The nets will shrink
while wise men quibble
The cities will sink
as the ice caps dribble
The fish shall swim
what few there are left
The winners shall win
while the losers cry “Theft!”
We give up our lives
to endure shorter lines
Always too fearful of knives
and too tolerant of fines
One day we’ll look back
on the path that we blazed,
let’s not regret the lack
of an issue not raised
So many worlds so far away,
so many nights before this day.
Our follies many, our memories few
of the types of evil that good men can do
(the types who listen to what I say)
the true songs of Freedom
have yet to be sung
but we dance anyway
and we dance everyday
to the silent beat of hum-drum
the words that I sling
have already been slung
by each Mother and Child
and Beast that is Wild
A song sung by all that can sing
what I fear most is silence
(the kind made of compliance)
where no one will see
that which all can see
and the only crime is defiance
What I cannot accept is to sit and pray
down on my knees, begging for a new day.
what I hope for is truth
(the kind that blows off the roof)
only then will I sit and stay
Sleeping dogs lie
to me
while
Cats kill the curiosity
in me
and
The world hides reality
from me
forever.
Being someone who loves to get into political discussions–especially with those that I consider to be on the extremes of issues, I’ve encountered my share of “it all has to come crashing down” attitudes.
On the left, they seem to see unregulated free-market capitalism as this seven headed hydra that has to come crashing down and usher in a new depression so that a new FDR can rise from the ashes to renew the social contract. Some seem to see the flooding of New York ala “Inconvenient Truth” as the wake up call we need, and that things will all simply work themselves out on global warming.
On the right, I have friends who have truly begun to believe that we are seeing the End Times, who may not believe but do receive emails about Obama being the Anti-Christ, global warming is a hoax perpetrated by Al Gore and super-secret scientists to form a One World Government under the oppressive rule of a ruthless Carbon Tax. They see the degradation of morals on TV and in the news and blame all of society, it’s all bad and only God can sweep it away. To them, if New York floods it isn’t because of global warming, but global whoring.
I’m someone who loves to play devil’s advocate, usually from the center, but sometimes part of being an effective contrarian is to adopt the views of your opponent and help them to fully imagine them. So to the lefty whose fetish is a stock market crash, maybe you ought to ponder more how that would come about and what the true ramifications could be. All my other “friends of Jesus” who think that God is about to give us another spanking, maybe you’d better start playing nice with the greens and helping them remain skeptical of “global warming” becoming as impervious to criticism as religion was in the Dark Ages. The point is that if either of you are remotely correct, the best solution to preserving our way of life is to nurture and foster communities.
Extreme Lefties: An economic collapse and ecological disaster may well bring reforms, but only if we don’t have a sizable portion of the religious community who believe that Obama might be a demon and Al Gore a dictator. You have to talk to them and reassure them that you will always be willing to be critical of your own leaders. You must tell them that you have learned from their mistakes with Bush. Be gentle about how you say that, ask them questions about how they feel about Bush. Most decent people will be elated to have the opportunity to admit to their mistake. Tell them that you don’t ever want to make that mistake, but that you can understand how people can become convinced of anything if enough of their piers feel the same way.
Extreme Righties: A little less fear, a little more love, please. Regardless of what the cause of a natural disaster may be or your likelihood of being wafted up to heaven like an angel fart, isn’t the Christlike path one of comfort for all us poor sinners who will have to rebuild the Earth? If there is an Anti-Christ on the rise, shouldn’t we all open our doors and our hearts and prepare to sacrifice more to offer one another comfort during a dark age? And no matter if Al Gore and the scientists are all dirty liars, the poor saps that they’ve deluded into “going green” are still gonna be interested in planting a garden on their front lawns. Why not bring them some lemonade and talk about flowers?
This is a very optimistic and bright letter for me. When I get on my eschatology kick, it’s not about global conspiracies or biblical prophecies, it’s all about the details. Mechanisms that exist such as the PATRIOT ACT, warrantless wiretapping and data mining, and the unitary executive are the things that make my hair stand up on end. Because while I can’t say for sure that the men in charge have nefarious ends in mind, as long as those mechanisms exist, it seems dangerous to never imagine that they can be abused. Because if we go too long without imagining so, someone will come to power who will imagine it for us.
Barring sprouting horns and a tail on live TV, I’m going to vote for Obama this fall. I’m not saying that I don’t wish I could vote for Nader, but there just aren’t enough other people for that to happen. I can imagine a lot of things, but I don’t see a way of Ralph becoming president in our current system. Since I will be putting my good name behind the O man, I want all my friends and enemies on the right to know that by voting for him I will be holding his feet to the fire and urging every decent American to do the same. We need to write letters, talk to our friends, and rebuild our local communities, no matter who wins.
By night I write poems and plays
By day I wander through a psychological maze
By night I dance and act on stage
By day I dance and hide my rage
I have countless bosses with nameless faces
Albatrosses made of letters and spaces
I calculate lines and craft precise shapes
All the while never peering behind the drapes
Everyone believes in Jesus
Whether they believe it or not
He came here to please us,
not remind us that hell is hot.
He’s not so fond of the cross,
wishing we could go without.
But we demanded his loss,
I wish he could have gone without.
But Earth was so fun,
He had to come back.
For some time in the sun.
And to lie on his back.
He’s been in disguise
keeping his enemies at bay.
One day their lies
will see the light of day.
But for the time being,
the J-man will chill.
For someone all seeing,
loves watching free will.
A poem for my wife Jess, in celebration of her 26th birthday on 7/31
Paths that are not blazed
but accepted
through a word
a kiss
a dream
Destinies that are not certain
but discovered
through an accident
an indiscretion
an instinct
Ceremonies that are not planned
but created
through spontaneity
and spirits
and love
Experiences that are not owned
but shared
through openness
with understanding
with patience
Forgiveness not purchased
but freely given
through empathy,
support, and
bravery
Originally written on 09/??/98
Miles upon miles away,
Affection from him was a rare day
Oh sure, there were tosses and catches
And a heart covered in tattered patches
Finally, she drew the line
I know it’s right, I’ll be just fine
She ran to sanity’s beckoning light,
While I stayed to put up the good fight
Alone, I took the first step
Alone, he looked at his life and wept
He found his solitude in the grey fog between Russia and Scotland,
While I played my instrument in this dysfunctional band
Giving his praise to the Goddess,
Praying for redemption less and less,
Groveling in her glow of youth,
As I kneel, drowning in a flooded phone booth.
It was her ring that shattered the glass.
Transmitting the words “Get off your ass!”
The snake wrapped itself around his life,
Leaving me to wield the knife.
Cut from his umbilical, he took to the air.
Ten feet taller with a head without hair.
Where he stands now is unclear–his path uncertain,
As the old chorus fades, I will begin a new refrain
Originally written 01/22/01
The sun rises in Ohio
Frowning towards the west
To live and die every day
The same as all the rest
Days in the heartland
Dwindle and dither
By several shades of grey
They do differ
The sun rises in Ohio
Much to its dismay
Better to slink behind the clouds
Than endure another day
Tomorrow or the next day
This median state will lift its veil
And release the warm light for which we pray
This day shall we endure for tomrrow’s grail