Between Heaven and Hell, X
Thanksgiving dawns
chilly with patches of fog
red states, blue states
and those in between
alone together, then alone ...
Added: Between Heaven and Hell, XI
Ritual of This Post-Election Thanksgiving
roast turkey
pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes ...
half eaten, half spoken
Trump news on mute
Thanksgiving night full of
food and things unsaid
among us
only our outstretched dog
TV's dim light
FYI: Miami Herald, Opinion, Nov. 23: This post-election Thanksgiving, we all have the power to soften our hardened hearts
As we gather for Thanksgiving, the Biden-Trump handshake provides food for thought. During the holidays, we hope that gratitude, forgiveness, hospitality and love can work wonders. We don’t have to hate each other. We are not bound to return tit-for-tat. Human beings are free and creative. We can choose to forgive, to forget and to turn a new leaf...
There is an important difference between ritualized civility and a deeper spirit of sincere gratitude and generosity. One could, after all, give thanks mechanically or as a matter of courtesy without actually feeling grateful. The deeper spirit of gracious generosity is not a ritualized performance. Rather, it is a way of being.
But the rituals of civil society are important. Symbolic gestures like handshakes are powerful, and virtues are developed through practice.
A student of Confucius once asked the master how to learn to be good. Confucius replied, “Overcome yourself and return to ritual.” We learn to be good by setting aside our egos and playing along with the customs of civilized life, even when we don’t want to.
