happy new day to you

Gifted

Years of my life I believed
why wouldn’t I?
how couldn’t I?
“Give more than I receive.”
Most importantly, give to humanity.
Take in humiliating pain, let it rain,
take the drenching. Perfume the stench
imagining pretty happy plans,
idealizing mankind
as they could be
brought to see glorious peace and bliss.
The word these days is Passion
a flying heart
the ache of Art
Find where my mind takes ease,
soars with eternity, smiles with fluidity.
Learn from those few I can respect;
let go the rest.
Float, a ghost in repose, leaving regret
for scavengers to eat in my wake.
Every dawn could be inspiration,
undrained by beliefs in obligatory
gifting,
uplift
energy gleefully received.

untidy transition

Century @ 21

Change, hard change, swift change, too much air to breathe change

is happening

now, and surrounding now, growing beyond our

frenzied adaptations

The old stolid traditions, the way it’s always been

Myths to depend on

crumble in the quakes, the shiftings

Of course we rabidly react

dripping fear, convulsed in rage, scattered

rants and orgasmic desperation

Yes, in the burning off fog of tomorrow

we may be the better world to come

I can feel it humming,

dancing into anticipation’s view,

feel the drumbeat, the hurrahs of the tribe

Change, a jubilation, gift of beneficent deities

wisdom of ages inexorably gaining speed

once we learn to jump on board

to play

under the light of expanding space

June 23, 2012

other side of Solstice

season of change

Kind wind, scent of Spring

travels still extending

Tingle of choice

bound up in change

Colors mingle, edge into

mauves and teals, wisps of shade

and Sun, moody, descending

Eyes alert beneath flirtatious

flutter,

puppy-beg for Summer,

whining to get out to play,

to burn kinetic

With thrust of flame,

to weld

a tight, unyielding hinge

Swinging door

to untested vistas

carries with its motion

changing definitions of out and in

June 20, 2012

season of change

season of change

Kind wind, scent of Spring

travels still extending

Tingle of choice

bound up in change

Colors mingle, edge into

mauves and teals, wisps of shade

and Sun lazily descending

long, happy days

Eyes alert beneath flirtatious

flutter,

puppy-beg for Summer,

whining to get out to play,

to burn kinetic, thrusting flame

for welding

a tight, unyielding hinge

Swinging door

to untested vistas

carries with its motion

unmapped definitions of out and in

June 17, 2012

a nuanced relationship with truth

obvious cognitive dissonance among fundies who as Conservatives tout the holiness of personal responsibility while assuming that we are helpless against our human sinner natures

the normative thought seems to be "these criteria define appropriate ways of being human -- reality need not apply."

When you judge a group by the most egregiously extreme of their members, of course you will judge that group poorly.

Fighting to survive, responding to threats with aggressive action, does not jump to wars of convenience or even necessarily war at all. Of course the living will violently DEFEND themselves from perceived attack, or kill for food. We think through enough to build weapons, strategize, create armies. We could, with a better will, use that energy to strategize for peace. Certainly, thinking,communicating beings can develop

more useful strategies for dispute negotiations. That is once we get over this silly notion that armed conflict is honorable, or inevitable.

Everyone can be as successful as they want, if they define success as the stretch they get from reaching for personal goals.

science is a creature of culture; we see what we have the vision to see
economic thought and therefore policy is too dependent on unproven 

theory

It can be argued that more equitable distribution of access to resources is both more democratic as the majority of people can vote with their dollars for the kinds of goods and services we want, and better for economic growth and the optimal functioning of market economy.

Nobody is getting free stuff. This idea is a shared illusion. Everyone is getting paid. Those who produce and sell the products, those who work and pay taxes, those who are paid to contribute economically as consumers while keeping their dysfunctions out of the workplace, are all being paid. No one is losing. It's a win/win/win.

Many of the people reviled with concerned that they get "free stuff" are working very hard; and not getting sufficient compensation to pay for basic needs. Others are seriously disabled, requiring major accommodations to be effective employees. Most employers prefer not to make such accommodations (quite understandably), so these people can not be employed. Government or private concerns could develop special training and projects to employ those who could work, but rarely do.Others, though not traditionally disabled have such chaotic lives (for any of many possible reasons) that they are unemployable.
Others will be employed and able to make their own contributions to the general revenue; but for right now that has not happened.
Yet, these people are all actively contributing to the overall economy while their lives are sorting out. Fewer people are actively sick and destitute on the streets, and thus not bringing down property values, causing problems for local businesses, presenting disincentives for people of means to shop or enjoy public space, or presenting even greater problems for health care and crime industries.

There appears to be a spell long cast upon the people to integrate into our basic understanding of the world this idea of market based economy as a given. Economics, money, even mathematics, are human constructs, ideas, not reality. When economic systems, ideas we have joined in promoting, do not well serve human enterprise and needs, the people ought not feel it is we who must adjust to serve the economy. Rather, it is those ideas that need adjustment to better fit our purpose.

However, as the logical progression of market thinking dictates, those who have benefited, who have bases of power that serve them well by their lights, want the rest to live and die in thrall to the system that these powerful command. A useful subterfuge is to convince the bulk of us that the system is not only inevitable, but in our best interest if only they will work hard enough and cast our doubts and blame into burning hatred for the designated losers.

At this time business and social enterprises of all kinds are going through revolutionary changes thus that business experience of the past into the present will be irrelevant to enterprises of even the near future.

Until we get somebody born in space, we are all tied to Earth.

when most of us are complacent, or too busy trying to tread water to notice much beyond our immediate sea, those with ugly axes needing grinding or with excellent profit projections on destruction are going to set the scene.

If they were listening, I would say:

figure it out

but first, think about your precepts

and, most importantly,

where you want to be

(not where you should; or where you could)

on the other side.

So envious of the unwanted? Quit your lousy job, too taxed, too overworked, too ignored.

Surely you deserve better those under. Enjoy your natural bounty, and all that our country offers.

Taxes? Ever it has been so in our culture. Jesus was born, so the story goes, when his mortal parents

were on the road to pay required tithes of their livelihoods. For the privilege of doing business, trading

our time and skills for pay, the top takes their cut. We pay our homage and percentage to our lord,

and hope his armies will protect us from invading hordes.

If you don’t like the system developed over eons for the benefit of those who have forced their way

to be in charge, create a better one. Then (here’s the trick) sell it to a majority; and make them care enough

to follow through.

Money will never be out of politics. It’s too attractive a game. The only way around that is to make money

irrelevant. The people would need to understand and agree on better leadership, better policies, that are

personally meaningful to them. They need to feel a real stake, real reason to believe it’s not all fixed

beyond their ability to make a difference. And, it’s got to be easy to begin.

take the time to feel the music and dance where no one is watching

Venus

Venus Guide Us to Peace

a meditative poem

Not just sweetness and light

There is a strength; there is conviction --

there is a vibrant dedication to true worth.

If we can but believe again

in all the humane virtues --

Love is sharing,

in kindness, understanding, supportive regard.

Love is forgiving and being forgiven,

when it is clear that malice was not intended

or malice has been exorcised

-- an acceptance of the positive power

of change, of growth in spirit.

Love is the assumption of "we."

We are doing being going having creating

We are able to exchange our labor, knowledge,

possessions, positions

We are able to take in more than I -- to synergize

our fortunes into wealth and integral well being.

Love is not just a song -- a pretty set of symbols

Love is a power and a glory

and an all encompassing truth.

Love is addition and multiplication,

not division or subtraction.

Love enriches and inspires us.

Love is not blind, not foolish.

Love is not denying the self or self interest.

Love is seeing clearly, knowing wisely,

understanding and expanding the self --

expanding outward to take in the universe

of interconnected, interdependent being.

Love sees the ugliness; and loves sees the beauty.

The ugliness saddens; the beauty invigorates.

Love is to peace as music is to harmony.

But how are we to love in a discordant world?

It is within us to pick out the true,

enduring melody

to which our essential selves are tuned --

If we but look to, listen to, open our selves to

Venus, the Goddess of Love,

Peace, Justice, Harmony

as she manifests within us all.

Memorialize Peace

Not in Our Name

 

 

Nobody wins in a war

(well, maybe a few financiers of war industries, but)

Not us, not them, not humanity

Not the dead, not the living

Not the yet to be born

Not the land, water, air, our natural resources

Not the roads, buildings, pipes, utility lines, the infrastructure

Not love or peace or morality

Not human nature

Not Right

Not Justice

Not God

Not the battlegrounds or the cemeteries, or the unhealable wounds in our souls
Whatever we may hope to accomplish with war,

There are better ways.

 

 

Sacrifarce

 

What do we sacrifice?
Who do we put to the knife?
Ishmaels and Isaacs
innocent half-brothers
could be at puppy play
building healthy bodies and confidence
in the rays of blessing.

What God is this?
What holy source of life
commands atrocity?
Oh, silly man
boys in battle
regressed in the tragedies
of childhood.
If the mentor class had flourished
we would be brothers building
cities of light, 
gracious commerce,
glory of
love, honor, reason,
all the blessed gifts
we profane,
we sacrifice
to a Lord of flies and
corpses.

 

 

Pangea

 

My country is Peace
People of Peace
are my compatriots
Warriors of Peace
move human energy,
time, minds, visions,
with weapons of art,
active compassion,
respect for the dignity of each and all
Words of Peace
speak beyond structured language
share profound
joy,
graceful dancing
to music of each dawn
enlivening Peace

 

 

Support Our Troops

 

Bravery?
What if they gave a war
and nobody came?
March of disorders;
unstable chemicals break down,
crush frightened innocents
into dust.
We meant to serve our country.
We meant to save lives, shore up
threatened treasure,
bulwarks against disaster.
We meant to honor the dreams of
our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers
for the good life:
family, God, country
and a wholesome recompense of fun.
Not this task of horror so intense
as to reverberate through our

remaining lives.
Who is served?
Who left in pieces that never heal?
God is on the battle field
not as general or mascot,
as witness
and gentle minister
of last rites
to shattered souls.

 

 

Unite Song

 

It's not about
black or white
might is right
fuel to fight

 

It's not about
East or West
who's the best
forget the rest

 

It's about
me and you,
if we choose,
what we can do

 

 

Speak in Peace

 

Useful communication requires common metaphor
(Divided by myths forged to unite within our tribe)

 

When I feel alive, rooted yet wild, outside of frame
a dancing child, free of security derived from shame
able to rise beyond the schoolyard game of divisive naming

 

I see within my eyes distant seas and shores,
forest folk blinking in the haze,
journeys rending years into days,
Hear the whistling, touch the swollen fruit,
amazed -- counting down as I tumble

 

How do I explain in this tongue we mumble,
barely getting through a random chat that
gives no exit wound to that ache beating inside
to grab a hand, touch your mind, bring to being

 

Yet, why would you want to see what I am seeing?
It's only peace; only curiosity; it's only
miracles of sand, twinkling, breath of fire
blended to glass, twisted into culture, class,
Beauty survives each blast, more adored for her
scars, allured by her charms, may we doze
and stumble into sweeter dreams

 

In sleep, relaxed, uncoiled core may cry in surprise
to be free; awakened realigned -- speak friend and enter
We have much to discuss

 

 

 

peaceful moment

 

Like a warm day on the beach, softly woozy from the sunshine
Feel the tingle of sea breeze; breathe ocean scent of the wild
As the sun diminishes, cooling, refreshing, yet still a lazy summer eve
Oh that luscious feeling, that overflow of quiet emotion
Seeping out of sleepy reverie, washing so gently through pores and follicles
sweet warm breath caressing

 

We give what we can; we take what we need
Marching, in orderly fashion
Or beatifically walking to a sacred drum.
The horizon shifts through daily duties and nightly prayers.
We take what we can. We give.
Without notice, without rational equation
We give each outward breath, and take in what is given.

 

Like a happy, inspiring song springs from memory to lip
Moving the fortunate mind into momentary ecstasy of dance
Moments meant to linger, to haunt as a loving ghostly guardian
Wrapped in grace's ethereal glow of perfection
Summoning iridescent spirits to play joyful ubiquitous harmonies
Like the words we tell ourselves to bring us peace.