Child 'X'

So the other day I was Stumble!^tming around the web a couple of days ago when I found this:

X: A Fabulous Child's Story
By Lois Gould ^© 1972

Written in 1972 this is an amazing short story!! By following the life cycle of a gender ambiguous human child Mr. Gould shows us very clearly how much better life would be without - what I like to call - gender casting. Many of the specific items that are addressed in the story are not as much of an issue a quarter century later, but the story as a whole holds just as much weight now as it did then.

SFP #3

Two Little Boys
by Theodore Morse and Edward Madden (1902)

Two little boys
Had two little toys,
Each had a wooden horse;
Gaily they played
Each summer's day -
Warriors both of course.
One little chap
Then had a mishap,
Broke off his horse's head;
Cried for his toy,
Then cried for joy
As his young playmate said:

"Did you think I would leave you crying
When there's room on my horse for two?
Climb up here, Jack. we'll soon be flying;
I can go just as fast with two.
When we grow up we'll both be soldiers,
And our horses will not be toys;
And I wonder if we'll remember
When we were two little boys."

Long years passed,
War came so fast;
Bravely they marched away.
Cannons roared loud
And in the mad crowd
Wounded and dying lay.
Up went a shout -
A horse dashes out,
Out from the ranks so blue,
Galloped away
To where Joe lay
And then came a voice he knew:

"Did you think I would leave you dying
When there's room on my horse for two?
Climb up here, Joe, we'll soon be flying
Back to the ranks so blue.
Do you know, Joe, I'm all a-tremble,
Perhaps it's the battle's noise;
But I think it's that I remember
When we were two little boys."

Again I learned this song at Namanu (the first summer it was really popular there) but upon further investigation I know that it has been around much longer.

The song would appear to have its origins in the fiction of the Victorian children's writer E.H. Ewing, whose book 'Jackanapes' was a story about the eponymous hero and his friend Tom, who having ridden wooden horses as two little boys end up together on a Napoleonic battlefield. There Jackanapes rides to the rescue of the wounded and dismounted Tom. Jackanapes nobly replies to Tom's entreaties to save himself, 'Leave you? To save my skin? No, Tom, Not to save my soul.'. And unfortunately takes a fatal bullet in the process. (-Wikipedia)

Oh, So You Want a Introduction

Hey everyone,

As you might be able to tell I'll be using this blog (primarily) as a collecting point for written and spoken things in support of peace and other positive social change. This means songs, poems, short stories, speech and interview transcripts, etc., etc. I will attempt to included a spoken version of all of them for your convenience.

Also from time to time I'll include notifications and opinions about other aspects of life, the universe, and everything.¹ Thanks, and welcome all to Pax Orbis.

¹42!!!^2
2No that is not a factorial sign, it means I'm a Douglas Adams (Rest in Peace) fan.

Songs For Peace #2

Plea

(1)A plea for one world
(2)A plea for one world
Is heard in many different lands
This is a plea of a world
That is hungry for peace
Let all men come together
Let us live well together
Happily, In any weather
Pledging our lives to peace
Pledging our lives to peace

This is another song that I learned from Namanu. It is usually sung as a round divided at the end of the first line. Over here is a audio version, the timing is off but you will get the idea.

Songs For Peace #1

Peace of the River

Peace I ask of the Oh River
Peace, Peace, Peace
When I learn to live serenely
Cares will cease
From the hills I gather courage
Visions of the Days to be
Strength to lead and faith to follow
All of these are given unto me
Peace I ask of the Oh River
Peace, Peace, Peace

This is a song I learned from my Mom and later at Camp Namanu. When it is sung you will need to start low because the "From the hills..." bit is sung very high. Here you can find a file of me singing this song.