Tarheel Tavern # 53

Well, here we are, coming into March, sunning our way into the kind of spring that only North Carolina has to offer eh? The daffodils are peeking at us from the garden, the Bradford pears are blooming, and the Dogwoods are showing signs of life. Spring is the season of new life, new beginnings - a symbol of hope.

This week marks the beginning of a new year of Taverns, and personally speaking, it marks the week that my son Nova (God willing) begins a new life with a healthy heart and hope for a long future.

In light of all the beginnings, I've decided that "hope" will be our theme this week. So welcome to the first edition of the second year of the Tarheel Tavern! Enjoy!

Billy writes about foreign governments controlling our ports. His explanation for the connection to this week's theme? "I'm hoping the deal falls through." Me too Billy, it just doesn't seem like a wise thing eh?

Sister Toldjah hopes, well... She hopes the opposite of Billy!

Mandie wants us to know that her hopes to finish her Olympic knitting project came to fruition. Despite long hours at work, she finished it in time to wear her creation to church this morning, go have a look!
Sara at Clothed in Joy has many hopes, including one about another knitting project!

The View From The Cheap Seats this week is a vision of Justin hoping that someone finds a better way to run a meeting

Alex hopes that we'll enjoy Alex in Wonderland, a site he's maintained for 10 years!

Bora hopes we'll all find something of interest in this link rich post about local blogging and local organizing.

A series of medical complications for Ron has left him musing about the ability of 4 little letters to embrace such a huge meaning.

Ginger writes about Joan of Arc, and says of her:
"Her visions are now relegated by the scientific as bipolar or schizophrenia, delusions. Yet those delusions led to the liberation of a nation. And the men who persecuted her are now in history seen for what they were. Therein, I suppose, is hope"

If Joan of Arc Survived



Flowing, encompassing river,
a pathway of streams,
clear tributaries calm
in a surging destructive tide.

Her love of God still flows, tumbling soft as laughter, pouring
through their reservoirs of arguing swollen
in the game they made
of her life.

From recesses deep
that none could understand or penetrate she flows, above their lies,
tries to see beyond any deception.

In any of her inquiry and questioning was truth discovered?
None she knows save that questions are still not knowledge, comments are still not answers, imagination, wonder and fear are neither.

And will any such 'discovery'
chanced upon the way
be used by those who represent an intentional and studied
persecution?

First they deemed her witch
and later, heretic.

Did the lady spread heresy
by trying to discover
truth?
How dare her try to discover,
determine, and speak
on her own.

And did the men of God, ascribed in their world as the ultimate judges
use religion as their front?

Carrying their crosses
and the holy mother's rosary, using their church,
do they proceed to make
and justify their sacrifice?
Or do they grant reprieve,
understanding any facts
are hidden from her,
are in God's hands?

Recant Joan, recant;

Throw away a right to privacy,
for it is judged as guilt.

Throw away your right
to reserve judgment
in the absence of fact , for it is seen as heresy.

Throw away integrity of experience
that differs from dogma,
throw away the right to disagree.
Bow to the mighty
and receive forgiveness?


And last but far from least (at least in my opinion anyway) Nova offered us hope in heaping helpings yesterday by making sudden leaps of improvements. We keep hoping that he'll continue to do so well!

I want to say thank you to all of you that have sent your positive thoughts, warm wishes and prayers out to Nova this last week, and to all those that submitted a link and participated this week too. It's been hectic getting this post together, but it meant a lot to me to be able to make this post feeling so loved and supported by such a wonderful community (online and off) here in North Carolina (not to downplay my friends from other places by any means!). Carolinians are a special breed of human beings.

PS: We need volunteers to host future Taverns, so please contact Bora at Coturnix1(at)aol(dot)com or myself at erin(at)poeticacceptance(dot)com if you'd like to host and we'll get you added to the list of future hosts. And don't hesitate to promote our carnival by linking to it and referring other Carolinians to the sign up list if you think they'd be interested in being part of our wonderful circle!

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