Winter.

I stand beside nude trees,
Under a bare sky.
It’s cobalt-coloured – like stripped-bare dreams;
It’s leaden, and naked of life.

The Pavilion is risen tall;
Its grandeur all too clear.
If you’d like to take a winter stroll,
Why don’t you meet me here?

My skin is chilled
And my dreams hang low –
Like a frosty, morning fog.

And I pine for you,
In grumbled tones –
After my keeper,
Like a dog.

If you should see me upon the pavement
With desolate-looking eyes,
Know there’s a sparkle present
And, because of you, my tears have dried.

And I feel I’m not kidding myself
With the undulations of my mind;
No matter what my temperament,
I know you’ll soothe me in tones kind.

The sky is cobalt-blue
And the leaves are in dank piles.
But I’ll walk these paths with you –
And I’ll walk them for miles.

A lighter shade of me....

I know most of the stuff I write is over-serious and leaden, so here are a few uplifting videos courtesy of Nalts:

Judeo-Christian religion and women.

To be a Born-Again Christian means to be as a child - just as Jesus advised. To be born again isn't to see the world through the eyes of a thinking adult who's had his or her views changed; it's to be re-born as a child. We don't need more children on this planet; we need thinking adults.

Throughout the histories of Judaism and Christianity, women have been subjugated and subjected to the most extreme oppression. This sort of thing only stopped occurring towards the end of the nineteenth century. For hundreds of years, women could not vote nor own property; nor could they escape their domestic settings. The first American woman to ever strive to become a lawyer was blocked by the Supreme Court (with an 8-1 majority) some 100 years ago.

The 10th commandment alludes to the fact that women were seen as property to the early Jews. Many Christians will fail to recognise this or wholly deny it. Many don't know that early Jewish men were polygamists who had many wives - King Soloman had 1000 (or so we're told in the Bible).

The 10th commandment states: "Thou shalt not covet your neighbour's house, or his wife, or his plough, or his ox, or his ass." Houses and oxen and ploughs were property - and so were women. Women were 'chattel' (they were personal possessions who could be moved around). Another striking thing about the Old Testament is that it was perfectly acceptable for Jewish - and early Christian - men to sell their daughters into the sex trade. People also kept slaves (provided that these slaves were taken from foreign lands - just as the Egyptians did with the early tribes of Judea; it seems some people never learn).

Before you go to bed tonight, just think about some of the tortures your great-grandmothers had to endure. Think about how women have been treated throughout the centuries. Think about how in some Muslim states (as well as in Israel and some Christian states in Africa and the Far East) women are oppressed and controlled (all because the early Moslems aped the Old and New Testaments). I'm an atheist, but if you wish to pray tonight please pray for all those around the world whom are in dire need of their human rights. Pray for your loved ones and your enemies. Pray for everybody. And if you're not no spineless and idiotic as to think to pray, make real change and help others in your communities.

God in the 21st century.

A few words on prayer by John Shelby Spong.

A talk by John Shelby Spong.

Plan Colombia.

Since 1998, America has been destroying the Colombian countryside under the guise of a collection of anti-drugs policies called 'Plan Colombia'.

This involves spraying large amounts of defoliant (herbicide) over coca fields in order to halt the production of cocaine. There's one thing Americans aren't aware of, though - something entirely more sinister and nefarious: American agribusiness companies are moving into these affected areas and farming crops. These companies employ jobless, displaced peasants and make them work in the agribusiness industry for low pay, under dire working conditions.

Also, vast areas of Colombia are handed over to mining companies and oil companies. Vast swathes of land are strip-mined and destroyed. These acts are the product of American policy and they're supported by western countries such as the UK.

The following videos will provide you with some information: