Beyond The Veil, A Devotional Meditation by Alan Ewing

Beyond The Veil

 a devotional meditation by Alan Ewing

On the first day I could not stop laughing
For I realised that laughter is good for the soul

On the second day I could not stop crying
For I realised that crying is good for the soul

On the third day I went into monastic retreat
I knew that I had walked with the destitute

On the fourth day I experienced all suffering
I knew that there had to be a way through

On the fifth day I found the meaning of love
I realised that love is behind all meaning

On the sixth day I knew both heaven and hell
I knew that I had been through all experience

On the seventh day I found salvation in peace
I had found the answer beyond the veil
 


 copyright dewysumoz2018

Dance Of Salome, a lyric written by Alan Ewing

DANCE OF SALOME

a lyric by Alan Ewing

I knew that you had it in for me

Your actions spoke louder than words

My total destruction for all to see

The worst prosecution ever heard

Dance the dance of Salome

Because you cannot wait

Dance the dance of Salome

To get my head on a plate

And so you danced the dance of hatred

Looking for your reward

On a platter that was gold-plated

It could only be the best of course

copyright dewysumoz2018

Real Girls, a lyric by Alan Ewing

 Real Girls

lyric by Alan Ewing

She was never your average
Computer simulation
Take you by the hand
Into a real situation

No typing of messages
Playing on words
Rather a tight grip
On the real world

Real Girls, yeah
They're so funny
Real girls, yeah
No need for money

Real Girls - take you by the hand
Real Girls - to the promised land
Real Girls - no more near misses
Real Girls - give real kisses

 copyright dewysumoz2018

Not Knockin' On Your Door, lyric by Alan Ewing

Not Knockin' On Your Door

lyric by Alan Ewing

Just when I though I had hope
Now all is not fair
Thought that i had found a dream
Only to turn into thin air

Not knockin' on your door
Accepting image no more
Not knockin' on your door

For my heart is torn

Life is a box of Cornflakes
All I wanted were Rice Krispies
Time to get out the Frosties
While you get out the lipsy


copyright dewysumoz2018

Impasse, a lyric by Alan Ewing

IMPASSE
A lyric by Alan Ewing


I've been on a trip within my mind
Got to get something from it
I've been somewhere kind of weird
I've been throwing myself into nothing

I became lost within the universe
Strange beings on a spiritual plain

All things went into reverse
Like a pop opera locked in chains

I don't want to lose free-style thinking
Shunning forms of conformity
To progress, not start shrinking
Experimentation is informality

Back and forth, moving on again
Tricks of the mind can play a strange game
Neurones in the brain fire what's been said
A nuance in a dance just the same

Working out the past, present and future
All time is within itself
We wander around in a kind of stupor
With colours of black and purple

https://alanewing.bandcamp.com/track/impasse

copyright dewysumoz2018

The Beano Annual 2018

THE BEANO ANNUAL 2018

A Christmas Present for 2017, from my daughter was The Beano Annual 2018, a childhood favourite of mine.  This being my first revisit to the comic since the days when It would bring light relief in my undergraduate/postgraduate days of studying English, Theology and Psychology.

It was fascinating to see how the publication has survived. First published in the UK in1938 by DC Thomson & Co, it has been a stalwart of fun for readers of all ages, as the annual's back cover states with over two billion copies sold.  Its survival as printed copy in the digital age is quite remarkable, given that its stablemate, The Dandy, is now an online publication only.

The survival formula has seen more focus on the more marketable characters within the covers. Deniis The Mennis dominates along with his dog Gnasher, while Dennis's Dad has been given a younger make-over to look more like his son.  Minnie The Minx, Rodger The Dodger, Billy Whizz and The Bash Street Kids freely interlink into each other's stories.

The variety days of Biffo The Bear, Lord Snooty, The 3 Bears, and Little Plum have been tapered down. General Jumbo though does get a reference. What The Beano has managed to do is merge its more popular characters into a modern setting without losing any of the comic's character. No small achievement and one which this particular reader celebrates.

Alan Ewing January 2018

Building A Yellow Submarine, Alan Ewing

Building A Yellow Submarine

For Christmas this year, I was gifted a Lego Yellow Submarine Kit by my daughter.  I opened the box to discover hundreds upon hundrds of tiny pieces alongside the slim building blocks. The challenge was intricate and immense. In my childhood, i was a Subbuteo Football Game fanatic; ready assembled and on the pitch you go. No Meccano kid me! So a major challenge lay before me.  A beautiful present; My daughter. My four best friends and the music that has informed me in every experience of existence. A work of love ensued.

As my study turned into a building yard, then my booky mind began to realise that purpose is all. That when we embark on a project of love then we are fulfilled.  I thought back to my time working in Occupational Therapy and how so often the way to reach into a person within breakdown was to engage them into a task that would focus their mind.

My reward from this whole experience was to value the little building blocks of life. Of course, it could be other pursuits. Gardening. Pursuing a walking map in action. Decorating. The main point is that it is active. Turning off the mind with tv, radio,  and the interactive social media is a good thing.  Though pursuits of love offline like reading, writing, music and drama have their places too. 

To summarise, then I feel that balance is all in life. There are many options day-to-day for us all now in terms of active and passive outlets.  A healthy mind can engage with social media, though to remain healthy it must have real, human offline pursuits too.

Alan Ewing, MSc, BA Hons, Cert HE