Revenant is He who Awakens to the Truth.©

re_select_1.00000874 Leonardo DiCaprio stars in THE REVENANT, an immersive and visceral cinematic experience capturing one manÕs epic adventure of survival and the extraordinary power of the human spirit. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox. Copyright © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. THE REVENANT Motion Picture Copyright © 2015 Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication.

The movie, The Revenant takes a raw aim at the human nature and dissect it to the bone. I haven’t seen anything quite like it. First I was shocked by the brutality and the rawness of it all; yet I kept watching. Then it hit me and jolted my soul…the realization of the human nature with all its facades vs. Nature itself. Awakening!

All was tangible and real right in front of my eyes. The virginity of the snow, the harsh yet serene winter, the remoteness of the place, and the shabby print of the white man’s presence on it …bringing greed, weapons, destruction, diversion and hate.

It cuts deeper into the human nature layer by layer. You see it raw, crude, and as natural as it was when man was first created. Love between husband and wife, father and son, family, tribe, and friendship. Loyalty and comradeship vs. betrayal that cuts deeper and hurt longer than the marring of a giant grizzly. Faith when it purifies the soul and heal the wounds as portrayed by the native man (Hikuc)’s dealing with the loss of his family:

“Hikuc: My heart bleeds. But revenge is in the creator’s hands”;

On the other hand, when egoism and arrogance hijack Faith and turns it into extremism  as portrayed by the character Fitzgerald.

Then racism, white-man-supremacy with its power, discrimination, greed, stealing lands and conquering people. The movie is an experience, a revelation that transforms the viewer and force him to look face to face deep within.

My intention is not to write about the movie, but to share a synopsis about the feelings that it may stir in you, it’s so powerful, it compels us to reflect and think. Revenant, may will be, all of us who are awakened to the truth.

©Gainperspectiveblog

This photo provided by courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox shows, Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, in a scene from the film, “The Revenant,” directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. The 73rd annual Golden Globe nominations in film and television categories will be announced Thursday morning, Dec. 10, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox via AP)

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Falling Men and Cosmic Dust©

It this world that we live in with all its chaotic disorder, we may feel anxious and have difficulty apprehend a future that is prosperous or safe.  The atrocious massacre of civilians in Aleppo, terrorism, racism and nationalism that seems to be on the rise world wide-all are sore bleeding wounds that shatters our sense of equilibrium and threatens our sense of humanity.

The following words came to my mind:

Have you seen the dark shadow?

Numerous reports confirmed,

All over the globe, of a hollow

Dark smoky mass discerned

To be increasing in size and

Weight on the human chest

Upon encounter.  Sadness,

Sorrow feelings that grow

Within, whenever this object

Flow upon the horizon.

It continues to cause destruction,

Chaos, and despair.  It is in the air,

Polluting our water, deforming our

Spirit, crushing our soul…within and

Wherever it landed.  Piercing shrieks

Are heard precede its arrival spreading

Terror. Humans are forced to their knees,

Covering their ears, void of humanity.

Everyone run for dear life, void of intellect

Or rational thinking.  Hearing no logic,

Listening not to reason.  Feet crushing bodies

As they run away blinded by fear and darkness-

Scattering in horror like wild beasts.

Nations upon nations have succumbed

To defeat-no survivals.  Except those

Who flee, leaving behind memories of

Happiness destroyed & crumbled.

Masses have tried to assemble with candles,

Courageous hearts, extended hands, and hope to

Defeat this Dark Hollow Shadow.  Their light

Was not strong enough, their hearts were not courageous

Enough,their hands were trembling, and the hope was crushed.

Years and years went by, and the darkness increased and persisted.

Down beneath the ashes, a flicker of light had survived.

A child, an innocent being, not yet corrupted by the Darkness-noticed

It and removed the ashes.  Many hearts, souls, and hands were extended

Towards it.  As one man, they all moved towards the light to protect it.

They tended to it with unity and love until it grew and grew to resemble the hope

That was crushed long ago.  Together they hold the light up towards darkness,  Guided and strong they marched.

Their cheers shook the land, their words echoed throughout the globe:

“Divided no more, divided we have fallen and fallen.  United

Now and always, we stand.”

©Gainperspectiveblog12/29/2016

It’s Time for Peace©

It’s time for peace

It is time! I hear the call

From all corners of the globe.

I saw them breaking the wall

In Berlin. I hear peace chanting far East

In Tienanmen Square …over there

Rolling through the green hills

Of China over India and Afghanistan.

South the equator, brothers in new

South Africa, united under one nation.

Echoed in Tahrir Square in Egypt

Time square NY, Champs-Elysee Paris-

Everywhere good people getting together, in the face of evil

In the face of war.  Behold, I see the white dove

Spreading out her wings, searching for that

Green olive branch to land-weary and sad.

People are holding up their hands

Together, everybody chanting, all of them saying:

No more hate, no more discrimination.

Our Earth is aching and bleeding

Pleading for her children-Calling for

Peace. Peace. Peace for all.

©Gainperspectiveblog7/15/2016

The Songs Of Peace©

What happened to lessons learned

From Vietnam?  From Wars Slogans-

What have we gained?  Shipping Our

Youth again… marching down a jet’s belly,

Or sending them crammed somewhere

Across the sea to a destination abroad.

Why awaken the scary Balrog with

His breath of fire and his whips of flame?

Another war machine hungry to conquer,

Thirsty for blood, creating havoc, howling

With guns- seeking power, seeking fame.

Heavy smoke and grey clouds are spreading

Through the land.  Fear mongers yelling and

Shouting crying wolf, when will we learn to

Hear the lies?  Security, prosperity, sovereignty

Are the products of peace not war. When will we

Understand?  Some their children followed the pipers-

To green fields with rows upon rows of white graves.

How many more beloved sons and daughters must we

Pay with their lives?  When will we ever figure out the game?

Echos are heard now from the valleys, from the rolling

Green hills, from dwellers rushing rising with

The sun, on the highways to earn their living-

The echo of their song: Let us live in peace, live and let live , they’re singing,

We can hear the lies, no more wars, no more death.

They are singing: Let the sunshine in.  Let the sunshine in.

©Gainperspectiveblog4/25/2016

Fair As The Sun©

I look up at the sun

Rising up everyday

In spite of long nights

Cold winters, dark and grey.

Our lovely sun

Spreading light and warmth

To everyone East, West,

South, and North

Without discrimination.

I looked up at the sun

And all I saw was brightness

Clear, and true. I had a revelation.

I looked  down and around

Right and left..far and wide…

Shocked at what I saw:

Poverty, wars, killing…madness.

Injustice & inequality filled the land

Few had a lot, filled with gluttony

Greed and pride. whips in their hand

Chains of all kinds.

I saw some white, some yellow

Some brown and some black.

I closed my eyes and wished

That I was color blind.

I looked back up at the sun

And was filled with inspiration.

I had a dream, I knew that

A lot has to be done.

Unity, togetherness, and determination.

That soon fairness, Equality,

And Justice will rule the nation.

©Gainperspectiveblog

 

The Sweet Promise©

What do you see?

When you see a tree sheds its leaves?

Do you see it weep silently shedding tears?

Do you think it knows that there will be

A new spring yet to come?

There will be a new dress for it to wear?

Or, in despair, it stays paralyzed by fear

Naked and sad beyond repair?

Can you think of life

When death is so fresh anew?

Is giving birth in the coming spring

A possibility easy to fathom

When life is lost and lost and lost again?

With every whim of fleeting wind

In the season of death where ever you go,

Life is clinging to its roots,

Then blown away every time a wind detonates;

Leaving behind a weeping figure

Extending forward its boughs pleading

With the mysterious force for it to spare

Taking away the very life that it has

That it adores and cherish as its own

Possession and beauty.

Till the end, so vibrant and multi-hued,

Pleading and pleading forever more,

But to no avail.

The ruthless force, the heartless wind

Still goes on with its destruction

Scattering corpses all around

Randomly.

And, then, the tree

Clinging to a will unknown,

Digging it up from deep within its roots,

Holding up its figure waiting,

Proudly waiting for a sweet promise

of life again, for giving again, forgiving gracefully,

Dreaming for the awaiting warmth, kindling

A spirit of hope beyond the death shroud of winter.

10-30-2006

©Gainperspectiveblog

Humanity©

Humanity is

What makes

A man Human

Not beast.

A man deformed

Is a man without

Humanity.

 

Humanity is a collective

Concept that unites

People not divide.

A common ground

For all our children

To grow safe and

For all societies

To flourish & thrive.

 

Humanity is the dream

The present, the past.

It is the drive

For compassion to bring

Us together, reach out

For each other to live

Continue living and survive.

©Gainperspectiveblog

Blood on Snow…Syria’s Harsh Winter©

When humanity covers itself up in winter, shielding itself while turning away from those who suffer unimaginable deprivation, starvation, and death…some of us have to tell the story lest we forget!

Syrians- innocent civilians in Dara’a, Zabadani, and Madaya- have been under siege for months and months now.  No food or goods have been allowed to this area and its people for months upon months.. until a whole population suffered, and continue to suffer, from starvation. Reports reveal the awful reality: how they started eating from garbage piles, forced to eat even cats and dogs as they witnessed their children dying in front of their eyes, screaming and wailing from hunger and pain.  Hospitals became emptied of equipment, tools, and medicine.  Shops closed because of empty shelves and depleted inventories.

Then, as if starving the people to death is not enough, the Syrian regime (along with Russian jet bombers) started dropping bombs on top of the already dying people.

Then came the snow, but, in spite of all its whiteness and purity … it could not cleanse the harshness of the brutality of war and famine.  The Russians and the Syrian Regime kept sending their bombs in spite of the snow… the pure white snow, mingled with the blood of innocents, became a violent reminder of the daily atrocities as it coated the roads and alleys.  Shocking and very disturbing seeing snow mixed with the red blood! It is said that nature is harsh, but seeing the crime that man commits against his fellow man tells of brutality and harshness of an unprecedented scale.  Women, children, and the elderly continue to suffer from starvation while undergoing the agony of leaving their own homes and living in exile under a tent (if they were lucky enough to find a tent) amid the misery of the cold and the devastation and destruction of war.

How can humanity allow this to happen??  Some hearts are truly harder than rocks and stones.

“Thenceforth were your hearts hardened: They became like a rock and even worse in hardness. For among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth; others there are which when split asunder send forth water; and others which sink for fear of God. And God is not unmindful of what ye do.” Quran 2:72

©Gainperspectiveblog