Journey to Ixtlan

The poem “Without Consent” was inspired by the disconnect of what words mean when diametric groups utter the same syllables.


Without Consent

Words are shared without consent
for definitions truly meant
even while both may match
in heated discord of the chat

the stories spun from whole cloth
are repeated by both accounts
don’t compare the tainted fruit
as definitions seem resolute

with sibling good on one side
the other embodies evil’s child
these spawn by missives’ plea
spectrum cast by beliefs’ creed

turn the mirror and you’ll see
letters describe this symmetry
don’t demand joint sanity
when hatred follows verbosity.

© 2019. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20191122.

The poem “Power Asks” was inspired by a poll that stated a majority of GOP supporters would keep Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court if his past accused crimes were FULLY proven.


Power Asks

Power asks for too much
based on acts of thoughtless youth
pushing boundaries then deplored
in the time present now ignored
this pinnacle may be accused
against the weight of the abuse

Satan pleads for justice damned
at the coming of a lost dawn
towers stand in the light
ignoring taunts that bring delight
angels cry in dark despair
to a future none should prepare

morality has no bearing here
when a life of power is embraced
nothing less than wins are blessed
with religion near at hand
a conscience that knows the past
denies the sins fully wiped

with forgiveness near at hand
the mighty fist will always win
the lesser sex unduly whines
forgetting glory handed down
power blessing base desires
to hold the measure of earthly pyres.

© 2019. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20190918.

The poem “Surety Set” was inspired by thoughts about dogmatic blindness, confirmed by a quote by Philip K Dirk that began with “They want to be the agents, not the victims, of history.”


Surety Set

To come from faith is a trap
snares woven between the words
took to heart by the sincere
before the mind is lost to fear

there is no telling where a life ends
from conception to the last descent
into madness without escape
surety set against all wills

others are damned as so entranced
the lockstep standard is applied
wedded to religion’s jest
that ego lost is safety gained

confusion is the monster born
identity turned to flip the tale
where the god stands alone
or is the enemy of common man.

© 2019. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20190906.

The poem “Tilted Scales” was inspired by a series of Tumblr postings, culminating in a work about outcomes of power.


Tilted Scales

Blessed are curses as a path
to the riches in aftermath
before the bell tones at last
denying more while giving less

embraced by fools counting sins
there aren’t enough to contend
when the darkness felt within
consumes fair judgment for all men

the only saints that remain
are disguised in full regret
for the beasts that contrive
to enslave their lesser kind

animals that only know
troubles delivered by the gods
damnation sourced in mercy’s place
blessings lost on tilted scales.

© 2019. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20190820.

The poem “In Irony” was an experiment in creating writing. I started off with the first line and went from there.


In Irony

Wisdom dwells in irony
with a whisper or roar’s decree
demanding space beside the grace
of hope demanded before the grave
what should be is now the bane
of existence that could explain
why the gods became such jerks
when fair winds were observed

perhaps the drama is not their own
these deities from above
when mere mortals become bored
then move the goalposts afterwards
the gridiron is soundly damned
both the players and the game
are assumed to be flawed
at the sound of half-time’s call

still the masses take the field
rally round the master’s throne
heedless of the whispered jest
that their Lord is now undressed
look to the child to see the truth
the fantasy is disabused
it matters not against decree
wisdom dwells in irony.

© 2019. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20190430.

Newt Gingrich has characterized Trump’s wall with Mexico as “a great campaign device”. At very best this means it might not be practical in reality. Does he really mean it was a lie? These grist led me to write “Devil Whispered”.


Devil Whispered

The Devil whispered in my ear
lullabies to match my tears
asking nothing more than this
to believe the world as it is
he pointed out that dies were cast
the levers pulled at long last
by the angry ones of single mind
no longer quiet in this time.

The lilting lyrics destroyed the truth
first casualty under foot
stampeded while the crowed exalted
the madman chosen to be most popular
it's just a campaign device
Lucifer admitted when cross examined
excitement was the spice of life
when arenas were filled with the lies.

The crooning filled my heart with fear
as I considered things held dear
each syllable was a gravestone set
on future fields with bodies strewn
to the winners go the spoils
this he stated was the goal
some blood must spill to lubricate
the wheels of progress immersed in hate.

Amongst these murmurs I’m fading fast
my sanity gone at last
the oft repeated becomes the chant
with only hope as a last chance
denying future of moans and screams
no accompaniment to Devil's dreams
instead embracing light and love
salvation waits outside of words.

2016, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved, 20161116.

Alex Castellanos, a top strategist for the pro-Trump super PAC Rebuilding America, explained how the smearing of Obama could be accomplished without prejudice, racism, bigotry, and any other word that the Left applies to Alex's ilk. The poem "Otherness" is about Alex's keen insight.

Note, I fully blame listening to Amanda Palmer (formerly of Dresden Dolls) for my writing poems like this. She is full of otherness, and I love it dearly. In a perfect world I would be as otherness as her.


Otherness

Here's how we'll know you
in purity
outside of bias
hostility
here's how we'll mark you
in perfect love
hear how we'll do it
defective one

racism banished
race matters not
bigots vanished
opinions flushed
prejudice ended
there goes bias
this is the start
to peace on earth

yet here you stand
flawed wretch detected
get in our box
with statements color blind
without preconception
antagonism
discrimination
preconception
finding you faulty
with old fashion ways

we don't claim specifics
the proven of religion
birthplace of body
you are normal you see
air breathing freak
living on planet earth
inferior waste of human skin

listen closely poor sod
you know you're flawed
when all we do is apply
a single word
in perfect love
with perfect trust
because we aren't cursed
with this awful thing

otherness is the bane
the fly in the soup
discrepancy
distinction
contrariety
diversity
dissimilitude
(please stop me now)
I could go all day
and I might throw up

that thing I can't label
otherness
because labels are bad
otherness
that somethingness
otherness
you sadly embrace
otherness
so out of order
other-thing
you damaged one.

you're very welcome
now you're aware
of your otherness
of your self blight
how we've helped so kind
with clean hands
gown angel bleached
that's because we care
inside our harmony
living away
from your otherness.

2016, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved, 20160923.

Artists and art have incredible power. They celebrate the highest goals of a society while simultaneously feeding the most base desires. Who is to be credited for this dichotomy? While society pats itself on the back for the celebrated artistic creations, it also blames the artist for feeding the dark appetites.


Truthsayer
Poem for Day 009 - 20150109

Oh dear artist what makes you be
the curse and blessing to society?
Listen to our untarnished truth,
and reflect it back as mere fact.
Tear back the mask of civility
reveal the way we want to be.
Show us the beauty that we seek,
and the ugliness we conceal.

Turn away your observing gaze
prophet of the hidden heart.
You show too much, somehow see,
what I crave and what I fancy.
You've done nothing magical,
truthsayer among us,
revelation has power inherent
as you show us the good and bad.

We celebrate the glory of god's grace revealed,
while dining at the devil's dinner party.
Our appetites are grand indeed,
taking in the breadth of humanity.
Our predilections are amoral,
inclinations of human capacity,
no good or bad, they just are,
and you have shown them in your mirror.

Now comes the test, moment of truth,
do we hold you in our bosom,
or do we cast you as pariah,
for what you've disclosed of our proclivities?
You position the mirror, you set the plate,
and we preen before we fill our guts.
Can you be damned, or perhaps blessed,
you scapegoat of artistic tastes confessed?

© 2015. Sean Green. All Rights Reserved.

“Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

"I reject your reality and substitute my own!"
-- said by film character Paul Bradford, was later popularized by Adam Savage of MythBusters

I'm am having the opportunity to watch a person with a very power reality field distortion capability.  The upside of this ability?  Other people's opinions, plans and overall desires don't matter.  Full mutable steam ahead.  Anything is possible if the personal reality dictates it.   The downside to this ability?  We'll get to that latter. 

Everyone has a small reality field distortion.  It is the human condition.  Most of the time this manifests through the inner dialogue or fantasy thoughts.    On T.V. shows we see a character body slam a despised boss, and then in the next shot they are standing there thinking about doing the action while they soak up the abuse.   This is a weak reality field distortion.    Other people have stronger reality field distortions, and these can be incredibly powerful in shaping the outward reality.  There is still enough connection with a larger reality, thus supporting a common foundation of experience. Still this pales in in the face of true power.

And then there are the people who are entirely comfortable with rejecting everyone's reality as they substitute their own.  Nothing is impossible because reality is as reality is imagined.  The really powerful practitioners of this can shift their realities while they invent pasts that explain the present and project their reality into the future by using ephemeral promises.  Entire discussions and events can be fabricated from the ether as the present moment is shaped to their liking.  Some may say this is a defensive action, but the masters of reality field distortion know that it is merely their right to mold the moment to their will.

Is there a downside to this ability?  Sadly there are accusations of  lying or being out of touch with the larger reality.  The reality master is called a delusional two-faced manipulator.  Sad.  Mere mortals are only jealous that they cannot realize godhood. 

Anyway... I've never met such an apparent master before, so please pardon my marveling at their abilities!

On the group shamanism, the question was asked:

Regarding the calling forth totem and spirit guides to help us in our daily walk, is it a power drawn from within, or from around?

I had the immediate answer of "yes", with the statement, "It is a good question. The good answer depends on the person's existing frame of reference". I see this to be a question about power. The totems and spirit guides offer "power" in the form of guidance, assistance and more.

There are those who believe that power comes from the outside. Witness the saying, "Lord, give me your strength". Deities or beings (i.e. angels) are called to respond, lending their power to the person.

Other people seem to focus strictly on the use of personal energies. Healers often do this, drawing up their own inner resources to achieve outward goals. This is done at a risk to the health of the practitioner. The person who feels drawn to "heal the earth" may loose their life even as the earth heals.

The truth of the matter is somewhere in between these contrasting examples. Power is drawn from outside and focused through the person. A lens is a good analogy for this process. The lens does not project an image by itself. Instead it focuses and intensifies an existing image into a new creation. The lens and the original image must both exist to create a new image. I will give several examples of this.

The first example is one that I live on a daily basis. My Reiki training has taught me how to tap and channel a source of power from outside of myself. I don't have to draw upon my own resources. My intent/ability allows me to channel this power into healing. The power comes from around (source) and within (focus)

My second example(s) will draw from the Wiccan rituals. The first ritual is "raising a cone of power". This sounds like an action that draws power from around. It is more. From http://www.shadowplayzine.com/Articles/cone_of_power.htm, a summary of raising a cone of power is:

Center (at balance point of energy in body)
Ground (to object or to the earth at the center of the physical space you are whirling around)
Increase energy within your body
Focus (on purpose of work)
Direct (to place of sending, setting up resonance)
Release (at peak of cone)
Ground (residual energy)
Center (re-establish personal balance)

Another neopagan ritual is "drawing down the Moon". This also insinuates an outside power. The truer story is that this power is a beautiful dance of both inner and outer. From the referenced website:

When the moon is drawn down, the high priestess often enters a trance in which the Goddess possesses her. Acting as the incarnate Goddess, the priestess speaks and acts as the Goddess. The circle's psychic power now becomes Goddess power.

I hope these give a sense of the magnitude and mystery of power and "outside" assistance. The answer will be different for everyone. The experience will be the individual's.