Late Ripeness
“Not soon, as late as the approach of my ninetieth year,
I felt a door opening in me and I entered
the clarity of early morning.
One after another my former lives were departing,
like ships, together with their sorrow.
And the countries, cities, gardens, the bays of seas
assigned to my brush came closer,
ready now to be described better than they were before.
I was not separated from people,
grief and pity joined us.
We forget - I kept saying - that we are all children of the King.
For where we come from there is no division
into Yes and No, into is, was, and will be.
We were miserable, we used no more than a hundredth part
of the gift we received for our long journey.
Moments from yesterday and from centuries ago -
a sword blow, the painting of eyelashes before a mirror
of polished metal, a lethal musket shot, a caravel
staving its hull against a reef - they dwell in us,
waiting for a fulfillment.
I knew, always, that I would be a worker in the vineyard,
as are all men and women living at the same time,
whether they are aware of it or not.”
~ Czeslaw Milosz ~
My name is Cristina Jill Mosqueda Cooper. I pause looking at my name, and think about how much there is to explain with those words alone. My mother gave me a name to use in each of my worlds, Cristina for my Cuban life, and Jill for the American life. I suppose it is there were the paradoxes of my life began.
I have been many things in my life, from a housekeeper to a high school history teacher; but no matter what else I did, I was always a writer. I love words and the power and passion which they can be used to create. I love reading words, writing words, speaking words, and listening to words – especially words from people that I love and respect.
It is my desire to live life on my own terms, and willingly or not, I have paid the price demanded, by the world, to be myself. I share my life with Kate, with whom I have lived for the last 23 years, and Miss Merry Margaret, our little mutt who really is the world’s most perfect dog. I also travel, cook, garden, sculpt, and make large messes doing all of the above. Welcome to my world, that is all for now.
Web Site: http://thatisallfornow.com
The Oakridge Flat-Top Type B-1 House “There were only 3 Flat Tops on our street when I left for school one morning. When I came home from that afternoon, there was a whole new neighborhood of Flat Tops – finished, furnished, and occupied.” ~ Sue Wassom Thomas ~ During World War...
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To love a painting is to feel that this presence is… not an object but a voice. ~ Andre Malraux ~ The Music by Henri Matisse I find them intriguing. I wonder who they are looking at? Is there an audience for the guitarist, or is she playing for the woman at...
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The National Museum of the Marine Corp “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But Marines don’t have that problem.” ~ President Ronald Regan ~ 1985 What do you see? What does this building make you think of? For years I have taken...
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The Living Bible My Act of Rebellion “Psalms 119, 101, 129 To my special middle child With all my love Your Mother June 24, 1979” For those who read and believe in the Bible, it is very important that we find a good, if not perfect fit with our Bible. This is a...
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