Monday, January 13, 2025

No More Spelling Shaming!

I am seeing more and more "X" words--you know, the ones where they are purposely avoiding calling attention to gender.  That's why we have Latinx instead of Latino or Latina.  Although most who actually speak that language daily are either offended or find the whole thing silly.

However, upping the ante recently, I saw "womxn."  I suppose this is to nullify that fact that the word "women" derives from "men."  Or perhaps they don't want to offend by assuming the plural over the singular.

But instead of shunning such radical changes to the language, maybe everyone should embrace it.  I, for one, can see advantages for spelling troublesome words.  Don't remember whether it's "i-e" or "e-i"?  No problem.  Spell it with an "x"!  Thus words like Recxve and Cxling and Bxge are instantly accessible to those who never took the time to study those onerous spelling rules.  The hero of Scxnce and Relativity becomes the very Far Out Spacy name Xnstxn

There might be some initial pushback or percxved confusion, but this method does away with spelling shaming. No longer will we be calling out letter-challenged members of our socxty as illiterate--they will be included and recxved as functional members of our socxty.  Forxgners are welcomed.  Spelling will no longer be the sxve that separates people into different txrs.  Nxces and thxves, clxnts and soldxrs, outpatxnts and lxutenants--all will have an equal place in this brand new world unoccupxd by inconvenxnce.  It will be far easxr to overvxw the meaning, understand the vxw, pxrce through the disorxntation, and face the fxrce battlefxld of ideas.  Whether frxndly or alxnated, unyxlding or transxnt, an effcxnt transmission of knowledge will delight the scxntist and help in the retrxval of all salxnt pxces that underlx our communication experxnce.  This truly will break down barrxrs and allow our communcation to proceed in this new more lenxnt courxr of speech.


In celebration, I think I will temporarily break my dxt and have a fudge brownx.


A Delicious Brownx



Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Portal to Peace

"Portal to Peace" by Sherry Lynn



I found a place within this hectic world
where tension ease and calm returns:
There where sun its hues unfurled
and sky with brilliance burns.

I walk along the shore ere night
(halfway between the light and dark)
descends and quenches all daylight,
yet there remain a light, a glimmering spark.

So too my soul finds joy in quiet thoughts:
A portal opened up to heavenly peace;
This calm, despite all day has brought,
Brings joy and bids all cares to cease. 

         D. Benning  © 2024

Friday, November 8, 2024

I Prefer Autumn

Blackwater Falls State Park
Blackwater Falls State Park, West Virginia


I prefer Autumn's gilded colors to the rusted hues of Fall.
Autumn comes with clear-cut steps, not halting as if stalled.
Fall has not the force to quick-end Summer's heat,
So leaves grow tired and brown and hang in sad defeat.

But Autumn, ah! crisp air of Autumn's voice,
Hale hints of ice and snow
           of rain and hail and wintry blow—
But spangled as the hills and vales rejoice
In red and orange and riotous yellowy spray,
That breath not taken by the cold and frost
Should be taken at the sight of nature glossed
          and garbed and decked in such array.
      
      But Fall, ungraced by art or artistry,
      Should honor Autumn—and her majesty.

                                        ©2024   D. Benning 


Cass, West Virginia
Cass, West Virginia


Friday, October 11, 2024

Иерусалим — Jerusalem

 


On October 7, 2024, Alex Shevchenko wrote:

The song "Jerusalem" sung by different Christian groups today was written by me and my brother when we were children. At that moment I was 16 and my brother Vladimir was 14 years old. I attach a link to the Russian version, which my brother Vladimir performs.
Jerusalem - Alexander Shevchenko: https://youtu.be/fIvYvygoJtE
But this morning I received a link to the Ukrainian version of this song, performed by Oksana Polishchuk. In my opinion, this is incredible! Thank you, Oksana, for a great performance, as well as Svitlana Kasyanchik for your wonderful translation into Ukrainian!

Holy Jerusalem (in Ukrainian) - Oksana Polishchuk: https://youtu.be/FOYT-zqf45I


See the bottom for the metrical translation & lead sheet
-------------------------------------------------------
Word-for-word translation:

Куплет 1:
Пройдут года и постепенно,
Proydut goda i postepenno,
Will pass the years and gradually
Всё унесут путём своим.
Vso unesut putom svoim.
All [they] will carry away by way [of] their own.
Но там вдали, в красе нетленной,
No tam vdali, v krase netlennoy,
But there [we] see, in beauty imperishable,
Стоит святой, святой Иерусалим.
Stoit svyatoy, svyatoy Iyerusalim.
Stands holy, holy Jerusalem.

Куплет 2:
Вокруг него сад зеленеет,
Vokrug nego sad zeleneyet,
Around him the garden greens (is greening)
Поёт там псалмы херувим.
Poyot tam psalmy kheruvim.
Sings there psalms a cherubim
И все жемчужные аллеи,
I vse zhemchuzhnyye allei,
And all the pearly alleys (or lanes)
Ведут в святой, святой Иерусалим.
Vedut v svyatoy, svyatoy Iyerusalim.
Lead to holy, holy Jerusalem.

      Припев:
      К тебе стремлюсь душой, хочу, хочу домой.
      K tebe stremlyus' dushoy, khochu, khochu domoy.
      For you longs [my] soul, I want, I desire to go home
      И быть всегда с тобой, Иерусалим!
      I byt' vsegda s toboy, Iyerusalim!
      And to be always with you, Jerusalem!
      Забуду всю печаль, земли ничуть не жаль,
      Zabudu vsyu pechal', zemli nichut' ne zhal',
      I will forget all the sorrow, earth not a bit I desire
      Уйду в святую даль, Иерусалим - 2 раза.
      Uydu v svyatuyu dal', Iyerusalim - 2 raza.
      I will go to the holy distance, Jerusalem!  — 2 times

Куплет 3:
Душой, поющей аллилуйя,
Dushoy, poyushchey alliluyya,
With [my] soul, singing alleluia,
Покинув мир, расставшись с ним.
Pokinuv mir, rasstavshis' s nim.
Having left the world, having parted with it
По вечной милости войду я,
Po vechnoy milosti voydu ya,
By eternal mercies will enter I, 
Навек в святой, святой Иерусалим!
Navek v svyatoy, svyatoy Iyerusalim!
Forever into holy, holy Jerusalem

Припев

--------------------------------------------------------------------

English Translation to fit the meter of the music:

1.
See how the years slip by so gradually
And everything swept by with them,
But there we'll see in timeless beauty
Eternal holy, pure Jerusalem!

2.
Around it is the garden springing
Oh, hear the psalms of cherubim!
And all the pearly streets are leading
Straight up to holy, pure Jerusalem!

      Chorus

      For You my soul cries out! 
      For home I long and shout!
      To be with You always, Jerusalem!
      Forgetting sorrow-filled years, and earthly toils and fears,
      I'll go to holy, pure Jerusalem!


3.
And with my soul still singing glory,
And having left the world, and then
Eternal Mercies bid me enter
Forever holy, pure Jerusalem!

Chorus













Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Just a Little While

 



                              Just a little while,
                                   all these cares will pass;
                              Just a little while—
                                   we know this earth won't last;
                              Just a little while,
                                   then loved ones we will meet;
                              For in a little while,
                                   we'll sit at Jesus' feet.

The Watchers 4: The Ghost Within, p.147