Between Two Dreams

“Any good poet, in our age at least, must begin with the scientific view of the world; and any scientist worth listening to must be something of a poet, must possess the ability to communicate to the rest of us his sense of love and wonder at what his work discovers.” ~ Edward Abbey

 

A well-placed pause transforms a poem,
a presentation,
a life.

A misplaced pause, or one too long, instead can create strife.

 

Passion and intellect are unrewarded
in this culture of lies
as unhealthy.

The exceptions generate money, hence power, for the wealthy.

 

Passion and intellect offer rewards
that can be appreciated
only from within.

But most within the dominant culture peer out, not in.

 

A verdant planet requires evolutionary history
to create balance,
albeit delicate.

Tipping the delicate balance destroys life on Earth.

 

The balance was tipped before we showed up
millennia ago, pushing us toward
the pursuit of “same.”

Born into captivity, we’re not to blame.

 

Cultural errors come with a price
typically unforeseen
even by prophets.

Paying the price based on one’s date of birth is monstrous.

 

Assuming a counter-cultural path is not for the weak.
The faint of heart
will wither.

Radicalism comes with the sweet, and also with the bitter.

 

The horrors of imperialism are unrecognized
by the masses, who choose
to remain ignorant.

The privileges of Empire are difficult to admit, even when malignant.

 

Walking away from imperialism is a ruinous path
filled with disparagement
from the many.

The cost of freedom from cultural shackles is great, and worth every penny.

 

We few know there is another way to live
free from the shackles
in our last years.

Breaking free is a choice taken by few as wishes overwhelm fears.

 

The “monkey trap” of civilization is a cage.
There is an escape route,
a way over the wall.

Are you willing to break free, to answer the clarion call?

 

You know another way is possible
and you know the way.
Do the math.

Instead of dreaming of your escape, take a step along the path.

 

Trapped between two dreams, few swim upstream
against the current
of mediocrity.

Unwilling to join the revolution, they deserve our pity.

 

Cultural shackles are as new as the culture, and are
similarly restrictive for those unwilling
to open the latch.

The cost of escape is everything, with remuneration to match.

 

 

A three-minute video introduction to me and my work is offered by Bill Nye and National Geographic. It’s here.