Via Basel: Musings and Megaphones

Art by Ben Tolman

I sit down,

The mind empty and full,

The body calm and restless,

The soul heavy and light.

Perpetual motion in solid presence.

I dwell in the moment,

The present moment.

A most precious and wonderful one,

Yet fleeting, to be replaced

Perpetually by another and another..

Can this go on and on?

Forever, I mean.

Or must

It all come to 

An abrupt halt. 

I don’t have the answer,

Not today.

I get up,

And walk away.

The phone pings, 

A news alert

No, not again!

Not a shooting, but a supreme decision.

Now, I do have answers,

And opinions too.

A country where gun rights are more sacred than women’s, and votes don’t count when you lose: a time when facts, truth, and democracy are under assault is a harsh, desolate and cruel place and time to be in. Let us not pretend this just happened. This civil conflict has been raging on for decades, even centuries, and most of us, the majority, I mean, have been complacent, weak, apathetic, stupid, or all of the above. Without a massive grass root citizens movement, a youth uprising, and an unbelievable voter education, registration, and showing-up campaign, the future of our rights and health are in great jeopardy. This call to action from this small megaphone is only one way I will be fighting. I will not stop. Be alert for future bulletins.

Basel Al-Aswad, father of EIL founder Christopher Al-Aswad, is a yogi trapped in an Orthopedic Surgeon’s body. His loves in life include reading, writing, hiking, enjoying nature, meditation, and spending time with his large Iraqi family, and now, semi-retired, he is exploring new avenues in medicine, education, public speaking, and social engagement.