I AM PHOENIX

Lady Gaga has had a rough couple of weeks. What should have been a celebratory kick-off to her “Born This Way Ball” has been marred in controversy, as the pop superstar has encountered protests from religious groups at nearly every turn.

The tour’s first show in Seoul, South Korea, was marred by protests from Christian groups saying Mother Monster was “obscene” and could “taint” young people with her performance. The protestors even managed to get the Korea Media Rating Board to elevate the age rating for the concert from 12 to 18, prohibiting minors from seeing the show.

She encountered similar troubles in the Philippines, where her May 21 and 22 concerts in Manila were met with similar derision from Christian groups claiming her lyrics are blasphemous and that the sentiment behind songs like “Born this Way” promotes “promiscuity” and homosexuality. A few days before the first concert, anti-riot police were forced to stop hundreds of protestors from descending on the venue. Gaga responded to the hubbub today on Twitter, saying, “And don’t worry, if I get thrown in jail in Manila, Beyonce will just bail me out. Sold out night 2 in the Philippines. I love it here!”

Then there is her planned June 3 show in Indonesia, which is entirely different animal in that the show is courting not only protests and governmental interference, but Gaga is being threatened with violence by radical Islamic groups in the country. “The Jakarta situation is 2-fold: Indonesian authorities demand I censor the show & religious extremist separately, are threatening violence,” Gaga tweeted earlier today.

She’s responded briefly on the controversies on Twitter, but now the pop star finally addressed the controversy at length. During her concert today in Manila, Gaga spoke to the audience about the protests, saying:

“I know that everybody, you know, thinks that I stand for, well not everybody, not everybody, I shouldn’t say that, but some people think that I stand for like, really inappropriate things that are really bad for… Listen, I am slightly irresponsible, let’s be honest, okay? It’s okay. But they’re not completely right and the truth is I want the fucking best for you. I want the best for every single one of you. I love you with all of my heart and all my soul, I really do, and all the things that I think about and the way that I am, it’s my lifestyle, it’s just part of this one big giant performance art statement of liberation. So, I hope that you feel tonight, as free as your hair. And to those of you that don’t feel free, take the best opportunity to free yourselves.

“I just feel like, you know, so many people have been protesting and it really doesn’t bother me truly because I know that there has to be change, but for all those kids all over the world that take their lives when they’re so young because they feel bullied or they’re afraid because they’re gay and they don’t want to tell anybody, don’t you think that some of us should stand up and say the godd**mn truth? It’s true. It’s not about the music, it’s not about, it’s not about anything, it’s not about my clothes, it’s not about having a hit record, it’s the fucking goddamn truth that people in the world need to be free of who they are and be proud and feel valuable no matter where they are.”

 Written by Edgar Villegas ( Ziggy)

    The day was hot and moist on the island . It had the music of the breeze flut-tering in the ears of the children playing on the streets where the ferry docked.

    This world was a different world, a different civilization. There were cars. ma-chines, and robots; Instead of unicorns, magic , and sorcerers. There were paved roads, and locked up temples, all looking quite the same. There was no magic, and very little love floating in the air.

    It was now 3:00 o clock in the afternoon and the last ferry of the day approached the islands harbour, landing on the one dock by the main plaza of the island’s town, Yama. The horn alerted the people of the arrival, and children and their mothers ran down the dock, filled with curiosity and mischief. The boat touched the wooden hanging floor and immediately the working men opened up the gates. It was an un-usual scenery for the people of Yama this time around. They were used to three boats docking daily and each one pouring out a mass of tourists seeking art , arche-ologists with hopes of finding ancient temples, and aficionado wonderers who re-joice in the myths and legends of the island and take their selfish trips with hopes of tapping into ancient power.

    This time around, the ferry only dropped off two people. An old woman, proba-bly in her late eighties, and young man who seemed pretty well on his early adult years. The two had been sharing a ferry ride for about two hours. A trip full of awk-ward silences and curiosity filled eye contact moments shared. But, every time such energy drawn him to look at her, he shied away and sank back into his favorite book, The Dhammapada.

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                                                                CHAPTER 1                             

                                    SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA

                     MAY 1, 1692. SALTSPRING ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA

     Every day, was a wonderful day. Every day was a peaceful day. The flowers bloomed in spring, the ocean shinned in summer, the leaves would dance through autumn , and the winds would sing through winter. Every day, was a wonderful day on the island.

    But not today. Today there was fear. Today there was blood and sparkles running down the paths and painting the grass with sorrow. Today there were screams that wounded all living creatures of nature. Today there was fire. 

     They came in horses, all men. They wore all black , and their faces were complete blurs to anyone on the island. However, each and every one of those who ran, saw the two swords each one of them had. One pointing up, one pointing down. 

     On the highest cliff of the island was an area of the island that was referred to as the Land of Agate, in which, for many generations, had lived a powerful  small community of Mystic Elders. The community was protected and guided by four Great Spirit Elders. The Psychic , The Healer, The Oracle, and The Astral. Together, according to legend, they took  an oath to protect every being and soul of any darkness in the name of love throughout generations to come.

    The sound of horses crying in trained suffering, and the sound of screams in painful forgiveness began to come creeping slowly upwards, getting closer and closer to the Land of Agate. The Great Elders ordered everyone to run and find safety, but with a simultaneous nod of the head, they turned their backs and walked slowly towards their temple.

     The Elders locked all entrances and openings, and proceeded by igniting a circle of fire. Then, each one of them sat inside the fire, together, in divine union. One hand after the other began to reach for the bag attached to their cloaks. In it, each had a crystal. Amethyst, Azurite Apophyllite, and Selenite. And as the words of light and the words of dark were said that night, each and every power they possessed projected from all seven chakras of the Elders into the crystals.

    The noise of terror was now in Agate, and the Elders knew it was time. They blessed a box and sealed it with a poem of spirit. Together, with love, buried their legend, history, and prophecy. The wind pushed in, the fire disappeared. And  with the Great Spirit Elders, the sound of darkness vanished. 

    Today was a day of silence on the island. Today was the day, the day of the birth of destiny.