Rich: November 2008

I miss the beautiful Buenos Aires..

Extraño Buenos Aires, mis pibes, la comida, la cultura! Pronto vuelvo Che!
I miss my friends, the food, the culture! I will be back soon...

Recordando mis poemas...

Y que quedo de ti, de mi
y de todo lo que fuimos?
Tan solo tres supiros, dos copas
y una caja de inutiles cerillos.

Medio vacia la casa que elejimos cual morada
nuestros desvelos hasta la madrugada
y algunos centavos en los bolsillos.

Quedaron tus llaves en la puerta abandonadas,
las cortinas del cuarto al rumor del viento desatadas,
tenedores y platos, sucios vasos y sin filo los cuchillos.

Una amarga sensacion de soledad, desesperanza
y algo como un viejo sueño de amor que no se alcanza
que me enreda en un aroma de angustias e imposibles olvidos.

Aguardan en la almohada los vestigios de tu ultima pereza,
en mi rostro una mueca por sonrisa, hoy de cabeza
y una disculpa a mi padre, madre y la mitad de mis amigos.

Una solitaria silla a la hora de la cena,
las huellas de tus manos en la superficie de la mesa
y bajo ella, los escombros de las caricias que nos hicimos.

Frio quedo el cafe que tomabamos cada mañana,
al igual que las promesas de amor que para mi guardabas
y los errores de los cuales casi nunca aprendimos.

Mi cuerpo y espiritu yacen en total hambruna,
en las ventanas destaca solo el reflejo de la luna
y en el calendario, marcada la fecha del dia que nos conocimos.

Permanecen esparcidas por el suelo, las palabras
muertas a mano limpia por las verdades que ocultabas
y ya sin dueño las cosas que algun dia compartimos.

Asi mismo mis ideas, mis versos, mi voz, mi alma en blanco,
mis agotadas fuerzas, mis ilusiones sobre un banco
y de tanto y tanto llorar, mis ojos dolientes enrojecidos.

Resecos, palidos y cerrados mis labios,
en duda lo que crei que eran mis años mas sabios
y sin logica ni contexto los argumentos con que nos defendimos.

Aun me resta la esclavitud a la cadena de tu recuerdo,
mi corazon, un mucho de loco, un poco de cuerdo
y el poderoso testimonio de la inmensa gratitud por lo vivido.

Y me cuestiono una vez mas:
Que quedo de ti y de mi?
Apenas la desolacion de este abandonado amor mio.

Ricardo Mejia Bahena
06/24/06

Mexico City

Almost December...

That's right! is almost December and I can't wait to be at home in Mexico City again. This Holidays are so important to me because not only I can spend time with my family but I can be back at my house,to my room, close to my deepest memories..

I love the air of december, for some reason I think is so fresh, so comforting.

I am just counting the days now, looking forward to be in my hometown and spend time with my beautiful Mom, my nieces, my sisters, my friends.

Looking forward for Christmas dinner, for the celebration.

I don't know why but in those days I think the world is perfect..

Rikke

Recordando mis poemas...

Que en este camino mis pasos vayan de prisa
para que nada me detenga ni lluvia, ni noche, ni brisa.
Que se desborden sin torpeza mis sueños en un solo dia,
que se me sequen los ojos de llorar pero de alegria.

Quiero que vuelen a cuatro vientos de mi boca todas mis sonrisas,
para contagiar de risa a los otros y se sequen las heridas.
!Conjuguense todos los sonidos, revuelvanse las rimas
Combinense las lenguas, las razas vivientes, las cenizas!.

Que al hablar solo entregue besos en tu piel y su geografia,
que mi voluntad prevalezca para derrotar la cobardia.
Y con esos besos furiosos dejarte huellas de lineas finas,
y tu dejes a mi memoria harta de tu amorosa filosofia.

Que se quiebren al unisono las malas herencias de familia,
que se borren nombres y apellidos y
las pauperrimas ideologias.
Que se caiga el cielo a tajos y un rayo parta mi agonia,
quebrando los terribles momentos en que la soledad
con su fuego calcina.

Que la ausencia no corrompa la fortaleza
que al destino desafia,
que sea mas fuerte mi espiritu de lucha
!que pesen mas los hechos que las palabras vacias!.

Me quito de mi sien la corona que pesa,
que sangra, que espina,
y dejo caer de mi espalda esta cruz que alentaba
mis pasos y cegaba mi vista.
Sigo caminando, el sol es mi guia...

Ricardo Mejia Bahena
Octubre 30, 2005.

Protecting marriage?

Very interesting article..

I know that many people are deeply saddened by the fact that Proposition 8 in California was passed, but I don’t see this as the only issue. Proposition 8 demonstrates that some attacks on marriage are being ignored while their focus is on issues such as gay marriage. Where have the days gone where it was special to marry someone? To know that you will spend the rest of your life with that person? Where is the commitment to making it work for better or for worse? Instead, some of these “defenders of marriage” go out and commit adultery, get divorced, and some even take on another wife. Marriage is not what it once was…

If we are looking at a traditional sense of what marriage means, between a man and a woman, then why is adultery taken so lightly? People go out and commit, not only a sin, but an act that is also against the law. In biblical times if you committed adultery you were killed. In Roman times if you committed adultery you were killed. We have taken that same act and desensitized ourselves to thinking that “it’s okay”. Even though states such as Michigan have a life sentence for convicted adulterers, they hardly prosecute it. If these “defenders” are serious about protecting marriage, how can we let these offenders run free? At a minimum they should lose their ability to receive a license for marriage again. A person can lose their drivers license over serious offenses, wouldn’t the “defenders” want at least this punishment?

If marriage is as threatened as some would have us believe, then why are we not prosecuting these offenders? Perhaps it’s time to really rise up and protect marriage. Perhaps it is time to start punishing those that go out and violate their “licensed” marriage.

Divorce is another threat to “licensed” marriages, and something that is abused everyday! People get married, start building a life together, and then decide to get divorced. Why did they get married in the first place? If they weren’t absolutely 100% sure that they would be with that person for the rest of their lives, then why would they apply for a license to marry? If people want to get divorced then let’s make it tough. Wouldn’t that be the goal for those who want to protect marriage? Let’s make sure that the licensee really thinks it through before they decide to take that walk down the aisle. Perhaps the process to get divorced should include mandated counseling, separation periods, mediation, and hefty fees. If divorce wasn’t so easy I doubt many people would do it. If protecting marriage is the supposed goal, then why isn’t society protecting current marriages.

Over two million weddings happen every year, and over one million divorces are finalized. That is basically saying that everyone has a 50/50 chance of having a successful marriage. Those odds are not in favor and the older you get the worse your odds are according to these statistics HERE! It would appear that divorce is the leading threat to current marriages. Californians have started a petition and you can watch the video HERE!

Another threat to traditional marriage, that seems to be ignored, is polygamy. Being raised LDS this was a questions that was always around. People would ask, “How many mom’s do you have?” and other questions of that nature. The Mormon church no longer condones polygamy or practices it, but they aren’t doing anything to soften that image. All polygamists should be prosecuted because it is against the law to take more than one wife. Even in some states it is illegal to live a polygamous lifestyle, you don’t even have to be legally married to your spouse. The sad part is that hardly any of these people are ever prosecuted. Over 80,000 polygamists live in the US, with about 60,000 of them in the state of Utah. Those numbers are just a ballpark figure because most people will not admit to being in an illegal polygamous relationship.

Another attack on traditional marriage is known as a common law marriage. These people may not even want to be married, but after living together for so many years their state may grant them the vestiges of a marriage. However if two men live together, they will be classified as roommates for eternity. There are no special rights being magically granted for same-sex couples. Two men who love each other, live together, built their lives together, and have created a home are not considered equals to these “defenders” of marriage. Yet the man and woman living, in sin, down the hall doing the exact same thing are simply handed a magical license telling them they are married. Does this seem fair?

So why are the “defenders” of marriage not addressing these issues? If protecting marriage was truly the goal, then why aren’t the greater threats receiving as much attention? If there are two million marriages a year and only 18,000 gays and lesbians were added to that number, then it would appear they are a miniscule number. I cannot see how this addition to the club poses as much threat as those attacks I mentioned above.

For some people obtaining a marriage license, a gun permit, a dog license, or a building permit is as simple as walking into their local city hall and filling out a government form. Even people on death row are able to obtain a marriage license. Yet gays and lesbians are still prohibited from this service of city hall. Why? Because the “defenders” of marriage consider gay marriages as the bigger threat to their little club. I am an LDS man and I have heard many views. But I cannot understand how some threats to marriage are ignored or accepted, but gay marriage has selectively been considered the bigger threat. I will leave it up to you to tell me how that is defined.