Bad Boy - Barack Obama
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© 2009 - Ben Heine
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A drawing I made on paper
(with digital colors afterwards)

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Bad Boy - Because

By Peter S. Quinn

There are moments lost in my natural sky
Feeling times that are done to nothing
Every time travel there asking reasons why
Sometimes giving no answers - just bluffing
Taking my heart to pieces in each try

When I reach down to deepest of my low
Finding no answers to keep me still high
When my life is a shadow of darkish glow
Answering nothing of its reasons and why
Only time spaces between goings to fly

I´m not a substitute for agent 007
Only awake up call to be taken seriously
I'll give you a touch of my heaven
If you are behaving mysteriously
Because I´m a man in black
Pointing my future at you
Keeping you on the right track
Anything to get you here through

Nothing to get exited either way
Only point-blank clear for its go
Feeling pressures of a coming play
To the hours that I don’t know
Drifting by and by in their flowing
In the answers that never come
Always something either way going
To somewhere it all is from
Nothing taking a turn to more
Just a seat in the corner of dark night
Coming to nowhere in what it’s all for
Because it has lost all its flight

Nothing more to be done or said
For my decisions are staying right here
Don’t worry- be happy – stay ahead
Just agree and everything’s clear

Nothing to get exited either way
Only point-blank clear for its go
Feeling pressures of a coming play
To the hours that I don’t know
Drifting by and by in their flowing
In the answers that never come
Always something either way going
To somewhere it all is from
Nothing taking a turn to more
Just a seat in the corner of dark night
Coming to nowhere in what it’s all for
Because it has lost all its flight

I´m not a replacement for agent 007
Only awake up call to be taken seriously
I'll give you a touch of my heaven
If you are behaving mysteriously
Because I´m a man in black
Pointing my future at you
Keeping you on the right track
Anything to get you here through

Nothing more to be done or said
For my decisions are staying right here
Don’t worry- be happy – stay ahead
Just agree and everything’s clear

Whenever you try - it's getting lost
Like a flight into nothing from nowhere
Feeling downsides and double-crossed
Reaching to nowhere from here to there

I´m not a substitute for agent 007
Only awake up call to be taken seriously
I'll give you a touch of my heaven
If you are behaving mysteriously
Because I´m a man in black
Pointing my future at you
Keeping you on the right track
Anything to get you here through

Because I´m a man in black
Pointing my future at you
Keeping you on the right track
Anything to get you through

Because I´m the man in black
Pointing my future to go
Because I´m the man in black
In point-blank clear to blow

(People are heard singing faraway:
“Yes he can! Yes he can!
Everything is coming now clear!
Yes we can follow…”)
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Alain Bashung - Yesterday
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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(High resolution version of this image, for
printing purposes, available here)
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Alain Bashung (born in 1947) was a renowned French singer, songwriter, comedian and actor. He died the 14th of March 2009 at the age of 61. See his official website.

And below is a poem by Peter S. Quinn expressly written for Bashung.

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We Are Flowers
in Dark Love

By Peter S. Quinn

We are flowers in dark love
Only for pleasures minutes to come
Like drifts in the clouds above
Come here to be somewhere from

Listen to the words of your heart
Every root is on the rise gone
Giving its moments before depart
To carry our seeds on and on

Yesterday dreams into darkness
Nothing but its moments to go
Within every color of its starkness
When sunshine will return in glow

Then comes the night in heart waves
Singing a song of its sadness
Following a love song that craves
On to your touch and your madness

Nothing to give or to take
Only the flowers of its darkish mood
Feeling that shadows might up wake
On to the street’s blossoms nude

The summer is coming like evening
On to the glow of the night
When every gleam in dim will sing
To follow the lost glow in bright

-------

Alain Bashung was the son of a factory worker and an Algerian father, whom he never knew. His mother remarried, and at the age of one, Bashung was sent to Strasbourg to live with his new step-father's parents. He therefore spent his childhood in the countryside.

The multi-platinum artist Alain Bashung has spent his career singing a pop-chanson repertoire. He received the Legion of Honour on 1 January 2009 and he received three prestigious Victoires de la musique awards during a recent ceremony at the Paris Zenith, including best male artist, best album for "Bleu Pétrole" (Barclay/Universal) and best live show. With 11 such awards, he became the most celebrated French musician in history. The award ceremony was his last public appearance. He appeared frail, but still performed 'Residents de la Republique'.

Bashung, who had cancer, had to postpone several dates of his current tour. While receiving his award, he said he hoped that record companies would "remain in a human dimension by making people happy with records."

He died in Paris on 14 March 2009 from lung cancer at the age of 61.
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Caricatures at

"La Foire du Livre"
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Photo: Marie-Laure Senny
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I met Bruno Senny and Olsen some days ago
at "La Foire du Livre" (a huge event in Brussels with
publishers promoting their new books). I was making
caricatures of random people for the CDH party ("Centre
Démocrate Humaniste", a Belgian political party)
..

Bye Bye Bas-c-hung
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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(High resolution version of this image, for
printing purposes, available here)

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Alain Bashung (initially his name was "Baschung" with a "C" in the middle, hence the horseshoe-shaped "C" on my illustration) was a French singer, songwriter, comedian and actor. He died the 14th of March 2009 at the age of 61. His official website.

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Before It’s
All Lost

By Peter S. Quinn

Soft is my heart like the wind blows
Reach a feeling of touch and more
Everything comes as it all too goes
Reaching days for what it is for

Life is a going and a turning ways
Giving its spin a gaze awhile
So many hours in moments and days
Each the embroidery of its own style

Love songs to feel light years away
Goals to teach and make into new
Something for love that awakes the day
Giving the clouds or making sky blue

Promises living and touching us all
Something in the making or broken to dust
Seasons coming to us making their call
Everything that turns before it’s lost
Everything that turns before it’s all lost

Promises living and touching us all
Something in the making or broken to dust
Seasons coming to us making their call
Everything that turns before it’s lost
Everything that turns before it’s all lost

Love songs to feel light years away
Goals to teach and make into new
Something for love that awakes the day
Giving the clouds or making sky blue

Time is taking footsteps
To forgotten rows
Feelings from our heart
With times to time goes
Everything is filled
With dreams of forgotten places
That once in the times filled
Us with their graces

-------

Alain Bashung was the son of a factory worker and an Algerian father, whom he never knew. His mother remarried, and at the age of one, Bashung was sent to Strasbourg to live with his new step-father's parents. He therefore spent his childhood in the countryside.

The multi-platinum artist Alain Bashung has spent his career singing a pop-chanson repertoire. He received the Legion of Honour on 1 January 2009 and he received three prestigious Victoires de la musique awards during a recent ceremony at the Paris Zenith, including best male artist, best album for "Bleu Pétrole" (Barclay/Universal) and best live show. With 11 such awards, he became the most celebrated French musician in history. The award ceremony was his last public appearance. He appeared frail, but still performed 'Residents de la Republique'.

Bashung, who had cancer, had to postpone several dates of his current tour. While receiving his award, he said he hoped that record companies would "remain in a human dimension by making people happy with records."

He died in Paris on 14 March 2009 from lung cancer at the age of 61.

Interview for TimeTurk

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The above caricature is by David Baldinger
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Note: this interview can be seen on Timeturk.com as well and is available in Spanish on Rebelion.org. (translation by Manuel Talens)

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Interview by Kourosh Ziabari (*) / TIMETURK

Regardless of his political stances, there is no doubt over the artistic dexterity of Benjamin Heine. Whoever has seen the artworks of this Belgian cartoonist admitted that he is a nimble and accomplished artist indeed. Aside from the exclusive techniques of sketching and brilliant coloring methods which he employs to personify his political cartoons, his ethical commitment and devotion to the cause of reality is what makes him different from the other cartoonists visibly.

Ben is a freelance journalist and teacher who has dedicated a large number of his political cartoons to the 22-day massacre of Gaza and its aftermaths. He challenges the inaction of international community and the indifference of superpowers in dealing with the suffering of Palestinian people, and criticizes the double-standards of US in the case of Iran's nuclear issue.


KZ: Firstly, we would like to know about the backgrounds of your involvement with the case of Gaza. You've devoted a dozen of your cartoons to the recent massacre in Gaza. What were your chief motives?

BH: It all started a couple of years ago. I was still studying Journalism. I had a fascinating devoted teacher of Middle East Affairs (Paul Delmotte) who gave me lots of information on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I started to make several cartoons on this specific issue. I published them on the web. I became members of several virtual pro-Palestinian organizations and associations such as Tlaxcala, Rebelion, MWC News. I was then associated to Steve Amsel alias DesertPeace, a renowned pro-Palestinian blogger. I’ve made many cartoons for him and still continue to do so.


KZ: What major international feedbacks have you gotten over the past few weeks for your pro-Palestinian cartoons, specially following the publication of your interview with Zaman newspaper of Turkey?

BH: There were globally many positive international reactions and encouragements to my recent political cartoons. Several of my new illustrations were published in significant websites and newspapers such as Zaman (Turkey) or The Copenhagen Post (Denmark). They were used as posters in several manifestations for Gaza around the world. There were also numerous feedbacks and messages from people willing to share with me their opinion, their support to the Palestinian struggle and their indignation regarding the Israeli brutality.

So a large number of people agreed with the content of these recent cartoons. But there needs to be more consciousness about this conflict and I hope it will have tangible impacts and positive effects for the Palestinians in the short term. This is what all my work and intentions are about.


KZ: Seemingly, cartoon is an effective outlet through which you can convey the most pungent and caustic messages without being criticized and harassed by the dissents. What's the feature of this art that makes it so delicate, subtle and sensitive?

BH: With the use of symbols and through a subjective analysis, cartoonists succeed in delivering a wide range of meanings in an explicit and graphic rendering; everybody usually understands their content in a few seconds. They can be used to diffuse any clear ideas and information on the most complex issues. They can be reproduced easily and displayed in many different ways (posters, t-shirts... ). This makes them a far more powerful, effective and influential tool than textual articles.

The only inconvenient in my opinion is that political images may sometimes lack nuance because they go straight to the point. The viewers usually like to have “summaries” of complicated subjects because it makes these more understandable. This is something positive. I believe that a subtle combination of words and images will always be the key to a successful communication. I use my ability in graphic arts to denounce imperialism, racism, oppression, discrimination, violence, Human Rights infringements, crimes against humanity… and my final goal and ideal is to promote peace and mutual respect between people of different cultures and backgrounds.

Political cartoonists don’t enjoy a 100% freedom of expression. I can assure you there is a violent Zionist dissent against pro-Palestinian cartoonists and activists.


KZ: I was about to point something about this matter out. Have you so far received any hostile threat or caution from the end of Israelis regarding your cartoons?

BH: Fortunately, I haven’t received any threats to my physical security yet. I have well received several unfriendly mails and found on the web a few intimidating articles from Zionists intending to prevent me from making other pro-Palestinian cartoons. I don’t really care about these negative and unconstructive feedbacks. I have nothing against the people who wrote them. They have the right to do so. In my early years as a political cartoonist, I made some mistakes; I inserted elements in my drawings that dealt with passion. Now I really try to focus on facts only. The reason is always wiser and stronger than passion.


KZ: You were among the rare artists, particularly cartoonists, who have lambasted the Israeli offensive so sharply and courageously. Weren't you afraid of the possible consequences that it might have for you?

BH: There are risks in everything. When I make some new political illustrations criticizing the Israeli military abuses in Palestine, I’m not thinking about all the consequences it will have afterwards. I’m making them at a specific moment because I’m shocked and because I believe my voice can be helpful to the cause. I don’t really see what Zionists could do to make me stop drawing for Palestine. The Internet is very important for the Palestinian struggle because any kind of information condemning Israel can be transmitted very fast everywhere around the globe via loads of activist sites.

I’ve heard that Israel is going to hire bloggers to be militantly against pro-Palestinian activists. I don’t know if it’s true, but I think this is mad and scary. The virtual pro-Israeli lobby is getting stronger everyday. The virtual war for a free Palestine isn’t won at all yet.


KZ: Which are the essential guidelines which you will give the artists to preserve their independence, objectivity and non-aligned stance toward the issues? What should an adroit artist practice to not become the stooge of hegemonic powers and keep his self-determination?

BH: That kind of person must accept to refuse contracts that would prevent them from being totally free in their graphic decisions. they should follow a few basic rules and do all they can to avoid spreading hatred against one community or another. They ought to follow their conscience and promote peace and justice in everyway they can. Even if there is a strong subjective aspect in political cartooning and in graphic arts, a non-aligned artist should focus on facts and reality.


KZ: What are the backgrounds of your enthusiasm in political cartooning? Why do you prefer to dedicate your art to political caricatures?

BH: Politics and Art have always been connected. Even before starting my studies in Journalism, I have been interested in making political artworks. I think modern art has got to be political to have its true legitimacy and authenticity. Contemporary art has got to contain a huge dose of meaning to have its own authority and raise interest and awareness for important issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Furthermore, I have always liked to rebel and show my disapproval when I believe something goes wrong.


KZ: What's your sublime artistic ambition? Which pinnacle is the most transcendent that you want to climb in the future and become everlasting by that?

BH: I would like to portray all the most influential and noble human beings of our time and eventually of all times.


KZ: Finally, please tell me about your conception of the international condemnation of massacre in Gaza. How was the reflection of Belgian society? What's your assessment about the reactions of international communities and UN, specifically?

BH: Although there were many condemnations of the massacre in Gaza from significant leaders worldwide, I think there is a big gap between what Palestine needs and what the international community and the UN do. The Arab countries lack of unity and clarity when it comes to support Palestine and the rest of the world is just scared to take sanctions against Israel for its numerous crimes against humanity. Palestine deserves more than that.

They are many pro-Palestinian associations in Belgium. I’m member of the group “Artists Against the Wall”. Each summer, the people of this NGO go to Qalqilia to animate artistic camps for hundreds of children.
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Ben by Bruno Senny

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------

(*) Kourosh Ziabari is a young Iranian journalist, media correspondent and literary author. He was born in Rasht, the capital city of Guilan province, a littoral state of South Caspian Sea. More info on Kourosh Ziabari. His Blog: Cyberfaith.

--> TimeTurk is a newspaper based in Turkey. Check out their website in English

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Berliner Kurier
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A publication of some of my
recent illustrations, via ToonPool

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Executive at ToonPool
- My new B-Card! -
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I recently became "Executive - France/Belgium" at ToonPool. This is a tremendous honour and pleasure for me.

My personal profile up there can be found there.

ToonPool is similar to DeviantArt but it really focuses on illustrations. It is a most promising cartoon agency and a publishing house based in Germany.

It already represents a homogeneous community with thousands of famous artists.

Anybody is free to join and create a personal profile.
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Publication in
the Fucid Mag
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My painting "Mother Africa" was recently published in the Fucid magazine. See the online edition.

The FUCID is a non-governmental organization located in the University campus of Namur, Belgium. It intends to bring lasting social, political and environmental changes and promotes solidarity and citizenship.

Many thanks to the editors and to Benjamin Moriamé in particular. (Benjamin Moriamé is a Belgian journalist working for the FUCID and as a freelance for La Libre Belgique, Le Soir, Vers l'Avenir and several other magazines.)
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Give Me Independence
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© 2009 - Ben Heine
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(High resolution version of this image, for
printing purposes, available here)
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Give Me a
Time to Run

By Peter S. Quinn

Give me a time to run
I'm so much in my freedom
Life is of sadness and fun
Contributing ways asylum
Gladness gives me laughter
Sadness only its deep pain
What is this existence after?
Where shall they both reign?

Tomorrow is always coming
Giving its time to share
Some of it is just benumbing
Without its street's fare
Life has its ups and down
With its beauty and ugliness
Each can become a hometown
With its many penurious

Give me a time to laugh
Everything becomes easier
Sometimes it isn't enough
When life gets much breezier
Give muddy bosom - sunset
For golden it will become
If futures in equals are meet
To blooms of the earth some

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Barack Obama's
Challenges
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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(High resolution version of this image, for
printing purposes, available here)

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Together We Can

By Peter S. Quinn

I want to chance all yes change all
Give me your hope and I have a call
For I am the man for your destiny
Yes sing with me - that's me!

Living isn’t easy if love isn’t growing
We have a new call now worth knowing
I just need to have you by my side
Take a moment and hold me tight

This isn’t easy for me you know
To build it all up and let it grow
I need your help and to be with me here
Stand by my side close and near

The rivers are going to fall a long way
Before we can give a prosper day
But if you will jus build with me
Yes we can! - Yes we can, hope again see

I want to make this a better place
For everyone to have their days
To live and make good of what they do
Together we can! - Yes it’s up to you

I didn't say it would be very easy
We come along way and it’s been breezy
But trust me to build you a hope
And I shall try to be your strong robe

I want to chance all yes change all
Give me your hope and I have a call
For I am the man for your destiny
Yes sing with me - that's me!

Living isn’t easy if love isn’t growing
We have a new call now worth knowing
I just need to have you by my side
Take a moment and hold me tight

I told you yes we can make and stop
Build the future reach the top
I am counting on you to help me
Lent me your hand and it shall be

The rivers are going to fall a long way
Before we can give a prosper day
But if you will just build with me
Yes we can! - Yes we can, hope again see

I want to make this a better place
For everyone to have their days
To live and make good of what they do
Together we can! - Yes it’s up to you

The rivers are going to fall a long way
The rivers are going to fall a long way

Give me your hope and I have a call
For I am the man for your destiny
Yes, sing with me! - That’s me, that’s me

Yes we can, yes we can
Together we can
Build up our hope and dreams

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* * *
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How big a change
can Obama produce?

Comparisons with presidencies that produced
historic changes in direction are overstated.
More like a rebalancing seems in the cards.

By Ted Van Dyk (*)

National media and pundits have seized on the theme that President Obama's new budget, released last week, represents an historic change of direction akin to those taken by Presidents Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, Lyndon Johnson in 1965, and Ronald Reagan in 1981. It represents change, all right, but a close look at the earlier examples might make it seem less momentous than billed.

More likely, it represents one of the periodic rebalancings we take in domestic policy between those responsibilities taken by the public and private sectors — but never far from a moderate middle. The so-called historic turn being taken by Obama is more a course correction, putting us somewhere between the Johnson and Reagan models

One reason for this prediction is the fact that the Obama budget is based on optimistic assumptions that were dealt a blow Friday when data indicated the economy will be slower than previously anticipated in pulling out of recession. That also means that federal tax revenues accordingly will be fewer than those necessary to pay for the Obama domestic initiatives. Resource constraints, interest-group opposition, and a Congress accustomed to having the final say will certainly slow if not stop much of the Obama program.

>>> Read the full article
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Give Me Freedom
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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Dancing His
Way to Peace

By Peter S. Quinn

I will dance like a white dove toward peace
With my both wings set to the sky from here
The motion of my movements set and frees
So I will glow like a ray in astrosphere
I have filled my moments here on this earth
With every aspect of its sensual shade
Now I'm gaining more power in my rebirth
With flowing that the breeze balladeer arrayed

With songs of true peace there's harmonious air
Through the heavens of the moments arriving
We shall fill very quarter of its flair
Before again to tomorrow diving
Both my wings of new freedom shall chains break
And dawn of opportunities awake
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Tender Flower
of Mankind
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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(High resolution version of this image, for
printing purposes, available here)

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Oh Love

By Peter S. Quinn

Oh love is so sweetly during,
Each honey flower bud
Like spring in the morning
That has its seeds florid
To bring in freshly fragrance
Like feelings in to the day
Of the instant abundance
That comes in its fair play

Oh love of every devotee
That is revived like spring
When blossoms come to be
Like heart in love to sing
When new daybreak is in light
To give its clearest vision
For a day to come in bright
With all its shade precision

Oh love that arrives and grows
With verve touches to give
That never again goes
If it's with roots that live
Like carnations in posy
Of pinkish whitish and red
The days of sweet love rosy
Not to go pale in spring's bed

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The Colours
of Her Soul
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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(High resolution version of this image, for
printing purposes, available here)

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Something
so Exotic

By Peter S. Quinn

You are the wondrous ways
And everything within it
To you my feelings play
Wherever it seems fit
Today is not tomorrow
And nothing is the same
Each way to ways borrow
It is our lives game

Something so exotic
To places a moment on
A world full of anecdotic
Until the years are gone
Nights are little wild
Into my life today
They used to be so mild
But now their full of play

You are my woman now
We need to be two
Why we managed and how
I haven't got a clue
But everything has turned
And makes now more sense
Old bridges have been burned
And brought away the tense

You are the wondrous ways
And everything within it
To you my feelings play
Wherever it seems fit
We have no way to know
What makes a story good
It's quite like yes and no
What's done and what should...

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Guardian Angels
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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(High resolution version of this image, for
printing purposes, available here)
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There Is an
Angel in Heaven

By Peter S. Quinn

There is an angel in heaven,
He's awake until eleven;
You can hold to his hand
And he'll try to understand,
Why your heart is angry and bitter,
And he'll try to make it fitter
So the future for you will glitter.

There are roads to walk across
And you are your only boss,
But your angel will guide you through
Because he knows what to do;
So don't let your hope become lost
Or frostbitten in your frost.
Be saved by an angel, who tries,
He knows both your lowness and highs;
Find refuge in love and kindness,
Hope you try this and God bless.
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Earth Laughs
in Flowers
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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A Flower Is a
Lovesome Thing

By Peter S. Quinn

A flower is a lovesome thing,
For it so much inside pleasures bring;
And spaces are there whole apart,
Everywhere there's a beating heart.

Give a day or two for each and each,
Some of love this feeling will teach;
Give a mood or take it then all away,
There are no more of thoughts to say.

Stranger you can find the new route,
For all your strangest feeling to breakout;
To another and a different time in time,
Be it a way or a thought so sublime.

A flower is a lovesome whole;
An enchanting way to your lonesome soul,
A garden within the different cosmos;
Freedom and beauty along the comatose.

Give a day or two for each and each,
For its beauty to you will then reach;
Give your heart a meaning and a reason,
In all the coming new pleasures season.

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Abstract Shot
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© 2009 - Ben Heine

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Time Is Glowing On

By Peter S. Quinn

Time is glowing on
Through the hours sincere
Morning sun has shone
The evening is now near
Without letup going
Preceding hours before
Every day is flowing
To a greener shore

There’s a big silence
Going here through
When winter’s dance
Dies in spring’s new
Meet of fresh sprouts
From the protected earth
Cleanness without doubts
Every viewings worth

Time’s on going landscape
Greetings from airstreams
Make and giving verve shape
So all terrain newly seems…
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