Christopher Van Name

Love not to be. Love lost. Love in wait. Why? Who knows? We all have our dreams where we create the world we want to live and love in. If only they weren't dreams.

A young Irishman dreams of his love, Katie, the night before he is to be hanged for treason during The Insurrection. Lying in his cell in Kilmainham Gaol, he sings out, recalling the first time they met, as the sounds of rebellion drift into the darkness of DublinTown.

Watching a beautiful day end. A sense of loss as the blue sky gives way to dusk. Like a new love, when you part, even though you know you'll see each other soon, self-doubt and insecurity sets in. Dreamy Blues.

Hard to believe what a mess we've made of this world. Our environment abused, over used and taken for granted. Personal and religious freedom challenged every day. Racial and gender inequality and discrimination. Greed, avarice, hate and violence promoted by the insecure and power hungry. Lies, the language of the day. The world of men. Imagine a world where love and respect are the norm? Where the norm is realizing and recognizing that we are all different. A world that celebrates those differences. Where the only weapon we have available is listening and communicating openly with one another. Where everyone is accepted and treated respectfully and given the same opportunity to speak up. To aspire to be the best they can be. To reach as far and as high as they can without fear and oppression. Sounds like Shangra-La. It could be.

Living with the loss of loved ones. It's always difficult to put such loss into perspective. To grieve. To celebrate a lost life. To learn to go and live your own life. To answer all the questions. Was that person happy in their own life? Were their dreams fulfilled? Is there life after death? Where does one's spirit go when they leave this earth? Eternal questions with no answers. I guess it all comes down to one's faith and how they deal with life and death. - For Penny and Gail