposed by, and juxtaposed by, "wrongness," which is that impulsively heedless zeal just to do it and to be done with it, whether rightly or wrongly! Normally, there is a compromise between the two, compulsive and impulsive, ergo between right and wrong. Then, that which is "good enough," accrues; "good enough" will do, we say in rationalization of our known errors. But, in Matthew 5:48 Jesus teaches, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." But , we love to say, "Man cannot be perfect ." We say that "perfection is impossible." Is Jesus Christ, then, a liar? Or do we merely impulsively discountenance this perfect gift of God?

MOMMA AND DADDY

MAMA AND DADDY Being from the farm, Daddy meant no harm, when he marked and mimicked: The rooster and the hen, the bull and the cow, the boar hog and the sow. It was who he was. It was what he knew. Both he did do, in the manner true. That is why I am now speaking to you about him. Being from the town, Mama knew cap and gown, saying "let these abound!" The pulpit and the pew, the school and its virtue, the worker and his due. It was who she was. It was what she knew. In church, school she pushed us. That, too, is why I am now speakng to you about her. Then, 'farm' met 'town' on a church yard ground. Soon they were up & down: The wedding aisle; the move North from South; the gathering blessed brood. It was who they were. It was what they knew. In us they put all they could do. That, too, is why I am now speaking to you, about them in loving gratitude.

RELUCTANT "LEAF" DESCENT

Observing the final fall of a reluctant-to-land-maple leaf, I almost wondered if it were not some rare yellow-colored moth at play. Twisting round-and-round on its axis, stalling, landing lightly in the end. Analogizing, "parablizing," then, from reluctant leaf to man about the spectacle, I knew, I intuited, I grasped.

PRECEDENT AND PRECEDENCE

VALUE YOURSELVES CORRECTLY, FEMALES!

VALUE YOURSELVES CORRECTLY FEMALES Value yourselves, correctly, females! Axis of us all, you are! For the chance to mate with you, men have, will, and yet do, beg, borrow, steal, and kill, for that rare and overwhelming, privilege. Muslim men have consigned you to "Paradise" in a virginal state that continually renews itself for the enjoyment of valorous men. Greek men have once fought the "Trojan War" over you women, representatively, in the form of "fair Helen," who was seduced. African men paid many head of cattle for you, to your family, for the opportunity to marry and to mate with you and bridal sisters. All love songs are about you, including the "Song of Solomon." The "Queen of Sheba" is you, in entourage, finery, beauty, riches, wisdom. She journeyed from far for the best, most-befitting man. Bathsheba is also you, who bathed on her own rooftop, while her husband was at war, who later capitulated to the call of her king. Rahab too is you, who saved the two Hebrew spies from detection, lowering them from her rooftop wall to safety, a forebear of Jesus. Mary, the mother of Christ, is you, who having known no man, yet suffered premarital pregnancy's shame to birth mankind's Savior. Value yourselves, correctly, females! Axis of us all, you are!VALUE YOURSELVES CORRECTLY FEMALES Value yourselves, correctly, females! Axis of us all, you are! For the chance to mate with you, men have, will, and yet do, beg, borrow, steal, and kill, for that rare and overwhelming, privilege. Muslim men have consigned you to "Paradise" in a virginal state that continually renews itself for the enjoyment of valorous men. Greek men have once fought the "Trojan War" over you women, representatively, in the form of "fair Helen," who was seduced. African men paid many head of cattle for you, to your family, for the opportunity to marry and to mate with you and bridal sisters. All love songs are about you, including the "Song of Solomon." The "Queen of Sheba" is you, in entourage, finery, beauty, riches, wisdom. She journeyed from far for the best, most-befitting man. Bathsheba is also you, who bathed on her own rooftop, while her husband was at war, who later capitulated to the call of her king. Rahab too is you, who saved the two Hebrew spies from detection, lowering them from her rooftop wall to safety, a forebear of Jesus. Mary, the mother of Christ, is you, who having known no man, yet suffered premarital pregnancy's shame to birth mankind's Savior. Value yourselves, correctly, females! Axis of us all, you are!

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL

COSMOLOGY

Our cosmology used to declare that our planet, Earth, was the center of the Universe, when our formative holy books were written, i.e. the Bible and the Quran, in the "Ptolemaic" era, when Aristotlelean logic still held sway. Then along came Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, all inquiring priests, who blew that cosmology away, at great personal risk. They showed that, au contraire, the Earth, and by extension, mankind, was not the center of the Universe; that the sun and stars, did not revolve around him; but, he around them. In light of their science, we yet exist, with the same holy books of old's dated cosmology.

musing on the moon

MUSING ON THE MOON The October moon shone brightly through my window tonight. Strange. I had not noticed it before. Then, it occurred to me that moons don't shine. They reflect sunlight. That sunlight makes the moon appear to shine. Poets must pine & sigh. Reflections lack the romance, lack the autochthonous timbre of genuinely engendered light. After ruminating this subject of faux-moonlight, I looked again for it, and the moon was gone; and with it, lamentably, my muse, to await another subject.

WHAT SAY YOU?

WHAT SAY YOU? As it is often said, "Nature abhors a vacuum;" so, I say that weakness invites, even demands, its own exploitation ! Who is to blame, the vacuum or nature; the weak or exploiter? Neither or both ? What say you?

GOD IS LOVE

GOD IS LOVE Anything living that is untamed is destructive of that which is tamed. Be it any animal or man. Plants and rivers are trimmed and dammed, trained. Training, is simply one form of taming; also so-called "domestication." "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." This Bible verse means tame them! Too many adults are untrained. So, their sons and daughters, and by descent their grandsons and granddaughters, are also untrained, untamed in the love of themselves or of others; being "undomesticated" they wreak havoc all around blithely. Not loving oneself one cannot love one's fellow man nor God. Such a one who neither loves himself, his fellow man nor God is wild, reprobate, regenerate! Love, self-love, is the lave and the lotion of their redemption. They lacked domestic love at home, as children and became warped by reason of its lack. How now it may be inculcated, I cannot say. But, that it must be, I can say. God is love and life. And in order for godliness to be restored to the earth, the new paradigm of love and life must displace that of lust and vice in persons, homes, cities, nations.