small portion a little taste of poetry LUIS ALEXANDRE RIBEIRO BRANCO TRUTH AND PRACTICE
Copyright Copyright 2014 Luis Alexandre Ribeiro Branco All rights reserved. No part of this book or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author. Publisher: Truth and Practice Edition Author: Luis Alexandre Ribeiro Branco Thank you to my friend Andrea Cavalcante Barreto for her help with some of the revision. Lisbon, February 2014 wwww.truthandpractice.wordpress.com Email: contato@verdadenapratica.com Poetry Philosophy i
Introduction What are the meaning and purposes of the Truth and Practice? The meaning of the Truth and Practice is to assist in what is true in all areas of life in society. The primary purpose of the Truth and Practice is to do biblical apologetics, through texts related to everyday life comparing and judging all things by the worldview of the Holy Bible. The second purpose is to develop and publish poetry and prose of spiritual nature or which express the beauty of nature and of the beings created by God. The third purpose is tantamount to reflect, discuss, write and promote a philosophical humanist perspective characterized by the idea that man only finds its true essence in the knowledge of God. The fourth purpose is to denounce all forms of injustice in political and social oppression of the humanity created by God, understanding that we are "heralds of the Eternal God" and therefore we cannot remain silent in the face of iniquity. It's not only about poetry but a bigger attempt to make a difference in a Portuguese speaking society. You can learn more about the Truth and Practice through the blog wwww.truthandpractice.wordpress.com ii
Dedication I dedicate this book to my two beautiful daughters Micaela and Alexandra, the apple of my eyes. iii
Presentation My desire is that you let the words of this little book take you to lands never visited and to feelings which you never felt. iv
Author Who am I? In fact, I don't know who I am! Some times a poet, a theologian or a philosopher, but most of the time I'm the one who goes by and nobody sees. Luis Ribeiro Alexander Branco, was born in the city of Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil. He is married, a father, a poet and a clergyman. He holds a Degree in Biblical Studies and Theology, a Master Degree in Church Administration and Leadership, a Doctor Degree in Ministry (hc) and is actually pursuing a Doctorate in Philosophy, he is a member of the Society of Christian Philosophers, and affiliated to the Mission Mission Board of the National Baptist Convention, having served in several countries gave to him the privilege of a major cross-cultural experience. His theology is reformed, as a poet he has a melancholy style. He is a humanist characterised by the idea that man finds his true essence in the knowledge of God. He work is comprised of serving as a resident pastor, a scholar in seminary and writing articles and books on several subjects. He lives in Lisbon with my family and have published books on spirituality, theology, philosophy and poetry. v
Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. Macus Aurelius 6
1 The Woman s Face Your face expresses a simple majesty, Your look is that of a captive princess, Your lips have a slight smile and This shows your glory of being a woman. A mysterious woman lives within you, A connoisseur of the secrets of the woman's life shines in your face, A sweet and strong woman, independent and yet weak, A mystical and desirable woman. I see in you the appetite of men, I see in you the beauty of a black rose, I see in you unknown mysteries, I see in you a woman and her secret. 7
2 Lovely Daisy Daisy, a simple and humble flower, A flower without glamour. Daisy is what it is, It is the flower of the 'loves-me loves-me-not'. It is the flower that teaches us from our childhood that love holds these things: Retains and abandons, stays and leaves, Simplicity and humility, Daisy is exactly what it is, and faces whatever it comes. Daisy, simple and discreet flower, That earned the heart of this poet. The important thing in life is to be, For thou art the flower that just makes my day more colorful. Daisy of my 'loves-me'. And forever! 8
3 The Brook High and wild waves, Beating mercilessly against the rocky walls. With my heart and my restless mind Looking jealously to the rage and persistence of the waters, That violently plunked all obstacles which arose ahead of it. Beside that I saw a small stream that flowed softly in this stormy sea. Quiet and serene, its clear waters traversed rocks, won the fury of the waves and mingled its sweet and calm waters with the salty and raging waters of the sea. I was overcome by the simplicity of the brook and abandoned my envy and desire for bravery, and simply prayed: Lord, give me the quietness of the waters of this little brook and like it I will amalgamate myself in thee! 9
4 Loneliness Loneliness why do you accompany me if I wish to be alone? Loneliness why do you insist on reminding myself that I was forgotten by everyone? Loneliness why do you surround me and isolate me in the midst of the crowd? Loneliness why do you fill my heart with emptiness? Loneliness why should I insist on being loved, if you say all the time that no one loves me? Loneliness why do you close my ears, and I say that I should be listening to the song? Loneliness why do you cover my eyes and then ask me to read the poem? Loneliness why do you hold my arms, and want me to embrace my neighbor? Loneliness why do you accelerate my steps in one direction while you want me to go to the other side? 10
Loneliness why do you make me weak and want me to be strong? Loneliness why do you close my heart within and then want me to open it from outside? Loneliness when are you leaving? Loneliness why do you make me weak and want me to be strong? Loneliness why do you close my heart within and then want me to open it from outside? Loneliness when are you leaving? 11
5 Measurer Of Love Little, It is a small measure But can you measure love? Can you measure how much you're mine or not? If you are mine, much or little, what matters? In this little, you're mine. And for me it is all that I have, And being all that I have, It is priceless! 12
6 My Therapeutic Walk While making up my daily therapeutic walk I recollected my time in India when walking I would always find some holy man, the sadhus. Holy or not, I cannot say, but at least for the sadhus and other 1.3 billion people they are saints. My longing was in fact for their smile, their humble countenance, their simple dress, their dusty feet, and that deep, penetrating and compassionate eyes. Perhaps as a Christian, call them holy would hurt at some point in my theological consciousness. But an important part of my being human misses that deep and compassionate eyes. Here, sitting on a European terrace, sipping a sinful sangria with ice and cinnamon, I find myself surrounded by clean and well dressed people and for their much speaking one can realize that they are not saints, and they are as if they had no eyes. A sinner 13
7 Shredded Paper I feel like shredded paper thrown to the wind, each poet took a piece of me and wrote a word or phrase, and as I read them, I keep finding myself putting my life together slowly. 14
8 My Journey I m on a long journey around and through myself, All that I can see is open Ocean and turbid waters. Not being a man used to long journeys through the Sea, I ve all kinds of fears. I fear of the waters and the winds, I fear of the endless days passing by, I fear of that if the structure of this little boat will not be strong enough for these brave waves, I fear for my life, and for those in the boat with me, I fear for the ones I left at the shore. 15
Not being a man used to unplanned events, I feel angry. I m angry for finding myself in this boat without remembering how I got in here, I m angry because this journey is taking me away from my responsibility, I m angry for not having my family with me, I m angry for being exposed in all my fears and security, I m angry because I cannot communicate with anyone clearly and let them know my state, Not being costumed to all that, I feel anxious. I feel anxious because I long so much for the end of this journey, I feel anxious because I am not sure that I will survive, I feel anxious because I don t really know how much damage I have caused to others with my absence. I feel anxious because of the danger around. I feel anxious due of the emptiness which I have in me. I look to the rudder and the captain seats calm and serene, He is not looking at me and perhaps have no idea of all I am facing sitting back here, or Perhaps I m just one of the many thousands he had to take on journeys like this and know so well my situation and so that he simply doesn't need to look at me but concentrate in his job as the captain of this little boat. He has two helpers, humans or angels I can t say. They come here with their sweet voices that calm my heart of all my fear, anger and anxiety. They go to the captain and return to me to assure that the shore is approaching. I m on a long journey around and through myself, All that I can see is an open Ocean and turbid waters, Nonetheless I can be smiling, because the shore is approaching. 16
9 My Poetry The insults make me spiritually sick, the flowers I just appreciate them alive and on the ground, appreciation I give without expecting anything in return for it and wealth I do not have to give. My poetry is the highest valuable thing I have to make you smile, and it is my homely way of surrounding myself to you in body and soul. 17
10 Where Poetry Is Born Poetry is born of a lack of love, born of a crazy and impossible passion, poetry is born of the attempt to describe the indescribable, born to try to pronounce the ineffable, poetry is born in the sudden encounter with love, born of continued pain of body and soul, poetry is born of simplicity of a flower we find on the road or the charming smile of a child who shows us that life is stronger. Poetry is born of the wind and the wind spreads it all around providing light, hope and love to all who reads it. 18
11 Credits 1. The Woman's Face - A poem about the woman's beauty and value in creation. - Marble stature of Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix by Antonio Canova (1805 1808). 2. Lovely Daisy - A poem about the simplicity and beauty of life expressed through an ordinary flower. - An ordinary picture of a daisy flower. 3. The Brook - A poem about distress and peace. - The painting: The Black Brook By John Singer Sargent (1908). 4. Loneliness - The strife of the humankind with the loneliness. - Painting: Old Man with his Head in his Hands (At Eternity's Gate) by Vincent Van Gogh (1882). 5. Measurer of Love - Love cannot be measured or weighted. It is always love. - Painting: The Walk, Woman with a Parasol by Claude Monet (1875). 6. My Therapeutic Walk - A prose about the awareness of the world around us. - A picture of Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1929). 7. Shredded Paper - A poem about the searching for oneself. - The picture of Luis A R Branco. 19
8. My Journey - A personal struggle with anxiety and depression. - Painting by Henry Clifford of the HMS Agamemnon (1858). 9. My Poetry - A statement of why the poet writes. - An ordinary puncture on a pen. 10. Where Poetry is Born - A short explanation that poetry can come from anywhere. - A picture taken by the author. This is a simple sample of the book we want to suggest you: My Simple Verses" for sale at Amazon: 20