Abdul Qudus A Poem By Vicki Kypuros

Abdul Qudus
Going into this class I had no idea that this man by his appearance could ever touch my life
He slept on dirt and as a child had to select his mothers burial site in Pakistan
Most people are selfish, materialistic, and conforming
He cares enough, he is willing to pay more taxes for his fellow countrymen to have benefits
He slept on dirt and as a child had to select his mothers burial site in Pakistan
Education has been his focus, getting it and giving it
He cares enough, he is willing to pay more taxes for his fellow countrymen to have benefits
He has worked so very hard and is deserving of the glorious retirement and life he has planned, sitting on the bank of a lake listening to poetry and sipping some drink
Education has been his focus, getting it and giving it
Rocks, minerals, earth, its age and plate tectonics are what was he was required to teach
He has worked so very hard and is deserving of the glorious retirement and life he has planned, sitting on the bank of a lake listening to poetry and sipping some drink
It was in his tears and his smile along with his genuineness that my eyes were opened
Rocks, minerals, earth, its age and plate tectonics are what was he was required to teach
As he taught the requirements of the course he made sure to make us aware of what was going on all around us
It was in his tears and his smile along with his genuineness that my eyes were opened
He challenged his students to attempt to make a difference for the future of our earth which he adored
As he taught the requirements of the course he made sure to make us aware of what was going on all around us
He is retiring and moving away, to sail on high seas
He challenged his students to attempt to make a difference for the future of our earth which he adored
People do not realize that there is so much more to a person than what they look like or what the world says they are
He is retiring and moving away, to sail on high seas
I did not believe that genuine, honest, peaceful people existed
People do not realize that there is so much more to a person than what they look like or what the world says they are
I found that there are genuine, honest, peaceful people
I did not believe that genuine, honest, peaceful people existed
Life is so important to him and through him sharing his wisdom my life has been touched
I found that there are genuine, honest, peaceful people
He is the most genuine honest person I know and he only desires the best for humanity and our world
Life is so important to him and through him sharing his wisdom my life has been touched
He will be remembered, he will be missed, I will never forget him
He is the most genuine honest person I know and he only desires the best for humanity and our world
I have learned all the requirements of this course and have been given a hope that people will see others for who they are and not what they look like

Punkee's Sister- A True Story

Punkee’s Sister

In October 2003 a nest of feral cats was disturbed in my back yard. The backyard was ½ acer so there was a lot of growth by the time the lawn man found time for me. It was a time when San Antonio still got autumn rains and the beautiful wild flowers of fall had to die down before they could mow. I had been feeding a beige cat, a bit fluffy and what would be called oatmeal colored with a few brown tips. She was pretty, and I wanted her to trust me enough so I could catch her and get her spayed. I did not want more homeless cats to suffer and I was tired of suffering for them.
     The lawn man scooped up a black and white kitten thinking it was mine and it escaped from the house and put it on the back steps. He told me later that it ran away. That night we had a cold rain, another of the last cold October rains we would have. About 2 am my cats became quite disturbed and woke me; it was then that I heard this little screech outside the window. My cats were jumping from my bed to the window sill and I could not sleep. I put on the lights and went outside in the rain and found a little gangly black and white cat caught between a Lantana shrub and the fence. He was wedged in tight. He was soaked and frightened. I picked up the little mite and brought him inside. Dried him off with a towel and held him to warm him. My big cats were sniffing him and Scholar and Inkee began licking him. The little guy calmed down. He was a baby and had no real teeth yet. I had no baby formula and it was 2 am. So I put him on another dry towel and he fell asleep. At 6 am the next morning I went to the local grocery store and bought the only can of milk replacer. Having raised many throw away kittens I had plenty of bottles. The replacer had weevils!  I had to sift them out since that was the only can and poor baby needed food. He downed 2 bottles of formula and
fell asleep in my lap.
That Sunday was spent fretting about this baby-  I did not need another cat - I had four. In 2002 I lost my most beloved companion cat Hodges. I was devastated at his death and still have a grief that will not go away today.
    The next day I bought some fresh replacer from the vet and gave this baby his morning bottle and when I got home from work his evening bottles. He would not sleep in the bed for the first 3 days, but that Thursday night I heard him thump down from the sofa and climbed  up to my bed and got comfy on my pillow and purred until he went to sleep. He grew fast and with in the month had ventured to the big cats food, He also made his trips to the litter box. Doing a stretch climb into it and a thump out of it after he finished his business, I put a cigar box step for him and he used it. Each evening when I came home from work he came for his bottle. I’d crush fleas since he was too young for the flea medication. One evening I crushed nine fat fleas. In December the vet said he was old enough for the flea stuff. It took two applications for all those fleas to be gone.
Punkee thrived and grew to be a long, tall lanky cat that looked like some naughty child got him with a paint brush. He was cute but no real “cat” beauty. He was, though, sweet and a love bug.
I continued to feed his mother and his sister outside. One day I got the sister inside but she went so wild that keeping her in would not be possible. I let her out and continued to feed them.
Months after I caught  then released her. I heard a plaintive loud cry at my front door. It chilling to hear. I looked outside and there was sister cat. She had brought two tiny kittens and laid them side by side on the door mat. She sat there and cried. I came out and she did not run away. I patted her head, and picked up a baby and felt it was cold, held it close to my ear and heard no heart beat blew into its nose and mouth rubbed it a bit to stimulate it but nothing worked on either of the little mirrors of their mother. I was in tears at this point. Mama cat sat there and I told her I could not save them. She rubbed my leg, cried, and ran off. I prepared them for a burial. Under my bedroom window where I found Punkee 6 months before. I wrapped them in white hankies and used a beautiful stepping stone to mark their grave. I cried the whole time. I did see her watch me from the garden the whole time. She sat there after I left to go inside it had started to sleet. I called her and hoped she would come in now but she did not. I never saw her again. But, I have Punkee who does not look like his mother or sister except for the few longer white hairs that he is getting as he ages. His sister and mother disappeared. I moved that year in August. The person who bought my house asked about the stone in the garden and he has kept it there since when I told him the story of Punkee’s sister.

The Best Person I have ever known

I am not the best blogger out there. I do not have a sunny side up attitude most of the time. I do not even want to research anything anymore- I always know the results before hand anyway- that is the Cassandra in me. I can complain about the weather, climate change, the broken government I live under, and society in general. And I do. But not today. Today I will share these letters. One from the professor and one response from a previous student. I do this because he deserves to be recognized. He graced San Antonio College for 27 years and gave his all to his students and never said a bad word about any colleague. He kept up with his topic- Geology- and he gave the best foundation for the subject that any Ivy League University could give. He always choose the best books for his students and did not dumb down the course. He valued and still values education.
http://www.theranger.org/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-farewell-sac-1.2631748
This is his farewell letter- the only retiring teacher to write one. Professor Qudus is a class act and there is no one to follow him. Students will lose but so far the school is self-destructing and will not notice. Here is a letter from a student.http://www.theranger.org/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-thanks-for-job-well-done-mr-qudus-1.2666449
I feel the need for this man to be recognized in this day and age of blatant discrimination. He gave more to this country then he got. He was treated rudely by police, administration, UT at Austin Geology department when he wanted his Ph.D. and worked full time, commuted and earned good grades only to be told "your kind are not really...." Imagine hearing "Your kind..." and then have all your work for several years go down the drain in such a vulgar manner! And even his long term colleagues turned on him after 9/11. Wake up people not all Muhammad dudes are bad not even 1% are bad. This man educated people and for many he educated their children! His life story is as compelling to hear and as inspirational as any I have read. From a mud brick hut to a full professor in the USA. I will tell it someday if anyone wants to here about a real person.

Make Love Happen

There are so many wonderful things in this world. The air, the scenery, food, love, flowers. What I can not understand why so many people want to make life miserable for others. I can say with out qualm that nearly everyone on earth wants to live a nice life with a proper house, enough food and clothes. Not in pig in mud rolling luxury just a simple but secure life to enjoy this short time we have here. This earth is billions of years old- we live at best 80 years; many of us die before that and never  had breathed a happy or content moment during our short miserable lives. I say STOP! To every government and faction that has some power lust. No one’s religion or political ideology is worth suffering millions for. Nothing is worth dying for. If we must die let us die in our sleep after a good life. Do not tell me what life I must lead- I am moral and I aim to hurt NONE. Yet all those who rabidly profess faith seem to want to hurt others. We have only this little earth to live on and there are people striping its skin for wealth, poisoning the air, water, land. Poisoning minds to do evil things in the name of god. Live and let live. If you seek your path with a religion seek it; do not force others to tow your load too. This is free will. Free will is just that. I am thrilled you have -faith keep it. I have mine- I do not share it; it is mine, it is personal. What I want is to be left alone and I want others to feel and live how I live- a house, enough food, enough clothes, safe water safe neighborhood. It seems I want for you what I have. Do unto others as you want done unto you. Simple as that. Yet we are victimized by our own greedy governments who lust for power, lust for war- simply because they can not seem to leave others alone or be still in their minds and hearts. No child should go to bed hungry, no animal should be killed for recreation, no woman should be abused, no man should have anyone's boot on his neck- all should have meaningful work, with time for family or hobbies or leisure. How can this happen? I am at a loss to tell you except to love one another. We have such a short life here. Love one another. Live well. And maybe I will no longer cry for my beloved planet, sisters, brothers, and animal cousins.  Make love happen.

The House of Good-Bye

This House knows we are leaving it. I feel it and see it getting depressed at the realization we are leaving for good this time. It breaks my heart to leave this House. If I could take it with us I would, how I love this little big House. Yes it needs some decorating, but since we are leaving we do not need to fix it for ourselves- just so someone will buy it and I hope love it as we do. If I could move it to Maine 3000 miles… but the cost is out of our reach maybe a million dollars sound like a lot of money to me so I pull that from the air. I do know it is close to 3000 miles depending on the route needed for a house to be moved then set up again. It will need to be insulated for Maine weather- Texas is never that cold for that long. I already miss this house and feel so sad. This loss is like when I  left home to marry, but I knew I’d see Mother again. No this is like when I left the US for Canada- I knew I’d never see my mother again. It is a haunted feeling to know in your soul that those you love will never be alive again in your eyes- just as memories inside. Six years Mother is gone and I am just beginning to heal. So many have passed away since. The toll was frightening, the grief unbearably painful. And now. And now to truly leave this House forever hurts. I do not like the climate here, but I love this House, this neighborhood. I can bird watch here, see squriles, opossums, grow a garden on its ⅓ acre. I miss this house and must no look back when we leave this spring. I never looked back before but since marriage this House has been home, a place I am loved unconditionally. It is not the House of course but it is. It is this House where I found love. I honor that. I miss House. Good-bye.

Social networks

I am here too    The one thing I have noticed while roaming around the online social net works is people dwell in the silly and ridiculous or want to sell something. I have seen so many clips of cute cats and disparaging cartoons about women, and some about men, that I do not doubt my assessment of the quality of educated folk.
    Sometime, well most of the time, it is like hiding in a men’s locker room listening to their inane chat- cars, sex, nagging wives, and their work. That there are those who are religious or non religious and they find each other to argue the nature and existence of god. Politics are rampant but there is no humanity- it is all about money, making money...worst of all is the lack of compassion toward those less fortunate. I am told this is a Christian country but love of neighbor is non existent- there are hungry, homeless, sick people by the millions just in the United States of America and still there are great hordes of citizens who rail against universal health care and other social services.
     We like to gawk at Kim spending $10,000,000 for a sham wedding- how many families could have been given $100 a week for groceries for a year with that kind of cash? Rich wedding planners, florists got their share but the waiters still got below minimum wage and had to rely on tips. I always feel dirty after ready about these famous for nothing people- I never read the first hand events there are plenty of folks on the social networks to post this stuff that I never need go beyond Face Book or Google+.
    I live on the bridge between two very different cultures. Many times they do not mesh, well most of the time. I need to be on a tightrope to balance between the two. So I feel at an advantage to see from a unique perspective- no average westerner has this, and no easterner has this.
    If I lived in my home and not as a refugee I could network the old fashioned way- in the garden club or friends of the library. So now I am here and here is where I will ge involved. And who are these people anyway -Kim? What is she besides famous enough to be talked about? Never mind I don’t really care.

Pascal's Wager

Since this is an online blog I will link the text rather than retyping it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager

    I can not accept this as a viable solution to the question of god or not because what if the religion I follow, since I must follow some organize pattern or doctrine since only religion recognizes god, goes against my internal sense of morality and ethics? What if I strongly believe that animals are my brother creatures, that I do not want and am offended at the ideal and practice of eating them or using them for sacrifice to this god? What if I reject from my very core of morality those teachings that allow, condone or encourage things repugnant to me? Then what? Do I simple reject those parts of the dogma and go my own way rejecting the word of god since these are part of the tenets of the religion I am following in agreement of Pascals Wager? Does that make me a hypocrite to go through the motions of religion and faith with out belief? If god knows my heart, thoughts, everything and I am in a service not believing the Eucharist of the wine and bread or any miracle, then is its intention not counted by this god, is it just mindless  rote?
    If I live my life in moral boundaries harming no one adhering to my ideals that I am my brother’s keeper, that all life is sacred. That killing another out of anger, hate, or killing an animal to satisfy my desires to consume their blood and flesh in depraved. That is wrong; then what kind of god do I worship who would approve or desire this? To lie to myself every day that there is some reward for my actions according to whatever belief pattern I have chosen, and that doing good is just the means to this reward that the desire to be good, do good has lesser value then mindless obedience?
    No religion reveal by holy prophets have ever allowed women full measure of freedom and choice, Am I to accept my second class status to bend my neck to a man as my earthly lord and master? What of my life and ambitions? Since Pascal's Wager says to believe in god and god is only mentioned with in context of religion am I to deny my entire time however short or long my own heart and mind?  What kind of monster god would inflict such cruelty on me for the need of my adulation and worship? Then the nature of god must be accepted in my heart for faith to be real or it is no more real than my rejection of faith and god at the beginning. What then will all my worship and prayers be accept by rote with my intent simply to avoid punishment of hell and seek a reward? Which religion is the real religion of god? God seems very vindictive in these religions to risk offending.
    I would have to deny my own internal morality, accept my inferior status which would grate on my self esteem that I was created as subservient by this god demanding my worship and praise, in order to be accepted into his heaven? If I am told I may choose a religion that best fits my moral structure what should this say about the revealed religions? That there is no consistency to them that one is as good as another since all paths lead to heaven? What nonsense must I put up with to assure my salvation from a god who has thus made my life unpleasant and sad? What kind of god is this? And how does my life benefit now is it only after death I get the reward?
     And what kind of reward for a hypocrite who lied everyday and caused harm in my own mind and by my own actions, what manner of divine being accepts this as good?

I will be 60 in a month. That number has bummed me out. 60... sounds like I am getting old. I feel lousy since I have a cold but more lousy since I am almost 60 with a cold. I have done a lot of interesting things in my life, met interesting people-in person not cyberspace- I am still alive, which is a good thing. My Father was gone at age 58, many of those I went to junior high school with were dead before they reached 30. I remember the 1960s and much of the late 50s. It is not what I did or remember that has me down and out, it is what I still want to do and how much time I do or don't have in which to do it. Can I still wear boots? I was never able to wear them when the first couple of times they were fashionable since my calves were thick. Now I can find them to fit and am I too old to wear them? I still do not have a home decorated to near any level shown in Traditional Home or House Beautiful. So many movies to watch; Autumn leaves to gather; so many Christmas snows I still want to see. However, I have learned a lot in my journey- The best incense is Gonesh brand-even not lit they smell wonder-filled. I do know that drugs and alcohol will kill people, have killed many I once knew, and kill the personality first before the body. I know Marie Antoinette did not say let them eat cake, that ancient man was smarter then modern man. There are too many people who do not understand how important water is for everyone's survival. We do not need to kill each other in wars if we do not want to. We do not need to kill any animal for food-we kill only because we want to. We can go to the moon but can't decide that health care is important enough for the population to take it out of the greed market. I am no longer a believer in any religion but will not want anyone forced to see my truth- many could not handle it. I am not a Capitalist at all, I do not believe in rampant consumerism. I have socialist liberal leanings after seeing how cruel those who claim to be conservatives are. So I am back at turning 60. My mind does not feel old, my tastes are not old-I know what steampunk is and I would wear a glass eye ring. Am I everything I could have been? No, but who is really? So there I am -60 going on infinity.