December, 2015
The countdown
POSTED IN contemporary poetry, Stories December 31, 2015
The countdown
The last morning of this year. While the rest of the “crowd” still sleeps (holidays!), I enjoy my solitude watching the trees shivering naked in the wind. The soft and cozy armchair comforts me in the kitchen, the only place of the house that allows me to make noise, lit candles and smile to my thoughts, still protecting the early morning sleep of my dear ones.
The trees are watching me back. Another year was measured by their leaves. Silence and darkness, only the wind trying to impress a snowless last day of this year. Around ten o’clock a.m. the night will go to sleep and the daylight will shine upon us for a few hours. The Northern hemisphere is not quite heaven in winter, especially for someone like me, born in the sunlight.
What is the protocol for the last day of the year? Is there any? Every year I feel the same restless “thing” that I must do something to mark the end of another segment of my life and every year I feel like I did nothing. Yes, I prepare food, drinks, the festive atmosphere. Yes, I write my feelings, thoughts in a diary to remember. And yet I am not satisfied. Something is missing. When someone dies, there are funerals to attend, to honor their passing. When a year dies what shall be done?
When I was a child my parents used “to shoot” the old year, open the windows wide at midnight for the new born year to enter the house and bring new good luck. I believed in what they did. I still do. Somehow the symbol of their tradition lost its roots here, in my country of adoption: new land, new meanings, old nostalgia.
So, apparently nothing could satisfy my need to mark the death of the 365th day of the year 2015. The TV is annoying, same old words, faces, tricks.
People outside seem to prepare themselves for the same old fights: shopping, dressing, camouflaging their faces for the parties.
Make up to cover up the wrinkles, the worries, the disappointments, the sadness, the loneliness, the compromising, the cheating, the faking, the boredom…
Only the true happiness needs no mask at all.
They seem ready for the countdown at midnight and for screaming “Happy New Year 2015”, wishing secretly or loud to be kissed by somebody (and to remember nothing or to regrette everything by the morning of January the 1st) while the champagne pours everywhere.
Cliché. The most cliché of all the clichés.
I would like to enter a monastery at midnight and thank Life for another year. Yes, that would make me happy. To light a candle and give thanks for those who are still alive in my life, those who are alive in the war, those who escape war and become free people, those who escape illness, children who really get help in the starving part of the world. To pray for those who lead countries and continents to be wiser and more honest, more human, less selfish, less greedy. To pray for the helpless, the blind, the deaf, the powerful, the killer, the preachers, the seekers of true light. To pray for peace on Earth.
But, I don’t need a monastery to do all of these. I can do it reasonably well here, in my kitchen, my humble sanctuary.
So, today, this morning of the 31th of December 2015, before daylight, I pray for one more year, I thank for all the years, I join hands with my naked trees and I kiss the old heaven, each cloud, each shivering star, each wounded branch, each bird, for the dying year.
Then I light up the new born stars, a blue moon, I paint some smoking chimneys on the old houses, a Christmas Tree for every child, an open window for the new year waiting to be born.
Then all my past years, dead and buried in my heart will know that I grew up with them, they taught me life, they taught me well…
Well, sleepy voices tell me that my fortress of solitude will be invaded by smiling sleepy faces soon.
Happy New Year 2016, my beloved Life!
Maria Magdalena Biela
Christmas Bells
POSTED IN classic poetry December 25, 2015
Christmas Bells
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Joulurauhan julistus/ The Proclamation of Christmas peace
POSTED IN contemporary poetry, Stories December 24, 2015
Joulurauhan julistus / The proclamation of Christmas peaceFor sure everywhere in this world people are wishing for peace, for kindness, for good will especially in Christmas time. But the only country I know which really preserved the tradition of “proclaiming the Christmas peace” publically in Christmas Eve, is Finland.
Finnish people have a deep and true respect for Christmas.
Since I’ve been living here, in this northern space, I came to the understanding that there are a few things which entered deeply my heart and have been keeping me believe in the miracle of mankind on Earth.
One of these wonderful things is “Joulurauhan julistus”, “The proclamation of Christmas peace” which happens every year, on 24th of December, 12.00 sharp, in the city of Turku.
The history of this tradition goes back in time, to the year 1200, when it happened for the first time. The version of then has been improved by the year 1886, when the punishment for breaking the Christmas peace became stronger.
On Christmas Eve, the house is clean, the Christmas Tree is filled with candles and the star is shining, and families gather around the table for the traditional Christmas meal. But, at 12.00 the TV is on and every family, all over Finland, becomes part of the crowd waiting in Turku, in front of the Brinkkala Mansion balcony, for the Proclamation of Christmas peace.
After that, Christmas time officially starts, people are celebrating in their ways, knowing that nobody is allowed to harm anybody all these sacred days.
Prior to 1886, Christmas peace was proclaimed from the doors and windows of the town hall, as the old saying went. The wooden balcony became known as the Christmas peace balcony and Finns living in Turku are faithful to their tradition.
Every year, at 12.00 , on Christmas Eve, Turku becomes the ” Christmas city” for all Finnish people.
After the chimes of Turku cathedral’s noon-day bell rang out across the square and following a ceremonial fanfare, one man formally reads the Declaration of peace from the balcony of Brinkkala House in Finnish and Swedish.“Huomenna, jos Jumala suo,
on meidän Herramme ja Vapahtajamme armorikas syntymäjuhla;
ja julistetaan siis täten yleinen joulurauha kehoittamalla
kaikkia tätä juhlaa asiaankuuluvalla hartaudella viettämään
sekä muutoin hiljaisesti ja rauhallisesti käyttäytymään,
sillä se, joka tämän rauhan rikkoo ja joulujuhlaa jollakin
laittomalla taikka sopimattomalla käytöksellä häiritsee,
on raskauttavien asianhaarain vallitessa syypää siihen
rangaistukseen, jonka laki ja asetukset kustakin rikoksesta
ja rikkomuksesta erikseen säätävät. Lopuksi toivotetaan kaupungin
kaikille asukkaille riemullista joulujuhlaa.”“I morgon, vill Gud,
infaller vår Herres och Frälsares nåderika födelsefest;
och varder förty härigenom en allmän julfred kungjord och påbjuden,
med åtvarning till envar att denna högtid med tillbörlig andakt fira,
och i övrigt iakttaga ett stilla och fridsamt uppförande,
emedan den, som häremot bryter samt julhögtiden
genom något olagligt eller otillbörligt förfarande oskärar,
gör sig under försvårande omständigheter förfallen till det straff,
lag och författningar för varje brott och överträdelse särskilt påbjuda.
Slutligen tillönskas stadens samtliga invånare en fröjdefull julhelg.”The Declaration of Christmas Peace in Turku Christmas City of Finland
“Tomorrow, God willing,
is the graceful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour; and thus is declared a peaceful Christmas time to all, by advising devotion and to behave otherwise quietly and peacefully, because he who breaks this peace and violates the peace of Christmas by any illegal or improper behaviour shall under aggravating circumstances be guilty and punished according to what the law and statutes prescribe for each and every offence separately.”Kiitos Suomi!
Thank you, Finland, for keeping alive one place for peace, for goodness, for Santa Claus, for all people !
Hyvää ja rauhallista Joulua, Suomi! Merry Christmas to all!
Maria Magdalena Biela
S.O.S. Santa Claus!
POSTED IN contemporary poetry, Stories December 24, 2015
S. O. S. Santa Claus!Ever since we were children we have been waiting for Santa Claus to arrive on Christmas Eve and give us something which usually was our deepest wish. Growing up we have learned that Christmas is all about peace on earth, good will to mankind, light in our hearts. The road from the child waiting for Santa to the adult waiting for his children to smile in Santa’s arms is paved with memories, patience, experience and most of all the desire to keep alive the spirit of Christmas.
I was the child waiting for Santa, like I was waiting for my best friend. Now I am the adult who wants to help Santa be healthy and happy. But the time has changed and Santa gets slowly scared, tired during Christmas.
People grew too busy, too impatient, too greedy and some of them slowly have forgotten what Christmas is really all about. Santa cannot change the calendar, to reverse the time. He is confused: nowadays Christmas starts already in October?
All the shops are filled with shiny christmassy advertisement, TV offers all sorts of Christmas sales. By November the cities dress their Christmas trees with lights and stars are shining everywhere. When December comes every city or village is hosting the famous “christmas market”, where people go to drink mulled wine, eat sausages and buy all kind of christmassy stuff.
One can see Santa’s confusion! The Christmas trees aren’t green anymore! No! Now they are either white, or dazzling colorful, or golden yellow, cubist, or surrealist (Salvador Dali would be more confused than Santa!) as if we render our Christmas for a competition of the most postmodernist view and not as it is supposed to be: traditional. The streets become more and more crowded with busy people, nervous, aggressive, pushy, searching for something which never seems to please them enough. The food is either too expensive or out of date. The presents they prepare are a “must” not a pleasure. The cards they MUST send are too many to be written: in other words everything is “too something”.
Out of all this charade named Christmas one thing disturbs Santa the most: the presents offered by people to people. Offering a present to someone should bring happiness in both hearts: the giver and the receiver. When one prepares a present, one must think of the person who will receive it: what do they like, what would make them happy? A present should say: “I know who you are, I know what you secretly want, I know your dreams, wishes and I’d like to try to offer you a smile”.
A present mustn’t be a “must”, a duty, a “he gave me and I have to give him back “, do ut des. A present should be a quintessence of the person who offers it and of the person who receives it. Not a bribe, not a must, not a “thing which I don’t need, so I can give it to somebody else and get rid of it and of the duty of offering a present”. Or even worse: a present should not become a competition of “who’s richer than who?”. Unfortunately, more and more Christmas time has become a time for expensive gifts which have an ulterior motive. The heart is no longer involved in the process.
So, bottom line: Santa is sad and confused. How can we help him?
I remember him when I was a child, and he came to my parents’ house. It was not a rich house but it was clean, warm, luminous, cosy, with a shy Christmas tree in a corner decorated with candles and angels and ornaments made by me and my brothers. Santa felt home in my house. He knew the road by heart, it was silent night, snowy starry night, every year. Maybe that silence and the snow-covered house where children were dreaming of him in Christmas Eve is one thing which could guide Santa through the noisy life of today. Bear with us, Santa, we will bring back the Christmas spirit and we will remember how to make a house be a home for you!
Maria Magdalena Biela
Happy Birthday, Romania!
POSTED IN Stories December 1, 2015
The autistic land (Sonnet)
I know you hear me, but you answer not.
I beg and scream: “Please, look into my eyes!”.
Yet, silently, you scratch unopened skies.
I wish I’d know your every hidden thought.
I try to hug you, but you pull away,
you clap your hands and rocking back and forth,
you feel your body as a magic cloth,
and I am crying like a wandered stray.
Your lakes are staring as if truly blind.
Your trees, confused, fight hard to stay unshaken.
Your land holds secrets of a greatest mind.
Your soul remembers fear to be forsaken.You are my country and I love you so.
Not ever, do not ever let me go.
Finland, 22.08.2014
Maria Magdalena Biela
