Pure love

Introducing the official logo of 51 Percent:           

That I can do this now, before we see the back side of 2008, is a result of pure love. The logo's timely creation comes from the generosity of readers of this blog who have helped with ideas and feedback, the generosity of two people who volunteered their professional skills in the midst of the holiday season, and the generosity of those who have been contributing funds. This generosity of spirit is pure love.

51 Percent is an organization devoted to educating people about the meaning and efficacy of proportional representation of women throughout civic life, both as an end in itself and as a remedy to misogny, a social ill that 51 Percent will also teach about. You can learn more about 51 Percent on this page, which will serve as an interim informational space until the launch of the organization's own website, scheduled for January 15, 2009. (You can donate to the launch on the interim page). Every $5.10 helps and is appreciated as a sign of pure love.

Pure Love is also the title of beautiful song by Colin Hay (h/t Riverdaughter). You will need to download to hear it, a worthwhile investment, in my view. But I can at least share the lyrics with the readers of this blog, my own gesture in the spirit of the song.

Pure Love - by Colin Hay

The people allow this last great congregation
I tip my hat to the ones who went before
My secret voice has the inside information
To let the freedom bell ring once and for all

They were singing:
I got to fill my heart with pure love
(Pure love)
I got to fill my heart with pure love

Around here it's the same old situation
Fire and wind and the river's running red
Can't wash away the pain of a thousand generations
Or the angel child awakened from the dead

And we're singing:
You got to fill your heart with pure love
You got to fill your heart
You got to fill your heart with pure love
Pure love

Listen to the band sanctify

We got to fill our hearts with pure love
We got to fill our hearts with pure love
We got to fill our hearts with pure love
We got to fill our hearts with pure love
We got to fill our hearts with pure love

***********

December 25, 2008 noon UPDATE! Several donations have arrived. So, a poem for the occasion, too.

Why I Am Not a Painter

by Frank O'Hara

I am not a painter, I am a poet.
Why? I think I would rather be
a painter, but I am not. Well,

for instance, Mike Goldberg
is starting a painting. I drop in.
“Sit down and have a drink” he
says. I drink; we drink. I look
up. “You have SARDINES in it.”
“Yes, it needed something there.”
“Oh.” I go and the days go by
and I drop in again. The painting
is going on, and I go, and the days
go by. I drop in. The painting is
finished. “Where’s SARDINES?”
All that’s left is just
letters, “It was too much,” Mike says.

But me? One day I am thinking of
a color: orange. I write a line
about orange. Pretty soon it is a
whole page of words, not lines.
Then another page. There should be
so much more, not of orange, of
words, of how terrible orange is
and life. Days go by. It is even in
prose, I am a real poet. My poem
is finished and I haven’t mentioned
orange yet. It’s twelve poems, I call
it ORANGES. And one day in a gallery
I see Mike’s painting, called SARDINES.

Comments

[Wayne Smith]

Every country that has at least 30% women in its legislature uses a proportional voting system.

More info here: http://fairvote.org

[Mirlo]

I love this logo - let's carry that torch!

[madamab]

Beautiful, Heidi Li!

[MWhite]

I really like the logo! And, my check is in the mail.

[purplefinn]

Beautiful symbol, Heidi Li. I know that when I contribute to the interests of women in general, many benefit including men. It is in the interest of all of us that we become more fairly representative and inclusive. Thank you for your brilliant ideas. I can't think of any efforts that I have more confidence in than the ones you initiate.

[Mirlo]

I also love the poem by O'Hara, chuckle.