He Ain't Heavy, He's MY Brother (reposted story poem)

 You know, I often write about relationships, dialogue, and the importance of feminine aspects and energy. My poems are all about goddesses as archetypes and guiding voices and forces against patriarchy.  But there is a special quality that families and life also have on the male side of things.

Brothers have a very powerful supportive influence within a family that can last into adulthood and throughout our lives. And that's the way it is between my brothers and I. I have a lot of fond memories in my family, and I am the youngest of three brothers. Last evening, my middle brother passed away. I love him so, and he has meant so much to me throughout my life...

Prayers would be appreciated as we mourn his passing.

Some years back I wrote a poem on this blog about my brother Dave....  and here it is,,, Dave...rest in peace and God be with you! ~~~Namaste--my brother

Little David and the Dancing Monkey

by Tim Kavi

when across the eddying

spheres of time

there is an existence in

a moment

between young and old

is it the generations

talking?

or just me myself

longing for something I knew

or making sense of what

I am taught

the clever young minstrel did sing

and dance

doing battles for the great

and good

on a journey to the West

Are you me?

The minstrel asked.

No, I am Sun Wukong.

I use my skills

like this...swoosh swoosh

swoosh!

I see! Said the minstrel

preparing his stringed

instrument

I am named after you, though

I am your nephew

Little David

Uncle David smiled

chuckled

and said: You were dancing

quite a bit

let me sing you a song

while you rest

Oh? You play the guitar!

My father told me

Oh, what a treat!

It is my own Journey to the West

while my guitar gently weeps

playing notes of blest or blast

roaring like a stratocaster

but please be calmed

and like a David and his harp

soon the notes filled the air

with sweet sounds

of poetry flying there

the young Sun Wukong

could not stop himself

he danced and twirled

like some Dervishes

from another place

"I can tell you are a legend

You should never settle for less

hang on to the skirt of existence

such preciousness in Guan Yin

rises to meet you

and bless"

Uncle David did sing!

while the prettiest sounds

that little boy

ever heard

the Fender did bring

and when the song ended

the little dancer

that Monkey King

had tears in his eyes

Oh Uncle David!

You sing so nice.

Thank you so much!

Uncle David smiled

No problem, he said

at that moment

Little David's father

entered the room

Father! Father!

Uncle David sang me a song

and played his guitar

You were right!

Yes son, life is great

art and love

and family and truth

are all around us

to Uncle, father said

Thank you!

It's great to see you!

Uncle David smiled

Father said

Little David's mother

had prepared

an evening meal

a supper for a dancing monkey

a skilled minstrel

a poet father

two brothers

and a clever child

Father??

Yes son?

After supper

may I show Uncle David

my moves

with my monkey stick?

Yes son,

but please be careful

you can put an eye out

with that thing!

everyone laughed.

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More About Goddesses: Eirene, the Greek Personification of Peace and Harmonious Renewal (New Column)

 More About Goddesses: Eirene, the Greek Personification of Peace and Harmonious Renewal by Tim Kavi

Among the deities of the Greek pantheon, few offered a vision as essential, restorative, and forward-looking as the goddess Eirene. Revered as the personification of peace and the spirit of the spring, Eirene occupied a vital role in Greek consciousness, particularly in the aftermath of conflict. More than merely an absence of war, she embodied the ideals of societal stability, prosperity, and the harmonious flourishing of life. Through her history, symbolism, and enduring archetypal meaning, Eirene offers timeless instruction about the nature of order, the necessity of growth, and the transformative power of tranquility.

Eirene’s origins are rooted in the cosmic order, as one of the Horae—the goddesses of the seasons and natural cycles—born to Zeus and the Titaness Themis, the embodiment of divine law and justice. Her lineage is significant; she did not exist in a vacuum but was the natural fruit of law and governance. Unlike many of the more tempestuous Olympians, Eirene was a steadying force, often associated with the burgeoning potential of spring. To the Greeks, she was the inevitable result of justice properly applied, the serene manifestation of a world aligned with its natural purpose.

Mythologically, Eirene is best known for her iconic depictions in art, most famously in the sculpture by Cephisodotus the Elder. She is portrayed as a graceful woman holding the child Plutus, the god of wealth. This pairing is profound: it asserts that true prosperity is not the product of conquest or accumulation, but the direct child of peace. In the Athenian imagination, her influence was not passive; after a significant naval victory over Sparta, the city established an official state cult in her honor, complete with altars and sacrifices. This was a sophisticated recognition that peace is a fragile, divine gift that must be actively nurtured and invited back into the city-state.

Eirene’s significance lies in her function as a bridge between the divine and the human. She represents the "golden age" potential of society, where agricultural abundance, intellectual achievement, and social harmony can coexist. While other gods oversaw the mechanics of war, the harvest, or the hearth, Eirene presided over the conditions that allowed all other aspects of life to thrive. She was the environment in which civilization could breathe.

As an archetype, Eirene represents the capacity for reconciliation and the commitment to renewal. She teaches that peace is not merely the cessation of hostilities, but an active state of being that requires the maintenance of equilibrium. She is the quiet voice that insists on dialogue over destruction and the wisdom to recognize that wealth and stability are unsustainable without the foundation of harmony. Eirene does not demand; she invites us to cultivate the soil of our lives so that prosperity—represented by her ward, Plutus—can flourish.

Psychologically and spiritually, Eirene instructs us about the importance of internal alignment. She embodies the stillness required to resolve inner conflicts and the patience needed to allow growth to occur. Her presence reminds us that tension is often a symptom of imbalance, and that restoring order—to our relationships, our communities, or our own minds—is the most productive path forward. While her myths do not feature the dramatic clashes of her siblings, their absence is her strength; she demonstrates that the most powerful force in the universe is the one that allows life to continue, bloom, and prosper.

In the modern world, Eirene endures as a vital archetype of sustainable progress and collective well-being. She reminds us that security is not found in dominance, that prosperity is hollow without peace, and that the seeds of the future are sown in the quiet moments of harmony. As the Greek goddess of peace, Eirene stands not merely as a relic of antiquity, but as a necessary guiding principle for any age, reminding us that tranquility is the ultimate sign of a society—and a soul—in true alignment.