"The Dead Amongst Us"

 How can it be! Since history has been recorded, millions of people have died, but none have returned to tell the story of a wonderful beyond, yet, most of us believe once we depart, if we've lived a clean, sin-free life, we go there.
How is it possible to go somewhere we don't even know exists?
One thing we know for sure is that we'll all end up either under dirt, in a concrete shelf of a mausoleum or burned to a small pile of ashes, unless we end up drowning in the ocean, or eaten by some wild animal, then we simply become part of the food chain and converted into dung.
Over the years, several con-artist have been arrested and charged with fraud for preying on the elderly and week minded, by leading them to believe they could talk to their beloved departed.  I remember story's from my youth, of people going to these palm readers, or as they called it "ir á bruxa" . One situation I remember had a happy ending for an elderly woman, when the GNR ( Guarda Nacional Republicana), a equivalent to state troopers in the US, dismantled the scheme and caught the crooks in action. Unfortunately, others before her weren't so lucky. Their elaborate plan was to lead the victims to believe they could communicate to a loved one who had passed, if the thieves realized there was money to be had, a plan would be put in motion at the local cemetery where the deceased was buried. By using a simple garden hose buried on the grave site, obscured by the grass and routed a few feet away from the grave, they were able to steel thousands from the unsuspecting.  An accomplice would place himself at the end of the hose and speak into the hose and answer any questions the grieving widow had. If you ever tried speaking into a garden hose, you know the voice that comes out of the other end of the hose is distorted and unrecognizable, convenient to make the scam believable.
When this particular widow was told to bring a large sum of money  to the grave site, she quickly became a none believer and went to the authorities, who quickly put a plan in motion to catch the crooks.
I do agree the world we live in is a very complex, hard to understand place, I find it however, hard to believe, that some higher being created it all. Hypothesizing one mighty God does exist, why did he have to send a messenger to spread the word about him? Wouldn't you believe in him more, if he delivered the message himself? I know I would!
Ironically, he also sent a different messenger to every continent, Buda in asia, Christ in the middle east, then later Mohamed. Was the latter send to the middle east because the Romans stole the Jesus story and were now spreading  it throughout Europe? Did they not want to use the same story, or was it another individual or group of individuals with a lot of time on their hands who decided to write a new book of rules?
Let's analyze South America for a moment, why were they worshipping the sun until the Spaniards and Portuguese sailed their way and told them all about this man who was crucified 1500 years earlier to redeem their sins?
Here we are in the year 2011 and deep down in the rain forest, down under in the Australian outback and in the vast African jungle, there are still civilizations worshipping the sun, fire or some other force of nature they consider Devine. Why didn't our all mighty summoned a messenger to inform them about him, or better yet spread the word himself, since he was the creator! Doesn't he want them to know?
Next time you see a homeless person, try helping getting them shelter, if you know someone is hungry, feed them, take a day off of your busy schedule and go to a nursing home or to a hospital for terminally ill children and spend the day comforting someone in pain or lonely. This will be the best religion you will ever practice. If there is a God, I assure you, your deeds will not go unnoticed. 

UMAS QUADRAS PARA ANIMAR

(1)

As velhinhas de Toronto

Pra elas estou sempre pronto

Para lhes dar bons conselhos

Que ás vezes quando lhes dá

Pra mostrar seus aparelhos

Ao tirar o sutiã 

Batem lhe as mamas nos joelhos

(2)

 E os velhotes que as adoram

Vendo as assim até choram

Por tempos que já lá vão 

E dizem pra sua amada

Mas que raio é isso então

Já não quero ver mais nada 

Tira essas mamas do chão 

(3)

Elas todas chateadas

Sentido se envergonhadas

Dão resposta de seguida

E teu pirolau então

Que á anos perdeu a vida

Anda sempre a olhar pró chão

Já tem a espinha partida

(4)

Meu pirolau nem sorri

E nem quer sair daqui

Pra por a cabeça ao sol

Antes olhava pra mim

Agora anda sempre mole

E até me diz assim

Só quero é fazer pipi

Joe Carvalho