"The Harp-Snapper" out in The Mom Egg

That's right, my lovelies. My poem "The Harp-Snapper" is out in the new issue of The Mom Egg, their first online issue. This is an awesome journal that deals with themes of motherhood and mothers. So get in the genetrix groove and get reading!

Here's the link to the current issue

Celebrate poetry!

Irish Judge Makes Racist Statements Against Roma

Outrage fills me as I write this. The ridiculously one-sided and poorly informed Independent published this article Roma raise children to steal-- judge. The title, which should be in scare quotes and is stated as though this ridiculous claim is fact, tells a shameful story. Judge Aingeal Ni Chonduin made this outrageous statement after sentencing a 16 year old mother to 7 days in jail and a 200 euro fine for stealing clothes and children's shoes. The girl was brought over by her partner, 5 years older than her, when she was 13. She had her child at 15. The Health Service Executive had conducted welfare assessments into the girl's situation, but did not deem that any action was necessary despite the glaringly obvious fact that she is a victim of statutory rape.

Judge Ni Chonduin made this obscene generalization: "That seems to be the culture, that is the way the families function, unfortunately, to go about to steal," said regarding the girl's circumstances. She also said it seemed that the children were "raised" to steal.

"It is a different culture, it does not go with our ways and our shops are being robbed blind," she said.

What a complete OUTRAGE! This clearly racist woman should be removed from her post. How DARE she accuse an entire culture and ethnicity of raising their children to steal based on the case of one desperate young mother who was clearly trying to provide for her child! And saying these untrue, provocative remarks during a time of depression about an ethnic group that is already regularly discriminated against world-wide is not only disgusting and irresponsible, but also outright dangerous.

Thankfully, I'm not the only irate person. These quotations were taken from the far more responsible newspaper The Herald, Anger as judge says Roma children are raised to steal.

Pavee Point, which runs a Roma programme, expressed disappointment."It is not part of Roma culture or any culture that I know of to raise children to steal," a spokeswoman said."The vast majority of Roma parents would be horrified with that suggestion. It's not helpful for anybody in authority to make comments that only serve to stereotype and scapegoat an already marginalised community. I'm sure there are some members of every community who are not raising their children correctly and are engaged in deviant behaviour, but that doesn't mean the whole community is."

The Immigrant Council of Ireland said the judge's remarks were "inappropriate and unfair", while Pavee Point Travellers Centre said they further "scapegoated" the Roma community.

Thaindian News reports:

Hindus have asked for resignation of the Ireland judge who reportedly accused Roma community of raising their children to steal.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was simply not acceptable from an honorable judge to blame the whole ethnic group of about 15-million people for a wild allegation like this one.

Dealing with a case of Roma teenager at the Dublin Children’s Court on Wednesday, Judge Aingeal Ní Chonduin reportedly accused the Roma community of raising their children to steal saying they were responsible for “our shops being robbed blind”.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that this did not reflect well with one of the world’s most beautiful countries of James Joyce and William Butler Yeats and known world over for its warmth and welcome. They also urged leadership of Ireland’s majority Roman Catholic and other religious establishments and religious leaders to come out openly against this accusation as religions told us to help the helpless.

Few months back, Roma residents in the nearby Northern Ireland were reportedly terrified and forced to flee their homes due to repeated racist violence.

This was happening in the middle of Europe, which claimed to be the torchbearer for the entire world regarding human rights. Was this the way in which the civilized societies functioned in Europe, asked Rajan Zed.

-Sampurn Media

Speak out, my humanitarian friends! Demand Judge Aingeal Ni Chonduin's removal!! Make some noise! Remind people that Roma rights are worth supporting! The future of humanitarianism is in all of our hands! This judge has made a racist statement that shows that she is no judge at all. Lies about the Roma people stop now!

Words remembered and forgotten

And misplaced. I notice that since I have been moving and traveling around the USA and Europe my accent and idioms have become rounded, reshuffled, and resurfaced. I'm saying Irish idioms as though I've said them all my life. Instead of vite-a-mins I say vit-a-mins... and then there is my renewed love of bluegrass and funny little southern similes born from college, and all my New Hampshire, northern turns of speech have suddenly blended into the onslaught of new words and ways. Only the resilient stay, but, I'm not really sure that they were "the original" speech. German, Spanish, French, and Italian have slipped in too, jumbling with each other and poking fun at my English. At first, I was alarmed, and tried to re-instate my fading American accent and reclaim and my quirky New Englandisms as though my personality would disappear along with them if I didn't work fast to recover them, store them sagely, make back-ups.

But then more I tried to remember, the more I forgot. I remembered saying "I'm wicked tired of this jet-lag," in Italy, and "Auf Wiedersehn" to my grandmother in New Hampshire. And didn't I speak Spanish in Virginia? Didn't I order lunch perfectly in Madrid? Didn't I tell L's mom that getting financial aid from the states is like pulling teeth from a horse? What are the infinite ways to say, "It's colder than a witch's tit?" Didn't S murmur "Git 'er dun," in Dublin? Didn't that perfect gentleman say "Bonsoir" so sweetly?

This struggle quickly birthed a understanding. I wasn't losing anything. I'm gaining an accent that reflects all the places I've loved and the sounds I've soaked up. Every year that passes, every country I stay in, all the languages I learn shape my accent, shape my brain. And my personality has always been bigger than Epsom or Hampstead NH. It's all ok. Remember and forget. Learn.

Change War for....

I really liked this little montage in Cork city "Change War for ...." It's so sweet, innocent, and happy. And war sucks, don't you agree? Hugs, parties, and flowers are so much better. What would you change war for?

Decidedly not listening to jazz

The jazz weekend in Cork starts tonight and not having the bus fare into town and not wanting to walk 10 miles in the dark puts me in the house in the B-Ghetto. I know there are many things I could be doing: I could patch my other jeans, read about wine science, clean, or engage myself with a patronizing TV documentary. I just can't convince myself to embrace the joy of a domestic night in when I know that small city magic is occurring down the street just out of reach of my wallet. Is this myopia? Maybe. Sometimes a dirty kitchen just isn't enough adventure for me. Or maybe I need to be more creative, like making a replica NH state capital building out of expired ready-break and sultanas.

New Facet

I like to blog about subjects which I feel passionately about, such as Poetry, Literature, and Writing; Roma-Gypsy Rights, and Human Rights in general; Feminism; Nature and the Environment; Politics; Love; Baby Ducks and Puppies; etc. But I also love food. I'm going to talk a bit about that now too.

Food is weird for me because I have Celiacs Disease and a soy, onion, and a few other allergies. Plus I'm sort of a vegetarian (Yeah, I know that makes no sense). What I mean is, I was a strict vegetarian for 13 years, but my many recent health issues have required me to begin to incorporate some fish and chicken into my diet. I get quite sick without them and I haven't found a way around it. SO, really I'm a former vegetarian with good intentions. And it's difficult to eat at restaurants without getting really sick, but luckily I love to cook, especially Italian and Indian food.

Really quick suggestion: Roasted Kale

I discovered this 5 minutes ago! Take a few bunches of kale... adapt for your eaters. Wash and strip the leaves from their tough stems. Dry with paper towels. Spread onto baking tray and drizzle lightly with good quality extra virgin olive oil. Then sprinkle with good quality sea salt and pepper to taste. Stick in the oven at... oh, 350 F and let roast for 5 minutes, keeping close watch. Then flip the little leaves over and roast for another few minutes. They should be crisp, not burnt. Then, eat!

It has a high-ish fat content due to the olive oil, but they are good fats, and the entire snack is quite healthy and really delicious, even if you normally don't like kale. And kale is an extremely healthy green vegetable full of vitamin C and K, plus lutein, zeaxanthin, and calcium. It's also an anti-inflammatory and full of anti-oxidants.

Ta-da!

Swans

While L, his mom, and I were adventuring around the back of the island these swans came out of the sea and waddled us to us, hissing, honking, and looking for food. It was so magical to be so close to these creatures so often described in myth and folklore, but it occurred to me that their 'realness' was what made me love them. They carried off no Leda that day. They only wanted what everyone wants, to thrive. The swan represents poetry, spirituality, and the poets' spirit, so I'm taking their vocal appearance as a good omen.