kokopelle | Entries tagged with humanity

The poem “Explanations in Aftermath” was inspired by the quote, “Don’t let us forget that the causes of human actions are usually immeasurably more complex and varied than our subsequent explanations of them.”

Explanations in Aftermath

Explanations in aftermath
those attempts to demarcate
complexities beyond recall
from explanations quickly found

the simple answers fall away
then swirl around to obfuscate
saying less than most expect
jabbering without intelligence

that true knowing defies the grasp
of pundits stammering consequence
the buzz of flies has more to say
when clarity suffers in dismay

those puzzles of humanity
damning all with words to say
the cause defies narration’s balm
variation befuddling thought.

© 2019. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20191213.

Current Mood: contemplative

“Steeple” is about mankind’s struggle to ascend beyond destructive tendencies while looking up for inspiration.

Steeple

Steeple grasping for the goal
high above the clutching ground
where we stand to look above
wondering if God sees below.
The earth is ours to cultivate
sow the good, the bad, the in-between
what will come from these attempts
to find our place beneath the eaves?

Scratchings in the terra firma
looking down instead of up
seeking something better when
the shadows press when sun sets.
The dusk invokes the side of men
hiding from sight of top edifice
why does the dark bring out
those things that the tower fights?

Bells will toll for sins unseen
mourning the victims craving peace
some should win, others lose
goes the chant from crowd’s mouth
while so sad this is the norm
never too long on the low
says those who rule by their force
who are they to hold us down?

A backward glance towards the sky
wondering if the angels cry
when they look down on our sins
made in their name by evil ones
spurned on by fears straight from Hell
Satan rejoices when mortals fail
how much can we fall before
the steeple will never be our home?

2016, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved, 20161112.

Current Mood: contemplative

A Tumblr posting by emilyloisrose (https://emilyloisrose.tumblr.com/post/150945655019/heres-the-thing-about-evil-evil-is-not-a-person) inspired me to write the poem “Ourselves”. To paraphrase the inspiration, “Here’s the thing about evil; evil is not a person, it is an idea. – Fear of a vessel seems pointless, when we should not fear the person, but the idea.”. This aligns with my experience of evil both within and without of myself.

Ourselves

Born of selfish needs and deeds
crisis cast unto the masses
survival spurs life in peril
the end result is evil’s burden
if you wonder what is the source
consider where the bane resides
then look to the whole of man
the threads are there to intercept

there is a seed in far past
malice found in history
promoted by the wheel of time
until it finds fresh earth in the now
there it finds the fresh recruits
by temperament or hard abuse
look not to the past and you’ll find
this is the harvest of the worst

seek not the hands from beyond
humanity is sufficient unto itself
to wreck the lives of other ones
with drive to draw the end result
to rationalize is the means
this requires no demon’s bless
the end result of ancestral strife
is enough to fill the heart

fear of vessels is astute
though limited in foresight
protection can turn on itself
goading the thing sought to elude
in this we find ourselves
selfishness bred to lower ends
humanity put to vessels vile
when in the end it is ourselves.

2016, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved, 20161004.

Current Mood: contemplative

The poem “Meant to Be” is about realizing the fallen nature of people. Some people are incorrectly put higher than others in virtue. This exercise in wishful thinking fails when nature of humanity walks its path.

Meant to Be

Surface tarnished once was sheen
did I imagine virtue now obscene?
too strong a word, yet it feels right
how else to ask when white has turned to gray?
humanity finds its way beyond the cradle’s grasp
moving through this place to scuff the shine
traveling forward to the distant grave

with the quick comes the fall
with the bold the past is undone
as the future pushes forth
into realms shared by all
though most traveled in later time
into these you found your place
now the signs expose the truth

forgive my rage, you’ve not changed
the deeds are water under bridge
your heart crossed the same span
adventure asked for nothing less
chasing emotions all are bequeathed
now the truth is revealed
I’ll see the world as it’s meant to be.

2016, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved, 20160924.

Current Mood: contemplative

There may be perfectly angelic people in the world, those without one twisted little preference. Then there are... the rest of us. The poem “Messed Up” is about acknowledging and owning the little twists that each person has, those things that make life grand.

Messed Up

When passions stretch beyond the norm,
convention shorned for moment's sake.
Pleasure becomes the only choice
when dark desires shelter close.

Perversion is too strong a word,
though too close in retrospect.
Dare not state this to a world
that may feel the same, admitting not.

Devils urge while angels blush,
and still the outcome is rehearsed.
Acted out with pure pleasure bliss,
hidden well from public view.

Same felt souls will admit
in secret congress of fellow men
that life concealed is for the best
when others judge with no reference.

Besides the joy grasped on the edge,
there is another reason here
to look directly into the sun
of life's bright lusts of inner self.

To know yourself is the charge,
warts and all, desires bizarre.
Self-forgiveness is the start
to knowing others are messed up.

© 2016, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved, 20160209.

Current Mood: contemplative

The poem “Pardon Me” is a recital of my thoughts on the selfish nature of mankind. People can be insufferable or they can be wonderful human. The choice is up to you, though the latter does require a dose of humility on your own part. Big disclaimer, I am not speaking of the people who are cray cray or just plain evil towards you. I instead speak of the larger humanity.

Pardon Me
Poem for Day 231 – 20150819

Pardon me if I assume the worst,
that human nature will take its course.
Motivations will rule the day
as selfish interests do hold sway.
Don't assume I am the cynic,
my attitude is quite healthy.
I hold nobody in lower regard,
see that I judgment myself in same way.

With perfect love and perfect trust
the human being does excel.
Trust the snake to hold to its kind
and you'll know the outcome before its time.
Just know that self interest ends
at the edge of reward and punishment.
Life is grand when motivations are the same,
must less so when our lives conflict.

Do not assume others are malcontent,
no more than yourself may be.
You're just meeting the edge of life,
the place of conflicted priorities.
Beware calling the kettle black
when you are the pot of same shade.
Perhaps you consider them quite evil
because they are a mirror to your misdeeds.

In the end we all strive for contentment
while we ignore the rest of life.
The knives are drawn in ignorance,
stupidity or a lifetime of habit.
You'll ask why I seem so happy,
I'll respond that I know people.
Pardon me if I assume the worst,
that human nature will take its course.

© 2015, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved.

Current Mood: contemplative

"God enveloped humanity with his grace, and the angels wept with jealousy". My lovely wife and I recently watched Constantine, a 2005 American supernatural action-thriller film. The underlying premise of the move was that the angel Gabriel lamented God’s favoritism towards humans and believed that bringing Hell to Earth will enable those who survive to become truly worthy of God’s love through repentance and faith. This reminded me of the 1995 movie The Prophecy, starring the wonderful Christopher Watkins. The premise of The Prophecy was a second war in Heaven, instigated by a group of angels who refused to accept God's elevation of man over all other creatures, including angels.

The common theme of the two movies is a judgmental unacceptance of the Grace of the Divine extended to humanity. Grace was seen as an unjustified love, and the angels in both movies sought to either harshly “prove” or remove humanity’s position from the Divine’s favor. The respective angels in the movies could very well be the people in our shared reality. There is human judgment extended to fellow mankind, judgment based on the perceived unworthiness of the recipients of the Divine’s protection and guidance.

What is this thing called Grace that movie angels and real people rail against? Grace can be defined as “the love and mercy given to us by the Divine because the Divine desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it". People make the personal choice to receive this grace or not. No amount of judgment from the critics may remove the application of grace in our lives once it is embraced.

The filmmakers give us an opportunity to see ourselves as the jealous angels, railing against the grace of the Divine imbued upon our fellow mankind. The filmmakers cast a cautionary note as their angelic characters are struck down from their judgmental roles. Do not weep in jealously, lest one lose their own connection with the Divine.

Current Mood: contemplative

A lovely spiritual friend of mine posted an inspirational saying that started with “I know there is a spiritual center within me that is perfect” (from This Thing Called You). It went from there. I dislike being cynical, but I have to ask, “and?”. Our higher selves / spiritual center point may be perfect, but we humans live in an imperfect world.

The saying does have a place if the purpose is to remind us that we can strive towards a zero point of perfection versus giving into the waking world. The unsilver lining to this is that repeated focus on the unattainable can lead to frustration or a desire to leave humanity.

My impressions are backed up by a discussion with my guides. They say that there is a place of perfection within us. They also say that it is also largely alien to us as we exist in another plane / vibration. We remember enough of it to remain sane, but obsession with the place of perfection is not recommended.

A last thought, my shamanic background leads me to believe a lot of wild things. It does not lead me to believe that we are perfect beings trapped in an imperfect shell. Life, both corporeal and incorporeal, is imperfect in some way. Why? Perfection is a singularity on a duality. Perfection does not exist by itself. The existence of absolutely perfect beings opens the door to the existence of absolutely imperfect beings. The truth is somewhere in the messy middle. My shamanic background speaks to relating to ourselves and others in a way that is harmonious, not perfect.

I once read a fantasy book that had the hero encountering the ultimate expressions of law and chaos. Neither was appealing. Law was completely still, frozen in a semblance of death. There was no possibility for action because action disturbed stasis that was ultimate law. On the other hand, ultimate chaos was a sea of always changing forms, with no anchor of stability. Discussions about ultimate law and ultimate chaos lead me to think of the untenable realities of ultimates, including concepts of perfection.

Current Mood: contemplative

A friend asked about finding Peace. I looked through my past blogs and found a rather long one about seeking what others values. It cut the original blog entry down in size. The blog entry struck me as a statement about peace because seeking value in the uncomfortable and foreign is not a sure recipe for peace, but it does truly connects us with the world in a way that trumps temporary peace..

I found some real quotation gems in the thirty-fifth chapter of the latest Harry Potter book. The wise Dumbledore said:

"And his knowledge remained woefully incomplete, Harry! That which Voldermort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend."

Dumbledore's quote is an indictment of Voldermort and a challenge to all. The challenge is great with enormous pitfalls present. Some believe that casting value on things outside of their immediate experience will cheapen those things that already are held to be valuable. This fear seems to have at least two sources. The first is dilution, that value placed amongst multiple places will less the value on the places originally thought to have value. There is a challenge here. The integrity and soul of an individual must be large enough to reach out to more and not dilute the things they hold to be valuable. The other fear is that seeing other things to have value will cast the original things of value in a place of disrepute or wrongness. This is a valid fear if a person cannot accept the paradoxes of life, that things can have the same truth and still be at odds with each other. Especially rigid people will embrace both fears. These dogmatic people, seeing great value in only the things they hold dear and nothing else, will have little ability to comprehend others who differ even slightly.

The lack of comprehension is addressed by seeing value in those things that defy comprehension. Fears of failure must be overcome as values are placed on things outside of comfortable boundaries. Larger truths, sometimes masquerading as complex paradoxes, are available to those who see the worth of contrary or alien states. The valuing of these states removes the gulfs. A respect borne of acknowledging a different value is always possible. The highest goal is a binding of people when value of others leads to a full comprehension of who they are and what they believe in. The knowledge waiting there is incredible, better than any insular form of knowledge or magic. Dumbledore speaks to this as he concludes,

"Of house-elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldermort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped."

Current Mood: contemplative

Super Heroes
Music and lyrics by Richard O'Brien.

Brad Majors:
I've done a lot
God knows I've tried
To find the truth
I've even lied
But all I know
Is down inside I'm

Chorus:
Bleeding

Janet Weiss:
And super heroes
Come to feast
To taste the flesh
Not yet deceased
And all I know
Is still the beast is

Chorus:
Feeding

Criminologist:
And crawling on the planet's face
Some insects called the human race
Lost in time, and lost in space
And meaning

Chorus:
Meaning

Current Mood: contemplative

It is appropriate to being this article with the famous quote by Walt Kelley's character 'Pogo'. I've been pondering the general topic of mimicry of humanness. Some fascinating and disturbing things happen when the inhuman (i.e. machines) approach being discerned as human. These considerations sprung on me a side thought that I want to share.

( Read more... )

It can be a messy business to deal with other people as equals. If we face ethical, moral and cognitive challenges while seeing disliked people as 'human', where does this leave us when we relate to machines in a way that grows closer to humanness? Ah... a topic for another day!

Current Mood: contemplative

I found some real quotation gems in the thirty-fifth chapter of the latest Harry Potter book. The wise Dumbledore said:

"And his knowledge remained woefully incomplete, Harry! That which Voldermort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend."

I find this quotation to be the heart of explaining many of the world's woes. We are all Voldermorts in our own ways. There is a place where people just don't seek to understand others. The resulting actions are callous, cold, and seemingly heartless. When confronted, the people proclaim that they do seek rightness in the world. The objects of their abuse are viewed as unworthy, unreasonable, or just wrong. I believe the root cause of this behavior is a lack of comprehension.

( Read more... )

The lack of comprehension is addressed by seeing value in those things that defy comprehension. Fears of failure must be overcome as values are placed on things outside of comfortable boundaries. Larger truths, sometimes masquerading as complex paradoxes, are available to those who see the worth of contrary or alien states. The valuing of these states removes the gulfs. A respect borne of acknowledging a different value is always possible. The highest goal is a binding of people when value of others leads to a full comprehension of who they are and what they believe in. The knowledge waiting there is incredible, better than any insular form of knowledge or magic. Dumbledore speaks to this as he concludes,

"Of house-elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldermort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped."

Current Mood: contemplative

I've been thinking about groups, probably because I've been investing a lot of energy into figuring out the how/why of my own group interactions.

( Read more... )

Groups have the challenge of maintaining their existence while interacting with outsiders. An even greater challenge of a group is governance of its inner parts in support of the group's charter. People can be outside a group by choice or circumstance. The life of an outsider can be difficult, liberating, or both. Not everyone is compatible with every group charter. Blessingly there are many groups to choose from. The truly ambitious outsiders can start their own groups. In some ways the outsiders are a group of their own. I don't think the human being can go very far without experiencing some aspect of the group dynamic.

Current Mood: awake

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Journey to Ixtlan

(are we there yet?)

Entries tagged with humanity

Poem - Explanations in Aftermath

Poem - Steeple

Poem - Ourselves

Poem - Meant to Be

Poem - Messed Up

Poem - Pardon Me

Angels, Grace, and Humanity

Cynical Thoughts on Perfection

Peace, Knowledge and Comprehension

Super Heroes

We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us

Comprehension Through Valuing

Group Rules