"Cactus Pod"
One of four sculptures in the Seeds of War Series by TJ Mabrey
Black Belgium Marble, Iron Element, 12 x 12 x 17 inches with iron base
A Continuing Discussion about the Seeds and Pods
of Sculptor TJ Mabrey**

The War in Iraq was a dark thing. Yet there it was, happening in the fertile crescent of ancient Mesopotamia. In what was The Garden of Eden, where life began between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the cities, the towns, the villages, were rendered dark by bombs and bullets; as black as the dirt hurriedly thrown over the bodies of the dead. On the edge of paradise, in the desert, possibly unseen, a cactus grew, quietly, spewing forth its seeds of life. Life goes on, at some price. We all pay. Is it worth the price?  
Worse Than the War
President Emeritus, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Worse than the war, the endless, senseless war,
Worse than the lies leading to the war,

Worse than the countless deaths and injuries,
Worse than hiding the coffins and not attending funerals,

Worse than the flouting of international law,
Worse than the torture at Abu Ghraib prison,

Worse than the corruption of young soldiers,
Worse than undermining our collective sense of decency,

Worse than the arrogance, smugness and swagger,
Worse than our loss of credibility in the world,
Worse than the loss of our liberties,

Worse than learning nothing from the past,
Worse than destroying the future,
Worse than the incredible stupidity of it all,

Worse than all of these,
As if they were not enough for one war or country or lifetime,
Is the silence, the resounding silence of good Americans.

**The Sound of Silence was written by Paul Simon (1964).
He was just 21, yet reveals a compelling view of silence. Read more here
by Dr. Allan Tasman, MD on the The Sound of Silence.

"I have been thinking about my favorite pod of yours - the tall, thin black one. It is so elegant and understated. It is almost sacred in my mind and that is not often achieved by any artist. "
- Robert Parker