M. A. Foster

“1 Deep black the night when the lightning flashed, Which showed the foaming crests and spray flung high; Sheer walls of water rearing to the sky As waves on waves against each other crashed. No rest, the struggle raging As when a war is waging, The sea against itself – against its will; When suddenly a gentle Voice was heard, Fraught with Compassion came the needful word: ‘Peace!’ Then the storm was stayed and all was still. 2 Tossed this way and that, a soul in torment, Thoughts recurring o’er and o’er again, Long wakeful nights and days of mental strain, Love strove with hate and jealousy till spent. No rest, the struggle raging As when a war is waging, A man against himself – against his will. He took his life for lack of friendly hand, For want of one to say: ‘I understand.’ This time no peace was there, though all was still. —Michael Dillon”
― Michael/Lobzang Dillon/Jivaka, Out of the Ordinary

“The reality is that there's no such thing as political correctness; it's a rhetorical device to depersonalize oppression. Being cognizant of and careful with historic trauma of others is what "political correctness" means. It means that the powerful should never attack the disempowered--not because it "offends" them or hurts their "feelings" but because it perpetuates toxic, oppressive systems.”
― Lindy West, The Witches Are Coming

“Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack, a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.”
― Leonard Cohen

“1 Deep black the night when the lightning flashed, Which showed the foaming crests and spray flung high; Sheer walls of water rearing to the sky As waves on waves against each other crashed. No rest, the struggle raging As when a war is waging, The sea against itself – against its will; When suddenly a gentle Voice was heard, Fraught with Compassion came the needful word: ‘Peace!’ Then the storm was stayed and all was still. 2 Tossed this way and that, a soul in torment, Thoughts recurring o’er and o’er again, Long wakeful nights and days of mental strain, Love strove with hate and jealousy till spent. No rest, the struggle raging As when a war is waging, A man against himself – against his will. He took his life for lack of friendly hand, For want of one to say: ‘I understand.’ This time no peace was there, though all was still. —Michael Dillon Author’s Introduction If men and women had a Right Sense of Values there would never have been any need for this book to have been written and published – but then if the world had a Right Sense of Values it would not be in the mess it is today.”
― Michael/Lobzang Dillon/Jivaka, Out of the Ordinary