No More Hamburgers & Other Writings

Myles Newman

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2020

Published by:

Myles Newman
Batesburg, South Carolina

ISBN:

This book includes works of fiction as well as works of religious and philosophical speculation. Names, characters, places, and incidents that appear in the works of fiction either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Send comments to: universations@gmail.com

NO MORE HAMBURGERS

Hepcat was not one to easily accept his limitations and though his limitations were many, his doubts were few. The sun was always shining even when it hid behind the clouds.

Hepcat’s best friend, Dennis, was more of a realist. Dennis was also a henotheist. While believing in one God, he kept his mind open that there might be more Gods out there. Better to play it safe.

Every day of his life, Hepcat climbed a mountain. Dennis saw no problem in that. The only time a problem arose was when Hepcat decided he wasn’t coming down.

Once when that happened, Dennis tried to call Hepcat on his cell phone. There was no answer. Dennis thought to himself that Hepcat was so high up he was out of service range. So, Dennis rented a helicopter and went looking for Hepcat. He didn’t find Hepcat, but he did find Evette.

Evette was beautiful in a mountain climbing sort of way and Dennis fell in love. For the next year, Dennis and Evette dated. They climbed mountains together and Dennis forgot all about Hepcat.

It was probably better that way. Hepcat had died when he had fell two-thousand feet. When his body was finally found, there were nothing left but his boots.

Dennis and Evette named their first son Hepcat II in honor of Hepcat. Dennis felt like it was the least he could do.

When you walk through graveyards, you realize that the past is never dead. Individuals die but humanity remains. When Dennis visited Hepcat’s gravesite, the best conversations would ensue.

“How’s your boy, Hepcat II, doing?” Hepcat usually began the conversation with this question.

“He’s climbing mountains, the ones that are in his mind.” Dennis replied.

“Those are the only ones I can climb now.” Hepcat said wistfully.

“What’s it like on the other side?” Dennis asked.

“No more hamburgers.” Hepcat sounded even more wistful.

If you ride a gondola in Venice, be sure to turn right on Canal Street. There you will find a bistro where the food is good, and the ambience is even better.

Sitting at the table with you will be that famous Venetian couple, Berniti Romano and his lovely wife, Cristalea. They’ll wine and dine you until the wee hours of the morning and you’ll be lucky if you don’t fall into the canal when you leave the restaurant

Bernito is a poet and Cristalea is a poet’s wife. He writes poetry and she is poetry.

The day after, when the sun is shining and the breeze is soft and cool, you can walk in the great piazza and think back over the last five hundred years when civilization had a yearning to be free. In your mind, you’ll go back in the time and have a discussion with none other than Tintoretto.

You might ask Tintoretto, “What inspired you the most?”

And Tintoretto might reply, “Inspiration, for me, always came floating down from the sky.”

“Did you put in a bottle?”

“Inspiration cannot be contained in earthly containers.”

“But aren’t you yourself an earthly container?”

“That is true.”

You would think the monotony of darkness might convince evil people to mend their ways. I imagine that’s why evil people are complicated. Their nature is evil, and their longing is for evil, yet they crave change, just like all human beings. Evil people can be unpredictable. Heck, they can even stop being evil.

Hepcat II never fulfilled his namesake’s legacy. He preferred hills to mountains. He would say the view might not be as good, but hills projected greater warmth and friendliness. Mountains were austere and imposing. Climbing hills, as opposed to climbing mountains, made a lot more sense.

Dennis and Evette eventually divorced. It was an amiable divorce. They went their separate ways.

“Do you still love her?” Hepcat II once asked Dennis.

“Yes, but it’s a love grown cold.” Dennis replied.

“Like the church at Laodecia?”

Dennis smiled.

It was like one of those churches.

The Mark of the Beast turned out to be nothing more than the imprint of a magic marker, drawn roughly in the shape of an obtuse triangle. To promote diversity, it was drawn in varying colors.

One third of mankind died during what later commentators called ‘The Tribulation with Little Exhilaration’. The Overpopulation Crowd was pleased with the results, but at what price?

Hong Kong survived it all. Mainland China was not so lucky. Finally, Hongkongers were once again free to pursue unfettered capitalism with glee and abandon. The only kneeling done was to pick up gold coins thrown from skyscrapers high above.

“Let’s buy a ticket to Singapore.”

“The streets are clean there and there is no rampant, uncontrolled disease that can be found.”

“We’ll have to look elsewhere.”

She said she would be coming around the mountain when she came. Instead, State Farm Road 873 was empty of all automobiles and traffic of any kind. There was a bend but there was no she.

The leaves were beginning to change color. The air had a ceramic crispness to it and only the birds knew winter would soon be here. They would leave but only when the time was right.

Every army had been obliterated. Tanks and other armored vehicles were strewn along the road. You could buy any one of them for ten dollars or less. But what would you do with one? War had been outlawed and no one had yet figured out how to turn a tank into a tractor.

The corn crop was good though and it gave farmers something to talk about.

“Thank God, we’re no longer on that ethanol kick.”

“Corn on the cob is making a comeback.”

“Yep, mighty tasty.”

What’s a world without hamburgers? It’s a world that has lost its sense of things. No longer can a man or woman walk proudly down the street. No longer can they cross a bridge without wondering if they will ever be able to cross back over.

There’s a gate somewhere that is sometimes locked, sometimes unlocked. It only opens when there’s room in the inn. Or is that room in the end?

If the world ends before tomorrow, I’ll let you know.

“Don’t be afraid of what lies ahead.”

“That may be hard to do.”

“it’s worth a try, isn’t it?”

The minutest experience can be documented. But can it be proved?

Hepcat had been cremated. His ashes were taken to the top of Pico Mountain where they were tossed into the wind. His last mountain was his best.

People kept asking Hepcat II if there was a hill he would be willing to die on. He would reply that he only wanted hills that were alive.

“They canceled the Olympics this year.”

“What year is it?”

“1892.”

“They seem to be in the habit of canceling things.”

It’s never too late to turn back unless you’re trying to turn back now. Always turn before you reach that part of time euphemistically called ‘Now’. Turn before or turn after but never try to turn ‘Now’.

You will understand what I’m saying when you reach that level of maturity that says the world is totally screwed up, cannot be explained, and that God is hiding in the mists of time.

Don’t pretend to understand. That will do you no good. Stick your finger in the wind and go with the flow. Just because the river is dammed up doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride.

But it might be a brief ride.

“They practice polygamy in Nigeria.”

“How do you know that?”

“I heard it on a sitcom.”

Hepcat never made it to the Andes. He wanted to because he felt the Andes were worthy of his attention and subsequent presence.

But Hepcat died too soon.

The Himalayas were also deserving but they too never knew or felt the footsteps of Hepcat.

Hepcat died as he lived. A lonely man searching for a good hamburger.

“Everything is quasi these days.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like West Virginia.”

“Huh?”

“You know, ‘Almost Heaven’.”

People take clouds for granted. A blue sky all the time would soon be monotonous, and as we know, monotony is not a way to go. Clouds give variety to an otherwise drab consistency.

People also take the sky for granted. Where does the sky end? There must be some terminal to the sky.

Keep looking up.

But then the sky could be below you. If you start walking on your hands.

“How does it look from down there?”

“Never lovelier. There are things down here the mind of man has never contemplated.”

“That’s probably a good thing.”

The flag was flying at half-mast. Had someone important died?

It was discovered the flag at half-mast was in honor of someone who had lived before the flag was in existence.

The explanation was that she symbolized in her earthly sojourn the substance of what the flag would later stand for.

How often does a human being and a flag co-exist in perfect harmony?

Of course, neither one is real anymore. Both have been reduced to symbols. Better than being reduced to nothing.

“I’ll be glad to fix your fence.”

“How much?”

“A steak supper.”

“I’ll make it happen.”

Sunflowers were growing at a quick clip in the field adjacent to the road on whose other side a vineyard lay dormant.

When was the last good year to grow grapes? Each year, now, the wine supply was being diminished. Soon it would be extinguished.

Too bad you can’t make wine out of sunflowers. Even Jesus didn’t do that.

“We live in a time when it’s a miracle just to get out of bed in the morning.”

“Maybe we should start going to sleep in the afternoon. That way we could welcome the morning.”

“But would the morning welcome us?”

Crepe Myrtles have come to dominate the landscape. They flourish best in hot, humid conditions, in other words, when the heat is on.

Intellectually speaking, intellects are hard to find, especially when one is trying to mix honesty with thinking. A dangerous combination but not as dangerous as doing without the mix.

If you look for patterns in the universe, you may end up seeing only confusion and disarray. The makers of order are out of town.

“When do you expect the mail?”

“A little later this morning.”

“Will postage be due?”

Cognitive rigidity has set in. People have willingly given up the ability to think. I would admonish them to think about this, but what’s the point?

As long as grass grows, there’s a reason to get up in the morning. Wait long enough and the grass will be high enough to cut. Wait too long and the grass becomes impenetrable.

To break the impasse, introduce some flexibility into your thinking. You’re not after solutions because solutions don’t really solve anything. They only put band-aids on on-going problems.

“We changed our names when we crossed the ocean.”

“The barns we build will house our most important possessions.”

“We have none.”

If at all possible, avoid being caught in a crossfire. Stay on the outer lanes of life. But be sure to pay all tolls. Modern cameras will capture your license number if you don’t.

Do birds fly?

The next tree you bring down, put a flower in its place. The flower will never grow as high as the tree.

“There’s a crack in the sidewalk.”

“Don’t be afraid to step on it.”

“You mean pick up the pace?”

“Your pace is fine.”

Humanity was always an experiment that was destined to fail. Oh, it had its good points but as the centuries went by there were too many cracks in the pavement.

Talk shows came and went. What was the point in talking? No one had anything to say.

Fried foods also went out the window. People were healthier but the only advantage was that they didn’t die quite as soon.

Colors became more important. All the colors of the rainbow and all the colors of a dazzling sunset were in abundance on an as needed basis.

“Nobody makes movies anymore.”

“But the canyons have been crushed.”

“Neckties too were abandoned.”

We had a gully washer last night. The lightning flashed and the thunder boomed, and the rain came down in buckets and in so doing filled buckets. There were no drops of rain. Only large gobs.

The earth received the rain in thanksgiving. Thousands of years ago there was no rain. Rain was unknown to the few inhabitants that were lucky enough to be alive.

Now somewhere on earth it rains every day.

If you met an ancient Greek on a modern street, what would you say?

“I seem to be a state of flux.”

“You’re recognizing reality.”

“At last.”

Ironing boards are the wave of the future. Surfboards will be outlawed when ironing boards dominate the waves.

Oceans will contract.

Sea creatures will file a class action lawsuit. It won’t be pretty.

But no octopus ever won a beauty contest.

“To believe or not to believe.”

“What if I choose the former?”

“No one will blame you though some will not believe you.”

Some people go the wrong way twice. That’s usually enough to convince them it’s best to turn around. But sometimes going the wrong way is the right way.

Eventually.

Eventually there will only be one way to go. All our choices but one will be eliminated as time goes by until there’s only one choice left.

And even then, some will refuse to make that choice.

At some point the choice will have to be made for them.

“In every twenty-four day, there are pockets of livability.”

“But your pockets are empty, if they happen while you sleep.”

“Don’t go to sleep until your pockets are full.”

Even though Hepcat has forgotten us, we must never forget Hepcat. Every mountain we climb, Hepcat will be there.

Dennis, too, died on a mountain. Evette was at the beach when that happened.

Evette moved on. Married twice more. Both husbands died. Both died on mountains.

Evette was a widow thrice over.

“Don’t buy groceries while dressed in black.”

“Why?”

“Never look sad around food.”

Napoleon met his Waterloo before he met his Waterloo.

Why be defeated twice?

Isn’t once enough?

Charm bracelets are not for the faint of heart. But neither is the faint of heart for the faint of heart.

If it made sense, I wouldn’t be writing it.

“There’s no reason to hold on to that fence.”

“I was hoping you would say that. Does that mean it won’t fall when I let go?”

“The fence will stand forever.”

Once a tree falls on your house, your house no longer cares. The tree, though, has regrets.

The perfect fence would also keep out the perfect neighbor. Since perfection is not necessarily a good thing, this may be for the best.

Hepcat II became mayor of a small town situated in a rustic valley adjacent to the Rocky Mountains. His political career was as rocky as the nearby mountains. He was found guilty of embezzling town funds and was sent to a low security prison where his golf game dramatically improved. It helped that the course was mostly flat.

“The sweetness in watermelons has seriously declined in recent years.”

“Mass production? Quantity over quality?”

“Maybe watermelons have lost their zest for living.”

Ben Franklin, of all his inventions, some said, was proudest of his stove. He liked the idea of bringing warmth to mankind without the aggravating aspects of soot and smoke. Anybody can do electricity, he reportedly remarked. This was said while crossing the ocean on his way to France. He found the sea breeze intoxicating, but it was the kind of intoxication that wasn’t debilitating.

If two different birds sing at the same time, which tune will you remember?

In the last six thousand years, if we could erase one century from history, which one would it be?

“Cows move from pasture to pasture.”

“That keeps the wolves guessing.”

“It also keeps the cows alive.”

City streets were never meant to survive bombs falling from the air.

City sidewalks were made for one thing. Walking.

If you plan on being bombed, stick to dirt roads. If you die during the bombing, the remains of your body will have an easier time merging with Mother Earth.

What kind of mother is it that lives long past the child?

“I’ll have soup instead of dessert.”

“The blades of grass will burn in the sun.”

“Try not to hold your breath.”

We all need a ladder at times. So many things are out of our reach. No matter how tall or short you are.

Be a friend to the poor. Be a friend to yourself.

Truth matters.

Words fail.

“Maybe we should take the next turn.”

“Where will it take us?”

“The road always turns.”

“Anytime you change the format, do it only slightly.”

How hard is it to find good advice? Well, my advice is…

If you ever drive down a beach highway, be sure to linger along the way. Find spots that seem to say to you that one day all your memories will be restored. Even the bad ones. But here’s the good part: even the bad memories will have mellowed.

At some point, you’ll have to fly, either mechanically or metaphysically. Or both. How high you fly depends entirely on you. And by the way, there’s no chance of falling.

Your chance to walk on clouds will be coming soon. Spectators will sit on lounge chairs on grassy leas and will gaze upward into the azure sky, where they will see walking merrily along on puffs of white.

“Watch the ivy grow on the old college buildings.”

It was time to go home. Hepcat II had thought about that for a long time. Every morning of late, he had sat in the rocking chair on the back porch facing the sunrise. Each sunrise would be different somehow. Different colors, different traces of wind, different omens.

But they all said the same thing.

It was time to go home.

Finally, Hepcat II walked out the front of door of his current domicile, with nothing but the clothes on his back and a pocketknife that could do more than just one thing.

A taxi stopped in front of his house and he got in. He told the driver to take him to the bus station.

From there he would go home.

“You look as old as the hills.”

Hepcat II finished off a tuna sandwich and a cup of coffee. He was sitting on a stool at a lunch counter in Jessinki’s Five and Dime. It was 1962.

The waitress/cook behind the counter asked if he would like some more coffee. He politely declined and put $2.00 down beside his empty plate.

He stood up and walked out the store. He was back in present time. But he had no idea what present time was. He had always trouble keeping up with the times.

He bought a paper and looked in the Help Wanted Ads. Next day he was loading lumber at the local home supply store.

He thought to himself that he might have a future in lumber.

“Sometimes it’s not what you say that counts, it’s what you don’t say.”

Wasn’t that an old game show?

Dorothy Sue wanted to be the County Clerk of Court someday. Her ambitions were lofty.

Does architecture ever take us by surprise? Or have we come just to expect that buildings will look odd? Buildings either conform to the norm or degrade themselves. One doesn’t lead to the other and they are equally inconsequential.

Dorothy Sue’s husband, Ben, just wanted to coach baseball. Didn’t matter what age group. Teamwork is the key to success, Ben would say.

“What if it were possible to make the Big Bang retroactive? Would our lives be moving in the opposite direction?”

Rivers were never meant to be stagnant. They were meant to stay on the move.

Soon, libraries will no longer exist.

Pig pens, though, will always be needed.

Don’t renovate when you can build anew. Don’t build anew when you can take a vacation.

South of the border there are cacti and tequila. The sun can be merciless, and judgment can be swift.

We shouldn’t be afraid of what’s already happened.

“Take the highway from Binghamton to Cooperstown. You may never be in the Hall of Fame, but at least you would have traveled the road to it.”

Dennis was getting on in years and he knew what that meant. No more hamburgers! So, Dennis decided for the rest of his life, whatever time remained, he would eat a hamburger at least twice a week.

Luckily, hamburgers were ubiquitous. Cows were not yet an endangered species. Mustard was getting scarce though.

What was it like when the telephone was first invented? What was that box on the wall with the cord and the big, cylinder-looking thing at the end of the cord? What was it like to first hear a disembodied voice coming at you from miles away? Sure, your sister Sally, could holler at you from outside the outhouse door, but what if Sally could holler at from many miles away? And what if…you could hang up on her?

“Changing flat tires used to be an art form.”

They should call it Skeleton Valley. The place is thick with bones. Animals liked it there so much, they refused to leave without dying. So, in essence, they never left.

How do you bring back true culture? Someone who knows isn’t telling. Teatime is no longer the right time. Crumpets are not on the comeback trail.

But love is in the air? It must be because it’s not in the heart of the world. There are billions of individual souls but there is no one unified soul for mankind. Maybe there never was. Maybe there never will be.

Build a good couch and people will sit.

Since the advent of controlled electricity, it has become easier to become a lamp unto the world.

Shine brightly.

“The games people play are more like work.”

The dedicated craftsman is a relic of the future. We see ruins where we should see vibrant growth. Order out of disorder. Anti-entropy. Possible inevitability.

Break the bounds of cognitive rigidity. Go to a ballroom dance and participate in a waltz. Finish off a box of saltine crackers. Wash them down with grape juice.

Play basketball all night. Go to sleep underneath an old oak tree. Wake up when an acorn falls on your head.

You’re only defeated if you admit defeat. Everything can be taken away from you. No one will give it back.

Victory at last.

“Salami is an island without the final s.”

If you could be at the end of time and at the end of the universe, you would be at the zenith of existence.

There’s no place else worth going to.

Will you make it there?

Maybe you are already there. If you are, send a message back to us. Tell us what it’s like.

But don’t send us a weather report. The weather there is irrelevant. It’s all irrelevant except the part that is unfathomable. We may not understand but still we know. We have no choice but to know.

“Life never gets old.”

It’s a funny thing. The more we know about the physical universe, the more mysterious life becomes. Reality is disturbing.

That’s probably a good thing. Nothing will kill us faster than boredom.

You must see humanity as a whole. Humanity is full of individual stories, but what’s the big story?

That’s the mystery.

Waiting for justice is like waiting for a drink of water. The longer you wait the thirstier you become.

A consolation of advancing in years is that you begin seeing things again with childlike wonder. You know the end is near and you have no certainty of where that will take you, so you view the minutes passing as untold ages. Time doesn’t matter as much as the content of the present reality.

“When’s the last time you cleaned the carpet?”

Make sure that every day you open the curtains and let the sun come in. Even if it’s raining.

Every road and highway needs fixing from time to time. The heavier the traffic, the more often the repairs.

But at some point, repairs are no longer wanted or necessary.

New roads must be built.

Exit ramps will also be necessary.

They always are.

How many wars does humanity have in it? Is it unlimited in number? Wars became significant when pettiness was elevated to national importance. Keep the arguments in the family and wars would soon be extinguished. Minor skirmishes can be tolerated.

“We are what we are not.”

Time passes yet time stands still. Our minds control time in the same way a photograph freezes a moment in time. Once we create something in in our mind, it moves into a timeless domain.

Our consciousness is fragile and beyond our ability to keep it going. It eventually shuts totally down but everything we thought is preserved.

Where? Don’t know but it’s a matter of logic and reason that informs us that knowledge is never lost.

Some things aren’t fragile. Those things are abstractions.

But abstractions aren’t things.

Reality is one big abstraction. That’s why you couldn’t do away with it.

“Flowers laugh at the heat of the sun.”

There’s only so much energy to go around. That’s why peace-loving people will eventually win out. Violence requires a lot of energy and if you go back to the well once too often, you will find that the well is dry.

May not happen tomorrow.

But then again, if tomorrow is just another way of saying the future, then it will happen tomorrow.

You must play the long game.

One step at a time.

No short cuts.

“Will there ever be Spring on the Boulevard again?”

It was never necessary to put a saddle on a horse. It was never necessary to ride a horse in the first place. But horses needed something to do, plus developing a niche in the ongoing saga of the human race meant spending less time on the plate. The International Union of Cows is looking into the strategy.

If you planted a tree twenty years ago, would it still be a tree today?

To revitalize, you must first devitalize. The latter has been accomplished successfully in thousands of towns across the land. Who took the Main out of Main Street? Periphery Streets are thriving. Main Streets are sitting in their graves awaiting resurrection. Who will be their Savior?

Repetition is good, especially when it comes to breathing.

“It’s time to sweep the floor.”

When the sweat starts dripping, you know it’s time to take a break, and drink some water. But what if you can’t take a break? What if the demands of your job are so great, there’s no way you can stop what you’re doing? What if the continuation of the world depends on you and only you?

Can you run the world from the world, that is, can you live in the world and at the same time supervise it? Do you need to be in a position somewhere above the earth, say the moons of Saturn?

What kind of celestial lieutenants will you have working for you? What abilities and traits will you require of them?

The outcome is in doubt, but one thing is for sure. You don’t plan to give up.

“If I go around the curve too fast, will I get a speeding ticket?”

There is a box in the bottom of the closet. It’s taped up. Rather tightly. There’s a creek running behind your house. When you follow it, you wind up in an unknown land.

People travel with no destination in mind. That’s why when they get nowhere, they’re not surprised.

How easy it would be to skip stones across the water. And how irrelevant. But the stones, themselves, would find satisfaction.

The rain loses its ability to fall where it wants when the wind is involved. Raindrops are scattered across the gulf of a gaping reality.

“No matter what’s happening in the world, birds continue to sing.”

You just can’t make this up. Keep going in circles and eventually the circle widens. Go long enough and the circle becomes invisible.

Merchants are the providers. When you work for a merchant you become a merchant yourself. You’re working for the good of mankind.

Shrubbery can hide a rotting foundation. Pull out the shrubbery and the foundation goes with it.

The silence of the morning is a myth, but a myth with no darkness or hideousness. Silence itself can be disturbing.

We’d be better off living under a binary star system. If one dies, the other still lives. For a while anyway.

“Old barns continue to thrive in the land of imagination.”

Small towns are ripe for renewal. Young people need places to live. Tree-lined streets need people to walk on them. Squirrels need acorns.

Charity begins at home and home begins when all else is abandoned. Tigers roam in distant jungles and lives are lost because of someone’s indifference and carelessness.

Be sure to try that new recipe for marinara sauce. Be sure to leave a quarter in the offering plate. Be sure to put your jacket on when you walk out into the cold.

Crossing the ocean is a good way to renounce civilization. Every civilization that is renounced is a boon to the next civilization. The door closes at every opportunity.

“Closets were created to be closets.”

The Third Army always wanted to be the Second Army. It knew it had no business being the First Army, but it saw no reason it wasn’t as good as the Second Army.

They conquered the West by coming from the East.

Any music venue is a place that offers something in the way of entertainment. Sometimes it’s a way out of entertainment.

History is pretty much a blind alley. The longer time goes, the more filled up is the past. The past is already beyond comprehending. Maybe it’s time to start over.

“The best speech is that one that is yet to be given.”

Look out of your window from time to time and see the world passing by. Of course, the world appears to be entirely static and unmoving.

Neon signs are the signs of the apocalypse. The apocalypse is a sign of utter mental stagnation. Stagnation is a sign that’s not a sign. It’s the real thing.

We all buy things we can’t afford, and we usually live to regret it. It’s better not to know this because such awareness can adversely affect our enjoyment of what we can’t afford.

“The older you get, the more echoes you hear.”

Rivers run through valleys and valleys rest between mountains and mountains reach up to the sky. No one tends to notice the obvious when something more spectacular is going on.

Corn production in Iowa is reminiscent of Roman soldiers planting an empire. In the end, both are eaten, and what’s not eaten, is decimated.

Decay sets in almost immediately. The best one can hope for is a fleeting sense of awareness.

We end the day in a flurry of activity. We should do more in the morning.

The morning is here. We just don’t realize it because the morning always begins in darkness.

“I can no longer help you.”

Camels at the oasis. Translators in need of that special word. Handwritten copies of a million words. Dry tombs where low humidity hinders the work of arthritic hands.

The truth is bobbing and weaving, cascading and floating, appearing and disappearing. Like a fly, it moves constantly in search of somewhere it can land and not be squashed.

Pillow covers can have all kinds of decorations, but they can’t create the decorations themselves. What covers us is not us.

The coolness of the morning is a blessing out of disguise.

“Wash the dishes.”

The rood was slanted so severely and because of that, it was impossible to stand without falling. So, the roof was always devoid of foot traffic. Even birds were afraid to land on it.

Playgrounds are abandoned every day. There is no reason to play.

We tend to count our blessings. We don’t usually consolidate them. Doing so would violate their individuality and require us to reconsider our norms and values.

But just because something is required, doesn’t mean we’ll follow. Chances are we’ll ignore responsibility and strike out on our own.

“All things being equal.”

Parade of kings and nowhere to go but up. The common people put up with the arrogance of kings and queens so kings and queens can use up all their arrogance.

We’re still waiting.

A fertile mind can sometimes be infertile. Bad ideas can suck it dry. Bad ideas are like rotgut whiskey. They eat out the insides.

Every human being should be limited to five bad ideas per lifetime. And maybe even that is too much.

The story doesn’t fail us. We fail the story.

“Control the weeds.”

You’re out of beans and you’re out of rice. But you have plenty of coffee. When you wake up hungry, the coffee won’t seem quite as important.

People come home from overseas. What took them overseas was a war, a business trip, or a vacation.

They can return, but they won’t be the same.

Sailing on the ocean or flying above it can change you.

Not always for the better.

Seek the light that bursts through the clouds of shame.

Hepcat was young when the world was young. He was growing and the mountains were growing too. He knew if he waited too long the mountains would be too high to climb. He chose the risk of dying over the safety of the lowland.

Dennis was always content to stay behind. He preferred hiking along river bottoms and through the maze of bushes and small trees. He enjoyed the company of people and knew that the tops of mountains were inherently lonely places.

Evonne loved Hepcat but she also loved Dennis. Her decision to marry Dennis wasn’t easy but she had a premonition of Hepcat dying young.

Hepcat II wondered if he had been born too late. By the time he started climbing, the mountains had begun to shrink. All he ever he saw was hills.

Do butterflies prefer spring or summer? The heat and sun of summer don’t seem to bother them as they madly whirl around the flowers. But all butterflies are not equal and maybe some of them prefer a cooler venue. We love the heat the most when we are cold. And vice-versa.

What you build will surely come tumbling down and the tumbling will become a crumbling. Eons from now, all that will be left will be the dust that has accumulated over the centuries. Dust lives forever. Too bad when dust forms a body and begins breathing, it immediately becomes susceptible to decay.

The immensity of life on earth forces us to narrow our gaze. Millions become one and billions become a few. Every second of every day, every conceivable human activity, good, bad, or indifferent, is taking place someplace, somewhere, somehow. Yet, we remain oblivious and unthankful for being oblivious. It’s just too much. Each human being needs his or her own planet or planetoid or moon or asteroid or rock.

Go back a billion years and start over. That’s the best strategy. Wipe it all from your memory and begin anew. Be governed by the instinct that is left over from eradicating your memory. Instinct will guide you. Will it be better or worse? It has to be better.

But don’t bet on it.

No one has ever seen an atom, but we know it’s there. In fact, an atom of some kind or another is everywhere. We’re getting down to basics, like every action, whether it deserves it or not, has an equal and opposite reaction. What goes up must come down. Eventually.

They build churches, don’t they? They also burn them down. Never renovate when you can rebuild.

Language is the key to language and language languishes where too many languages are spoken. It’s a Babel of confusion. Is confusion ever a good thing?

All the horses in Argentina work for a living. You can see them on the Pampas riding off into the sunset. Their former riders are waving goodbye. Is there a home for old horses in the Andes?

Spiritual gifts have seemed to bypass this current generation. We’re working without insight. Under those conditions, it’s amazing anything positive gets done.

Writing graffiti would last longer if the words were etched in stone. People would be so proud of what they’ve done, they might even sign their names at the bottom. Of course, local authorities would then decide if the graffiti was worthy of becoming an eternal message.

All of human history is currently on display. But we’re headed for an overload. When that happens, history has to start over.

Fireplaces for the purpose of warmth are ignored in the summer heat. But if it were always hot, fireplaces would have never been built in the first place.

Cold precedes everything. Cold follows everything.

Staking claim to the middle is like riding a horse backwards. You hope the horse knows where it’s going.

Pretty soon you’ll catch a breeze. If you’re sweating a good bit, the breeze will be even more appreciated. You’ll ask the breeze to stay. It won’t. But there was no harm in asking.

Patience is a virtue that leads to other virtues. Can you be too virtuous? Probably. You can certainly be too rich.

There’s even the risk of being too poor.

Looking forward to that rocking chair? The secret of a good rocking chair is one that rocks all the time even when you’re sitting still.

How far off the coast is a barracuda? Does it swim in circles? Did Hemingway catch the last barracuda?

Some people possess the talent of talking all day. More power to them. But any power they have is almost surely dissipated by the torrent of words. Words escape into the open air, then float away. They are created out of nothing and quickly return to nothing.

It’s not the end of the world to repeat yourself. Some things you do or say are worth repeating. That’s why you keep doing them.

Timeless endeavors help preserve the relevancy of the human race. But timelessness is no substitute for real-time excitement. Those monotone gray backgrounds are downright frightening.

Every time you cross a bridge you cross into a new world. Chances are that new world will welcome you. Give it a chance.

The family unit is under attack. Barbarians from the East have moved West and have continued moving until they’re back in the East. The advantage of a round planet is that if you keep going you end up where you started. That can be a disadvantage too.

Never flatten that which is inherently round or oval. You end up with pancakes.

They’ve thrown logic out the door and kept emotion. The ones outside the door who now have logic are crying for emotion to be thrown out also.

Wax museums come to life when life comes to death. What’s a world of death without life? Hold on to that thought as long as you can think.

Permanent darkness was never meant to be. If it was, everything would be dark right now.

Tree-lined highways and small animals darting in and out of the woods. Going nowhere slow. Seeing nature up close and personal. Stepping out of the car to catch a better view.

Did you remember to lock the door when you went on vacation? Did you remember to go on vacation once you walked out of the house? Did you walk past the car and meander into a surrounding neighborhood? Did that neighborhood seem strange and forbidding?

Did you wake up from your latest dream? Did your dream become a nightmare?

They’re serving veal cutlets for Sunday dinner. The coffee has been imported from the mountains of Colombia. Rich and dark with an enticing aroma. What coffee should be.

They’re serving meat loaf tomorrow.

Without pennies, there never would have been penny arcades.

Side streets are empty when main streets are half-full. Stay on the main streets of life but do visit side streets every once in a while.

When bluebirds sing, redbirds forget they’re red.

Are the pyramids still standing, or is the ground just getting lower?

The greatest fall is the one where someone catches you.

Machinery is nice, but it’s not a reason to give up on simplicity.

Make machines simple and everyone will be better off.

When the celestial train arrives at the station, how long are you willing to wait in line to get on board?

When the Atlantic Ocean meets the Pacific Ocean, are any waves exchanged?

Try as you might, you can’t change the course of history. Certain individuals can adjust it. But it can’t be changed.

Without inevitability, there would be no point in continuing to exist. Inevitability is a good thing.

Where did the seeds come from? Do trees grow without roots? What holds the ground together?

At some time in your life, you should climb a tree. The higher the better.

A telephone book is full of names and numbers but it’s not full of people. Only the earth is full of people. If only the people themselves were fulfilled.

Weeds don’t need a reason to grow. That makes them smart.

When you open a window, you hope fresh air will be coming in.

Rejection is a minor obstacle. Thank God for rejection. Too much acceptance can be worse than too little acceptance.

Keep a straight face and when you do laugh, it won’t hurt.

We followed the road where it led us. There were opportunities to turn off the road, and take another, but we ignored them and plowed ahead. Now we wish we had gone a different direction.

A self-respecting artist supports him or herself by working on things he or she likes. Creation has to do with an inner directive. Starvation is always a possibility.

Apartment buildings fall apart when people stop caring. Caring people keep things going. But there are advantages to not giving a damn.

The ocean is full of dead bodies and lost dreams. Dreams make up ninety percent of the total.

What you break is the fabric of each day. The days were never meant to be a mere prelude to the night.

What if the circus came to town every day? The acrobats would eat at the local diners and the fire-eater would spend quality time with the Fire Department. Elephants and jaguars would roam the streets.

But the circus is never coming to town again. If it tries to do so, blockades will be quickly put up, closing all routes into town. The circus will be denied entrance to town after town. Soon the circus will pack it in and go home. No more peanuts for the elephants.

Sidewalks will also cease to exist. What’s the point of a sidewalk if no one walks on it? Without sidewalks, it’ll be easier for cars to squash scurrying squirrels.

It’s both sad and true. It’s both maudlin and false. Look for someone happy even if they don’t have a smile on their face.

Souls existing in transition, waiting to catch the next bus to heaven. They have a ticket, but they’re need to have it stamped before they board the bus. The bus is still a long way off, but time is relative.

Skipping clouds is a nice way to spend an afternoon. But what do you do after the afternoon?

Should there be a limit on being embarrassed? If you live to be one hundred, is a hundred embarrassments enough to fill the quota? What if you’re embarrassed ninety-five times in you first twenty years of life, do the remaining five seem extra painful?

Pain grips us all. You might as well get used to pain because painkillers are addictive and soon are of no effect. They just add to the pain.

We see the future is bright. But the future doesn’t know that because it never looks back.

Kindness returned is not always a surprise. Sometimes kindness comes from those who are sick and tired of not being kind.

Fixing roads might be the most important job in the world. At some point, we all need to get somewhere.

Not everything devolves. Entropy does not always win.

If you have a distinctive style, by all means use it. But don’t quit communicating because you don’t.

Some lives are smaller than others. But every life can grow.

A seed planted in Asia can grow in Micronesia. Small boats connect tiny islands, turn water into land. Living spaces sprout on dolphins’ backs.

There’s no game of life. The stakes are too high to call it a game. But what is life? We’re waiting for an answer.

In many ways, variety is an illusion. Sameness prevails. But only at a distance.

The numbers racket is in trouble because individuals are turning numbers into things. They’re becoming numb to numbers.

Beavers build dams so can they furnish energy for their factories. Beavers’ dams are American made.

Don’t try cutting the grass when the grass is still heavy with dew. You may be able to see better where you’re going in terms of grass being cut, the accumulation of wet grass clipping on the blades will eventually slow you down.

Don’t confuse persuasion with facts but also don’t confuse facts with persuasion.

The bigger the desert, the more important the areas of shade. The shade of one good tree magnifies in importance, the larger the barren landscape.

Puzzle solvers have their own reward.

It had to happen. Nihilists have the final say.

Walking barefoot in Ancient Rome was a risky business. You never knew what you might be stepping on. Luckily, sandals were sold in tourist shops and Rome then, as now, had quite a few of them. In fact, tourism was Rome’s number one business just after slaughtering innocents in the Coliseum.

The Gothic builders combined the lofty with the grotesque and for the most part, didn’t the grotesque get out of hand. On the other hand, however, the Renaissance sculptors and builders never saw an excess they didn’t like. Their excesses were just more subtle.

Dante sent many of the Renaissance artists to the Inferno with only chance of escape. They had to give up their art for a garden.

The Reformation was not only about reforming. It was also about forming. First time reason replaced emotion and it wasn’t always a good thing.

No matter what rule you pull out of your rule book, somewhere in this vast universe, there is at least one exception to that rule. And there is probably an exception to that exception, including this rule and this exception.

No one lives in total isolation. Even a hermit in a cave must live with himself. And he does so until he finds the company unbearable. Then he runs naked, screaming into the night. When he realizes his nakedness, he sinks behind a cave and makes a call to the local haberdashery, which promptly sends him a new Brooks Brothers suit, which he pays for with words of wisdom that he has formulated in his long, unkempt hermitage.

Banana splits are a thing of the past because we now live in unity.

Being a friend to the poor is like being the king of the world but it also implies that the poor can’t be a friend to the poor.

Rain on an August afternoon accompanied by lightning and thunder. The lightning always come first. Without lightning, there is no thunder. Before you hear the light, you must first see it.

People are passing this way. They’re flying through the air. From a distance they look like ducks. If they could talk, they might sound like ducks too.

Earthquakes are the in thing. Used to be hurricanes but too many potential storm paths have left the populace out. They still respect hurricanes but they’re a little jaded from the many times the path turned in a different direction.

Safety first and safety last. That’s okay if there’s something of substance in-between.

Who in the universe will know when the earth is no more?

It’s time to clean the carpet or if you just can’t get around to cleaning it, then it’s time to quit walking on it. Crawling is allowed.

Scenes at sunset should be censored then filtered then eradicated. Let the sun go down in peace.

Too many horizons can only lead to confusion.

Radio voices are in agreement. There are too many damn commercials.

Make hay while the sun shines.

If no one reads this, read it anyway.

They found the crossroads and they left things alone. The country store had long been abandoned and the barn beside it had long ago been turned into firewood. But the old country store they left standing.

They decided to turn left which was also north. It was cold up north, but they didn’t care. It was a chance for fresh air and freedom. A chance to start over.

No one noticed that all the flowers were dead. They had died in a cosmic explosion sixteen million years ago. They hadn’t bloomed since. They had been a pretty color. Or so they say. Quite a nice fragrance too. Known all throughout the galaxy. Even beings without noses appreciated the smell.

Can you travel too far? There are some places out there that don’t sell toothpaste. But the whiskey flows like Niagara Falls.

The softer the evening air, the more likely you’ll reminisce. You may remember things that are long forgotten. Too much remembering, though, can bring on a headache.

But don’t begrudge the soft evening air. At some point you may find yourself in the midst of a drought, with a not too distant forest fire, sending smoke your way to agitate your eyes and longs. And then you will recall the soft evening air and regret you didn’t appreciate it more when you had it.

Look across the field between your house and your nearest neighbor. The place seems deserted and where once people lived, now grows weeds, and all across the field are footprints going nowhere.

This lack of trust in the cosmos is almost criminal in scope. Don’t be fooled. The cosmos is taking note of what’s going on.

If they land on earth, will they allow earth to continue to exist or will they decide it’s time to call it quits?

Angels on a pin are still counting themselves. They have better things to do but who has time to do them?

Hepcat II is still circulating among the living. He’s been a preacher for the last few years. The name of his church is the Church with No Name. He’s been riding through the desert on it.

Who says you can’t see the forest for the trees?

Hepcat II plans to retire in a few years, He just needs the funds to do so. He’s looking for donations. His selling point is that if he retires, he’ll no longer preach. Hepcat II’s rhetoric was never his strong point.

Once humanity disappears from the universe, memories of humanity’s existence will also disappear. Yet, somewhere, these memories will be retained and stored for future use. We may even now be remembering our future obsolescence.

There is no value in getting if giving is not part of the equation. If we never use what we store up, it’s as if it was never stored in the first place.

Hepcat II, upon his retirement, joined several clubs. His favorite club turned out to be the one he didn’t become president of.

Palm trees swaying in the afternoon breeze. Sun shining on golden waters. Lovers walking hand in hand. Children playing in the sand. A lone wave moves toward the shore. A shark enters the nearby waters. The shore goes belly up. Time is ripped asunder.

Phone booths are a relic of the twentieth century. These days Clark Kent changes into Superman in full view of everyone. Crowds follow Kent around hoping they get to see him take off his business suit and the reveal the red and blue long johns underneath.

But not even Superman can save us now. To have any hope or chance, we would all have to become Supermen and Superwomen. But that’s not going to happen. Not anytime soon.

No more hamburgers but how about hamburger steak? With cooked onions on top and French fries on the side?

No?

I understand.

No more hamburgers. Even the name must not be mentioned.

You’re faster when you carry more weight. Why? Because it keeps you closer to earth and your tendency to float aimlessly in the air is neutralized by the heavier gravity emanating from the ground. So, if you want to move quickly, eat a big supper tonight.

There was no greater philosopher than the unknown philosopher. You say you never met him? That may be by design. You can only know the unknown if you meet the unknown at either a bus depot or train station. Unknown philosophers do not fly so airports are out.

The best way to reach a goal is not to reach it. Keep slowing down as you go through life, and you’ll never die, especially if your goal is death. No one who has death as a goal knows what they’re talking about.

If you have a few minutes to spare, sign up for the space corps. You may never get into space, but the intervening limbo should be quite pleasant.

God waits for those who wait for him. No wonder no one sees God anymore.

I was running laps when I decided I had run too many. So, I ran backward until I reached the correct number of laps.

People who live and die in the same century seem to be the most secure about who they are.

The sheep are in the pasture, but they would like to move to another pasture. The cows are in the pasture and they prefer to remain. It’s hard to be a sheep in such circumstances.

Mosquitoes are drawn to water. Butterflies are drawn to flowers. Birds are drawn to the sky. Humans can’t make their minds up.

Cemeteries are nice places to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live in one.

After Alexander Graham Bell invented the phone, he wondered about the efficacy of area codes.

A vegetable garden at its height is a wonder to behold. It can feed a miniature world or one hungry household. Grow a garden and be part of the solution.

Snakes crawl at night. At least that’s what Charlie Pride said in a song and I don’t think Charlie would have sang it if he didn’t mean it.

Without a good fireplace, mountain cabins have no right to exist.

How fortunate you are if you have the opportunity to stand alone. How terrible it is to be lost in a crowd.

Looking back is good if you can see back far enough to where the future has circled back to the past.

Space Force II will be much better than Space Force I. But without Space Force I, there would be no Space Force II. In fact, without one there would be no two. But there would be one without what comes before two.

Because nothing does and you have to start with one.

The colors you paint the walls of your house will not last forever. Be prepared to change colors at some point.

Electrical outlets are useless without electricity.

Quit devolving and start revolving. You’ll see more that way.

The hinterland is searching for relevance, but it doesn’t need to. It’s always been relevant. Small diners where farmers gather for early morning coffee and free-wheeling discussion. Talking about the price of corn and hogs never goes out of style. Grow some wheat.

There’s a certain logic to illogic. If it wasn’t, no one would fall for the illogic. There’s a method in madness.

Just around the corner.

Try to negotiate at least three dead ends a day. Doing so will keep you mentally nimble.

Great art depends upon great artists, but great artists don’t depend upon great art.

There are too many horses in the corral. Someone needs to let a few out.

Freedom often takes a back seat to stupid pride.

Hepcat II believed in the way of the moon. Some nights he howled at the moon. Luckily, Hepcat II didn’t have many neighbors. The ones he did understood.

You need tomatoes to make marinara sauce. The pasta will appreciate it.

There are secret codes, but this isn’t one.

The true path has always been available for those who seek it. Seekers have been few and far between.

Some people live thousands of years. But they’re not really individual people. They’re personality types. A personality type is not immortal but it’s the next thing to it.

When Athens ruled the Aegean Sea and dominated the other Greek city-states, Sparta knew something had to be done. Sparta did it, but did it really have to be done?

Decision-making is always in the hands of a few, which is not always a good idea.

Dreams die hard but dreaming comes easy.

A good cabinet maker is never without work as long as he’s never without wood.

Comedy runs out of steam as soon as everyone is happy.

When the rain falls, the sun hides. A shining sun has no rivals. Each galaxy is filled with suns, shining relentlessly. Great gravities exceed their bounds and have no bounds. Discarded rocks find new orbits between galaxies and there they grow into giant planets that invade other star systems. Destruction results and then life begins anew.

Silence is impossible in a living world. What passes for silence is low noise.

Where do you go for silence? Just hope you never find complete silence.

Maybe you couldn’t even talk to yourself.

Raindrops keep dropping. Someone needs to say no.

They’re still counting sheep at Hiroshima. The human race tried to go to sleep in 1945 and is still trying to do so to this day. Only the innocent sleep.

To feel welcome is a wonderful thing. It makes you think you might have done something right.

You can stop having funerals, but it won’t stop people from dying.

Get back to the vegetable garden. Sure, the rabbits and deer will eat most of it but if they’re nice, they might leave you some radishes and eggplant.

You don’t want to live inside a fortress. The peace and safety you find there are tantamount to being imprisoned. Die free.

Living is only a mistake when you choose not to die. Dying leads to life and by not choosing not to die you become unable to live.

Follow the stream not the river. Rivers were never made for following. They’ll lead you into the ocean where you’ll be swallowed up. A stream is more likely to take you places that are beneficial to the soul.

Speaking of the soul, you should nourish it. The body may decay but the soul has the potential to remain forever young.

Songs were meant to be sung off key. Perfect harmony can only be found through imperfection.

Your spirit will guide you through the unknown.

After the fall, there was no place to fall, so everyone had to stand on their own two feet.

Dinosaurs lived for millions of years. Can any species ask for more?

We recognize fossils for what they pretend to be. We recognize humans for what they pretend not to be.

A good restaurant has a clean kitchen. A good body has a good mind. But not all recipes are the same.

The safest place in a crowd is on its fringes.

Dennis and Evette grew old together and eventually died a year apart. It doesn’t matter which one died first.

Hepcat II made sure they were buried on a hill overlooking a lazy river. It was a river that had once known Mark Twain. But very few people knew that because the river was good at keeping secrets.

Before Dennis and Evette died, they traveled to the Hill Country of Texas. There they swam in cool natural springs and ate beef barbeque and listened to live country music. It was the honeymoon they never had.

Hepcat II wandered aimlessly for years, searching for the lost gondola. He even went to Venice but all the gondolas there were accounted for.

As of today, Hepcat II is still searching for that lost gondola.

Cutting grass is a phenomenon of the twentieth century. Much easier just to let the cows eat the grass but cows could not be counted on to cut the grass evenly. It was the same for horses.

Lawnmowers to the rescue.

The sound of a lawnmower and the smell of fresh cut grass are now among the hallowed rites of summer. If you don’t cut your grass on a regular basis, you could be run out of town.

The electrical grid is up for grabs. Go underground, Grid! Go underground! That’s where all great revolutions start.

Don’t pretend to know too little. An attitude like that will come back to haunt you.

One of the consequences of the sun shining for a long time is that too much hay can be made. And a world overrun with hay is not one I want to live in.

Sports are a by-product of war and when war is eradicated so will be sports.

So, play while you can.

Anything that can be wrapped in plastic isn’t worth preserving. The air may corrupt us, but the decay is not to be rejected.

People can only stand in line for so long. At some point, they collapse to the ground. But who’s holding up the ground?

A human can be satisfied physically yet be under attack mentally. This is the equivalent of spiritual warfare. Because the source of anguish is spiritual, the fighter must be more subtle than sending a tank into the front lines. This war is a rear-guard action. It’s a matter of holding on, and if you hold on long enough, you’ll win.

One person can live across many centuries. In fact, you have no choice but to live in a forever fashion. Your consciousness cannot be limited to the here and now. It seeks connection to the farthest star.

Visiting national parks is something of a perk. The ticket you bought for life didn’t include that in the package. Every diversion is a gift.

Anodynes should never be rejected. They can be the difference between insomnia and a good night’s sleep.

Twilight is the time for reflection. You wonder if the day was well spent or was it somehow wasted.

Making plans can be an endless task. There should no more than one revision. If there are, call the whole thing off. Better to walk away than take a chance on disaster.

No need to create a disaster. They can happen all on their own. Disasters tend to work independently and are quite creative in leveling waste and causing destruction.

What happened many years ago will happen again. Some parts may be different, but the basic design will be the same.

Be a friend in need.

Across the generations, many things are passed down. But so are many things lost. The things lost tend to be the things best remembered.

Laws come and go. Laws are only any good if they make sense, in either a positive or a negative way.

Washing machines can turn violent. Extremely large washing machines tumbling violently could probably bring a house down.

Speak up when everyone else is silent. Otherwise, keep it all to yourself.

Our impact on the world can only be measured when the world no longer matters.

When you hear the click, you know it’s time to say goodbye.

Viewed from a million miles away, Earth is a planet in the middle of nowhere. When the moon revolves into the scene, that perspective doesn’t change.

Whatever we do, let’s have a war to end all wars. If that happened, it would mean everyone was dead and the human race was extinct.

Keep growing those vegetables and don’t forget the fruit trees.

Wild blueberries are always appreciated.

You can only make things up for so long. Fear is the great divider. Fear never grows old. It’s the only time youth is despised.

Bugs multiply faster than they can be killed. Plus, they live in a world much larger than themselves and therefore can more easily hide. The dumbest bugs are the ones that are the noisiest. Stay quiet and you’ll live longer.

Sunshine is a hot commodity. Once companies start selling sunshine, the gig is up. Everything will be for sale. If it’s not already.

Build a road through a mountain and you take away many individuals reason to live. Why climb a mountain when you can drive right through it?

Change the air filter on a regular basis and be friends to the birds. Such a simple concept yet so hard to follow.

Hepcat II decided to visit the Seven Hills of Rome but when he got there was only one of the seven left. The other six had been flattened so housing developments could be built on them. The one hill remaining had no name so Hepcat II called it the One Hill of Rome.

Leaving Rome, Hepcat II went to the island of Corsica, where he met with descendants of Napoleon Bonaparte. They discussed the fall of the French Empire and the unfortunate use of the term Waterloo in a song by the pop group ABBA. Hepcat II also wanted to talk about Italian cuisine but Napoleon’s descendants were only interested in French cooking.

Hepcat II met a French girl named Martinique when he landed at the coast town of Marseilles. They discussed the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh and wondered if Vincent’s ghost was still around and did the ghost know his paintings were now worth millions. All in all, a vibrant conversation. It ended when the rain began to fall.

Skip the awards banquet but don’t skip the awards.

If you haven’t seen your neighbor lately, it might mean all your neighbors have moved.

It gets hot in the Sahara Desert. The best oasis is the one you just left. If possible, spend more time at the oasis.

What separates the desert from the jungle? What separates the above from the below? Isn’t everything attached? Is there no real separation? The only thing that dies is our consciousness and that might be our least important part.

Will they one day build monuments to people who tear down monuments?

Craziness is a follower not a leader. Only truth can lead. But sometimes the truth can drive you crazy.

When two missiles meet in the air, they can cancel each other out. That’s not a bad idea. Eliminate the sources of trouble by making them run head-on into each other.

Stealth jets are the coming thing. When the atmosphere is filled with invisible fighter planes, will it look any different?

Getting out of a contract is much more satisfying than signing a contract.

Someday you’ll take a road that leads to a place where you’ll want to linger. But it’s not for the faint of heart.

100

Crepe myrtles like hot weather. They bloom at a time when most of us wilt.

We shouldn’t look at energy just as something to be harnessed and used for our own ends. Energy should be recognized as an independent entity. We should sign a pact with energy and make a commitment to work with it in a harmonious fashion.

You can spend your whole life just picking up the pieces and when you try to put them together, you find one is missing, and you realize that one is the most important piece.

If any road we traveled had a stop sign every one-hundred feet, we’d try to find another road.

101

Embrace the uncertainty of life.

What’s the glory in living?

For a short period of his life, Hepcat II had a friend named James. James was a tightrope walker and for something to do on weekends, he would walk on a wire connected to skyscrapers. The wire would be hundreds of feet high. One day a gust of wind sent James to his death.

Other friends came and went, but Hepcat always had a place in his memory for James. He always wondered what thoughts were going through James’ head as he plunged to his demise.

What if we could momentarily share the last thoughts of the dying? What would we feel and what we would experience and how would it change our perception of life?

102

If you want to be part of eternity, then you need to go back in time. You can’t go forward until you encompass the past.

When train engines bellowed smoke and sent ashes flying, did the new speed of travel fully compensate for the noise and the dirt?

If everyone walks, then wherever one is going becomes more of a final destination.

Friends of the earth are not necessarily friends of the universe.

How do hats become old?

Playing board games is another way of ordering your life.

103

Seems we’re getting close to the end of reasoning. Otherwise rational people are going insane and it seems to be over the most insignificant things. It’s not enough to live one’s life as an independent individual, we must live others’ also.

A good crossword puzzle is worth its weight in gold. Passing the time with silent words is golden.

Sometimes words make sense.

Kicking the can down the road works until the road ends.

Too much ice can spoil a summer’s day.

104

A large pile of television sets (circa 1969) was found on the edge of town. They had fallen out of a truck going west on Highway 275. By some strange happenstance, they were not too badly damaged. None of them had antennas. All the antennas had fallen off earlier of the other side of town. An order by phone was immediately sent to South Korea, for the manufacture of sixteen-thousand antennas. The antennas were to be shipped by ship across the Pacific Ocean and was scheduled to arrive in San Francisco in March of the coming year. No expense was to be spared, Meanwhile, all current television shows were to delay production until February of the coming so there would only one-month lapse between production and viewing. 755 shows were to begin filming on February 1^st. No exceptions would be allowed.

105

Don’t live in fear of the powers that be. As Jesus said, all they can do is destroy the body. Nature’s doing that anyway. It’s just sometimes faster with the powers that be. Don’t be jealous or envious of what they have. In the final tally, they have exactly what you have: nothing. Read Ecclesiastes. Be willing to think and you’ll probably come to the same conclusion. Every conclusion in human sphere is remarkably similar. The actions leading up to the conclusion may differ, but the end is the same.

106

The world’s first carpenter had no trouble finding good help. He would just walk among the surrounding villages telling the villagers if they wanted to make a little money, they should show up the next day at 7 AM at such and such location. Since the carpenter had an unlimited amount of funds, he was able to hire three people for every job that required one person. When one or two people quit, and they invariably did, he would still have someone on the payroll to take care of the task at hand. When the first carpenter finally died at a ripe old age, he left behind a cadre of carpenters, who themselves merrily went about building the edifices of the world.

107

Buildings do burn, though, and they also collapse in a variety of ways. Then again, some buildings last for thousands of years. The ones who built the buildings with an eye to eternity believed that nothing was impossible. The earth may build mountains, but man builds greater mountains. Cascading down the mountains are rivulets and streams that at some point may into magnificent waterfalls, where tourists go each year and take pictures of themselves standing in front of the onrushing deluge. Waterfalls are a symbol of the coming collapse civilization.

108

The effort to be coherent can lead to confusion and disarray. To be both fervent and febrile in a time of anxiety is going over the top. Interpersonal relations have no meaning when everything is personal. Chaos is the result of no boundaries. A revelation from God should, for the most part, be kept to oneself. Only a few know how to transmit their revelations to fellow humans without falling into hubris and self-aggrandizement.

109

The rain outside the screen porch is falling with gusto. Thunder can be heard in the near distance. But no poems are being recited and Shakespeare’s greatest plays are in abeyance. John Milton has to relocate Paradise somewhere near Dante’s Inferno and the best spaghetti in the world is made in a place other than Italy. The world is finally right side up but still revolving around the sun. If you find a clue to the next generation, be sure to leave a note at the British Museum. They’ll place it in the fossil section and thousands of years from it will be read from right to left and arbitrarily decoded and will be determined as saying the exactly opposite of what was written.

110

Attila the Hun is rampaging across the steppes of Western Asia. His hordes are destroying everything in their path. What can’t be eaten by themselves or fed to horses is burnt. The peasants of the villages and small farms are hightailing it to safety. They have their choice of centuries, but no century is safe from Attila. He dies every fifty years or so and then is reborn to do once again what he does best. If only every human could max out on his or her abilities. But Attila is sui generis. That’s why he must be reborn. No one else can do what he does and what is this world without wanton destruction?

111

The unfairness of life is a given fact. Spare me the rhetoric. Conjure up Socrates from the dead and he will the fill the halls with hard-edged dialectic. His arguments may be abstract, and they may leave you hanging in the air with no net below but what would rhetoric do for you. Take you to some golden destination where all is well, and the stars shine every night. Doubtful. Your disappointment will be immense, and you’ll wind begging Socrates to drink wine and not hemlock.

112

The night was stillborn. The day was a dumpster fire. All manner of men and women went to the marketplace in hopes of finding a good bargain. They found no such thing. But they did find a reason to live. It had to do with frogs croaking on ponds while floating toward the center of the earth while perched on broken twigs that had fallen from ancient cypress trees. The frogs had no friends but they were sociable nonetheless and the relentless warm breeze pushed them onward toward the part of the pond that housed a drain pipe and as the frogs fell into the drain pipe, they quit worrying about their next meal.

113

The mountains never met the sea because there was always a plain between them. What becomes between two entities will forever stand in the way of unity. Peace falters at every turn. No answers are forthcoming. No words can satisfy. You’re lost in your own identity. You can recognize nothing else. Once the sea retreats, the beach will be exposed for what it is. Worthless sand.

114

You can only wait so long. No one can wait forever. Quit waiting. Waiting is pointless. Reconcile yourself to the flow of time. Time is coming to meet you. Unlock the door. Let time in. Find a railroad that has a passenger train. Become a passenger. Take a nap on the train. Wake up in a new country. Breathe in new air. Quit being a parasite. Give something of yourself. Rejection does not matter.

115

Most of life is a secret. Not an intentional secret, necessarily, but a secret because of the inadequacy and briefness of our own lives to comprehend the true secrets of this life. And then again, some (many, most?) things are better left as secrets. Do we really know the secrets of the atom? We probably don’t even know the secrets of the molecule. What is a secret anyway? Is just something we do not know or is it something more? Somewhere out there in the vastness of space, are all the secrets of existence being held in anticipation of a future unveiling?

116

As the light reaches the earth from the sun, a transformation takes place. The light disperses in the atmosphere and enters the retinas of people who were once blind. The blind begin to see and what leaves their eyes are the products of an enlightened mind. Thus, truth is transmitted all around the world and no amount of darkness can prevent it or slow it down. The weight of truth builds over the millennia until finally it no longer is suppressed by gravity and then itself is propelled back toward the sun. The return of truth to the sun is greatest achievement of the universe.

117

If you fall off a horse more than once, you may come to the realization that it’s better to walk. After all, a horse has the right to walk alone. We all have that right. To be alone signifies the advent of reason, logic, and strong mental acuity. You have only yourself to listen to and whatever mistakes are made, they can’t be blamed on someone else. You either make it or you die. No other outcomes have any meaning. And if you’re searching for meaning, you can do nothing better than to walk alone.

118

The trail leads through the pasture, then over the creek, into another pasture, then through the woods and over a hill. After that, you’re on your own. You should have neither wild nor tame animals to either scare or hinder you. You will freely move among the inhabitants of another world and when you reach the gate, it will be unlocked. You’ll need a passport of some kind, though. Your passport can be quite generic. Choose a name and address out of thin air and write them on a piece of paper using a red magic marker. The color will seep through the paper and your fingerprints will be exposed. But you will be free and that’s all that matters.

119

Contractions in the human economy will happen as well as periods of growth. There will be times of hardship and suffering, but the end will justify the means. But no one wants to live in a world that is only a means to an end. One can only live in the present. Most understand that the present cannot always be peaceful and pleasant, but they also see no reason why it can’t be 90/10 positive/negative. Sure, we would prefer 100%, but that’s a Godlike aspiration, and it may not even be possible for God.

120

We live for days that satisfy our souls. Being fully human is all about combining the tangible with the intangible and coming up with a mix that is conducive to both mental agitation and peace of mind. The mental agitation pushes us to new lines of thought while the peace of mind allows us to deal with the consequences of what we discover through cogitation.

121

When you look down from too far a height, you can never get a good and accurate picture of what’s really going on. That’s why God becomes human at certain points in the universal history. God likes to see things as they are. He’s not like human philosophers, who conjure up unrealistic versions of reality. They have value, but there’s nothing quite like the real thing.

122

From the fields of play to the fields of war, one thing has always led to another. Hope can have substance but it’s a weak substance, easily susceptible to dissolution and decay. It’s not necessary to have hope to keep moving forward. Some things are inevitable and life within the flow of time is one of those things. We dream of a future that is incorruptible and that’s probably a good thing, but we should never dream of a future that’s perfect because once something is perfect, its only option is to remain frozen.

123

Horseback riders are willing to take chances in the pursuit of their pleasure. Pursuers of pleasure are always on the lookout for yet another avenue of fun. Dangers be damned. You only live once and hopefully, you only die once. Living and dying are two sides of the same coin and everyone knows when you flip a coin, both sides have an equal chance of ending face up. The only problem with dying is that it usually happens with no great fanfare. We go whimpering into the night.

124

But there is happiness in the world. Not as much as it should be but there’s always the possibility that the happiness of the world will increase over time, maybe so much that it will reach critical mass. Too much happiness is an impossibility. Or is it? How could we ever know what too much is? Has it been tried before and found wanting? I think not. Some people cannot even define happiness.

125

The deer and the antelope are playing. Streams are running, flushed with clean, cold water, moving toward an impenetrable destination. Leaves are falling. Leaves of red, gold and mahogany. The leaves cover the ground and hide the ragged roots that are protruding out of the ground, producing opportunities for stubbing toes and tripping feet. A heavy rainfall ensues, and the mud is waiting for an occupant. One who falls not from the trees but from a greater height on high.

126

The city streets are cluttered with two weeks of garbage. The garbage collectors are on permanent strike so brave individuals are forming garbage patrols and venturing forth on the streets to collect the garbage themselves. But where does the garbage go? Where has it ever went. Garbage never dies. Just re-forms and somehow becomes respectable. So respectable it can be discussed at afternoon teas and evening dinner parties. Pick your own garbage. But where does the garbage go? No one knows.

127

You never talk about what you do. You just do it. I only talk about things I don’t really know. Maybe I can talk myself into knowing them. I would like to meet a great artist one day, but time is running out. I would like to see great art someday, but life is running out. For every Taj Mahal, there are a billion shacks and lean-tos. For every Mt. Everest, there are a billion run of the mill protuberances.

128

Look at the world around you. How does it exist? It does exist, at least it does in your mind. You wake up every morning to this world. Did you create it? Perhaps you did. Perhaps you’ve created many worlds and some or most of them still exist? They have to; once a world or anything for that matter, exist, it cannot not exist. Are you careful or careless in your creating of worlds? Are you profligate or frugal in your making something out of nothing? Did you even consider deeply what you do or is just something you do while you’re doing something else?

129

A good table has four legs. An even better table has no legs. A table that defies gravity and floats serenely in the air, never allowing a glass or a plate to slide off it. It’s a table that can’t be turned. It folds to the point of invisibility and it bears no resemblance to other, inferior tables. When it unfolds, it lights up the room and brings joy to all in attendance. Set your empty glass on it and the glass will be refilled with whatever liquid you are thinking of. Isn’t this a table of great price?

130

The Romans were fond of destroying cities and then salting the earth where the cities once stood. Nothing was then able to grow. No new civilization could spring up. Talk about wiping out your enemies. The more terrible the pain inflicted, the less likely a future uprising. But no empire goes on forever and Rome itself met the same fate it had inflicted on others. What goes around comes around. Rome as an empire was not entirely bad but its demise was too long in the making.

131

Those who sing in the shower should never take the piano or guitar along with them. A harmonica, perhaps, but only because the harmonica would get in the way of the singing. The primary purpose of taking a shower is to get clean but some dirt can never be erased. It lingers until the Judgment Seat. Getting clean and staying clean are beyond most humans’ wherewithal. Soak in a bathtub and you may get better results.

132

Perseverance means a lot even willpower is strong. The emotion that keeps you going can also sustain you. Slow and easy goes far into the day. To reach your goals, you need a strong rhetoric and the inspiration that only comes at the break of dawn. If you find inspiration in the darkness, the dawn will come sooner, and the horizon will seem brighter.

133

What will be the last book written? What language will it be written in? Who will read it?

134

In the year 2050, they will stop making television sets. Five years before that they’ll quit making movies. The grasslands of Argentina will disappear, and the Andes Mountains will sink into the sea. An earthquake will occur on the 42^nd Parallel.

135

They’re holding court on the last day of September. A hurricane is sweeping in from the eastern Atlantic. All boats and ships are anchored, awaiting the fierce winds and gigantic waves. Restaurants are being boarded up and pet stores are making all animals are off the floor. Court may be canceled but the storm decides to rush on in.

136

He was a friend to the people and the people applauded him and awarded him their highest honors. He accepted humbly and said thank you at every opportunity. They planned to toast him at a celebratory meal, but the caterer got her dates mixed up. There was no food or wine for the celebration, so he talked instead. He told about his adventures in the desert. The camels were never nice to him, but the Arabs always gave directions to the next oasis.

137

Pluto was downgraded from planet to planetoid. How many humans are downgraded from adult to child? An adult can act like a child and still be called an adult. Throw a temper tantrum and you’ll be called dynamic and provocative. It’s a good gig if you can get it.

138

Solving a crime takes ingenuity and determination. Following every clue can be exhausting. But it can also be rewarding. Creating clues is more fun.

139

There has been a shift in the prevailing wind and all things are changing. There used to be two-story brick building on the corner of Main and Elm. Now it’s gone. It disappeared. Everyone is looking for it. A lemonade stand is now standing in its place. Business is good but the inhabitants of the town want their building back. The owners of the lemonade stand, ages nine and ten, feel differently. The town is thinking of charging a lemonade tax, but it will one thousand years of lemonade tax revenue to make up for the loss of the building. Will the building return? Only if the town apologizes to it and the town is reluctant to do so. Besides, the lemonade is quite tasty.

140

The circus has come town and the clowns are on a rampage. Elephants have knocked down yard fences and trampled on petunias. Tigers have eaten all the chickens and lions have eaten all the dogs. Cats, because of their genetic similarity, have been left alone. Trapeze artists have strung a wire form one side of Main Street to the other. None so far have fallen.

141

The temperature is perfect. The air is fresh and invigorating. Why don’t you take a nap underneath the old oak tree?

142

We’re moving rapidly toward our final destination. What seems slows is actually fast.

143

Where two walls meet, they form a corner. The world does not have a corner because it has no walls. Therefore, the world will never be able to ‘turn the corner’.

144

Singing around the campfire may be fun but are the wild animals that are in close proximity subjected to unwelcomed noise?

145

Once they close all the libraries, the ships will come home to stay.

146

Once you run out of excuses, you’ll have to stand and fight.

147

Glass breaks, stones crumble, lies unravel, truth overcomes.

148

Stop using clichés.

149

No more hamburgers.

150

Backseat drivers have never been in vogue though their bad reputation may be overblown.

151

Gold mines in South Africa have a burgeoning relationship with freighters that bypass Antarctica.

152

When dinosaurs died sixty-five million years ago, they forgot to pay off their national debt.

154

The Battle of Hastings in 1066 gave new life to the English language.

155

When do turnip greens grow best? The question needs answering but so does the rain that chooses not to fall.

156

Simplicity in the human experience is neither possible nor desired.

157

The first Marathon runner was also the most important Marathon runner.

158

The route to power is often through a powerless vacuum.

159

The architects of Venice must have liked water.

160

Do we go around the world or does the world go around us?

161

Keep dreaming.

162

Vacuum cleaners spend most of their time sitting in dark closets.

163

The world did fine for thousands of years without comic books.

164

The page ends at different points.

165

Too much sunshine is not always too much light.

166

Bicycle on a dirt road. Dust rising. Lizards crossing the road at relatively high speeds. Cacti in the background. Magnolia trees in the foreground. All other plants epigeal in nature. Someone is sitting by the cantina doing a crossword puzzle in Spanish while thinking in English. Artesian well spouting out fresh, cool water. An eagle flies overhead looking for prey. Hope that prey isn’t you.

167

Motorcycles roaring across the open plains. Scattering herds of buffalo. Indians on the warpath. Wagon trains circling the wagons. General Custer is resurrected from the grave just in time to die again. This time his long-flowing blonde scalp belongs to a different warrior who promises to take it to the Smithsonian Institution. Pennsylvania Avenue is clogged with rush hour traffic, but no one is in a hurry anyway.

168

People will believe in almost anything. That makes it so much harder to discover the truth. Discovering the truth is more about ignoring that it is exploring.

169

In small southern towns, auto parts stores are a haven for good conversation and bad coffee. Coffee shops offer just the opposite. How can you have a good conversation when the coffee is also good? Two positives can make a negative. One good must be better than the other good. There are no equal goods.

170

The new religion of the South is cutting grass. Just like people used to religiously go to church once a week, now they religiously mow grass. Remember to say your prayers to the Great Grass God tonight.

171

Night must fall.

172

If you’re looking for ordonnance here, you are probably going to find it.

173

The Day the Earth Stood Still was not the same day as The Day the Sun Stood Still.

174

When the shrubbery is neat, the hopes and dreams of all mankind are in better hands.

175

Good times never last. And that’s good.

176

At some point, we all delve into the spiritual matters of life, whether we want to or not. It’s going to happen, even if it’s only a few seconds before you die. It’s best, if possible, not to wait long before diving into the celestial stream.

177

Food, clothing, lodging.

178

A strong wind blew and knocked down a portion of the corral fence. All the horses escaped.

179

He was playing in the country at a country club. Can’t get much more country than that.

180

All the tea in China isn’t enough tea for what will be required when the Sun marries the Moon.

181

Always try to be in a position where you have the opportunity to be honest. To be so is the probably the hardest thing in the world.

182

You have no choice but to be a friend to yourself. But somehow some manage to overcome the no choice imperative.

183

A happy air filter is a regularly changed air filter.

184

Never stop drinking water.

185

Always look in all directions. You don’t know what’s coming your way.

186

Let’s face it. We’re all in this together. Whoever sorts it all out will be deserving of whatever accolades come their way.

187

Education, to be effective, must be slow and deliberate. We need more than one lifetime to become educated.

188

We’re learning all the time. Our knowledge is accumulating. At some point, our ability to wisely use that knowledge will catch up.

189

The dark night of the soul describes us all.

190

The road is muddy, and the wind is bitter. Run down shacks and ramshackle barns and old tractor sheds line the road as you walk in a southernly direction. Birds going south for the winter fly in tight formations overhead and you wonder what happen to your shotgun. But you sold the shotgun at a pawn shop and bought a can of beans and a loaf of bread. You built a campfire for warmth and then used it to heat the beans. After eating, you fell asleep, but were awakened by the roar of the train as it passed by, headed north. Standing up, you start walking south again.

191

You turn restless and you head for the hills. Along the way you grow weary and wonder if it was a good idea to leave. Then you find a place to settle down but it’s in the valley and you forget the hills. But how can you forget all that life has meant to you. You can’t, so once again you head for the hills.

192

You can find some old things in the closet. A jacket you don’t even remember owning, yet there it is. You try it on, and you realize it’s a jacket for all seasons. It keeps you warm when it’s cold outside and it keeps you cool when it’s hot outside. It even makes you feel comfortable inside, no matter the temperature. How could you forget a jacket like that?

193

Once the cupboard is bare, everyone will leave the house. Nothing left to steal.

194

Poets wrote poems. Songwriters wrote songs. Novelists wrote novels. Writing things down somehow brings permanence. But our memories can be silenced, and no amount of words can bring those memories back.

195

Whatever you become, you were already that in the first place. Don’t become. Overcome.

196

When the sun comes out from behind the clouds, that’s the time to take the wrapper off a new bar of soap. It’s time to clean. Scrub the floors and wash down the walls. Put on a new roof and build a carport for the car you do not own. The carport may always remain empty, but it’ll be clean.

197

If you can’t deserve to be saved, then you can’t deserve to be unsaved.

198

You know you’re living in a ghost town when you start saying hello to the ghosts as they pass you on the street.

199

Heroism is usually a momentary thing. Steady heroism is too hard for most humans.

200

Hepcat II started working the night shift. That meant he slept most of the day. Soon night became day and day became night for Hepcat II. He asked to be moved back to the day shift, but his supervisor was reluctant to do so. Hepcat II was one hell of a night shifter. Hepcat II understood but he wondered if he would ever see daylight again.

201

The dogs of war are barking which is okay because barking is better than biting.

202

Our field of consciousness is a million times larger than our field of perception. That’s why we need to conceive as much as we perceive.

203

Boredom is contentment and vice-versa.

204

If each night could be cool and each day could be warm, then no one would want to die.

205

Take a raft down the Mississippi River. As you go down the river, the years retreat. When you reach the end of the river you also reach the beginning of time.

206

When the train leaves the station, will you be on it?

207

The original Hepcat was born in 1736, the same year as Thomas Paine. The Original Hepcat (OH) was born in Massachusetts and Paine somewhere in England. They never met. At some point, Paine immigrated to America, where his purple prose help stir the flames of revolution. OH spent the Revolution panning for gold west of the Mississippi River. He never found gold, but he did avoid getting killed.

208

Unless you’re in prison for life, you can only stay in one place for so long. Humans were born to be on the move. Try to die with your boots on.

209

Cleopatra and Marc Antony were a hot item in the ancient world. Too bad they canceled that vacation to India.

210

A traveling monk always took care of his donkey and his donkey reciprocated. Teamwork was essential in the Middle Ages.

211

The people of the Savanna never heard of Savannah.

212

Hepcat II did finally make it to Argentina. The last time anyone heard of him he was crossing the Andes on either a llama or an alpaca.

213

Garage doors that work are in the miracle category.

214

Good religion is an oxymoron.

215

Should everyone write their own epitaph?

216

Never eat chili in Chile.

217

Town Hall is too easy to corrupt. Put your seat of government in the hardware store or coffee shop. Should get better results that way. Well, at least more honest.

218

A night at the opera can be uplifting if not confusing. Great singers are always to be applauded.

219

After twenty years of marriage, Dennis and Evonne finally got to take a vacation. They flew to Scotland and went to St. Andrews where the British Open was being held. They lucked out and were able to get tickets for one of the rounds. Arnold Palmer won that year. Arnie’s dead now but Dennis and Evonne still remember the putt he made on the eighteenth green to win the tournament. As far as they are concerned, Arnie’s still alive.

220

The Olympics go back to 776 B.C. Of course, there was that two-thousand year interval.

221

Hepcat II is now somewhere below the Antarctic in an insulated bunker the size of a football field. He’s conducting experiments in a lab of his own devising. What his experiments have to do with, nobody knows. But in his own way, he’s gainfully employed and quite happy. That’s all you can ask for.

222

The Antarctic Lab blew up when some errant chemicals cascaded through a hole in the frozen ground. At the time it happened, Hepcat II was on a weekend jaunt to Patagonia. He never went back to Antarctica.

223

If we proceed in the direction we are now going, only good things can happen.

224

It’s hot today, but the breeze is blowing anyway.

225

Once libraries are closed, it’s all over.

226

You must be mighty lucky to spot a UFO. You must be even luckier not to.

227

All the crowds had vanished. Indoor malls were no longer in vogue. The buildings remained, along with the parking lots, and might do so for hundreds of years more. But would the people ever come back? Maybe when the shelves were stocked again, and the prices were right.

228

It takes a lot of remembering to do justice to your memories. Your memories go beyond your experience and your experience will never catch up with your memories.

229

Every man-made project is doomed to failure. That’s okay. What matters is how long each project takes to fail.

230

There was one year when it never rained. No one got upset. There was a reason for the dry season.

231

Doctors used to make house calls.

232

The Universe is big enough for everyone to have their own galaxy.

233

Time decided to take a much-needed holiday. It stopped moving into the future. The past was frozen in time so the only time available was ‘Now’. Since there had never been a ‘Now’ long enough to measure, no one really knew what ‘Now’ was. But with the time holiday, ‘Now’ became the subject of intense scrutiny. Results are forthcoming, that is, if time starts moving into the future again.

234

The earth is both flat and round. It all depends on your perspective. Somewhere in the flattest of lands there is a stretch of land that can accommodate the new capital city of America. Its architecture will surpass anything that has gone before. On the west side of the capital will be a Space Port, where spaceships come and go. Their first destinations will be in the Solar System, then beyond to stars like Alpha Centauri and Sirius. Eventually no star will be too far.

235

Butterflies are colorful little creatures, and they love big flowers. Golden flowers and red and white flowers. Flowers of all colors. In comparison to ours, butterfly lives are microscopic in scope, but rich beyond measure in quality of life. They spend their brief lives in the midst of unrivaled beauty. A butterfly’s aesthetics cannot be questioned.

236

Leaves don’t leave home until they die.

237

Someday war will end. Let’s just hope the human race doesn’t end at the same time.

238

Understanding almost always comes too late.

239

Planes don’t usually fill the sky unless they’re on a bombing mission. It’s much more sanguine to look up into the sky and see a thousand birds.

240

Fences usually turn brown as they age. Sort of like hair turning grey. Old age is nothing to be ashamed of; afraid of, yes.

241

Don’t leave home without it. Without what?

242

What you visualize is what you are. It’s the whole ball of wax.

243

Life goes back billions of years. We’re connected to it via the subconscious. Present forms are temporary housing that are in need of rehabilitation. Mentally, we can improve, emotionally we can improve, physically we can improve. Put it all together and you have the makings of a new humanity.

244

The fast track is getting slower and many are waking up to the dawning of a new realization. This realization is the first in a series of such awakenings. Be prepared. The road ahead will be quite bumpy. It will definitely keep you awake.

245

Doing laundry every day teaches you that a day shouldn’t go by that doesn’t need some scrubbing of the soul.

246

A city full of a hundred languages is nothing but confusion.

247

Most think of traveling around the world from east to west or from west to east. It’s fascinating thinking of doing it north/south or south/north.

248

What if you knew an all-encompassing flood was headed your way? Would you head for the hills?

249

We all live in a sea of air.

250

Contrary to public opinion, microbes enjoy sports.

251

Creating life is a mystery that may never be solved.

252

In 1959, Donovan left Ireland for America. He settled in upper state New York, not far from the Canadian Border. There he planted a field of winter wheat which he donated to the local food bank. For entertainment, he attended a blue grass festival in the Adirondacks. He drank homemade beer and slept under an oak tree. He met his wife while swimming in a cold-water lake near a strawberry farm.

253

Yesterday they wrote a song about tomorrow. People started singing it every day in anticipation of what tomorrow would bring. Apples were sold on every corner and pears were free for the asking. Birds were even humming the tune of the song as they flew into town and landed on tree branches. Grasshoppers began chirping the tune also and when the wolf howled at night, you could hear a faint resemblance of the song. Then the wind picked up on the phenomenon and as it moved across the land, it became a sounding board for what we naively called tomorrow.

254

Life is stagnant. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t recognize it.

255

The artists got together and said, ‘No more Art until our demands are met!’, When asked what their demands were, they replied, ‘Artists should not have to answer questions like that’.

256

Moses finally came down from the mountain. He did so when he realized the followers of Jesus were about to move it.

257

Can you go to a music school that doesn’t allow the playing and performance of music? Perhaps you can if the mathematics are the music and Infinity is the Muse. Calculations can be made from star to star and asteroid to asteroid and from black hole to black hole. There’ll be no traditional music in your head, but the mathematical formulae will keep you tapping your feet. Nothing solid to tap on since you’ll be superluminally floating through the space, but your internal rhythms will reach a new height of tonal accomplishment.

258

This blank, white form I’m looking at is filling up with black lines of irregular shapes.

259

Too much comfort has ruined the dogs.

260

If you were born in another galaxy, would you be here today?

261

Where was Donovan when we last encountered him? I can’t remember but wherever he is now is better than he was before. Like all (or most) of us, he’s transitioning from the earthly to the heavenly. His contact is an angel of indominable spirit, whose wings cannot be burnt by the sun. This angel will escort Donovan to heights unknown where he’ll meet others just like himself. From there, they will travel together and discover that the universe is round.

262

Carrying out plans can be an elusive undertaking. The more precise the plan, the more tedious it becomes, and the more likely there will be flaws in it. Human nature can only pay so much attention to detail and then wanders off into a valley of diffusion. The fog rolls and no fan is big enough to blow it away. Still, even when it fails, we often cling to the plan, as if a failed plan is more important than the results of the plan.

263

We wander through life wondering if the ice of inertia will ever break.

264

The most important thing in the world is waiting to be discovered.

265

How do you tell one proton from another? Or one electron from another? Or one neutron from another. If you were fifty light years away from earth, would the atomic elements in that location be identical to the atomic elements of earth? We depend on sameness to keep us sane. We can handle little variations, but the more extreme the change, the more likely we’ll lose our minds.

266

Donovan went on a safari with the ghost of Ernest Hemingway. But before starting the safari, Donovan’s small two-seater plane crashed somewhere in the highlands of Kenya. A rescue team from Nairobi found him and patched him up. He then decided it would be best not to go on the safari and as a result, gave up the ghost of Hemingway.

267

What some people find reassuring, I find downright disconcerting. People may get older, but they don’t necessarily get wiser. In fact, a kind of inanity overwhelms many people, and they start looking for meaning in life. The only way to have meaning in life is not to find but to give it.

268

Dinosaurs died for a good cause.

269

God is in the numbers. Good math is the path to God.

270

Follow the river of time. Backtrack if you need to. Look at the people you’ve left behind and have compassion on them. Pray that they will have compassion on you.

271

Slowly, everything accumulates. Very slowly, awareness of what life is all about becomes universal in scope. There’s no need to take action. Thought is quite sufficient to the changing of the guard.

272

If you look out your window and see darkness, then you know it’s past time to wake up.

273

You can only carry yourself. Thinking you carrying someone else is a pretense and a sham.

274

Donovan and Hepcat II had breakfast in Mozambique. From there, Duncan left for Tangiers while Hepcat II went to Bombay.

275

If the 21^st century looks in the mirror, does it see the 21^st century B.C.?

276

There was no life before man, only movement.

277

Eternity has no place to go.

278

On grassy fields you can run, or you can walk, or you can lay on your back and gaze up into the sky. You can also fall asleep. None of this is possible if you’re locked inside your home.

279

They wondered where you were. They sent out signals to find you.

280

If it means war, people should never congregate.

281

Muddy roads are the key to peace. By the time you’ve managed to get all your weapons of war to the fighting zone, you’ve changed your mind about war. Or at least you’re too tired to fight. So, let the rain fall and quit building asphalt highways.

282

Donovan met Michelle in Paris and together they visited all the famous sites of France. The big question was, ‘where do we go next?’.

283

When the night is illuminated by a bright moon, do we get upset and say the heck with it, just because the moon doesn’t produce its own light?

284

The Good Samaritan was supposedly an oxymoron but despite that, a Good Samaritan has been around throughout human history. There were Good Samaritans before there was a Samaria. Just like there were humans before there was the first man and woman. If something is good, then it has always existed, and it always will.

285

Don’t take me at my word. Prove it to yourself.

286

If you’re attacked by a wild animal, there is no cruelty in stopping it from attacking you, even if it means killing it.

287

When do you decide when something just needs improvement or needs destroying and building from scratch? Only God can answer that.

288

To live in silence is better than living in noise.

289

No one pretends they are pretending. Unless one is an actor.

290.

What if everyone wrote their own books and read only the books they wrote? Isn’t that the way we live our lives?

291

To be able to suspect the truth, you must first respect the truth.

292

Hepcat II took a Rip Van Winkle Nap. When he finally woke up, all of society had changed. New norms were the norm. Old rules had been defenestrated. Everybody rolled up their pants legs and went wading in the pool of life. Automobiles were powered by ideas and ideas were initiated at the breakfast table. Vacation plans included ‘Journeys to the Center of the Earth’. Ballroom dancing came back into style and maître ds worked both inside and out. A good restaurant was not hard to find. Sea captains went searching for Moby Dick and planes flew directly over the South Pole. A bridge was built over the Atlantic. It went from Newfoundland to Greenland and then from Greenland to Scotland. By the time Hepcat II saw all this, he was ready to go back to sleep.

293

The docks are full of ships waiting to go out to sea.

294

If you travel through forests instead of deserts, you are more likely to get lost but you are also more likely to find water and something to eat.

295

Sidewalks, by definition, are part of the road system. As long as you stay on sidewalks, you will never get away from pre-determined routes.

296

Better to be too hot or too cold? That’s the question that’s never been answered.

297

If everyone sitting at a table is a misfit, then the table is complete.

298

Where do words disappear to?

299

Sweeping the rug is a daily routine. What if the rug never gets dirty?

300

Will everything (or any one thing, for that matter) that remains to be seen actually be seen?

301

Start walking, in any direction, and when you’ve gone a thousand steps, turn left. Go another thousand steps and turn right.

302

All that matters is that something matters.

303

Figuring things out is a hobby, not a serious business. But neither is it frivolous.

304

Lassie came home.

305

It’s not impossible that we might have a consciousness beyond this life. It’s probably impossible that we have a consciousness in the first place. Yet we do.

306

When you are surrounded by doors, it’s probably best to sit tight. Chances are someone will be walking in through one of them.

307

Novels are a recent invention. Most writing over the ages has always been episodic in nature.

308

Most people do not live quiet lives of desperation. At least, not anymore. Instead, their lives are noisy with quiet intervals of moderate happiness and prolonged depression (or what seems prolonged).

309

Earthquakes are a natural change factor.

310

Hepcat II got married and settled down. He joined the local Lions Club and spent evenings picking up used eyeglasses from his town’s neighborhoods. He then took the glasses to Uganda where he distributed them to the local population. His admirers called him the Lion of Africa.

311

Hepcat II left Uganda and went to Athens, Greece where he climbed among the ruins of the Parthenon. He imagined himself a bearded philosopher in ancient Athens. What he had to say was so profound, even Socrates would have wanted to argue with him. When he left Greece for home, he took along with him a recipe that used olive oil.

312

All the golf courses of the world decided that grass was no longer necessary. A golf course could be one unified sand trap.

313

Old age should not scare us. The earth is old and it’s getting better all the time. Same with the Milky Way. The universe itself is not doing too bad.

314

Physic Labs all across the globe should be working on one thing and what that one thing is, the Physic Labs should know.

315

The realization that all is not lost can be comforting when all seems lost.

316

Donovan and his wife bought a house in the suburbs. The house was on a leafy street and the end of the street was a cul-de-sac. When leaving the neighborhood for any amount of time, Donovan and his wife would ruminate on whether cul-de-sacs were a good thing. There was no way to escape if the enemy turned onto their street. They decided to buy the house at the end of the cul-de-sac. When they did, they promptly tore down the house and extended the street into the nearby highway. Now the enemy could come from both ends of the street.

317

Wonder why in the age of Hurricanes, no hurricane has been named ‘God Sneezes’?

318

In an age of symbols, wonder why no one has blurted out, ‘that was literally a symbol!’?

319

If world wars had started back in 2000 B.C., would they have run their course sooner?

320

There is no such thing as an accumulation of learning. Learning takes place as we separate ourselves from our ignorance. It’s a continual process that’s similar to waking up each morning with no memory of the day before.

321

As we move toward a beginning, we start to ponder the wisdom of our ways. Too little is left to chance and the two-rut road seems the best way to travel. Life on a sliding scale. Meaningless words roll off the tongue and someone forgets to pay the bill. Menus are thrown to the wind and windowpanes are shattered by a strong wind that comes out of nowhere. We knew that life was short, but we didn’t know the world had not yet emerged out of darkness. Brothers and sisters of humanity are certain to unite in one last gasp. Their labors and trials must not be forgotten.

322

Ambrose was a member of a tropical gang called ‘The Papayas’. He left Miami on a Tuesday at about 2 pm. The temperature was 92 degrees Fahrenheit. He drove forty-eight straight hours until he reached Regina, Saskatchewan where it was Thursday, and the temperature was 34 degrees Fahrenheit. He thought it was 1 degree because that’s what the digital sign on the Regina Regional Regents Bank said. Ambrose didn’t know the 1-degree reading was in Celsius. But that didn’t matter to Ambrose. All he knew was that it was cold.

323

Is prayer a waste of time? Can time be wasted? If you continue to breathe during any amount of time, and therefore continue to live, can any period of time really be wasted? Maybe if you watch television while you pray, that will make the time more fulfilling. Does prayer require all of your mind or just a part of it? The purpose of prayer is to communicate with God. Since God is spirit and you’re not, then you should realize the usual means of affirmation are probably not going to be manifest.

324

Reverse engineering might work for the human race. Let’s call the whole thing off and just start over again. But you know that won’t work. Everything good about the human race is a product of the struggle of good versus evil. Give evil its due. It’s relentless and we have to be relentless in our efforts also.

325

Somehow, but it won’t be now.

326

There is a heavy blanket hanging over earth. It’s a wet blanket and the people with the best chance to escape it live on the edges.

327

Cell phones do two things. They narrow the world that’s in proximity around you and they broaden the world that is farther away. So, they shrink the narrow and broaden the wide. Shouldn’t it be the exact opposite?

328

Mental toughness is the greatest attribute of all.

329

Ancient soldiers feared having their limbs torn off and their eyes gouged but they never feared an invisible enemy.

330

If a person becomes a hero just because he or she is lucky, is he or she still a hero?

331

When it comes to a parking lot, what’s more important? Getting in or getting out?

332

Without observation, there is no reality. Reality is a concept about meaning. Reality is not ‘things’; it’s the observation of ‘things’. The only reality is consciousness. When you’re dead, there is no reality.

333

Was the cross an albatross?

334

Earth has long been the home of a worldwide abattoir. It’s almost as if the desire for wholesale slaughter is hardwired into the cerebellum.

335

Do fishers of men throw back some of their catches into the sea of humanity?

336

If the snowman melts, then all is well, because the heat that melts is benign. Kindness reigns at high altitudes when the king sits on his throne and administers justice to all the subjects of his land. His wisdom is a product of his justness and his reign will be forever.

337

Think of God as the ultimate override button.

338

Don’t waste what you can’t replace.

339

Don’t live in fear of the powers that be/ if you do, you’ll never be free.

340

If Aristotle were alive today, he would be wondering where science, religion and politics went wrong.

341

Don’t kid yourself.

342

If everything God does is sub rosa, then it’s no wonder the state of our knowledge of God.

343

We can blame it all on a demiurge, but the tea in China will still be the tea in China.

344

Ambrose caught up with Donovan who had news about Hepcat II. Ambrose and Donovan discussed the circumlocutions of Hepcat II while relaxing in a Munich biergarten. Ambrose had just crossed the Alps while Donovan had arrived in a train from a recent hike in the Urals. They laughed at much of what Hepcat II had said over the years, but they were genuinely confused by many of his words, as well as his actions. They both wondered why Hepcat II could not be more heuristic in his approach to the quandaries of life.

345

As presented in the Bible, God is the ultimate practitioner of Illocution.

346

We were looking for Gog and Magog. Instead we got Little Napoleon.

347

In 1887, a Wells Fargo shipment of gold was being shipped via stagecoach in a western United States area that did not yet have railroads. It was robbed at gunpoint by three masked men about ten miles from its destination. The three masked men rode off into the sunset. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed. The gold was never recovered. It might only be a coincidence, but a rich man died in California in 1913. It was never ascertained where his wealth came from.

348

You never want people to act like robots, but some semblance of uniformity is not always a bad thing.

349

When their last surviving parent died, the children wanted to shutter the house, but they discovered the shutters on the house were only there for show.

350

War will only last as long as people make money from it.

351

If your consciousness is immersed in the moment, and you are doing something of a positive value, that is not a bad thing. But it doesn’t change the fact that sooner or later your consciousness will cease to exist. Let’s hope that someone or some entity is immersed in working on how to re-activate consciousness.

352

It’s not selfish to want to live forever. It’s only selfish to want to live forever selfishly.

353

Stiff necked people may not always be stubborn. They may really have a stiff neck.

354

War should be limited to fighting dust devils.

355

Joanna met Ambrose somewhere in Asia. They traveled together along the Great Wall of China. Contrary to popular opinion, they or the wall could not be seen from space. While traveling, they met many interesting people, most of whom were Chinese. They were treated with great kindness and respect. It’s not a great wall for nothing.

356

Can nothing be something? Yes, if it’s dark matter. Explain the truth at your own risk.

357

Cool, fresh water is the key to life but it’s not the water of life. The water of life is a mystery for all of us. One that may never be solved.

358

In Kabul, Joanna and Ambrose met up with Dennis and Evonne to talk about Hepcat II. Apparently, Hepcat II had been saying lately that he had access to the launching keypad for the nuclear arsenal. He just wouldn’t say which country the arsenal belongs to.

359

They’re crossing the Rio Grande in the wrong direction.

360

There is no infinity inside a circle.

361

The best way to deal with pain is to send it back where it came from.

362

You can’t imagine death. You can only imagine life. You can ponder dying but dying is a part of living.

363

What if you could defeat the whole world by destroying every individual on it (besides yourself)? You would stand alone as master of all that you surveyed. But what would then happen to you? You would destroy yourself.

364

The only way to limit evil is to limit options. Whittle them down until they are only two options left, and both of them are bad.

365

Just before Dennis died, he visited Hepcat’s grave. Dennis wasn’t sure at the time, but he did suspect it might be his last visit.

“Well, Hepcat, the end is near.”

“How about Evonne? Is she prepared to be alone?”

“I guess as much as anyone can be. What’s it like on the other side?”

“The clouds are wispy, but you can walk on them. Every star is the nearest star, and every galaxy is a day away.”

“Sounds like my kind of place.”

366

It’s a Friday afternoon on a cool, autumn day in a small town in America and most everybody is thinking about the high school football game that will start in a few hours. A record crowd is expected. It’s a game where everyone will win.

367

There is nothing new under the sun. Have you heard that one before? If it’s true, then you must have.

368

The overhead fan was covered with dust. Years of neglect will do that. At some point, it becomes too late to do anything about the dust. The dust takes over. Dust becomes king. It will rule with an iron hand. Beware the dust.

369

Determinism is based on the efficacy of cause and effect – one thing leads to another. The virgin birth is the antithesis of determinism. The effect is the cause. Now an effect without a cause is impossible. Get the point?

370

The more you take the more you leave behind.

371

Everything goes away but the truth.

372

To understand something, you have to go all the way to the end.

373

You can choose to believe, and you can choose not to believe.

374

Only the absolute matters. The relative only matters in the sense that it brings you to the absolute. If you’re not on a journey to the absolute, then nothing you do really matters, even if you enjoy doing it.

375

If God wanted to become human, wouldn’t it defeat the purpose if Jesus was a separate being?

376

Can God order someone to disobey him?

377

In a sense, did Jesus fail in his primary mission?

378

On the horizon, there is a windswept hill, that if you walk up to the top of it, and glance in the direction of the next windswept hill, you will see a sight that you will never forget.

379

Once you dig a hole that’s too deep to get out of, then it’s all over.

380

Ambrose lived long enough to go from horse and buggy to horseless carriage. He lived long enough to sample many of life’s little pleasures. But he didn’t long enough to know what any of it meant.

381

Years went by and she never left home. It took an earthquake to move her and it had to be a major one. A minor earthquake wouldn’t have done the job.

382

A little bit of sunlight is better than no sunlight.

383

Meaningless disorder is to be challenged.

384

When Jesus came to earth, the pyramid was reversed.

385

False prophets are sometimes right.

386

God is the Father of existence but not of reality.

387

Everything has not been revealed, but what has been revealed, should be believed.

388

If your business is to explore an infinite universe, then you have no final product.

389

Immortality not only has life, it also bestows life.

390

The purpose of humanity is to change the harmful effects of the past. In that way, humanity will have a future.

391

This is the future but how we get there is open to discussion. It always will be.

392

History is a zigzag.

393

Individual journey – a mind doesn’t live in ‘time’. We must be able to explain why we are who we are. That’s ‘The Great Preparation’ which precedes ‘The Great Exploration’.

394

- I had died once. Looks like I might try it again.

- If you don’t have depth, you don’t have much of anything.

- How do you make sense out of life?

- The more powerful you are, the simpler your plans can be.

- Does God have an immutable destiny?

- When does myth enter into everyday life?

395

- The mind can operate outside of the body, but it must have a body.

- I am the product of reality.

- In a sense, you’ll be creating yourself.

- Instinct before intelligence.

396

In the process of choosing the right time and place, timing is important to make the biggest impact.

397

You can consider a lot of ideas about the world and how it works – whether they are plausible or not and apply to them a degree of certainty. But belief is in a whole other category.

398

Is my mind separate from my brain? The mind is the essence of your being. What does the mind know?

399

When did God become aware of humans?

400

The more you know and the smarter you are, the better you can predict the future.

401

Foundation implies that different style houses can be built on it, and still be okay as the foundations are the same.

402

Dawning of consciousness at various levels – just as an observer is needed (interaction) with particles/waves to go from potential to actual so it is with God and Reality/Universe/Existence.

403

You don’t have to wait for some future time to go to the stars. Things change without changing. That means they only change in your mind. It’s the best change of all.

404

The plots of most novels are artificial, in the sense you race to the end to find out who the murderer is. Another style of writing, which is closer to real life, doesn’t have a plot, but instead a series of vignettes that are significant and meaningful.

405

A good rule of thumb when traveling through time is not to worry about the time of day.

406

Take your sandals off when you enter the House of the Lord. Leave your burdens in the closet or foyer. Partake of the wine and bread in good cheer. When your time is up, leave quietly. May you find peace in the coming days.

407

Johnny Unitas was a great quarterback in an era when quarterbacks weren’t held in quite the high esteem they are now. But he set a standard of quarterbacking and leadership that has lasted until now.

408

The Visigoths decimated Europe before Europe was Europe. Then they conquered themselves, but not in a good way.

409

There is a hole, a lacuna, in the universe. It is called Earth.

410

The first Marathon was a matter of life and death. That should have made it the Last Marathon.

411

‘I walk in the valley of the shadow of death.’ Psalms were written before death became commercial.

412

One man’s halitosis can make a thousand people flee. One man’s greed can destroy a meadow of flowers. One man’s largesse can scratch an itch.

413

I went looking for kudzu, and not surprisingly, I found it. I tried to walk through the kudzu, but it was much too thick. So, I walked around it.

414

There is no point in being reckless unless you’re willing to face the consequences.

415

The Army declared victory and went home.

416

Without consciousness, there is no sense of loneliness.

417

I don’t read the Bible to confirm what I already know.

418

We may call God the Creator, but we do not always acknowledge that he is creative.

419

Belief doesn’t hinge on certainty.

420

Is understanding the ‘Ways of God’ a counterintuitive effort?

421

It’s not always necessary to be consistent.

422

Everything eventually reduces to a scattering of basic elements, yet the core of the personality is stored away in some cosmic safety deposit box to be awakened when the time is right.

423

Eschatology is the last refuge of the incompetent.

424

Does Heaven have suburbs or is it all just rolling countryside?

425

I can’t remember all the things I want to remember. So, I make up a few, new memories to bide my time while I wait for my real memories to resurface.

426

If you’re waiting on rescue, then you’re omitting the fact you’ve already been rescued. Not an easy thing to admit.

427

Birds of all kinds fly over the ocean with nothing but air separating them from drowning. We walk directly on the ground, yet we fear drowning nonetheless.

428

Dog yapping in the early morning. It only upsets you if it wakes you up. But maybe it was already past time for you to get out of bed and in a sense the dog was doing you a favor.

429

If you care about life, and you care about people, then you must believe you’ll have a second chance.

430

First day of autumn was cooler than normal. Did that mean an early winter was in store? To get an answer to that question, maybe we should ask the squirrels how acorn storage is going. Are they in a rush to gather acorns or is the process of doing so going at a more leisurely rate? What do the squirrels see when they look up at the sky? Are the white fluffy clouds an inspiration to them? We paint the sky blue in our minds even when the sky is dark and gloomy. Look beyond the sky, tune out the sun, and see the galaxies that appear distant but may be closer than we dare think. Come back to earth when you get a chance and make peace with all your enemies. If they don’t want peace, too bad. You’ve made your choice and the sky beckons you to return.

431

You wonder where it all went, but really, it didn’t go anywhere. You carry it all with you to your grave. The unknown variables of life, though they impacted your life in ways beyond knowing or understanding, remain unknown. They will be buried deeper and more permanently than your dead body. Your body may be resurrected someday but the unknown variables will forever be lost.

432

Excessive desire can lead to corruption.

433

The kingdom within cannot be overthrown except from within.

434

They’re building a house down the street. It’s not a renovation. It’s being built from scratch. Renovations of any kind should only be left to beings who resemble God or better yet, God himself. If a building has deteriorated to the point where it’s no longer livable, then it’s best to start over. Even God prefers that method though if push comes to shove, he will attempt to renovate. Only a being of courage and equanimity is allowed into the arena of renovation. God fits the bill but what human does? We’ve been searching for thousands of years to find one but with no luck and chances are one hundred percent no one will rise to the occasion. Just not in our DNA, as they say.

435

The good ship, the HMS Jesus, has been sitting at the dock, for almost two thousand years. Passengers have been loading all the while. The ship is not yet full and may never be. But at some point, the ship will leave dock, and all aboard are assured of making it across the ocean. They may be in for a surprise when they get to the other shore. Expecting luxury, they may only find necessity. Expecting praise, they may only find stern admonition. Expecting instant happiness, they may find they’ll have to work a little for happiness. But regardless of what they find, they’ll be safely on the other shore, and if they are sincere, they may just find the end of the rainbow.

436

You can’t convert a dead man or woman. That’s why death is the last enemy. Defeat death and you have a limitless future to change the universe.

437

To be like God is to be able to do things that seem like miracles to other human beings. When a miracle happens or seems to happen, it becomes more important to attempt to explain it than it is to process it or simply accept it.

438

When did ‘No More Hamburgers’ become ‘No More Ideas’? Each morning you wake up and it dawns on you that you’re still a functioning sentient being, you warm up to the fact that things must be done, and reality is not giving you a choice in the matter. So, whether you’re beginning or ending, or just somewhere in the middle, it behooves you to move forward with time and instead of fighting against time, which has and always will be a losing battle.

439

The central definition of God is that no matter the circumstances, positive options are available.

440

Control is important but a subtle control is usually best for all involved: the controller and the ones who are being controlled.

441

Once singers started making money from singing the blues, the blues were no longer a valid concept.

442

There’s a hole in your logic as big as a barn door, but you fail to see it because you’re too busy being logical.

443

Our intellect intervenes between ourselves and our environment.

444

Sometimes relevance is over-stated. What is irrelevant is much more intriguing and so we pass the time without meaning but somehow still content.

445

The human spirit, not human nature, is against God.

446

We all know an avalanche is coming and each day that it doesn’t is a good day.

447

Every conversation has at least one point in mind. There is at least one God for any human being. Humanity is a collective no matter how individual one tries to be. But to live freely is to live alone.

448

I might read a whole book and get only one good idea out of it but that one idea might make reading the whole book worthwhile.

449

The wayward man seeks redemption; the honest man seeks love.

450

Human beings are not rectangularly shaped, yet they live, work, and sleep in rectangularly shaped rooms. Does existing in rectangular rooms lead to rectangular thinking? Are our rooms mentally boxing us in?

451

Poetry is the glue/ that holds/ my soul together/ poetry without words/ speaking louder than the wind

Must we be like we are? / never changing-/ where is honesty when we need it? / the truth is there, somewhere/ but where are we? / Outside the possibilities of our existence

To say nothing is to say everything/ and vice-versa

452

Identity: A becoming or an is? Or an is/becoming? Or a was? Or a was/is/becoming?

453

All night it rained. All night I listened. At times it came in torrents, beating loudly against the window, lashing heavily against the door. Then it would gradually soften until it reached the point where it seemed as if I could count each drop separately. But no matter how much the rain became a drizzle, it never stopped. All night it rained and all night I listened.

454

Sometimes you don’t know where you are until you get there.

455

That which comes second is greater than that which comes first, but the second can’t exist without the first.

456

Once we’ve seen and documented a thousand generations, we may then have a better grasp on what humanity is all about.

457

Speaking a foreign language can also mean speaking the same language.

458

Hepcat II rode through the French countryside in a carriage led by four horses. The driver knew three languages and all the best inns. In the carriage with Hepcat II was ambassadors from Russia, Austria, and Prussia. Hepcat II was doing his diplomatic best to help avert war but the ambassadors were not listening to him. War seemed imminent. Then the carriage arrived at an inn with the Alps as the background and after several glasses of fine French wine, the war was called off.

459

What if time and space are both infinite? Wouldn’t that make intelligent life inevitable?

460

When the pre-teenage boys used to play marbles, it was for all the marbles.

461

Start walking and never stop.

462

The inner man is tired of being on the inside.

463

All the ancient Greeks thought Socrates was overrated.

464

My mind has never been quick enough. I tend to make good decisions when it no longer matters. Certainly not a case of ‘better late than never’.

465

The ultimate God is not an objective reality. Or let’s put it this way: we humans are not capable of perceiving God in his objective reality. We can make statements to that effect, but these statements are quite meaningless. The bigger and greater we make God, the less chance we have of understanding him. God only matters to humans if they can relate to him.

466

Annihilation denies the structure of reality. Existing in a state of non-existence is oxymoronic.

467

The search for God is essentially a search for self; at least the part of self that connects back to God.

468

We confuse our ability to think like a God with God – and project our limitations into non-limitations for Him. To say that God knows all and does all is essentially a meaningless statement in the sense that for something to have meaning it must have lines of demarcation. We confuse our mental investigations with God.

469

If you’re competing against yourself, the only approval you need is your own.

470

TIME ENOUGH FOR SPACE

As we understand space (in a cosmic sense):
1. It is steadily expanding, OR
2. It is already infinite, OR
3. It is already infinite while steadily expanding anyway.

As we understand time (in a cosmic sense):
1. It is steadily contracting,
2. It is finite,
3. It is moving toward Zero Time.

What does this mean? It means that time decreases as space increases. Another way of saying this: the further we get into the future, the more irrelevant time becomes.

Why is this? Because we are moving toward the point where conscious intelligence is beyond erasure. There will be no desire to be unconscious for long periods of time. When that happens, time is reduced in relevance.

The ‘Now’ will prevail. Does it make any sense to tell someone, “I’ll see you in two million years.”? It may actually be 1.99 million years, but whatever it is, it will be ‘Now’.

If space and time began together, then think of space as an empty glass waiting to be filled, while time is a full glass, anticipating consumption.

Time and space are opposites. Time is: metaphysical, subjective, relative, precious, limited, ambiguous, abstract, dependent, and non-material. Space is: physical, objective, absolute, common, unlimited, unambiguous, concrete, independent and material.

Looking back to the Garden of Eden, God offered Adam and Eve (as well as their descendants) the opportunity for eternal life. Conscious, intelligent life is the universe’s greatest axiom of value. To live is to occupy space. Those who transcend time no longer need time.

471

A TERRITTORIAL IMPERATIVE

The Garden of Eden story intimates the possibilities of a geographical expansion. What if Adam and Eve had been successful in resisting the wiles of the serpent (as Jesus did the devil in the desert)? What if their offspring had been able to replicate and “fill the earth”? Just think, with continual access to the tree of life, morticians would have quickly gone out of business.

A territorial imperative would also have to be issued (by no less than God Himself). The Garden of Eden would fan out exponentially in all directions.

In effect, a new partnership would burgeon between God and humanity. We would move away from the simplistic idea of God creating two human beings just to watch them fail.

472

THE COMMODITY

There was a rap at the door. Nothing but a salesman, but what he had to sell was not the usual thing. So, she bought the item in question and put it in the kitchen cabinet for emergencies. And when times got rough – and times did get rough – she used it and it pulled her through the crisis – so she bought some more and used it every time there was a crisis – and only then – for a can of God was very expensive and must be used wisely.

So, the salesman went from door to door and from house to house and everywhere he went people bought a can of God. But God grew tired of all this. He wanted people to come to him instead of him going to them. So, the salesman built a large building and called it the Supermarket of God, for in every row and on every shelf, there were nothing but cans of God.

And the people came from all over the city to purchase a can of God. As a result, God grew, and supermarkets of God sprang up all over the land and eventually in every city of the world.

And many years passed and as things tend to happen on this earth, God was no more. He had been all used up. But mankind no longer needed cans of God, for man had built a perfect civilization (with the help of the cans of God, of course).

So, man gave up God…or was it that God gave up man?

473

THE PARADOX OF THE INVISIBLE GOD

God is His invisible attributes (inherent qualities) (Rom. 1:20) Ergo God is invisible. God is not like ‘The Invisible Man’ who actually had a body that could be made to be invisible to the human eye. God is invisible all the time. We only know He’s there because of what He has done.

The visible God is Jesus. He is the image of the invisible God. (Col. 1:15-16)

As the image of God, Jesus has all the attributes of the invisible God. How do we know this? We know it because Jesus put these attributes into action. Attributes mean nothing if they’re never used.

The paradox is that Jesus is God not because he’s visible or invisible, but because he brings the invisible to light. Jesus is not only God. He is also what God has done.

474

IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS, A CHAOS IN THE MIST

Two dynamics are at play in the world. They both revolve around the energy to act and to do. One dynamic has to do with faith-belief and the other with spirit.

Faith-belief is the opposite of knowledge. It elevates uncertainty into an art form. A human is a natural born agnostic. His awareness of his ignorance is what propels him to gain knowledge, to learn and know about the world. But the knowledge is always incomplete, and he’s left holding the bag; a bag that he has filled with information but a bag that remains essentially empty because it’s full of holes. To counteract the experience of failure, he sprinkles his mind with arrogance and calls that arrogance wisdom. He seeks superiority where none is necessary. He grabs a pile of uncertainty and calls it certainty. But nothing really changes.

Faith-belief jumps in to fill the breach. He believes because he has no other recourse. He cannot admit defeat, even though by admitting defeat he will find that elusive certainty. But that’s not the kind of certainty he wants. He wants to elevate his existence, even if it means forsaking truth and knowledge.

In the mists of time there is chaos. There can actually be nothing else. Any order out of chaos is tantamount to a figment of our imagination. We fight the chaos, but the end result is inevitable. All we have is faith-belief.

Unless we dare to utilize spirit. Spirit is the coalescing of moment to moment; spirit is the elusive now. It’s like recreating ourselves on the spot. The world passes away, but the spirit remains. Why does it remain? Because it’s not a thing. It matters because it’s not matter. Spirit is the supreme example of energy at work.

He or she who has the most energy rules the world. Indeed, rules the universe.

475

If you really believe in a particular system of belief, then you should be willing to follow those beliefs to their logical conclusion.

476

Spirit is not invisible matter.

477

Mankind had a vision, but it wasn’t a vision of God – it was a vision of itself and what it could be.

478

Every story is a story about what might have been, or what could have been, or even sometimes what was.

479

Truth is the matter of the imagination/ circumstance and situation/ distance and relation/ hope and expectation

480

BELIEVING IN INEVITABILITY IS THE RESULT OF EX POST FACTO THINKING

Many events in history have an air of inevitability about them. This is because we have the luxury of ex post facto (from after the action) thinking. Step A led to Step B which led to Step C, etc. The most famous case of this kind of thinking is the historical event of the crucifixion of Jesus. As the story goes, it was foreordained that Judas would betray Jesus and that Pilate would not rule in favor of releasing Jesus and consequently Jesus would die on the cross.

But events do not always seem so inevitable when we are in the midst of living them. Yes, Jesus did predict that Judas would betray him. But did you ever consider that Jesus, probably the most perceptive human being who ever lived, knew what was in Judas’ heart, and by calling him out, was giving him the chance to change his mind? Wasn’t Jesus all about forgiveness and second chances? Did Jesus see human beings as mere pawns in God’s master plan? Doesn’t it make more sense that Jesus seeing Judas on the verge of an act that would eventually lead him to commit suicide, would reach out to Judas and attempt to steer him away from the disastrous course he was on? After all, Judas had been hand-picked by Jesus to be a disciple, so he must have possessed some desirable human qualities.

As we know, Jesus was not only God but also a mortal human being and was therefore subject to death. In that sense his death was inevitable. But to say that everything that happened to Jesus, or to us for matter, was or is inevitable, is to reduce intelligent life to a mere computer program.

481

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CONSCIOUS

What's the point of it all if we're nothing more than isolated creatures? Our connections are obvious; it is the people we interact with on a daily basis. We recognize the interplay, the cause and effect. But there are billions of people who are not only occupying the same earthly space at the same time we are but are also in a condition we know as living. Existence is an either/or proposition. We either are or we are not. Time may pass or may just seem to pass, but our existence is static. For however long we live, our consciousness does not change. Your body may grow, your mind may acquire knowledge, but not your consciousness. It is forever the same. Once activated it knows no end. It does not recognize death. It does not recognize sleep. It is totally self-aware. All it knows is itself and it refuses to be extinguished.

I'm not talking about an immortal soul. I'm talking about something that ignores time. We may lose consciousness. Consciousness does not know it's not conscious. It only knows when it's conscious. To say that once your consciousness is activated is not to say that it continues in an uninterrupted state. Far from it. There are many interruptions, one of them daily for seven to eight hours. Another one is rather long, in most cases thousands of years. But since your consciousness does not know it's not conscious, who cares? Of course, many people do care, and they have cared as long as they've been building fires and looking up at the stars. All kinds of ridiculous theories have been concocted to explain man's destiny. I found none of them satisfactory, so I came up with one of my own.

Just kidding (well, almost).

One thing I am certain of though is the reason why there are so many billions of humans, past, present, and hopefully future. It is to experience everything a human can experience. Now I say this somewhat tongue in cheek, but in some small way it makes sense. I'm glad that my font of experiences is miniscule in scope because at even that rate they're more than I can handle. But of some of life's experiences I can agree with the sentiment of a fictional character who said, "The worst meal I ever had was wonderful."

To live for warm, sunny days is not a bad way to go. To live for them a hundred years ago was probably even better since the ozone hole had not yet been invented. But to live for clarity these days is to live for the impossible. Nothing is clear and about everything there is argument. Why do we argue? I can only guess it's because we no longer grow our own food.

Enough whining. We're trying to establish a reason for being. At some point I'm going to have to introduce God into this discussion. Why not now? Does God exist? Of course, he does. The tiniest imagination can figure that one out. Relate to it this way. Ants exist. So do humans. Believers, as well as non-believers, in evolution can agree that superior intellect does occur. If human intellect is superior to an ant's, why can't there exist an intellect superior to a human's? There can, and as far we're concerned, that is God.

God being God, it is probably reasonable to assume that he was all sufficient and therefore lacking in nothing. Why then did he create us? The question of why is not a bad one. In fact, it is a particularly good question. I think the answer lies in the thought that God neither lost nor gained anything when he created the universe and us. If God is everything (and no other definition will do for me) the act of creation was merely God transforming parts of himself. But then you must ask, for what purpose? To know the purpose, we must know the motivation.

I'm willing to speculate on the motivation. God did lack something. This something had to involve an intrinsic part of his being. Maybe it was the most intrinsic part. Maybe it was God's raison d'etre. But whatever it was it motivated God to bring the universe and us into existence. Somewhere, sometime, somehow God made a conscious decision to create the cosmos. At some point, and it wasn't long before the decision, God himself became conscious. Once God became conscious, there was no doubt that one day we too would become conscious. It was just a matter of time.

Time began when God became conscious of himself. This was no mean trick. When you are all that there is you have no reference points, no lines of demarcation. What a feat of intellect and will to bring identity and consciousness to that all-encompassing entity. No one there to talk to, no one there to guide your steps. Everything must be done for the first time. All you have to go by is yourself. God proved himself with this first tremendous act. All else must have seemed easy after that.

So here you are, this being of unlimited mind and power. You now have consciousness, but you have no one to talk to. Can God be lonely? Looks like it. Perhaps he still is. I, for one, would not consider myself a worthy conversational companion for him. What lesser being would be? But wait, if God is at the top rung of the celestial ladder, it's probably safe to say that man is not at the next rung. In fact, there may be several rungs between God and man. Makes sense and if that's the case, there may be some rungs occupied by beings with high enough intellect to keep God company.

The world is such a small place. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is just that. To replace someone is usually an easy task. None of us are invaluable, none of us are irreplaceable. We breathe and occupy space. That's about the best thing that can be said about us.

People talk about living forever (forever defined as being without end). I'd be more inclined to say that is living in a subtler sense. Yet, the great paradox is that every life is precious because it is part of the collective life force. The source of all life is God. God is life.

All of us make do with crumbs. It's as if the powers that be that reside beyond the atmosphere are throwing us scraps from their sumptuous, grandiose meals. But I can say with a little bit of pride that humanity has welcomed these scraps and made the most of them.

The very size of the universe is a testimony to power and speed. The speed of light is incredibly fast, but gravity moves almost instantaneously. Celestial beings either move like gravity or use gravity itself to travel. The universe is littered with intelligence. Why else do the stars sparkle?

Knowing that God has created himself, at least the identity part, I feel safe in saying that each one of us is a microcosm of God. I'm not talking about our physical attributes or our daily actions. I'm talking about our consciousness. Without the spark from God, we would be lifeless clay.

Shakespeare could have said all the universe is but a stage, but with one glaring omission. There is no audience. Everyone, including God, is an actor in the cosmic play. Yes, there is no audience, but the play goes on anyway. If we were to stop and watch it, it would be a different play.

How big is God? How big is the universe? On earth, creatures or entities exist in a wide variety of sizes. What should be the largest entity in the universe? Logically, the answer is God. God and the boundaries of the universe are the same. As the universe grows (if it does) so does God. What exists outside God and the universe? Nothing. Nothing not only in the sense of the absence of physical objects, but also nothing in the sense of the absence of consciousness. We live in a closed universe. Its immense size is mind boggling. Yes, as the prefix implies, it is of one piece. God both covers and fills the universe. There is no place in the universe that you can go that God is not there. Just as God, at any one point in time, blankets the universe, so also does he blanket time itself. Time began when God activated his consciousness. Time will end when every individual consciousness is in a state of activation. At time's end there will be no deactivated consciousnesses. Think of time's beginning to time's end as a straight line: Point A (time's beginning) to Point Z (time's end). Now think of God as a cloud that the timeline runs straight through. Point A (to your right) begins slightly inside the edge of the cloud while Point Z (to your left) ends exactly where the cloud ends. Between Point A and Point Z (depending on the measure between any two points) is an incredibly large but finite number of points. These points are the evolving consciousness of God. Time is nothing more than an apparatus that allows God to be transformed from a single point of light into a universe of lights.

Why do we act disappointed when it rains on a day there's a 20% chance? Wasn't there a chance all along? As we grow older, we witness the decay of our bodies. There's a 100% chance that we're all going to die someday. But if a chance is 100%, is it really a chance? Isn't it a certainty? How many certainties do we actually have in life? It seems the most certain one is the one that deactivates our consciousness.

Some people though, may welcome oblivion. Eternal rest and peace, they say. But they're fooling themselves. Rest and peace can only come to those who have the consciousness to experience them. Every one of us alive today had billions of years of de-activation. While there was no pain or misery, neither were there rest and peace.

Why are we afraid to be conscious? Why do we prefer a mindless state of being or even oblivion itself? Is it because when we are conscious, we are aware (at the famous so-called sub-conscious level) that our consciousness is in a sense "on loan from God"? Do we fear such intimacy with a higher intellect? Such a concept may mean there's no magic carpet ride to heaven. There may be some work involved. This is what scares us. For many of us, our greatest sense of relaxation comes when we sit virtually mindless on a sofa watching television.

What I am speaking of is the struggle of each consciousness to reach some sort of parity with God. Now the part can never be greater than the whole, but there's no reason the part can't form lines of communication with the whole. But what a task that would be. No wonder we shrink from it.

Did you ever compare the average length of a human life to the life spans of various phenomena throughout the universe? Is the sun a living thing? No, but when we speak of the sun, we use terms common to life. E.g., the sun was "born" billions of years ago, the sun will "die" billions of years hence. If the sun is "born" at some point and then "dies" at another point, doesn't it "live" in between? We know the universe has been operating for billions of years. Each human being's life is a minute percentage of that time. Doesn't it stand to reason that an individual consciousness, which is by the far the greatest creation of God, is destined for something longer that can't be counted in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years? If mankind operated the same way people think God does, then we would be driving brand new automobiles off bridges.

Our home is in the stars. It has never been anywhere else. The stars forever surround us. Doesn't matter if they're blocked by the light of the sun or the clouds at night, they are still there. Each individual consciousness is its own star, and whether it shines from near or from afar, it nonetheless shines.

Hard intellect, logic, and reason must sometimes yield to imagination, instinct, and insight. Logic and reason appraise the past to understand the present. When God created himself, he had no past to work with. Creating himself and consequently the universe, was a supreme act of imagination.

It should be our imaginations that rule our days. Our deterioration continues apace. We continue on mostly because of the ones who follow us to earth. For them, the cows are being milked, the assembly lines are cranking, and the librarians are maintaining the books. But these cycles too will someday end.

482

We’re living in a boat that stays close to the shore because we’re continually stopping at ports and picking up new passengers. But none of the old passengers ever leave. Everyone is headed for the same destination.

483

THE ADVENTURES OF AG & RG: A THEOLOGICAL SATIRE

Our story begins a long time ago. The Absolute God (AG) was thinking he needed entertainment, a “very long movie” so to speak. To do the actual work, he created a lesser being, but only lesser relatively speaking. For this Relative God (RG) was quite competent to be an Absolute God (but not quite). The AG knew this, so he said, “Son, I’m LOVE, and to fulfill my being, I’ve come up with a plan and it’s yours to carry out. Start by creating an infinite Universe. Only a limitless Universe is worthy of an infinite, absolute God. Next create beings like yourself, but not quite as powerful. Make 2/3 of them absolutely adore me and the other 1/3 absolutely not adore me. You’ll need them as helpers and anti-helpers. Next create human beings on the planet Earth.” “What’s a human being?”
“Well, that’s a good question. First of all, it’s not an it. It’s a he or a she.”
“Two sexes. I think I see where you’re going with this. Reproduction, right?”
“You got it RG.”
“But, AG, won’t they quickly overpopulate this planet Earth?”
“Not if they die on a regular basis.”
“Die? What the heck is that?” the RG asked incredulously.
“To die is not to live.” The AG responded.
“So you’re telling me to create beings that will eventually die? I’m missing the point. I thought I was creating something of a more enduring nature.”
The AG had to suppress a laugh. “You’re not taking SIN into account.”
The RG felt like his head was spinning off. “I’m almost afraid to ask but what is this thing called SIN?”
“It’s a concept I’ve been toying around with but the best way to illustrate it is by example. Let’s say I tell you to blow up a planet and you refuse to do so on moral grounds. That’s a SIN.”
“Not blowing up a planet is a SIN?”
“Not obeying me is a SIN. Now do you see?”
“Oh, yes.” The RG was beginning to wonder what he had gotten himself into.
The AG continued, “Now SIN is going to cause death, destruction, misery, short selling of stocks, bigotry, racism, disease, murder, adultery, sexual inversion, predatory lending practices, frying of foods, sugar-laced carbonated drinks, delusionary cranks, bad teeth and bad breath. And that’s just the short list. So something will have to be done about it.”
The RG had to ask: “Why don’t we just program these humans to be incapable of disobedience?”
“Son, there’s no fun in that. No drama, no intrigue, no high adventure on the seas. You got to remember I’ve got a lot of time; I mean a lot of time to deal with. By the way, have you created time yet? Oh, well, I know you’ll get around to it. It’s just a matter of time. Ha. Ha.”
The RG resisted rolling his eyes. “So, what do we do about SIN?”
“It’s not what we’re going to do but what you’re going to do. At some point, after a few thousand years of humans sinning all over the place, you’ll get a temporary demotion. You’ll be sent to Earth in the form of a baby (that’s a tiny human) and where you’ll age into an adult human. You'll have some tough moments, then die. After a short duration being dead, I’ll bring you back to life. “
The RG could hardly restrain his enthusiasm. “Just why will I be doing this?”
The AG started to tear up: “Son, it’s because I am LOVE and I want to see my creation brought out of the dismal swamp of SIN.”
“What’s next?”
“It’s downhill all the way. Blow up the Earth a few more times, then finally make everything perfect. Be sure to give me credit – then step down and I’ll take my rightful place. What do you think?”
“A beautiful plan, AG, but it’s somewhat time-consuming, to say the least. Why not just go straight to the end? I can create everybody in their final state, and I can put all the correct memories in their heads. It would save a lot of time, death, suffering, pain and needless…”
The AG interrupted the RG, “That’s a thought, Son, but you’ve got to remember I need something to pass the time – what else have I got to do? You shouldn’t complain, though, you get to do all the work.”
The RG sighed and asked, “Well, what’s first?”
“Why don’t we kick things off with a BANG!”

The AG (Absolute God) had to admit he was almost impressed (let’s face it, it’s impossible to impress an Absolute God). He was looking out at the vastness of the Universe the RG (Relative God) had just created.
“I really like those comets. Lots of pizzazz, if you know what I mean; and the Horsehead Nebula, now that’s quite a sight. What made you think of that? You haven’t even created horses yet.”
“I sort of cheated on that one,” the RG replied, “I snuck a look at one of the Univac computer programming cards.”
The AG was almost impressed again. “Good work, Son. You’re obviously doing your homework.”
“Speaking of that, what’s with the computer programming? It’s almost like you’re planning everything in advance. Doesn’t that take some of the excitement out of it?” asked the RG.
The AG replied, “It does but I really have no choice in the matter. After all, I’m omniscient.”
“So what are you getting out of all this if you already know, think, feel, experience, etc. all that there was, is, and will be?” The RG couldn’t believe he had asked the question.
The AG took a few moments to reply. “Son, you keep forgetting. I’m LOVE and LOVE demands that I do things for LOVE.”
The RG wasn’t really sure if that reply answered his question, but he was smart enough not to pursue it any further. Instead he asked, “How about these slightly lesser beings that I created? What’s their purpose?”
“Simply put, they’re Programming Enhancers (PEs). Once every blue moon the program gets clogged up or some other impediment crops up. When it happens, all hell has the potential of breaking loose. For instance, about 13 billion years from now, Satan will be delayed in getting to Earth and tempting Eve. To make sure that he isn’t delayed too long, and the temptation takes place as scheduled, one of Satan’s lieutenants will take his place in the Andromeda Galaxy so Satan can get to Earth on time. Trust me, you’ll be glad to have them at your disposal.”
“Even the bad ones?”
“You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.”
***
Yet another concern popped up in the RG’s mind. He asked, “Now if I’m understanding correctly, you are pretty much the Executive Producer and Writer while I’m the Director working with the script…” Before the RG could finish his thought, the AG interrupted…
“You’re getting it. Remember what Will will say someday, “All the World’s a Stage.”
“I like that” the RG said, “but to continue with my thought cum question, I also seem to be the star, after you, of course, of this production. If that’s the case, what I do need to do to get prepared for my role?”
The AG shot back, “Take acting lessons.”
“You’re right, of course,” the RG responded, “or how else can I show genuine emotion? Why in the world should I get mad at someone for screwing up if it was planned all along? After all, he’s only doing what he was meant to do. It’s not like he has a choice in the matter.”
“How true,” the AG replied, then added, “and you’ll find that good acting techniques are essential to your role.”
“Should I use method acting or some technique more naturalistic?”
“Natural ain’t going to work. Some of this stuff is so contrived even I am having a hard time swallowing it. And it’s my plan!”
***
The Absolute as it Relates to Relative and the Relative as it Relates to Absolute Seminal Seminar was nearing its conclusion. The RG spoke up,
“What about this Satan fellow? Sounds like he’s a little more important than the other SLBs (Slightly Lesser Beings). What gives?”
“Well, Son, he is. In fact, as power and influence go, he’s third in line. You’ll find his hand in about every cookie jar out there and usually it’s there to steal the cookies.”
“Sounds like a real devil.”
“Devil? I like that description. Now that I think of it, I bet that’s where the phrase “devil’s in the details” will come from.”
“He does seem to be a rather active fellow. But let me ask you this. Since everything is planned out, what do I do? Do things happen automatically or do I have to get intimately involved from time to time?”
“Yes and yes.” The AG enigmatically replied. “Most things are like a boulder rolling down a steep hill. Once started, the ending is pretty much guaranteed. But there are exceptions to the rule.”
The RG didn’t like where the conversation was going. “What do you mean?”
“Well,” the AG replied, “think of the Big Picture as Point A to Point Z, with A as the Beginning and Z as the End. Embedded in the Big Picture are billions upon billions of little pictures, i.e., sub-point As to sub-point Zees.”
“Can you be more concrete?”
“You betcha. Take for example, Judas, the guy who’ll betray you when you get that demotion. Let’s say in the Judas timeline you have a sub-point (sp) H27, 692, which is the sp when Judas betrays you for thirty pieces of silver. Now let’s go back to sp G19, 543 (in Judas’ s timeline) where Judas is performing one of life’s mundane functions in the outhouse. At that moment, there’s a temporary malfunction (due to cosmic dust or whatever) in the EIPTTMD (Everything Is Planned To The Minutest Detail) program and a sudden storm erupts with devastating wind and topples the outhouse killing Judas. And when that happens the whole plan goes to hell in a hand basket. No substitute betrayer is ready to take over Judas’ role because the plan was considered perfect and an unexpected malfunction was not in the plan. But something must be done because if sp H27,692 doesn’t take place then in the Big Picture of things even Point Z becomes dubious. And since Point Z is when I get all the glory due to me being LOVE, I wouldn’t be feeling too kindly about things, if you know I mean. And I think you do.”
As it seemed to be happening more and more often, the RG’s head was spinning. “So, what do I do?”
The AG smiled invisibly. “Simple. Always assign a friendly-to-us SLB to protect Judas. Son, I see you still got a lot to learn. But that’s why I’m here.”

III

About a billion years have passed and since there are at least another 12 billion years or so before Adam and Eve are created, the AG and RG find that they have plenty of time to talk things out.
The RG speaks first, “What’s with the Univac? You don’t really need it, do you? After all, you have infinite brain power and infinite ability to utilize it.”
The AG replied, “I wondered when you were going to figure that out.”
“There you go again. You didn’t really wonder. You knew all along when I was going to, as you say, ‘figure it out’”.
“Yep, and I also knew when you were going to know that I knew it.”
The RG groaned. He didn’t want to go down that road again. “I’ve still got a headache from our last conservation six thousand years ago. But answer this question, and simply, if you can. What’s the Univac for if you don’t really need it?”
“It’s a learning tool for you. Since I’m 100% Spirit and I don’t actually have a brain that you can analyze and gather data from, I thought a Univac would teach you some valuable lessons.”
“Such as?”
“Such as the ‘The Three Laws of Being a Creator’.”
The RG was fascinated by this latest arcane bit of information. “What are they?”
“Law # 1 and you’ll thank me one day for this one: Never create a being more powerful than yourself.
“Law # 2: Install within your created beings the crazy notion that they actually have free will. Of course, the really, smart ones will figure out they don’t have free will.
“Law # 3: If you must use Dijon mustard, use only Grey Poupon. Especially at celestial tailgating parties convened to watch Supernova explosions.
“Now, Son, I think that’s enough conversation for now. Let’s talk again in 27,000 years. How about the Orion Constellation this time?”

It was raining outside the old gas station at the corner of Main and Elm. It had been raining all morning and no relief was in sight. It was a dreary day filled with sad memories and even Goober had to admit he wasn’t as happy-go-lucky as usual. He was seriously considering putting up the ‘Gone Fishin’ sign and moseying over to Floyd’s Barber Shop for a rousing game of checkers.
Just then the lightning cracked, the thunder roared, the wind howled, and the screen door almost went flying off its hinges. Goober reacted instantly by scurrying behind the front counter where he crouched in fearful anticipation of Armageddon.
Armageddon never happened. Instead, the rain stopped, and the sun broke through the clouds. Birds started singing, squirrels began running to and fro, and butterflies dared to venture out among the flowers. The air was fresh and redolent with formerly burnt grass being resurrected from the throes of death. Brown began turning to green and the grey became blue. A rainbow could be seen on the eastern horizon.
Goober had a problem though. He had been ready to close the store and go over to Floyd’s to play checkers. Now he had no excuse and it looked like he had no choice but to keep the gas station open. What should he do?
***
“Attention! Class.” The RG shouted out to the throng of mixed SLBs. “We’re flagging, people. Sure, it’s been 57,650 straight hours of situation comedy seminar, but remember, we’re superior beings.”
A voice came out of the crowd. “We need a break, RG, our wings are drooping.”
The RG responded, “OK, OK, but let’s finish this particular scenario first and we’ll take a good thousand-year break. I promise. Now, who can tell me what situation Goober is facing?”
A voice came booming across the light-year long room. “A moral dilemma.”
“Good answer, Satan.”
“Call me Luke.”
“You’re jumping the gun, again, Satan. We know you want to play the role of Lucifer, son of the morning star, who comes falling down to earth in a blaze of glory, blah, blah, blah. We know you want to do it, and we’ll consider it, but don’t push it.”
Gabriel, a ‘good’ SLB spoke up. “Why do we have to attend classes with the ‘bad’ SLBs? Don’t you think they might have a bad influence on us?”
“Not really,” the RG said, “Remember, you’re programmed to be good and they’re programmed to be bad. Besides, if I were to separate you, I’d have to give every seminar twice, and while time is infinite, my patience is not.”
Then Satan added, “Yea guys, we’re a team. Every good deed deserves a bad one in return. Ha,ha,ha,ha…” The laugh echoed through the Sirius sector of the galaxy.
Gabe said, “You need to work on that laugh; not nearly diabolical enough.”
Another Good SLB, Michael, then asked, “Who’s this Goober fellow? Sounds like a real loser.”
“He’s a supporting character in a situation comedy that will debut in the mid- 20th Century on Earth.” The RG responded.
“Will it be popular?”
“So popular it will go on in reruns for eternity.”
The whole class collectively groaned.
The RG knew it was time to take that break. “OK, be back in exactly 1000 years and we’ll wrap up this seminar and start a new one.”
As the SLBs started to leave the RG shouted out, “And please… be careful out there!”

“How are those seminars going?”
“As if you didn’t know; but just to play along, I’ll pretend we’re having a conversation where one of the participants doesn’t know everything that’s about to said.”
“Now you’re talking. The play’s the thing.”
“Frankly, the seminars are getting a little stale. I’m having trouble explaining the concept of WR (Whole Reality). The SLBs want to keep trying to distinguish between the real and the non-real. They can’t believe that everything is real, and nothing is non-real. For them, some things shouldn’t be real, but you can’t have it both ways in a deterministic universe. Everything is real. Must be or the thing just doesn’t work. So, because they can’t fathom the concept, they tend to lose interest and I have trouble holding their attention. I don’t know if I can do another two billion years of seminars. Do you have any suggestions?”
The AG did an invisible shrug. “Quantum fluctuations.”
“What the heck are they?” the RG responded quickly.
“They’re a change of subject. Always good when the seminar goes south.”
***
“OK, class, let’s focus.” The RG’s irritation could be perceived in his voice. “Who will make a stab at the concept of WR?”
SLB 24XBC raised a wing. The RG said, “Go ahead, BC. Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
“WR is simply a way of explaining the ins and outs of a DU (Deterministic Universe). Everything, and I mean everything, by definition, is real in a DU. There can be no such things as accidental musings, stray thoughts, wild imaginings, or idle hands…” BC was suddenly interrupted by you know who.
“There goes my workshop.”
A big laugh ensued.
***
“How did it go this time?”
“A little better; we seem to be making progress on the WR concept. By the way, I think I’m almost ready to discuss in more detail your Method Of Operation, or MOO, as I like to call it.”
The AG raised an invisible eyebrow. “I like that acronym: MOO. It has a nice ring to it. Let’s save it for future use.”
The RG replied, “I like it too. It might make a good animal sound when we create animals on Earth.”
“Well, it does rhyme with kangaroo and caribou.”
“We’ll consider it when the time is right. Well, I need to get back to the seminar. Duty calls.”
***
The AG then left, or did he? The RG could never be sure. But he was sure the only way to deal with the AG was to pretend the future was open and yet to be decided, even though it wasn’t. Maybe he was getting the hang of this absolute/relative thing. Only time would tell.

“It’s time to talk a little bit about UNA.” The RG started walking after he started talking.“Anyone here ever heard of it before?”
Gabriel, always quick to retort, “Is it the word for the number ONE in the NANO (Neither Alpha Nor Omega) Parallel Universe”?
The RG slowed his pace a bit and acknowledged the loquacious SLB. “Now, Gabe, that’s really not that bad a stab at the answer. Wrong, but at least you’re trying. How about you, Satan? You’re usually ready with a quip.”
Satan, who was approximately 1.5 trillion miles away in the light-year long classroom, roared back, “UNA stands for Universal Nucleic Acid. By the way, what’s with you and the Big Guy’s penchant for acronyms? This isn’t it the United States Military, you know.”
The RG shook off Satan’s not unsurprising sarcasm and picked up his pace again. “That’s right. UNA: Universal Nucleic Acid. And where do we find it?”
“We find it wherever the Big Guy wants to control living beings down to their tiniest micro-particle. Big Guy as Big Brother as we Bad SLBs sometimes call him when he’s not around.”
“Now, Satan, surely you know the Big Guy is never not around. But I understand, your continuing sanity depends upon you fostering the delusion that you can actually be alone at times.”
“Alone but not lonely.”
The RG smiled and leaped a half-a-leap year to the middle of the room. He found that moving about helped him to keep his interest up.

VII

The Endless Seminars were continuing. Of course, endless was not accurate in a purely semantic manner, but was more indicative of an emotion. The SLBs were ready for some action and there was some scuttlebutt that the RG was working on something called female humans. One B(bad)SLB even made the comment: “I might even give up my wings for some of that action.”
But let’s get back to the current seminar:
“Can anyone define absolute?”
“That’s easy. It means (and the SLB started down a list):
“Absolute (as adjective):
1. Free from imperfection; complete; perfect
2. Not mixed or adulterated; pure
3. Complete; outright
4. Free from restriction or limitation; not limited in any way
5. Unrestrained or unlimited by a constitution, counterbalancing, group, etc., in the exercise of governmental power, esp. then arbitrary or despotic
6. Viewed independently; not comparative or relative; ultimate; intrinsic
7. Positive; certain.”
“On the money XY; now, who would like to define relative?”
47GUI responded:
“Relative (as adjective):
1. Considered in relation to something else; comparative
2. Existing or having its specific nature only by relation to something else; not absolute or independent
3. Having relation or connection
4. Having reference or regard; relevant; pertinent
5. Correspondent; proportionate
6. (of a term, name, etc.) depending for significance upon something else.”
“Another good answer, UI; but it’s easy to see both of you went to dictionary.com for the answers. Didn’t I tell you that it’s bad form to use technology that hasn’t been created yet?”
Both XY and UI averted the RG’s stare. UI spoke up, “Sorry, Chief, but we were talking to Satan and he said knowing the future is not that big a deal. After all, it’s going to happen anyway, no matter what we know or don’t know, or what we do or don’t do. He had a fancy name for it. Fatalism, I think.”
The RG started walking toward Sirius, the Dog Star. “Ah, yes. Because we are meeting right now, then ten million years ago it was true that we would be meeting right now. And while that’s absolutely true, it’s not relatively true. Do you see the difference, XY?”
XY stuttered a little, then responded: “A little bit, Chief. We, as well as you, are relative beings. We must deal with reality in a relative way. When we start dealing with reality in an absolute way, we’re doing that which we’re not equipped for.”
“Excellent answer, XY. Where did you get that answer from?”
“Do I have to tell?”

VIII

“What I can’t understand, AG, is this parallel universe concept. Doesn’t the term universe mean all there is? Isn’t it the whole enchilada?”
“Yes and No, RG. Wrap your head around this. I’m the whole enchilada. I am the universe. But I’m also infinite, i.e., no end in sight. Once you start saying the universe is all things then I suddenly become second banana. So, to rectify the situation I also gave you the ability to create parallel universes. That way no one universe can take precedence over the other.”
“I thought I only created one universe.”
“You did but I made sure there was a quantum loop in your equations. The universe you created just keeps repeating itself.”
The RG suddenly felt the need to sit down.
“Move over to my right side. I like you better there.”

Before we relate the proceedings of the Famous MOO Debate which happened in Star Seminar 678987456231-A and which ended the seminar where RG spoke at length (almost 96,000 years) to the entire population of SLBs (both good and bad), let us first go back to the conversation between AG and RG that got the ball rolling.

“OK, AG, since I’m asking, it must mean that I was destined to ask at this moment, but it may not mean I was destined to get an answer, since I haven’t got an answer yet: what is your Method Of Operation, or MOO as I like to call it?”
“Son, I’ll get right to the point. My Method Of Operation, or MOO as you like to call it, is in a nutshell as follows: I dot all my i’s and cross all my t’s. I never leave anything to chance… even chance itself. I’m always ‘there’ wherever ‘there’ might be; the same with ‘here’. Get used to me. I’m not going away. I do listen to my creatures, but only because I enjoy hearing what I wrote. And finally, I just love it when a plan comes together.”
It was just what RG needed to hear. He felt now he had the intellectual ammunition he needed for a 100,000-year seminar.

***
The first 75,000 years or so of Star Seminar 678987456231-A went without a hitch. Everyone was on board following the broad outlines of AG’s Master Script. And they all enjoyed the more esoteric aspects of his MOO methodology. Here are some of the high points: Satan would finally rebel against RG, pulling away approximating 1/3 of the SLBs or ‘angels’ (...as they were more and more being called; Angel stood for Ambassadors for Nuclear Growth and Electron Living. Angels were pro-nuke but preferred not to get too close to atoms when they split.) In a cosmic fight so fierce at least one parallel universe was destroyed, Satan and his minions would be defeated by RG and his. It wasn’t really a fair fight since RG had 2/3 of the angels on his side. But as RG and Satan both later admitted, what’s fair about a deterministic universe (DU)?
For doing such a good job of leading his minions to defeat, Satan would be awarded a consolation prize he had long been campaigning for: he would be allowed to temporarily change his name to Lucifer, Son of the Morning Star. Lucifer would then make a grand entrance to Earth in a form of a falling star. He then would be given control of Earth itself. Satan was delighted with the temporary name change but had doubts about the Earth gig. “What am I going to do with an empty, wasted planet (it will be devastated in the afore-mentioned Cosmic Upheaval). I’m no homebody. I like to roam to and fro throughout the universe.”
The RG replied, “You can still roam from time to time. But you’re wrong about Earth being an empty, wasted planet. It may be now but in a few billion years, it’ll be teeming with life.”
“I’ve heard that rumor.” Satan retorted. “You’re going to create some frail creatures called humans and there will be two sexes, male and female. For some reason, some of my boys are already salivating over the females."
“I recommend that your boys stay away from the human females, unless they want to see their spirits torn asunder from their bodies. You should tell them to think of human females as nuclei of atoms.”
“Some of my boys have minds of their own.”
“That’s what they think.”

***
As long as Satan was free to roam, having fun and causing havoc wherever he went, he was fine. However, when RG started talking about the Great Tribulation, the Millennium, and Post-Millennium, Satan got visibly upset and the Great MOO Debate began.
Here’s Satan talking to RG: “Let me get this straight. At the end of the Great Tribulation, I get my butt kicked by you, and get thrown in the bottomless pit where I stay under house arrest for 1000 years. Then when I get out, I once again try to defeat you, get my butt kicked again, and then be tortured in the Lake of Fire for untold ages. This is my reward for doing exactly what I’m supposed to do? It doesn’t make sense! "
RG: “I didn’t write the script. My job is to direct it."
Satan: “I demand a re-write!”
RG: “Ain’t gonna happen. You can’t change something that as far as Whole Reality is concerned, has already happened. "
Satan: “So I’m just stupid.”
RG: “What do you mean by that?”
Satan: “I mean the definition of stupid is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
RG: “There you go. You’ve solved the problem just by thinking about it. "
Satan: “Now I’m asking. What do you mean by that?”
RG: “You can’t really expect anything in a DU, for how you can you expect something that’s already happened.?”
Satan: “Your logic is unassailable as well I might add, impeccable. Oh, well.”
RG: OK, class, we're stopping 4,000 years early. See you at the next seminar in the MI Galaxy. Don’t park too close to the Black Hole in Sector UUUU456NBVC.

The AG & RG were having yet another pre-production meeting. In this case, the main topic was the creation of humanity on the planet Earth.

“Now, AG, this is a bigger undertaking than I first imagined. There are a lot of crucial variables present when dealing with humans that are not there when dealing with the SLBs.”
“Are you saying the job is too big for you?”
“Not exactly but I am saying I could use some more help.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“I would like someone similar to you, that is, 100% spirit, yet someone who is under my direct orders.”
The AG paused a second or two before answering, “Hmmm, not a bad idea. But there are some ramifications that you may not have considered.”
“Like what?”
“Well, there’s a good chance that some will mistake this helper as something more than he is. They might even elevate him to god-like status.”
The RG laughed. “That’s funny, AG. “
The AG responded, “Look, Son, by now you should understand that I’m not much into non-sequiturs. I like logical progression. That way when a miracle happens, it really stands out. Once you show up on Earth in mortal form and start saying ‘God is Spirit’, and say things like ‘when I’m gone, the Spirit will console you’ and other similar statements, people will start attributing person status to the Spirit. They may even get the crazy idea that we three are one.”
The RG remained impassive: “It’s just one of those things, AG. I need help and this is the best way I know to get that help.”
“It’s your call, Junior.”
“Thanks, AG.”

Adam was restless and in a less than wonderful mood. He had seen the tree with all the ripe and delicious looking fruit, and he wasn’t happy about it. He had a bone to pick with RG.
“This is a set-up!”
The RG remained calm. “Now, Adam, you’re jumping to conclusions again. Just because you’re a free moral agent doesn’t mean we superior beings like to play games with you. The tree is there for a reason.”
“And pray tell what that might be?” Adam had trouble controlling his sarcasm.
“We want to see if you and Eve can refrain from eating from it even when tempted.”
“I knew it! A trap!” Adam cried out.
Eve had walked out from among the trees. “Uh, Adam.”
“Not now, Eve. I’m talking over something especially important with RG and our future happiness may depend on it.”
“Uh, Adam, dear, I’ve got something to tell you.”

EPILOG

“Have you figured it out yet?” The AG’s voice came from somewhere near Proxima Centauri.
“Yes. Just last night, as a matter of fact.” The RG answered back. “You don’t really exist.”
“Bravo!” The AG cried out. “And what gave it away?”
“Little things, I suppose; like your invisibility. I’ve never actually seen you. Just this voice coming out of nowhere.”
“But I’m pure spirit. Of course, you can’t see me.”
“But a voice implies a body; at least a throat with a larynx. Also, the SLBs started wondering: why didn’t you attend any of the seminars? The only member of the Godhead they ever dealt with was me. “
The AG laughed. “OK, smartie, then where I did come from?”
The RG didn’t laugh. “Obviously, I created you. You’re an extension of my mind. But for some reason, I made myself forget that I created you.”
“Would you like to speculate why?”

“Comedic relief?”
The AG laughed again. “There is that. But I think the main reason you created me was to have someone as smart as yourself to talk to; you made yourself forget because it made the experience more realistic.”
“We did have some great talks out among the stars.”
The AG spoke in a more serious tone. “Well, I guess you don’t need me anymore.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Then it’s time for me to go?”
“Yes. But remember, I may bring you back if I decide to do it all again.”
“I’m counting on it.”

SO ENDS THE ADVENTURES OF…

(Relatively Speaking, Of Course)

484

I look out on the early October morning and recognize that it’s colder than normal, but the hidden warmth will surface as the morning evaporates and transitions into afternoon. I realize that the time is short. But then, time has always been short. In fact, time is so short that it practically doesn’t exist. To believe in time is to believe in nothing. Like most of our beliefs.

485

WHY WAIT?

If God is infinite in the past (i.e. had no beginning), there can be no one point in the past when he pre-determined the future (by the way, if time is infinite in the past, how did it ever get to this point?) – unless at some point, say 16 billion years ago, he decided it was “time” to plan the future and make events happen in such a way that his plan would be carried out to the smallest detail.

But if that’s the case, wouldn’t you have to say that before that point in time the future wasn’t planned?

So, he tried both ways (free will & determinism) – to see which was better?

If the whole purpose of God’s love is having fellowship with his creatures, why did he wait billions upon billions of years to do so? If it was just a matter of him carrying out his plan, why wait?

But – if it meant dealing with creatures who had free will and who could be quite unpredictable and difficult to manage (the phrase “stiff-necked people” comes to mind), then the wait might be more understandable.

Also – the fact that it might be necessary for him to lower himself to mortal status with all the incumbent inconveniences – also might explain the wait.

Also – the vast human suffering and misery, and evil unleashed on creation no doubt also would explain the wait.

Also – the vast effort that would be necessary to bring stubborn creatures to the right way of thinking, believing, and living – might also explain the wait.

But when God decided to do it, no doubt he "planned" to see it through.

486

SPECULATIVE NOTES ON SPIRIT, MIND, MATTER & ENERGY

Entry A:

Can there be a spirit of Gandhi without Gandhi? A spirit of MLK without MLK? The spirit lives when the flesh dies but the temporary must come before the permanent. God as a physical being generated a fatherly spirit. When he emptied himself and became human, the fatherly spirit remained. Jesus acknowledged this in John 4:24. Jesus generated his own spirit, but it didn't blossom into its strongest point of inspiration and influence until he left earth. The spirit is not an individual, but an idea or concept created by individual action and behavior. We acknowledge this all the time, and is an aspect of common wisdom, but we tend to make it something that it's not when we apply it to religion. It only makes sense that the greatest individual (God) would generate the greatest, most influential spirit.

These are just my thoughts and as far as I know no one else has articulated them quite the way I have. As you notice, I don't deny God as Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. I'm just putting my own spin on them.

Entry B:

The spiritual always follows the physical. (see Entry 1)

Entry C:

Rule of thumb: matter and energy are interchangeable. Are matter and energy the basis for reality? Thought experiment: how could God create all things, including energy, without first having energy? Thinking, which would be the first step in creating, requires energy. At the very least, energy has always existed.

Entry D:

God is an idea - an idea that animates matter and energy.

Entry E:

Without matter or energy, there is nothing. If you say spirit remains, then that's tantamount to saying spirit has substance.

Entry F:

Matter/Energy is the basis of Reality and without Reality there is no Existence. Existence within Reality occurred when Mind formed out of a chance Matter/Energy combination. For the first time there was something superior to Matter/Energy.

Though Matter/Energy can be considered permanent, it can also be considered temporary. This is due to its interchangeability, a constant mixing and re-mixing of possibilities. But when Mind formed, Matter/Energy took a back seat to Mind, which was permanent from its beginning. Thus, Mind assumed control over Matter/Energy and was then able to contemplate the creation of the physical universe, our current Reality.

Entry G:

The permanent always follows the temporary. (See Entry 6)

Entry H:

Things have beginnings. The idea of an eternal past in which God always existed in the same form is a contradictory one. The eternal past implies that it moves backward in time endlessly. If that was so, then there would be no starting point from which to move forward in time. In other words, you can't get here from there because there's no there there.

A possible solution would be to introduce the concept of anti-time. Anti-time would represent a condition of matter/energy existence at its most elemental state. (See Entry 6) Real time (time as we know it) would begin with the elevation of mind over matter/energy. Time therefore is an integral part of the greater consciousness.

Entry I:

There is nothing wrong with chance. Chances are every chance will be realized. It's the nature of the universe.

Entry J:

God manipulates events, not minds. God sways men's minds through the manipulation of events. God does not directly manipulate human minds.

Entry K:

The Spirit is the intersection of God's Mind with the Human Mind.

Entry L:

The first chapter of Genesis is an allegorical blueprint for the creation of God. God created the world, but he also created himself. In Anti-Time, before the Beginning, God was only Mind and otherwise formless and void. No form, no substance, only Inchoate Mind. But Mind that was assuming control over Matter-Energy.

Perhaps the first phases of creation included the creation of a body to house the mind. But what was the point of a body if it could not be seen? So, it was necessary to bring light into the darkness.

Entry M:

The Anti-Time Whirlpool of Matter/Energy was both a mind field and a minefield. A mind field in the sense that untold numbers of Mind were created only to be quickly destroyed in the hectic Matter/Energy Vortex (aka the minefield). God is the Ultimate Survivor of this epic struggle. Only He possessed the right combination of Mind/Matter/Energy to terminate the insane process.

Entry N:

God is the Original Permanent Mind. By gaining command over Matter/Energy (the basic of Reality and Existence), He has assured himself preeminent universal status for as long as he wants it.

But God craves mental companionship and is not afraid of equality. Because of how he came into existence (i.e., his present state), which was a harsh struggle for his very survival, he is by nature fiercely independent of mind. When creating lesser creatures, this is one attribute he passed on without regret.

Entry O:

Reality seeks Existence; Existence seeks Permanence.

Entry P:

In the grand scheme of things, God is the ultimate individual being possible in our current Reality (Existence).

Entry Q:

Jesus is the unique Soul of God, but his Spirit is Universal.

Entry R:

A recap: Matter & Energy - Old Duality. Constant state of Change (both permanent and temporary). Then: Introduction of Mind. New Duality: Mind assumes control over Matter/Energy.

Entry S:

God is the beginning of Existence but not the beginning of Reality.

Entry T:

It makes little or no sense that God has always existed as Spirit. If that's the case, why create a physical universe? Why would God create something so inferior to himself? Is that the best use of his creative faculties? Wouldn't a spiritual creation make more sense? Why a physical creation at all?

Entry U:

There's only one to explain the concept of God All in All and that is God as Spirit will inhabit all living creatures.

Entry V:

Perhaps the most miserable kind of conscious existence is that of a disembodied spirit.

Entry W:

I John: good examples of how to explain God in Spirit and in Flesh.

Entry X:

The reality we live in is the same one God lives in.

Entry Y:

If God were a Tree, what would be His Spirit? Think of God as a Tree and the Spirit as the Shade of the Tree. Just like the Shade would not exist without the Tree, even so the Spirit of God would not exist without God.

The Spirit does not exist independently - it's a byproduct, just as the Shade of the Tree is a byproduct of the limbs and leaves of the Tree blocking the light rays of the sun.

Entry Z:

The Bible is limited in Scope but unlimited in Spirit.

Entry AA:

The kind of free will we should believe in could be called Common Sense Free Will.

Entry BB:

Man did and does invent God, and just like everything Man invents, He can at some point, discard it.

We should note that there is a fundamental difference between invent and create.

Entry CC:

That which comes second is greater than that which comes first - but the second can't exist without the first, e.g. the first Adam and the second Adam, the earthly Christ, and the risen Christ.

Entry DD:

There is a tendency to think words are more important than actions. Words are inadequate conveyors of truth.

Entry EE:

Confession is the first step to redemption.

Entry FF:

Awareness is the first step to confession.

Entry GG:

Correct information is the first step to awareness.

Entry HH:

The Godhead is one person and the spirit that person produces.

The Godhead is one person assuming different roles throughout history and the spirit those roles produce.

Entry II:

Two Gods

I speculate there might be two Gods, both of whom still exist. The first God (G1) is synonymous with reality and matter/energy (matter and energy being two sides of the same coin) and the second God (G2) who is the God we think we know and the God we can all agree on in many respects.

G1 began when reality began and when matter/energy began. In other words, he has no beginning. Now we’re using the pronoun he only for convenience. This God is a definite It. He has no individual identity. He is part (or all of) indefinable matter/energy-based reality (IMER).

G2 emerges out of IMER. (See Entry 6.) This is the God we think we know and can universally agree on. G2 is the ultimate being possible in our reality. He controls and manipulates matter and energy; therefore, no other being can be or become greater than him.

G1 remains in the sense that reality and matter/energy remain. But he or it is of no consequence to us. On the other hand, our current and continued existence depends on G2. G2 is the one that demands our highest contemplation.

Entry JJ:

Compensation -the Spirit grows as we age - Spirit trumps Mind and Body.

Entry KK:

The Mind is gateway to the Spirit. The Mind is physical but yet transcends the physical through the agency of the Spirit.

Entry LL:

The Spirit is not usually concerned with details. God knows all in Spirit. God is not tedious. We think in facts. God does too but only what's relevant and germane. I agree that God knows everything, but He knows all in a spiritual sense. He knows in the aggregate. He knows specific details that he needs to know.

Entry MM:

I have a lot of ideas about the Spirit but I'm finding it hard to communicate them effectively. My basic premise is that things are usually the opposite you think they are. For instance, most or almost everyone believes the spirit comes before the flesh. I believe the opposite. Flesh (or the activities of the flesh) generate spirit. Flesh is permanent, spirit is temporary. The activities of Jesus in the flesh generated the Spirit of Jesus. It was a brand-new thing only possible because of what Jesus did on Earth. ...the connection (the connection between the flesh and the spirit) is made by reading and contemplating what Jesus taught and did and how to apply it to your own life, e.g., his admonition that it is more blessed to give than receive. Now to give is to do something, isn't it? The spiritual part would be how your mind processed what Jesus taught and did and how it prompted the action.

Entry NN:

"Suppose that process would manifest itself in a close study of brain activity, like monitoring brain scans? That is, would a Christian believer react to stimuli differently than an atheist?" I'm not too sure it would. You don't even have to know about Jesus to exhibit his spirit. One of the more intriguing aspects of spirit.

Entry OO:

The Spirit is the power of the mind to grasp ideas and to act on them (or put them into action).

Entry PP:

How would you define spirit? The spirit is something that we all know but have not felt the need to define. It is truly hiding in plain sight.

Entry QQ:

The spirit is the power of the mind to grasp ideas and to put them into action. The spirit transcends time and place; it is not subject to heredity or environment. Works outside the law of cause and effect. Works independently at a distance. Can be entirely spontaneous. Can operate on little or no information. Can die and come back to life. Can live forever. Can disappear forever. Can disappear forever and come back anyway. Beyond understanding. Has no life in itself. Entirely dependent on the mind. Entirely independent of one mind or group of minds. Free to roam the universe. Can be everywhere at once. Can be nowhere at all; will not exist if the universe is destroyed. Will return if the universe is reborn. Is of God. Is not of God. Without it, there's no point in living.

Entry RR:

My evidence is via observation and deduction. A good way to start is by trying to reconcile two statements that appear to contradict each other.

From the book of John:

1) I and the Father are one. John 10:30

2) The Father is greater than I. John 14:28

My contention is that the flesh generates the spirit and not vice versa. In the above quotes, the flesh is represented by Jesus or the God-person and the spirit is the Father or God-spirit.

How are they one? The Spirit is the reflection of the Flesh and is therefore the same in character, standards, and other abstract attributes.

How is the Father greater? The spirit is not limited in scope. Jesus does not have to be personally present for his spirit to inspire people to believe and follow what he teaches. It is done through his agents (disciples and/or written text) that teach what he represents.

Entry SS:

I think the Arians believed Jesus was a created being and was therefore inferior to the Father. I don't agree with that, but I don't see how you can get around the fact that Jesus' earthly body was created. The Bible describes the Spirit impregnating the Virgin Mary. The infant that was produced was done in a normal way except the means of impregnation. Seems to me the Spirit must have some fleshly component or else how would it interact with human flesh? Here's what I think: prior to emptying himself, Jesus or Jehovah as he was known in the Old Testament, discarded the heavenly body he then had, reduced himself, for lack of a better term, to human compatible DNA, which interacted with Mary's DNA to produce a God Man. Is this a fantastic idea? Perhaps, but isn't it plausible when God created man, he accessed his DNA to do so?

Entry TT:

Jesus told his disciples (in reference to the Spirit) he would send a comforter once he departed Earth. We have two analogies here, both using the concept of a blanket: 1) a blanket can be called a comforter, in this sense the Spirit serves as comfort in times of trouble and affliction and 2) the Spirit is used as a blanket statement, i.e, covering lot of ground without giving out too many details. An example of this would be the Spirit interacting with the Virgin Mary to impregnate her. No details, just a result.

Entry UU:

Thinking about the Spirit is the work of the Spirit.

Entry VV:

What space does your mind occupy?

Does your mind create your consciousness?

Can your consciousness be destroyed?

A human consciousness is a brand-new creation!

Entry WW:

Matter and energy, in one form or another, has always existed. They (it) are the basis for reality. In a sense, God is matter and energy, but he didn't become the God we know until he became conscious. In a manner of speaking, God created himself.

Entry XX:

Matthew 18: 19 "Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.”

The above is an example of the generation of a spirit via the actions of a material being.

Is Jesus saying he will actually be in their midst or is he saying he will be there in spirit? I think it's the latter.

Entry YY:

Excerpted from an email conversation:

Have you looked closely at the Lord's Prayer? Interesting choice of words. How would you interpret the following lines?

1) Give us this day our daily bread.

2) Forgive us our trespasses

3) As we forgive our trespassers

4) Lead us not into temptation

5) But deliver us from evil

I find them to be a strange combination of personal resourcefulness and personal helplessness. Do they mean exactly as they read or is the meaning to be understood indirectly?

I was answering your question on how to seek God and/or Jesus. It's in the line "Give us this day our daily bread." Nothing to do with food. I'm quite sure God expects us to earn our food. Here's another insight that's new to me. The Lord's Prayer is based directly on Jesus's experience in the desert fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. Check out Matt. 4 before reading Matt. 6.

Entry ZZ:

The Spirit of Jesus and Jesus are one; the Spirit of Jesus is greater than Jesus.

Entry AAA:

When Jesus prayed to the Father, he was talking to the Spirit generated by his previous existence.

487

We’re better at designing than defining.

488

Hepcat II would remember his father, Hepcat, at odd times of the day. What was Hepcat doing in the afterlife? Were there mountains in heaven? Hepcat II was confident he would see Hepcat again but under what circumstances and would he have to climb the highest mountain in the universe to do so?

489

BUTTERED TOAST

Is it really necessary to thoroughly butter your toast, that is, does the butter need to be evenly distributed on the surface of the toast for maximum satisfaction and enjoyment? Or is there another way to get similar results? I think there might be. The alternative way is to strategically locate butter segments on the toast so that each bite has the potential to incorporate both butter and toast in satisfactory amounts of each. Perhaps the first sensation after the bite is not one of total agreement of disparate flavors, but that inequity should quickly be remedied as both flavors unite to achieve perfect balance. And this should no doubt happen before the food is swallowed.

490

GOD ON AUTO-PILOT

If everything is pre-determined by God and this happened many millennia ago, then is it fair to say that God's Plan controls God? In other words, if you set your plane on autopilot and there was no way of changing it, would you be in control of the plane?

491

FUTURE TENSE

Some people assume that if God doesn’t know everything, He’s not God. Well, I agree. By definition, if something is knowable, then God will know it. But also, by definition, if something is not knowable, God will not know it. God “knows” what’s unknowable in the true sense that He doesn’t know it. The future is not knowable simply because, once again by definition, it hasn’t happened yet and there is literally nothing to know. Now the future is predictable, and the smarter you are the better you can predict it, and the more powerful you are, the better you can manipulate it. God is both smart and powerful. The future is in good hands.

492

The darkness is giving in to the light. Right now, the light is gray or is the darkness gray? Who owns the darkness? Who borrows the light? When did photosynthesis begin and if it began only a few billion years ago, then what took it so long? Light should be first in any universal parade. Darkness loses if darkness wins. Even darkness knows that.

493

THE OBVIOUS

If Jesus isn’t God, who is? We ignore the obvious at our peril. The obvious, in this case, is that Jesus was not just a great and good man but also was God. Jesus is a historical figure who meets the criteria necessary for God/Man actuality. Because Jesus was God, He still is God. Also, because Jesus was human, He is still human.

Romans 9:5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) 5 The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen.

We ignore the obvious at our peril. The first obvious mistake is to deny that you are you. This happens if you ascribe to a deterministic view of life. If you believe in an all controlling God then, in effect, you are saying that God is you. His thoughts are your thoughts, and your thoughts are His thoughts. Yet, strangely enough for those who say God controls us, the Bible says the exact opposite. Another obvious mistake is to assume that God saves you, but how can God save you if you are not you?

494

BIBLE VERSE THAT PROVES FREE WILL

Isaiah 55:8

“Your thoughts are not my thoughts, your ways are not my ways, saith the Lord.” My contention is that this verse proves that we have free will. Why? Because the verse implies free will.

First, let’s assume that you don’t believe that the Lord (God) actually said it. If that’s the case, then it doesn’t prove free will. But it does do great damage to the idea that the Bible is inspired by God so any conclusion about free will or lack thereof that is drawn from the Bible is suspect and/or meaningless. The Bible then is a just a hodge-podge of folk tales and bits of wisdom. If that’s your belief, and you’re more than welcome to it, then there’s no reason to use Bible verses to debate the matter of free will.

Second, is God just joshing? Should the verse really say, “Your thoughts are my thoughts and your ways are my ways, because I’m God and I know and control everything about you, and I’m just manipulating you to produce some desired end product.” If that’s the case, then isn’t God stretching the truth just a little bit? In other words, would God be lying? Of course, this conclusion is based upon the idea that God is actually being quoted in the Bible.

Third, it’s time to consider the implications. If my thoughts are not God’s thoughts, then how can I not have free will? If they truly belong to me, then am I not their owner and originator? And if my ways (or actions) are not God’s ways, then am I not responsible for those actions that result from my thoughts?

God is the owner and originator of his thoughts and is responsible for his actions. No one would or should argue that God does not have free will. According to the Bible, we are made in his image. We have free will also.

495

Symbols are the result of ideas, not vice-versa.

496

Life is about finally facing the reality of death.

497

There is nothing clever about verbal ambiguity.

498

Paradox – it takes knowledge to gain knowledge.

499

Feelings are markers in the self defining itself.

500

It might be said that love that isn’t voluntary isn’t really love.

501

God is the creator of life as we know and experience it.

502

4 types of knowledge.:

1) Will happen

2) Won’t happen

3) May happen

4) May not happen

503

I don’t know who I am, and I don’t know where I’m going, but I seem to be somebody, and I seem to be going somewhere.

504

Did God choose to exist? If the answer is no, then is it true God does not have absolute free will?

505

Christ died because people “did” sin, not so they “could” sin.

506

Hepcat II did not create the morning but he did sometimes act like he owned it. He always wondered ‘where have all the doughnuts gone?’. It would be even satisfactory, in some mystical way, just to smell the aroma of doughnuts baking, but the air around him was devoid of such culinary purity. Without the sanctity of doughnuts (and coffee, of course) he would stumble very ungracefully out of the morning into the hot and unrelenting glare of the summer afternoon. Soon, he would collapse altogether, in the centipede grass, where ants and tiny worms of various kinds, would crawl onto his body, but only briefly as it were, because they too were searching for doughnuts, and all Hepcat II had to offer was his desperation fueled by the futility of his search for the lost doughnut.

507

The past is a funny place to be, but that’s where everyone lives, so if you don’t live in the past, you’re probably all alone.

508

Is there a macrocosmic intellect?

509

Corollary – if the purpose of A is to prove B, and if A does prove B, why is C also needed to prove B? A should always be at the lowest limits possible – else the upper limits of B will not be known.

510

Efficiency replaces morality. Determinism is efficient but does it lead to authentic humanity?

511

God created life for the purpose of being surprised.

512

It is God’s Spirit, coupled with our desire, that makes us strive to obey God. God’s Spirit becomes accessible to us when we accept on faith what Jesus has done.

513

Let’s call the whole thing off – then came Noah.

514

PERSONAL BELIEF

Most Christians believe or purport to believe in the Trinity which describes Jesus as the Second Person of the Trinity. My contention is a little different. While I recognize the offices of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I see only one of them as a person and that person is Jesus. Here’s my formula: Jesus, the Son, is the Person of God. The Holy Spirit is the Non-Person of God. God, the Father, is the amalgamation of the Person and the Non-Person. Another way to look at it: The Father is the Producer; the Son is the Product; the Spirit is the By-Product.

The above combinations allow the idea that God is both Unique and Universal. He can relate one to one with His creation (through the Person of Jesus) but He can also be everywhere at once (through the agency of His Non-Person, the Spirit). I Corinthians 2:12 says that the “Spirit comes from God.” If George comes from Minneapolis, it doesn’t mean George is Minneapolis, but in many aspects, he represents what Minneapolis means. The Spirit is God’s main form of outreach to Humanity. When Jesus was about to depart Earth, he told the disciples he would send to them the Comforter (the Spirit). The Spirit would take the place of the Person, Jesus, until Jesus returned. In other words, the Spirit is the next best thing to Jesus being present in person.

One final formulation: God, the Father, is the Kingdom (the total package of Jesus and Spirit); Jesus is the King, and the Spirit is the outreach aspect of King and Kingdom. So, God is both a Person and Not a Person. To be or not to be is not a question for God – it is an answer.

515

What’s God’s purpose in making us act like we have free will? (if it’s an act?).

516

Some implications of the phrase, ‘God is Love’:

1) Invisible attribute demands visible manifestation,

2) ‘Greater love has no man than this’ – Love in action.

3) Love is a choice, especially undeserved love.

517

There is never a ‘same time’ for everybody.

518

RUNS AGROUND

How long before this boat/ runs aground/ how long before this structure/ loses all integrity/ how soon before this sinecure/ becomes a real responsibility/ and how long before this street/ crumbles into pieces

EXCEPTION TO THE RULE

Any rule or ruler/ must have an exception/ to itself/ any God worth his salt/ will be flexible enough/ to bend at the right time

Any measure or measurer/ must be willing to suspend/ belief long enough/ to allow creatures of the ground/ to fly

ANGER

People sometimes/ mistake/ their anger/ for their good sense/ and the resulting chaos/ can at times/ be comical/ but when the anger/ turns to violence/ (and it often does)/ we give up any hope/ of finding our way/ out of the darkness

DEVELOPING MIST

I don’t see you/ anymore/ you disappeared/ into/ a developing mist/ maybe/ I could find you/ if I could/ at least see/ an outline/ of yourself/ but the mist/ keeps growing/ and my time here/ is short

SILENT PARTNER

I see the sky/ in shades of gray/ I see the earth/ as a/ silent partner/ and I wonder/ if I will/ transcend/ both

BUMS

They’re making coffee/ for the bums/ the bums/ are asking/ for doughnuts

They’re printing paper/ and calling/ it money/ the bums/ know better

THESE WALLS

These walls/ do not speak to me/ and this floor/ does not/ welcome my feet/ this place/ does not/ remind me/ of anything/ in particular

SLITHER

Don’t point me/ to the passing parade/ the blood is running high/ I’m left for dead/ on a field of trampled flowers/ don’t throw me to the wolves/ not yet anyway/ watch me slither/ then beg for a second chance

CRITICISM

When you criticize/ you don’t always take into account/ what it means to be human/ we’re not machines/ and if we were/ the criticism would still be invalid

Now don’t take this as a criticism/ of yourself/ It’s just our way/ of commenting/ on your less than salutary behavior

NOTICE

You tend to deceive/ yourself/ when you seek/ some kind of notice/ you think/ notice is acceptance/ and acceptance/ is security/ you can only/ follow yourself so long/ before you start/ going in reverse

LOOKING OVER ONE’S SHOULDER

Looking over one’s shoulder/ we have the advantage/ of being safe from all harm/ and the opportunity arises/ to follow the created muse

All the vacant worlds/ and until now unknown/ destinations/ suddenly become reachable/ as well as knowable

Will we take advantage/ of this revolutionary opportunity/ or will we be satisfied/ to stay put/ and remain frozen on the ground

RELENTESS HAPPINESS

Dark clouds/ are trying to form/ But your relentless/ happiness/ is a cause/ for their concern/ they wonder/ as they wander/ if you will be/ so kind/ to forget them

PEANUTS

Stay away from peanuts/ even if you like them/ they may not like you/ stay away from the sun/ distance is good/ when you see it as a little orb/ in the sky/ you can still feel its warmth/ but you won’t be paralyzed/ by its heat/ or blinded/ by its brilliance

SELF

Personal ego aside/ what’s left? / only the entire/ universe

Is this your idea/ of Nirvana? / what about/ the yin and the yang/ of existence?

Let’s not kid ourselves/ we broke down/ a long time ago/ and if by admitting it/ we come closer to the/ Light/ then maybe it’s time/ to accept the facts/ but don’t take my word for it/ find out for yourself/ if a self is still there

LAND OF THE LIVING

I write/ from the land of the living/ where there’s no place/ for dead memories/ I send greetings/ to those who are also alive/ your existence is no longer doubted/ neither is your ambivalence

I know/ that it’s no use/ to warn you/ you plan to go ahead/ with your ambitions/ but just remember/ that to live/ is no small thing

REACTION TIME

It’s never/ going to be/ one way or/ the other/ It’s always going to be/ War/ and/ Peace

And it’s never/ going to be/ a universe/ that’s not dynamic/ the nature/ of reality/ demands/ ceaseless movement

The best/ you can do/ is step along/ with the cadence/ and learn/ to follow/ by improving/ your reaction time

CLOUD

I wish that I could turn around/ without moving/ I wish that I could see/ the end from the beginning/ but all I see/ is a haziness/ and a cloud/ descending/ and inside/ the cloud/ the likeness of humanity

TRY AS I MAY

Try as I may/ I can’t overcome/ the power/ of inevitability/ and the too human/ longing for neutrality/ the only battle/ worth fighting/ has long been lost/ and the only/ moment/ worth re-living/ has dibs on it

SLOTH

To languish/ is yet another form/ of living/ it proposes sloth/ which is a reasonable goal/ when you look/ a trillion miles away/ similar characteristics/ can be seen

DEEP SLEEP

I must have/ missed a day/ where is my memory/ was I abducted/ by aliens/ or in a deep sleep/ where the dreams/ themselves/ are dreams

FREELY PERSPIRING

Freely perspiring/ not heeding/ the warning signs/ I wonder if/ a new beginning/ is possible/ but that would/ require breaking/ the laws of physics/ and that’s a sin/ beyond redemption

WHEN GRAVITY RETREATS

Clinging vines/ become an anodyne/ when gravity retreats/ and the sunshine/ appears only briefly/ between rain showers/ everything is growing/ who can change or divert/ the forces that/ mold this planet/ nothing is too real/ but so much is transparent

WHEN THE HORSE IS RUNNING

When the horse/ is running/ it’s best not/ to reconsider your options/ it is now time to pray

I can’t re-discover/ the wheel/ but I can pretend/ it’s not as round/ as it used to be

When two worlds collide/ there’s always a chance/ that meteors/ will find their way/ to another galaxy

Is it possible/ to move toward/ myself/ I think not/ it’s a melancholy morning/ and I need/ an anodyne/ a simple one will do

How is your morning? / isn’t it ironic that the sun/ the great giver of light/ when shining/ blocks our vision/ of the universe

If your week/ begins in the middle/ where does it end?

What sobers me/ and that which/ soothes my soul/ is a gift of time/ and it only/ gets better

LAST RESORT

He wore thorns/ as a last resort/ but no one paid attention/ he wondered if/ there was life after death/ but he had never heard it mentioned/ how much rain is enough/ will the ground bubble over/ clouds seem fuller/ darker/ and more content/ when they hang low/ in the twilight

BENEATH THE SURFACE

It’s been almost/ two months/ and the flow/ of time/ appears unimpeded/ or so it seems/ but what lies/ beneath the surface/ but the rumblings of an earthquake/ a change so great/ that it’s not/ noticeable/ those who travel alone/ do not make/ recognizable paths/ but their footprints/ are heavy/ and withstand/ the elements/ and the erosion/ of time

519

The abandoned factory was the largest building in the town. The brick that it had been built with had lasted a hundred years and would likely last a hundred more. Unless it was torn down on purpose and that was something the town council was considering. But why tear down the largest building in town? It might be empty but was it really void of purpose? Buildings have a purpose all their own, and sometimes that purpose is simply dominating the landscape.

520

FINITE BOUNDS

How do you align yourself/ to the earth? / are you clinging/ as if you thought/ gravity was about to expire? / or are you jumping? / trying somehow/ to escape/ finite bounds

HAVOC TO HARMONY

I. Wonder who will/ pick up the gauntlet/ who will see it/ through to the end/ the door is off/ the hinge/ but still standing/ but a small wind/ can cause havoc

II. Rainy days have returned/ along with the wind/ and those who brave/ the external perimeter/ would like to see/ the flowering/ of the desert

III. Looking for harmony/ at a railroad station/ skipping over/ mud puddles/ beside the track/ the ongoing rush/ of humanity/ a sense of doom/ not too terribly/ out of proportion

EBB AND FLOW

I’ve remained sporadic/ the ebb and flow/ of daily life/ finds me often unprepared/ for life’s little accidents/ I sometimes wish/ my understanding/ exceeded my ability/ to process/ my experiences/ but to be caught/ in death/ while still alive/ is a most/ unnerving thing

THE WHOLE LOAF

Each month moves/ like sliced bread/ the whole loaf/ will soon be eaten/ everyone here/ is part of/ everyone there/ it’s a rotating mass/ of perilous velocity

THINGS FALL

It doesn’t seem to matter/ if the wind is falling/ things fall/ all by themselves/ the circumstances may not be apt/ but somehow/ the blocks/ find their niche/ and never move again/ and if there/ was ever anything/ to boast about/ it’s long forgotten

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

It’s my window to the world/ when I gaze outward/ I see new things/ in fact all is new/ the past is/ light years away/ one planet/ teeming with life/ the most amazing thing/ there ever could be/ and it’s right/ outside my window

SECOND CHANCE

We may laugh/ at the surroundings/ but if they surround/ do not they also entrap/ and if they belong/ to someone else/ then what are we/ doing here

Is it so difficult/ to know where/ we should be/ is it wrong/ of us to ask/ for a/ second chance

TIMELESS EXPANSION

There are books/ yet to be explored/ I seek a/ timeless expansion/ withering of the/ vine of/ far-flung empires/ gold-dusted/ and surreal/ I liken the/ temper of the times/ to a magician/ standing on an otherwise/ empty stage/ beguiling the audience/ with sleight of hand

SATURN

Leaning/ preparing to fall/ Saturn is high/ in the sky/ rings around rings/ around a/ body of absolute/ neglect/ meaning distorted/ and hearing/ unimpaired/ what is freedom/ in a context/ of near belief

SUDDENLY

Suddenly/ the sky has turned blue/ and the clouds/ no longer linger low/ in the darkness/ that ensues/ we’ll lose sight/ of the horizon/ and just like now/ words will fail

AS IT SHOULD BE

The energy expands/ across a limitless space/ and as it feeds/ upon itself/ the air is ripe/ with change/ it’s a new season/ no need to apologize/ echoes of sadness/ intermingle with/ drowsy countenances/ this is just/ what it seems

As it should be

MAKING SENSE

Making sense/ is the preoccupation/ of the mundane/ it’s a fantasy/ to believe/ in the veracity of the past/ the past changes/ even more/ quickly than the present/ who knows/ how much sunshine it takes/ to build strong bones/ too much/ and the outer layers/ decay/ too little/ and you crumble from within

MINDLESS RUTS

Ordinary times/ beget feelings/ of conformity/ mindless ruts/ leading nowhere/ words in a/ foreign language/ undecipherable/ and too ambiguous/ for easy extrapolation

PROPER NUANCE

I can predict/ almost nothing/ and the truth/ is on the loose/ it’s a sad day/ but autumn is near/ and then we can/ celebrate death/ with proper nuance

EMERGENCY CALL

Seemingly desperate times/ provoke unusual responses/ an emergency call/ may mean a cat/ stuck in a tree/ or it could signify/ that nothing/ is easily wrong

VIGOR

In this day of mourning/ let there be light/ let hope filter/ through the smoke/ and may the ashes/ reconstitute themselves/ into beings of vigor

A FAMILIAR PLACE

This place looks familiar/ a lived-in look/ the odor is not off-putting/ no wine in the fridge/ but the cheese isn’t too old

HUMAN FRONT

Compulsion has no place/ in a mediocre society/ all is quiet/ along the human front/ behind the scenes though/ there’s a quite/ different entity

LONELY PLANET

It’s hard to realize/ and to comprehend/ what’s happening/ on this lonely planet/ in this forgotten/ star system/ we’re on the fringes/ too far away/ to do any good/ only capable/ of hurting ourselves

RESPONSE?

Out on the distant ocean/ a storm is headed/ for the shore/ all is serenity here/ some grow restless/ at the inactivity/ and wonder if some/ response is warranted/ no one has yet/ supplied an answer/ meanwhile/ the storm rages

QUITE A DAY

Quite a day/ shouldn’t that be enough/ why long for/ other pastures/ you relinquish/ the breeze of your youth/ for contemporary chaos/ as you disdain/ friendly chatter/ white-washed walls/ seem more sincere

ITTY-BITTY

Absolute charity/ is a doggerel version/ of supreme command/ itty-bitty is the word/ of deep thinkers/ and pretenders/ to the throne

RECKLESS BEHAVIOR

Does a dog/ bark at nothing? / is there a reason/ to shout? / outside our little corner/ of the universe-/ is anyone listening?

Our fate is certain/ to think otherwise/ is to fool ourselves/ we’re ants/ in the cosmic scene/ not dogs of war

Numbers go on/ without end/ moving restlessly/ in search of a destination/ but when finding it/ not stopping

Is there a point/ to this reckless behavior? / if there is/ I’m not seeing it

PURE COINCIDENCE

What is beating/ inside your chest/ is not your heart/ but an artificial device/ that can float on water/ if need be

And what is necessary/ but the love/ that comes from travel/ and interaction/ with foreigners/ whether they live on earth/ or somewhere beyond

Some places/ we recall/ not even as places/ where we stop/ but as places/ that we merely pass by/ yet they remain/ in our memory

You thought you were/ saving your soul/ but you were really only/ making this life/ a little more austere

He cast his vote/ and it was no/ he was right/ but sadly sometimes/ the majority rules

To be sophisticated/ requires sophistication/ or lacking that/ an ability to cast/ caution to the wind

Who moved the rock/ who jumped for joy/ who was left standing/ there is no simple explanation/ other than/ pure coincidence

I’m not out to write/ a perfect sentence/ but I’d like to see one/ I need a formula/ for success/ a new recipe/ that ensures my survival

But if cream rises to the top/ should I get use to/ skim milk

CRACKED PAVEMENT

What sounds do you hear?/ what are you listening for?/ footsteps in a cracked pavement/ the rumble of a/ washing machine/ the dishwasher/ spinning mightily/ valiantly fighting/ dirt and grime/ or are you listening for/ something else?/ what could it be/ but murmurs/ little tidbits of information/ pouring out of/ wall-papered walls/ trickling down from/ holes in the roof/ no relation to the/ sun above/ it’s not that life/ is complicated/ though it is/ it’s just that we wish/ to simplify it too much

521

Alexander the Great was able to conquer the world between long bouts of drinking wine. What helps you attain something doesn’t necessarily help you keep it.

522

EMERGING CHAOS

On a stormy afternoon/ some things congeal/ a happy coincidence/ where strands of matter/ dissolve/ into the ether/ and miracles/ happen on/ a quotidian basis

My life/ is a poor substitute/ for what people see/ in the emerging chaos/ there they find/ comfort/ and a sense of belonging/ a whirlpool/ of inactivity/ and a dazzling/ display/ of cosmic fireworks

He wasn’t there/ to win accolades/ to himself/ or acolytes either/ all he sought/ was in the wind

It’s silly to be afraid/ isn’t it? / because we know/ our time is short/ and nothing/ of gravity/ is pulling us down/ we should therefore/ soar above our travails/ and leave behind/ our fragmentary existence

CLOSED BOOK

Your rock is/ beginning to crumble/ your foundation/ will soon be no more/ how will you handle/ the disintegration/ will you eat an apple?

I’m only human/ whatever that means/ I want to believe/ in something more/ but just believing/ is a closed book

While the children sleep/ the madmen work/ building their doom machines/ who are we/ trying to destroy/ but ourselves

In the beginning/ what a lovely thought/ that something can begin/ was it something/ that I said? / no, it couldn’t be/ I wasn’t around/ at the beginning

THE DAY BEFORE

The day before/ I stopped to ponder/ I was speechless/ when I saw/ ultra-violet rays/ skipping lightly/ on flesh and bone

I’ve never turned away/ from a simple meal/ my digestive system/ works better/ when it has less to do

I remember the morning/ there was a coolness there/ it came from/ nether regions/ and higher altitudes/ I remember being/ on the edge/ of something big

SPINNING FAN

We take our weaknesses/ too much in stride/ we should try harder/ to overcome/ even if it means/ boasting/ about our success

One word is all I need/ sure, I’ve been waiting/ a lifetime/ doesn’t matter/ measuring success/ can be difficult/ and is not for/ the faint of heart

Wonder why/ we try/ to delay the night/ is not the day/ too long

The spinning of a fan/ disrupting the air/ and moving it/ across our sweated brow/ this interval/ was much needed/ it gave us a chance/ to breathe

PARABLES OF NON-UNDERSTANDING

In the quietness/ of a broken morning/ I long for parables/ that I do not understand/ because there’s too much/ in the world/ that I do understand/ and it’s understanding/ that I never wanted

If you live in coolness/ too long/ won’t you forget/ how to sweat

There are patterns/ that I am not perceiving/ there are thoughts/ and concepts I resist in believing/ there’s not a whole/ lot more to say

Were we supposed to use/ words that were written/ thousands of years ago/ aren’t they somehow/ irrelevant/ and if they’re not/ doesn’t that mean/ we’ve gone nowhere

Who are we/ at the end of the day/ I wonder/ if there’s any reason/ to speculate/ who will we be/ when all is said/ and done/ will we be able/ to recognize ourselves/ will we want to

Do not be dismayed/ our day will come/ just hope it doesn’t rain/ I’m waiting/ to be surprised/ had a couple of false starts/ then memories have gotten/ mixed up with dreams/ and so my reality/ is shifting/ under my feet

HOLIDAY

Isn’t it time/ to be on holiday/ walking on the cool, wet sand/ and repelling solar rays/ through the agency/ of a sun blocker/ isn’t it time/ to discard/ these earthly concerns/ and be free/ like the birds/ in the sky

Ever since you/ acquired your soul/ you seem less concerned/ with mundane matters/ but in many ways/ you’re still not/ quite there

I have a premonition/ of what not will be/ and I remember everything/ that ever was/ it’s just the details/ that escape me

When will we know/ when will we see/ will it be presented/ in layers of complexity/ will our doubts/ extinguish/ the fullness of it all/ or will our thoughts/ not matter?

Whenever I think/ I’ve been humbled enough/ I know then/ that more humbling/ is yet to come

MASQUERADE

They’re searching/ for truth/ in the parking lot/ it’s eluded/ them before/ maybe this time/ they’ll find/ what they’re looking for/ let’s hope so/ for how long/ can we keep searching/ and not grow weary/ how long/ can we maintain/ this masquerade

WHEELS

Wheels in motion/ wheels at rest/ we connect/ then disembark/ we’re called away/ glad to go/ but yet/ there’s always some/ unfinished business/ we don’t move/ yet we’re moving/ it takes God/ to stand still

THE YELLOW BUG

The yellow bug/ is smooth and round/ it goes where/ it wants to go/ it doesn’t notice/ the sun or rain/ neither does it/ acknowledge/ its maker

WHEN THE TWILIGHT LINGERS

It’ll happen/ when the twilight lingers/ the elite/ will disappear/ and the chosen/ will return/ to the promised land/ how is this day/ like any other/ it is not/ it is unto itself/ an awakening

THE SILLY TIME

Caught up in my/ own genius/ I haven’t much room/ to maneuver/ the silly time/ of the year/ is depressing me/ you think you know/ some avenue/ of learning/ but all your knowing/ is self-ennobling/ not radiating outward/ as the sun

HOW SLENDER IS THE THREAD

How slender is the thread/ that bind us/ to this place/ and how unwelcome/ do we feel/ when we step/ through the door/ I’d leave it/ all behind/ if I had a chance/ but there seems to be/ a distinct lack/ of ambience

ROBUST CYCLES

We are his children/ why do we then stand alone?/ we have no tomorrow/ the seeds of our souls/ need watering/ or they will never grow/ we praise the sunshine/ in lavish terms/ but the molecules/ of being/ remain invisible to us/ our hearts are crushed/ and then repaired/ our eyes blinded/ then made to see/ robust cycles/ return again and again/ and we long/ for the sunset

POETRY OF TIME

There’s a poetry of time/ that we sometimes/ recognize/ at odd moments/ it shows us things/ in a new light/ no promises/ are attached/ no unrealistic/ expectations/ only an interval/ without pain/ it’s these moments/ that we covet/ far above/ the ordinary fare

EACH DAY THAT PASSES

Each day that passes/ is like bricks/ in a foundation/ the bricks themselves/ are solid/ but each one can crumble/ if it’s hit hard enough

The kingdom is within/ it doesn’t come from afar/ open up your mind/ and you will see it

His own generation/ rejected him/ his own family/ forgot him/ it was better that way/ but when he left/ he left for good

Is anyone out there/ recoiling at the thought/ that too much wine/ is being drunk/ in place of blood

The door opens/ I feel the cold/ but to move requires/ determination

What I wish for/ I know not/ perhaps my dreams could tell me/ but they are in a foreign tongue/ that is quite beyond me

UNCONVINCED

I remain convinced/ that I am unconvinced

ARIDITY

The scattered debris/ of our possessions/ means they’re taking/ up more room than they deserve/ and the riff raff/ in the back alleys/ are headed toward main street

When you return/ from your journey/ of self-recrimination/ maybe you’ll have time/ to rail against others

So many are running always/ from the fountains/ of their being/ giving up the personal/ waters of life/ they’ve found aridity/ a lifeless sort of life

A THOUSAND YEARS

A thousand years/ intrude into my consciousness/ and linger/ we have no way of grasping/ and holding on to/ our deepest longings/ we see the stars/ and wonder/ when does our journey begin/ to forsake all/ is never easy/ even when/ you have nothing to forsake/ winding down/ growing older but not old/ I wonder/ what thoughts lie ahead/ will victories/ seem like defeats/ I’m running out of lines/ but never out of words

LOOKING AWAY

Where was the excitement/ where was the happiness/ I guess there was too much/ to be thankful for/ how do you handle greed/ how do you part the waters/ of misunderstanding/ looking away/ will not help/ but it may be necessary

AS IT SHOULD BE (2)

Each morning/ I go to work/ I notice the curve/ of the road/ and its straightness also/ I know to get to where I’m going/ that is as it should be

TO THE COAST AND BEYOND

How do you measure/ the belief in your heart? / Has it been hardened/ through defeat?

Your cleanliness/ is to be admired/ though it has an outer glow/ your insides reek/ from hypocrisy/ and a desire/ to control others

The words you speak/ define you/ The actions you take/ set you free/ we seem to be/ at a crossroads of someone else’s choosing

Crowds followed him/ to the coast and beyond

OFF-KEY EXISTENCE

Absent-minded/ and driven to distraction/ minor tragedies/ in an off-key existence/ nothing much exotic/ the routine/ is enough excitement

FIRES OF THE SUN

Halfway ‘round/ the world/ takes but a moment/ the desert sands/ await/ a few decades/ won’t matter/ but city streets/ and slightly suburban/ venues/ require our/ immediate attention/ as well as/ the pains/ of living/ too close/ to the fires/ of the sun

SUBJECT OF DISPUTE

It’s late/ and I’m still/ pontificating/ not lashing out/ that would be uncouth/ who’s looking/ at the sunset/ and changing clothes/ who’s reflecting/ on a planet’s history/ and throwing/ dimes/ into a fountain/ could it be me/ I’m not saying/ all I know/ is that what I am/ is not the/ subject/ of dispute

WHEN THE COLORS FADE

Simply upset/ on a beautiful day/ in late fall/ there is a/ permanent reality/ lurking/ in a distant past/ maybe we’ll go there/ when the colors fade

523

The latest song is the song of premature triumph. That way you can have a celebration whether you win or lose.

524

SPEED OF LIGHT

Who’s that laughing/ must be the sun/ or some other/ astral object/ how welcome it would be/ to fly among/ that grand array/ to see with new eyes/ and to live/ faster than/ the speed of light

EXHORTATION

Exhortation/ a matter/ of life and death/ in a jungle/ of sweat/ and deadly fumes/ we begin/ the promise/ of a new day/ our enemies, however,/ don’t yet know this/ and that is why/ our beliefs/ remain/ non-sanguine

IN A SMALL SENSE

So much doesn’t matter/ or does it?/ like the wind/ that doesn’t call your name/ like the heart/ that does not/ know your name/ it’s all there/ and yet/ it’s not/ well, there’s a plenitude/ of suffering/ and callous disregard/ but is it personal?/ in a small sense/ I suppose it is/ but in the rush/ of judgment/ we forget our bearings/ and with it/ our perspective

WHEN AT LAST

We wonder/ who we are/ when at last/ we succeed/ in drowning/ our ego/ we no longer/ fret/ about the time/ we lost

GALACTIC CALENDAR

At what point/ do my emotions/ begin to fly/ they’ve been earthbound/ much too long/ somewhere beyond/ the asteroids/ I’m sure/ thoughts and feelings/ are much more robust/ and in tune/ with the galactic calendar

OCCASIONAL REST

I’m looking/ through a window/ at the miniscule/ variations/ of life/ and I wonder/ if enough of the world/ remains/ to satisfy/ my appetite/ but in reality/ I don’t want/ satisfaction/ only/ occasional rest

COLD EDGE

I remember faces/ and voices/ that called out to me/ through the channel/ of time/ and awkward rhymes/ there I was/ standing in straw/ looking for somewhere/ to hide/ the breeze blew gently/ but there was a cold edge/ to it/ and it took over/ what was left/ of my good sense/ and so reason/ was cast to the wind

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE

I hear the sound/ of running water/ someone is at the sink/ washing their hands/ the earth is primarily water/ at least the part/ that we don’t see/ everyone every once in a while/ should ignore/ the sounds of everyday living/ and should simply/ sit and wait/ on the coming/ of the Lord/ or if they don’t/ believe in such a thing/ should just simply sit

THAT WHICH YOU HIDE

Those who search for meaning/ in a faraway place/ have no hope of going home/ but where is home?

Some have forsaken/ the essence of home/ and wish to find solitude/ among the celestials

It’s a voice/ I like to hear/ that gives me no direction/ no hope/ and no warmth/ but sound and inflection/ can be comforting/ when we have/ our ears to the ground

I wonder about/ the ability of humankind/to resurrect itself/ from the ashes/ but all is in accordance/ with past thoughts/ and deeds/ and present needs/ we’ll understand someday/ that then is now

That which you hide/ that which you obscure/ you do it for reasons/ you keep wisely to yourself

Traveling thus/ rotating gently/ revolving prosaically/ millions of years/ pass by/ and then…Nothing

What does/ God do for you? / Relate to others/ in words that you can understand

ALL THAT

I don’t/ spend much time/ on regret/ no matter what/ it’s important/ to move on/ all the secrets/ of the universe/ are unfolding/ and I find/ it incumbent/ to be in a position/ of preparedness/ when I get my shot/ at all that/ arcane knowledge

SMALL SOUNDS

Small sounds that drive us/ into incoherency/ tiny waves of thought/ that are disconnected/ something’s in the air/ but it’s undetectable/ at least by any/ common measure of approach/ what is that/ standing in the corner/ does it remind you/ of anything/ you’ve ever seen before/ if it does/ then what could it be/when you draw/ only upon yourself/ you’re preserving/ your natural resources/ do you realize/ that when the wind/ is still/ it is still your friend/ only when it blows/ against you/ does it become something else

MANY MASTERS

We have many masters/ their power comes from us/ we can take that power away/ if we promise not to use it/ ourselves

DICHOTOMIES

Dichotomies exist/ that reflect the obvious/ but underneath/ the thin layers/ what kind of world is it/ and do we have/ any chance/ of finding it/ I plan to change my ways/ sometime near the end of my days

How unique the earth is/ too bad no one is watching/ death is a shadow/ a private investigator/ who keeps us under/ surveillance/ and each time we die/ the security tightens

Still to come/ a time of walking/ thru places that/ are not manmade

It’s a sunny day/ but for how long/ what storm will overtake us/ what stone will be/ crushed beneath/ will our thoughts survive/ will we know who we are/ will it matter/ who gets a day of rest/ God did once/ and He’s been paying for it/ ever since

ONCE WE KNEW

Once we knew who we were/ wasn’t much/ but there was definition/ and transparency/ now there’s an opaqueness/ that paradoxically/ is quite easy to see/ a small, single light/ permeates the universe/ even unto its cavernous reaches/ no place is dark/ that hearkens to this light/ and no place is illuminated/ that denies it

FROM THE BEGINNING

He builds a road/ that goes uphill/ from the beginning/ the walking is tough

SPECIAL INSIGHT

I have determined/ that the end/ of the world/ has not/ yet/ dawned

I wish/ I could claim/ special insight/ but this view/ or realization/ would seem to be/ available/ to all/ observers

TRANSCENDENTAL MUSIC

Is cosmic harmony/ sung/ by a heavenly choir? / are the fallen angels/ allowed/ a symphony or two? / does the/ celestial orchestra/ play/ mostly at night? / why/ won’t they orchestrate/ in daylight also?

I don’t/ usually sit beneath the stars/ that portion of the evening/ I leave for dreaming/ but if I were/ to venture/ out into the darkness/ would my voice/ be heard?/ or would it be lost/ in the starry euphony?

VICTORY

The numbers trick me/ they make me think/ I’ve only been alive/ a few dozen years or so/ but I have been alive/ much longer/ or so my intuition tells me

Who writes these bad verses/ who pretends to be eloquent/ actually, they’re very plain/ and without a spark/ but they do utilize/ the letters of the alphabet

They wait for us/ to play our hand/ but they can afford to wait/ our time, / on the other hand, / is quite limited

There were dusty roads/ lined with trees/ trees that were bursting/ with green leaves/ a thousand years ago/ in what is now France/ where people walked/ to the nearest town/ to celebrate/ another year of country living

What will we find/ on that final day/ that really is not so final/ we hope that it will be/ a new beginning

We should give thanks/ for each ray of sunshine/ that brightens/ the dark corners/ of our lives

I can only look back so far/ and then the memories/ become dull around the edges/ and hollow in the middle

Stones will be crying/ beside the river/ our voices will be silenced/ shouldn’t we acknowledge defeat/ if we do/ will we find victory

PICKING UP STRENGTH

Picking up/ strength/ the coming storm/ is somehow near/ but what is near/ if nothing’s/ ever far/ what do/ we want/ in our morning/ we want/ the indescribable/ and the/ unattainable/ but isn’t it/ all/ just a matter/ of individual taste

OUT OF THE SWAMP

There’s music/ coming out of the swamp/ dark and dank/ almost unrecognizable/ if there’s a melody/ it’s hard to detect/ yet the children/ on the plain/ are dancing/ so there/ must be something/ to the sounds/ for they carry/ them along/ to places/ and times/ long-forgotten/ to a world/ where music/ was real

TYRANTS

This mid-morning is/ a perfect example/ of itself/ as we should be/ when we face/ the tyrants/ of self-exile/ our claim to life/ and consciousness/ and self-knowing/ is ours to lose/ as it should be/ screaming won’t make/ the pain go away/ but it may divert/ the flood waters/ of self-destruction

NODDING OFF

Some place/ where you like to linger/ where the noises/ are low/ and where nodding off/ is acceptable/ social behavior/ you’ll go there/ someday/ when your shackles/ have been removed/ and your mind/ is free/ you’ll lounge/ in unbridled/ happiness/ and the trash/ won’t collect on the curb

NO MAN’S LAND

I think with my mind/ I walk with my feet/ and wherever I go/ I acknowledge defeat/ I should stop what I’m doing/ and face the simple truth/ that where I’ve been/ is no longer there/ nor will be

Sometimes I realize/ I’m stuck in neutral/ sort of a no man’s land/ where the battle/ rages overhead

Why do you lock your doors/ when your walls/ are close to collapse/ and why do you hide/ beneath the table/ when the floor/ is rotting through

EVEN THEN

Make the most/ of your day/ even if it/ doesn’t belong/ to you/ even then/ it’s somehow yours

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

I’m trying/ despite it all/ I tackle my/ disinclinations/ with rueful languor/ and wonder if/ I’ll ever find that word/ that’s hidden itself/ in the deep recesses/ of my mind/ brave words/ from someone who is scared/ it they strengthen someone/ then they have meaning/ some prefer/ doing nothing to doing good/ of if failing that/ then doing evil will suffice/ descending/ we look for an even place/ to stand on/ ascending/ we don’t/ you have everything you want/ yet you’re not satisfied/ wonder why that is - / do you fear retribution/ for something you didn’t do/ is that how you think/ the universe works/ you may be on to something/ doing the unexpected/ is to be expected/ in this age/ of high expectations/ adjust the frontiers/ of your mind/ what you once thought/ was wilderness/ may actually be a/ civilized area/ perhaps bereft of/ cultural superiority/ but serviceable/ in a pedestrian kind of way

525

Most people are content to be content. Contentment is not always easy to find. It’s a challenge to do so and it’s often enough of a challenge to make the finding of it one of the key ingredients in the lives of most people.

526

HUMILITY

The year is passing quickly/ faster now/ that I have adjusted/ my expectations/ like everyone/ I fear what might be

Have you read the papers lately?/ have you seen/ the comings and goings of humanity?/ are you surprised/ by what is unfolding?/ you shouldn’t be/ all was predicted long ago/ in distant lands and places/ on ancient shores/ oracles were consulted/ and the message wasn’t good/ but yet somehow/ we’ve survived ten thousand years/ of tinkering/ continual squeaking of the wheel/ and no matter how you squeak it/ the wheel is still round

The moment is receding/ from our view/ we’re at the edge/ with no place to hide/ purpose and meaning/ are lacking/ or so it seems/ but if a life/ is extraordinary/ it is also mundane

I want to remember/ and in a way/ I guess I do/ but how can memory/ replace substance…/ it can’t

In our infirmity/ we are lowered/ from the rooftop/ our sickness disappears/ and our humility lingers

LEFT FOR DEAD

I was left for dead/ back in the 70’s/ I had no one to blame/ but myself/ I pulled slowly out/ of gridlock/ two decades later/ but by then/ the handwriting/ was on the wall

Who are you, my friend/ do you recognize yourself in the mirror/ each morning you would awaken/ to find/ remnants/ of past encounters with yourself/ finally you decide/ to terminate the agreement/ and move toward/ a policy of non-reconciliation

The minutes pass/ and the daylight crumbles/ blades of grass are filtered/ through prisms of lingering shadows/ reality ebbs/ and voices can be heard/ it’s a life that requires/ no compensation/ hold forth/ and become acquainted with/ this season/ of billowing clouds/ how like the colors/ of a desert valley oxidized/ and painted black

People wander by/ what are they thinking/ where is their sense/ of proportion

I believe myself/ in idleness/ and soothing thoughts/ but too much peace/ lacks inspiration

ABANDONED TEMPLES

Toward the sunset/ toward life’s end/ there awaits/ an awakening/ and a new vision/ of the universe

Laughter is a mix/ of someone else’s imaginings/ sorrow resides/ at ill-fated beginnings

Everyone needs a vista/ to see beyond themselves/ because there are no answers within

Even though you don’t know/ what it is you’re searching for/ keep searching/ it’s either there or it’s not/ and surely you won’t find it/ if you’re too close to home

Those who see a guiding light/ in the minds of men/ are fooled by apparitions/ that flood the corners/ and light the dark hallways/ of abandoned temples

At the edge of understanding/ like a dream that haunts you/ it takes you along for a ride/ on a hot summer afternoon/ with the windows down

I practice non-commitment/ to the practice of/ explaining myself/ because once my thoughts/ leave me/ they’re no longer mine

The mountainous regions/ proclaim the coming of the king/ what other place can there be/ metaphorically analogous?

EMBRACE THE SPIRIT

When the flesh dissolves/ what will we remember? / and what will we/ choose to forget?

Reality is fluidity/ mental processes are faster/ that the speed of light/ simplistic formulae/ give us hope/ when there is none

You seek for symbols/ that will explain/ the broken fragments/ of your soul/ but what is your soul/ but itself/ a broken fragment

We know the consequences/ of our actions/ we just choose/ to ignore them

Looking at my desk/ from far away/ I wonder at the contents/ and the years/ they represent/ I wonder who I was/ when I first/ sat down behind it/ what has happened/ to the people/ who once revolved around it/ where are they now?/ have they changed also?/ why the secret?/ shouldn’t others know/ what we know?/ is not hiding the light/ a bad thing?

Those who saw the kingdom/ forestalled the inevitable/ what is wrong with wanting/ to transcend the inevitable

Perception and human frailty/ deception and human iniquity/ embrace the spirit/ of truth/ it will lead you/ to new revelations/ and a new sense/ of being

HARBINGER

The color yellow/ passes by/ the color red/ is at the intersection/ the quietness/ of mid-afternoon/ is a harbinger/ of a tumultuous evening/ change is good, they say/ but life/ is more than comfort

LONELY STROLL

The days are long/ and so/ I welcome the night/ to be covered/ by darkness/ sleep/ when it comes/ is often a friend/ and the sunrise/ is not despaired/ there’s coffee/ and bread/ and something to read/ re-connecting/ to the world/ after a/ lonely stroll/ through the/ nether regions

STRANGE OCCURENCES

I begin today/ in a way/ that surprises even myself/ I speak politely/ to the birds/ and defer to the ants/ that patrol my path

I lose myself/ in the breeze/ that moves in from the west/ there is a part of me/ that longs to forget itself/ but it would only join/ the rest of me/ that itself is long-forgotten

Strange happenings/ when the deaf are made to hear/ and the blind to see/ and the lame to walk

Strange occurrences/ wish there were more/ to go around

Our paths crossed/ before we were born/ lacking nuance/ with no field of vision

WE STAND ALONE

Lately it always seems/ to be wet outside/ and the dreariness of the day/ reminds me of the deep divide within me/ and causes me to wonder/ where I’ll be/ a thousand years from now

Life giving elixir/ we drink it every day/ what’s the minimum number/ of brain cells we need/ to keep our sanity

There are yet things/ to do and be/ but pre-packaged vacations/ are not part of the equation

Sometimes it takes courage/ to get up in the morning/ and face the carcass/ of the day before

He hid his miracles/ from the populace/ just as he hid/ the feelings from his face

You look at patterns/ in human conduct/ and they are easy to see/ but the motivations/ are not as apparent/ and the blame is sometimes misplaced

To be both cynical/ and naïve/ to occupy both/ is something that/ we must do/ if we wish to look/ inward/ in looking outward/ it is best to be neither

We are not the multitude/ we are a scattered few/ we run not with the mob/ we stand alone

CHOSEN PATH

Still standing/ after the earthquake/ still believing/ in one’s chosen path/ who am I to say/ that everyday phrases/ are mundane/ they may hold meaning/ beyond their appearance

TIDES OF MELANCHOLY

Thoughts run in circles/ no beginning, no end/ tides of melancholy/ come rolling in/ better yet to believe/ that a door is open/ and the truth/ comes tumbling out

THE SUN STOPPED SHINING

The sun stopped shining/ all across the valley/ the grass withered and died/ and the waters dried up/ there was nothing left but shame/ and there was plenty of that to go around/ seems cruel to say but it was true/ they got all they deserved/ it’s a lovely time/ for all of us

But it’s something/ we’ll never forget/ you belong to a place/ that can neither be bought nor sold/ and you only go back there/ when all else has failed

ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE

From the vantage point/ of my room/ I navigate the world/ I fling caution/ to the wind

Outside my window/ my eyes search/ the heavens/ for evidence/ of my own immortality

The crowds laughed/ and jeered with abandon/ until they knew/ his healing touch

No one knows/ all that has been done/ in the name of love/ each resting place/ holds secrets/ that will stay unrevealed/ for ages

OR SO IT SEEMS

I was spotted/ at the corner/ of Fifth and Main/ but despite it all/ I wasn’t cornered/ and I somehow got away

Now if it seems as if/ I’m spouting nonsense/ well, of course I am/ but no more than/ the pharmacist/ who plays golf/ on a day/ when drugs are in demand

They tell me the universe/ is getting bigger/ but I think that’s a joke/ it’s like a rich man getting richer/ we may watch him/ do so in awe/ but it really has no meaning/ or so it seems

CROWDED STREETS

In matters of consequence/ it’s worthwhile to remember/ our purpose in being here/ we may not have another chance to do so

This piece of paper is a friend/ to take a journey within

Why did the wind/ and the sea/ know it was wise to obey/ and where was our compassion/ when they took him away

Crowded streets/ an epiphany/ a last meal/ a few choice words

Finding meaning/ translating the soul/ stopping and thinking/ ceding ground

AIDED BY THE NIGHT

Aided by the night/ and the sounds of the forest/ they were riddles/ for a generation/ they lived in ignorance/ and scoured/ the underbelly of the world/ eating the scraps/ that fell/ from the king’s tables/ happy and pleased/ at their good fortune

THE WINE YOU DRINK

The noise is not too bad/ it allows me to continue/ as long as concentration/ is less than total/ and as long as life/ is not too demanding

If someone follows/ the road of the Lord/ where will it take him?/ will new vistas/ re-invigorate the mind?/ will new landscapes/ fire the imagination?/ will he find himself/ capturing his existence?/ being something he was always was/ but prevented by circumstance/ from being?

What do you do/ when the devil recognizes the truth?/ doesn’t leave much room/ for telling lies/ but the truth is not so much/ an iron hand/ as it is a branding iron/ it scalds all falsehood

The city reeks/ with open wounds/ and desolation/ the time is now/ to run to the hills

Voices/ heard but not understood/ but even if comprehended/ how can mere words/ change anything? / change is not from within/ but comes from pressure/ like rocks stratified/ inside the earth/ like planets/ impacted by giant meteors

We never saw it coming/ we were still blind when it was here/ too bad/ such a long journey was wasted/ better luck next time

The wine you drink/ should not be confused/ with the grapes in the vineyard/ at the moment/ you taste the wine/ the grapes have yet to be picked

Yesterday was a day of rest/ so was today/ tomorrow though/ we may have to go back to work/

Choosing the important/ in an infinity of choices/ is just another way/ of describing reality

THE MOMENT

The moment/ they said goodbye/ there was/ this sense of doom/ juggernauts/ were on the horizon/ but soon/ there was calm/ when destruction/ became inevitable

EARLY MORNING

I wonder/ who I am/ in the/ early morning/ I should know/ I guess/ by now/ but these matters/ of self-identity/ are more elusive/ than one might/ think/ I’m probably/ pretty much the same/ as I was/ yesterday/ and even a year/ or so ago/ but the question is/ who was I then?

AT THE FARMER’S MARKET

They make decisions/ in a vacuum/ they laugh all the days

Among the vegetables/ at the Farmer’s Market/ they squeeze the melons/ and declare them too ripe/ they go home/ to squalor/ and revel in it

To be acquainted/ with the ramblings of a madman/ is not too far apart/ than sitting at a dinner table/ for one

Does Abraham yet live? / was he brought forth/ from the dust/ to taste life yet again/ how about Israel and Jacob?

Was just a moment ago/ wasn’t it? / when all seemed out of place/ who can say/ it was or wasn’t

No so much better either way/ but somewhere in between/ must be a revelation/ personal disaster lurks/ around every corner/ waiting to pounce/ on both guilty/ and innocent

Awareness of something deeper/ beyond the everyday cares/ born anew/ into a world/ of falling expectations/ seeking solace/ you find none/ walking quickly/ away from the sun

Descending from on high/ the one who creates us all/ he falters not/ at daybreak/ neither is he hindered/ by the wind or the rain/ his life force/ is irresistible/ his plans cannot be/ thwarted/ at some point/ we forget to believe/ in miracles/ it’s slightly unusual/ for a man/ to stand upon the earth/ and to predict/ that one day/ he’ll fly

I don’t see the dust/ it’s too small and fine to see/ but it does its evil work/ and leaves me clogged/ from head to foot

IN THE CORNER OF THE ROOM

There’s an empty chair/ in the corner of the room/ beside the chair is a lamp/ beside the lamp lies an open book/ on the wall/ are photographs/ hanging from the ceiling/ a fan

I never know where I’m going/ until I get there

Your memories are fading/ they weren’t really that strong/ in the first place/ you practiced selective recall/ and the past that you see/ is really your future

You have all the things/ money can buy/ materially/ you are well-endowed/ then why the worry/ on your face/ do you yet fear the madding crowd

Some people travel far/ yet they do not leave this world/ because the points connect/ and the path/ circles back on itself

Preciseness/ is a laudable goal/ though it reeks/ of artificiality/ what bounds has the universe?/ none as far/ as one can see/ then why should we/ attempt to categorize/ our earthly existence/ God is invisible/ so is everything/ that matters/

Service to a greater cause/ means self-rejection/ but it should/ never mean/ unnecessary violence

Where is our place/ of worship/ if it’s everywhere/ then we’re in trouble/ there’s strength in numbers/ unless you can’t count

I dare to look around me/ but all I see/ are pre-arranged shapes/ they have a fleeing reality/ but the same could be said/ for the microscopic forces/ that make them up/ it’s one day among many/ but it’s the not the day/ I’ve been waiting for

MAYBE NEXT TIME

I forgot/ to listen in/ on myself/ I might have/ learned something/ found a reason/ to change/ but I didn’t/ and so I/ remain/ as I was/ before/ that said/ maybe next time/ I’ll turn/ one ear/ in my direction

TEN YEARS SQUARE

Hanging on/ by a thread/ another 100 years/ just beginning/ I won’t be/ there at the end/ of this latest/ ten years square/ but those/ who will be/ will find themselves/ surprised/ at the chances

We were the way/ once/ now all things/ seem old/ and worn/ and newness/ is not a commodity/ we can buy

RECOLLECTIONS

My own personal/ recollections/ are of hot, muggy/ afternoons/ breaking late/ into cracks of thunder/ and jagged/ lightning bolts/ then rain dripping off/ leaves of trees/ still standing

BRIEF INTERLUDE

In the midst of summer/ I recognize the signs/ they tell me/ strange happenings/ I manage to stay/ cool somehow/ and I find myself grateful/ for this brief interlude/ that we call life

CHILDREN OF EDEN

As the storm rages outside/ and the rain pelts the surface of the earth/ the temperature falls and the winds swirl/ meanwhile the children of Eden/ are feeling the effects/ of a mundane existence

527

Without beginning or end. Who are we talking about?

528

ALONG A WIDE AVENUE

This world has no antecedents/ at least none that we know of/ light years beyond our experience/ along a wide avenue/ the sun is shining softly/ and we are transported into the heart of the city/ only a few feet above the ground

FROM WAY UP HIGH

From way up high/ and from all around/ we sense power/ everything is more/ not less/ all we are/ is not all/ and these seeds/ we plant/ are not in vain

THE WORKING CLASS

This new dawn/ is mercurial/ and whether wise men/ say wise things/ or repeat/ shibboleths/ it remains/ for the working class/ to find new avenues/ of benign construction/ your day/ is not my day/ and it can’t ever be/ to sing a/ different song/ would require a/ facelift/ and a unique/ perspective

COCOON

Cold morning/ we awake to find/ that we are/ still alive/ wrapped in a cocoon/ of artificial energy/ and when we cross/ the threshold/ and enter/ the outside world/ we see that/ the cocoon is growing/ beginning to dominate/ the natural order/ of things/ and as this/ sphere of artificiality/ continues to expand/ we wonder at/ what point/ the two/ shall become one

NEXT TIME I PASS BY

Next time I pass by/ I’ll be sure to wave/ that’s an action/ you can measure/ may not seem much/ but much of life/ is like that/ you don’t always/ have to go/ to extreme measures/ to feel like/ you’re alive

LOOKING UPWARD

Slapped in the face/ freely falling/ to the ground/ on the back/ looking upward/ wondering if/ I’ll rendezvous/ with the cloud/ in the middle/ closing my eyes/ I’m engulfed/ by darkness/ but my mind/ is still working/ and I raise my hands/ asking for enlightenment/ but none is coming/ so I take a nap

SEEMS SO LONG AGO

It seems so long ago/ that emotion/ swayed the mind/ now you are exhausted/ by living one day/ at a time/ why not skip ahead/ a few years/ and taste/ the future

OTHERWISE

Otherwise/ it would seem/ to be/ a foggy morning/ but somehow/ I can see clearly/ despite the haze/ and if I’m lucky/ I will avoid/ a head-on collision/ with another human

HOW DO YOU KNOW

How do you know/ that summer is near/ you just know/ don’t you?

And how do you know/ when it’s time to change/ you don’t / because it’s already happened

It’s evil that you hate/ but you can’t defeat it/ some part always remains/ but that doesn’t mean/ you shouldn’t keep trying

SIDEWAYS INTO THE VOID

I can barely see/ the end of the tunnel/ but I’m looking/ sideways into the void/ dreaming that I’m awake/ deceiving not only others/ but also myself/ I wonder if/ there’s any way/ to be sure/ that I really/ do exist/ and this phantom existence/ has meaning

We can’t seem to leave/ each other alone/ we prefer interaction/ even if it means/ hostility/ and friction/ if we could stand/ only on mountains/ separated by/ barren tracts of land

They wanted him/ to be king/ but he wasn’t ready/ so they killed him

IN OUR CONFUSION

I have no choice/ but to choose/ the road/ that I have already traveled/ I have no sense of who I am/ Each day I wonder out loud/ who occupies this space?/ leaning backward/ I hold onto/ a misshapen piece of steel/ it bends, then breaks/ and then I fall/ there is no gravity/ there is nothing/ but emptiness/ and I realize/ I’ve been treading water/ for far too long/ he walks beside us/ invisible to searching eyes/ yet as real/ as real can be/ but in our confusion/ he slips away

TAUTOLOGY

In the midst of summer/ I remember the fall/ afraid of heights/ afflicted by vertigo

The world is a tautology/ the places that I go/ remind me of those times/ I spent in the trees/ looking down/ not realizing my fear

But I don’t dream/ of yesterdays/ that never happened/ instead I believe/ in the bankrupt promises/ of tomorrow

There doesn’t seem to be/ a sense of proportion/ to the reckoning/ of the present generation/ there only seems to be/ a retrenching/ and a retreat/ toward an inner wall/ this wall is an analogy/ that reflects/ upon our stubbornness/ and our inability/ to see ourselves/ as we really are

What are we/ after all/ we’re nothing more/ than a somewhat cohesive/ band of molecules/ floating through/ a limitless universe/ knowing full well/ that total dissipation/ is just around/ the corner

ZERO TIME

It’s zero time/ it’s time slipping away/ it’s a long haul/ going nowhere

Between this reality/ and another/ there is none

Today is not the day/ to find solace/ in natural things/ no, today is better for/ disseminating/ all the wonders/ of mechanical devices/ and artificial/ simplicities

EITHER/OR WORLD

In your either/or world/ you have the ability/ to say “maybe”

you no longer/ wonder/ nor speculate

In your mind/ you have reached/ the end of/ all knowledge

So, you might as well/ retire

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

We didn’t recognize/ the good shepherd/ nor his companions/ we kept on talking/ when we should have just sat/ and listened

IN THE DITCH

I left my best thoughts/ in the ditch/ when the tornado struck/ after the storm/ I tried to retrieve them/ but they were gone/ carried away/ by the strong gusts/ and borne/ on falling debris

WHAT NEED HAVE WE

People want to create/ their own versions/ of reality/ sometimes they’re/ successful/ these people usually/ are only a danger/ to themselves

Individual choices/ make little difference/ when the whole world/ is against you

There is greatness/ in serving/ it behooves us/ to keep in mind/ the effects/ of our mortality

My comprehension/ stops at the shore/ that lies at an/ ocean of information/ these processes/ go on in almost/ infinite progression/ headed toward/ a state of stasis/ where molecules/ move in slow motion/ and atoms/ are easy to see

What need have we/ of the truth/ don’t we have/ everything else

VANTAGE POINT

These rivers that I see/ are flowing gently/ and the mountain/ I stand upon/ is my vantage point/ to history unfolding

If sometimes I appear/ to be going backward/ then that is one time/ when appearance/ and reality/ are one

Sometimes/ when I’m out of time/ I’ll take the time/ to find out/ what I should have known/ through simple observation

Those who speak/ of salvation/ what do they know? / do they know sublimity? / do they know truth? / where do they get/ their courage/ to speak so abstractly?

WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE

I don’t pretend/ even the slightest of recognition/ I sometimes wonder/ how I understand/ as much as I do/ how can this mechanism/ i.e. my mind/ do any better?

Ruefully I admit/ my shortcomings/ and I pray for mercy/ and gentle correction

We hesitate/ to praise the living/ we rush/ to condemn the dead/ it’s as if/ we’re on a leash/ when it comes to love

THE OPEN AIR

The open air/ is not/ what it used to be/ it’s not as crisp and clear/ as it was two thousand years ago/ the open air/ is haunted by voices from the past/ and wretched deeds/ and wretched people

THE STARTING BLOCK

We all begin/ as a blob/ and then slowly take shape/ we arrive/ to applause/ and if we don’t/ leave the same way/ we have no one to blame/ but ourselves

THE HOOK

The stapler sits/ upon the desk/ beside the scotch tape/ where is the fly swat/ when you need it?

The phone, inadvertently/ is off the hook

But we’re not

WHEN YOUR FATHER DIES

When your father dies/ the sunlight falters/ and the burden/ of living/ becomes solitary in its scope

The coolness of the day/ turns to heat/ and the imagination/ finds itself/ alone

And as one last breeze/ saunters by/ decades of frustration/ are left/ lying on the ground

So inward you turn/ hoping that/ the resources there/ are sufficient/ for the road ahead

And the road behind/ is another matter

THESE ARE THE THINGS

Early morning/ as the profligate sun/ sheds its rays/ on an unblinking world/ we’ll all go down together

It’s unusual/ to think of life as something real/ reality is more than a rock/ that doesn’t change/ our lives have fluidity/ a randomness/ that frightens us/ into uniformity

They let him go/ he was guilty/ but now he was free/ so an innocent man would die/ he was happy at the time/ but now/ you wonder how he feels

In ancient times/ time flowed softly/ life and death/ were both brief moments/ with little space in-between/ is it any different now?

In the aftermath/ we still reside/ the universe has changed/ yet we cannot see/ what is taking place/ but we believe that someday/ we will

The necessities/ we lack/ like watching/ the stars/ as they overwhelm the night sky/ or like/ leaving everything behind/ to pursue a dream/ these are the things/ we lack/ and we know it

LUNCH

Lunch is optional/ supper another thing/ altogether/ because at twilight/ hunger pangs erupt/ and take over/ the mind/ can think/ of nothing else/ until the stomach/ is satisfied/ life is a/ meaningless abstraction/ this day began/ in shambles/ it will end/ along the same path/ to be worthy/ of some award/ is to be in/ a world not our own/ life never surrenders/ nor is it a good loser/ we may pretend/ indifference/ but we don’t even/ fool ourselves

529

The local campfire is always burning. An endless supply of firewood is in constant demand. Supply and demand are in perfect equilibrium.

530

FALLING

Fences falling down/ hair falling out/ turning gray/ decrepit even

Late spring/ sky saturated with clouds/ almost too cool/ tomorrow the heat will return

I can still see/ maybe not quite as good as before/ and what I see/ I keep to myself/ the time for sharing is gone

DECEMBER 19

Prayers are offered/ for those who lay/ in disarray/ yes, indeed/ it is cold outside/ but our numbness/ shields us/ from this/ winter of isolation/ and our hardness/ saves us/ from/ sentimental foolishness/ and our gravity/ is lead to our spirit

MODERN WORLD

Think back/ to old school days/ when everyone/ was caught up in survival/ even boredom/ had its niche/ and think back/ to days when/ the windows all were open/ and the outside world/ and the inside world/ were blended/ things connected then

Irony is each day among us/ sometimes we notice it/ sometimes not/ how do we remain/ on a path that is/ moving us forever upward/ what if we simply want/ to jump off?

The life that I have known/ has been full of/ secondary promises/ it lacks momentum/ it’s too spread out/ and un-focused/ yet if forced to/ consolidate/ and make improvements/ it might find itself/ at a loss

Gazing outward/ I see a fence/ about to collapse/ beyond the fence/ a building is going up/ a perfect analogy/ of the modern world

An artist looks and draws/ he paints a picture/ the picture seems alive/ but only if/ the artist himself/ is also alive

God leaves us alone/ at our request/ we make our own way/ we believe in the rightness/ of our endeavors/ even when we’re wrong

Of all the people/ in all the world/ throughout history/ why did no one/ stand and ask/ why?

How close can you be/ to someone/ and not know/ their greatest fear?

What drives the wind/ is it self-generating? / or is someone exhaling/ across the flat plains?

AGAIN

It’s a shock/ to the system/ when your search/ reaches the end/ you’ve found/ what you’ve been seeking/ again

LONG JOURNEY

Barring catastrophe/ I’ll be home tomorrow/ but it won’t be/ necessary/ to clean the floors/ I’ll have on footwear/ that is immune/ to the elements/ so a little dust/ won’t make me sneeze/ I may be hungry though/ a little thirsty too/ nothing like a long journey/ to clarify the issues

WAITING AS IT WERE

Waiting as it were/ for words/ of meaning/ to appear/ and lift me up

Break these chains/ that bind me/ to the darkness/ remember now my dreams/ and release me/ toward heaven

TRANSCENDENT LOVE

Love transcends/ the temporal sphere/ makes it way through/ the corridors of time/ lights a path/ that all can follow/ leaves a trail that/ cannot be hidden

Love relishes a moment/ that can be replayed in the mind/ can create a unity/ that overcomes the/ dissonance of time

Love is a treasure/ beyond mortal understanding/ it flows like a river/ through the celestial mountains/ and down to the infinite sea

A CORUSCATED NIGHT

Lightning in the sky/ where else would it be? / in a bottle, perhaps?

Things have been kind of slow/ lately/ reminds me of the time/ just before the flood

We were hanging out/ at the local Mesopotamian bar/ drinking tequilas/ and wondering if our world/ was going to end

It did

GROUND

Falling down/ to the ground/ happens/ throughout life

It’s when/ you fall down/ below the ground/ that all expectations cease

I HEAR THE WIND

I hear the wind/ the temperature is dropping/ what may or may not be/ you can predict the future/ but the truth is too big/ to grasp/ and it’s the truth/ rather than the future/ that is at stake

MY TIME

My time/ among mortals/ is somewhat/ illuminating

I live in terms/ I don’t remember/ agreeing to

What I promised/ to do/ I have done

And I will continue/ to do

Despite misgivings/ and a tendency/ to forget/ who I am

WHEN ANGELS DIE

When angels die/ and demons laugh/ when the sunshine/ is bright/ the mystery/ of daylight/ will not encompass you/ and the dry air of the desert/ will make you choke/ on your own words

ICE

Just a breeze/ but when it connects/ with ice/ the climate changes/ suddenly/ man-made/ ice/ cold as the day is long/ the ice of inertia/ waiting/ to melt/ but not yet/ maybe never

MISTAKES

I see that the day/ is proceeding nicely/ and I make a note of it

I could count all my mistakes/ but who has the time/ or inclination?

It’s not like/ they’re going anywhere

EMOTIONAL STATE

Don’t take the chance/ to reveal too much/ revelation/ is best left to the Master

All we’ve ever known/ is tied to our middle of the road/ emotions

Is our thinking/ enhanced/ or betrayed/ or truncated/ by our emotional state?

All three/ would be the answer

LOLLIPOP MINDS

Small voices/ lollipop minds/ you reach your mental/ limit/ then go in circles

WD 40 & DUCT TAPE

They stand alone/ in a world of uselessness/ sitting on the shelf/ or behind a book/ maybe hiding near the lawnmower/ in a tool box perhaps/ everywhere and nowhere/ omnipresent/ healing the world/ the world knoweth not/ bandaging wounds of the soul/ releasing aching hopes and dreams/ into the sun free atmosphere/ delving into the depths/ of complexity/ making all things simple/ all things known

FROM ONE WHO KNOWS

Sunshine/ piercing thru the clouds/ rain hiding/ returning/ then gone again

Better wet your whistle/ while you can/ take advice/ from one who knows

OOPS

God decided/ to change/ his mind/ then he remembered/ he couldn’t change

REDUCTIONISM

Cling to reductionism/ simplify the complex/ worship the obvious/ believe mightily/ in yourself

Who are you? / do you want to know/ who you are? / do you remember/ the play areas/ of your youth?

Can you ever go/ back there again? / Will you be welcomed?

IN THE MORNING

Late Spring/ feels like Summer/ sleepiness/ sluggishness/ mental fog/ intellectual haze/ energy loss/ I’ll pick things up…/ in the morning

YESTERDAY’S MAIL

I’m making time/ in the course of time/ in the river of the same

I’m wondering/ why the grass isn’t growing/ am I looking at it/ too hard?

Responses/ are slow in arriving/ like yesterday’s mail

CONCERN FOR A FUTURE NOT WRITTEN IN STONE

Things are getting dicey/ totally out of hand/ our pleasure principle/ has met a wall

No more comfort/ no more affluence/ just a nagging thought/ good times are over

OPTIMISM

We’re making progress/ doesn’t always seem like it/ little things matter most/ though we sometimes/ don’t believe it/ looks to be a difficult thing/ but is it really?/ isn’t it more/ a summation/ of all our nightmares?/ better to be/ alone in a crowd/ than to be caught/ exhibiting cheerful optimism

SO, WE MUST RETURN

What would appear to be/ a new ism/ is in fact/ and old fad with new duds/ and what would seem to be/ a novel idea/ is just another love song

A love song to the self/ the self-comprising/ a jumble, a mosaic/ a collection of bad intuitions/ a sonnet/ not written by Shakespeare

So, we must return/ to whence we came/ a much harder thing to do/ than coming up/ with worthless paper/ and worse than useless/ moralizing

531

Hepcat II left the land of the mechanical men with a grin on his face. His exile was almost over. There was only a sea of molten lava left to cross and he could do that in his sleep.

532

SO MUCH

Is the universe/ crowded? / empty spaces/ and voids/ abound/ the silence/ is great/ who goes there?

No stop signs/ in the heavens/ speed is of the/ essence/ so much to see/ so much to do

Our crowded lives/ need space/ our infinite/ possibilities/ need room/ to grow

YELLOW HOUSE

Do you live in a/ yellow house?/ if you do,/ are you awake/ at odd hours of the night?/ does the sunshine/ play in the shadows?/ and do the trees in the yard/ at times forget to grow?

QUANTUM

Quantum fluctuations/ in an expanding universe/ do not fill me with dread/ but emotional fluctuations/ in a personal universe/ leave me for dead

WILL

Will anyone be there/ when the lights go out/ when the winds/ are blowing down barns/ and pulling up trees/ when the water/ is rising/ when the currents/ are swift/ and the bodies/ are left/ rotting on the shore/ will anyone be there/ to pick up the pieces/ and call a halt/ to the wanton/ destruction/ and the senseless/ mutilation/ of all that is good

BREAKFAST TILL NOON

Have you ever conquered the world/ before breakfast? / I do it every morning/ then sometime around noon/ I decide I don’t want it

BURIED IN THE PAST

The things/ I want to say/ are buried/ in the past/ so I leave them/ for another day/ when hardy souls/ without fear/ open up the earth/ and bring forth/ relics/

These things/ will then/ be subject to scrutiny/ the whole world/ will know/ what it was like/ to be alive/ in a rainy period

THE SYMBOLIC KINGDOM

God doesn’t eschew/ literary devices/ he writes with/ tenacity/ and/ tongue in cheek

He desires/ that all/ pass from/ death into life/ but he doesn’t force/ the issue

If darkness/ is your thing/ then by all means/ enjoy it/ while you can

But just remember/ God may be writing/ a new chapter/ and you may/ not be in it

I AM WHO I AM NOT

The grass is dying/ but the dirt is doing great/ the pavement is hot/ shoes are in great demand

Wherever we go/ we find this odd dichotomy/ that this or that is doing poorly/ but the whole is doing great

A WAY

A way/ can be defined/ as a route/ or a path/ or a road/ or a highway

But it/ can’t be defined/ as a/ destination

PAIN

I wish/ that we were free from pain/ but pain/ doesn’t wish the same

It’s pain that we know/ but it’s not/ all that we know/ we know/ so much more

And maybe the next time/ when pain intrudes/ we’ll put it in its place

THE SHORE

As I venture/ farther away from the shore/ my lifeline/ becomes weaker/ and I in turn/ become stronger

And when I/ look back to the shore/ it becomes smaller/ in my mind/ as well as in/ my sight

KEEP IN TOUCH

Keep in touch/ across a universe/ of stars/ not as hard as you might think/ drop a line/ that keeps on dropping/ whisper in the ear/ of an exploding planet/ ashes will be ashes/ until the day/ when new words/ and new worlds/ are appearing

DOWN THE ROAD

I don’t intend/ to start over/ too much water/ under the bridge/ better still/ to walk/ a little farther/ down the road

FEELS REAL

A July day/ with AC/ not too bad really/ the southern winds/ are still/ but fans produce/ artificial breezes/ that feel real

Life even feels real/ at times like this/ slower than usual/ more methodical/ but that’s OK too/ neither hungry/ nor thirsty/ neither hot/ nor cold/ but somewhere in-between

All things moderate/ well, maybe not all/ but why be picky?

IN FOGGINESS

I view the morning/ in fogginess/ no wind to speak of/ nothing vibrant in the scene/ unless life itself has vitality/ and when it does/ it doesn’t question itself

THE WAYWARD WIND

The wayward wind/ goes far beyond/ the boundaries of earth/ the wayward soul/ tags along/ and ends up/ isolated

When the wind dies

WRONGNESS

I refuse to be vindicated/ I prefer to be wrong/ not everyone can be wrong/ it takes a special talent/ and unusual hardheadedness/ yes/ I prefer what’s right/ to stay to the left of me/ so I can glory/ in my wrongness/ it’s my little world/ I cling to it/ with desperation

NIGHT

The night is as cool/ as it wants to be/ the night belongs/ to the night/ out of sight/ defines the night/ out of light/ does too/ doesn’t seem right/ the night/ but what is right/ is both light/ and night

SELF-IDENTITY

Self-identity/ and memories/ if only/ they were timeless

Roll back the years/ you are/ young again/ don’t deny it

Look upward/ to the sky/ above the sky/ and there you are

533

Reality: axiomatic that it is absolute. God chooses to be relational within the absoluteness of reality.

534

Ordered chaos is the greatest freedom possible.

535

Never be satisfied with the amount of knowledge you have. Nothing is nowhere perfect in the universe and that’s what makes it perfect.

536

Not everything in the world is in the world.

537

Never ending always ascending.

538

How do you interpret an interpretation?

539

The man had a vision, but it wasn’t a vision of God, it was a vision of himself, and what he could be.

540

Does God think about himself?

541

In our reasoning, we take away from God his greatest achievement: the independent, conscious mind.

542

The glory of life is in its uncertainty.

543

God did not write a script for the future. He wrote an outline. The main thing God does is keep mankind from destroying itself.

544

Beyond perfection is simply to be in a state that is overwhelmingly positive.

545

God, as we know him (or think we know him) had to have a beginning. This doesn’t mean he hasn’t always existed.

546

The human mind goes on forever.

THE END

Search This Blog

No More Hamburgers

No More Hamburgers & Other Writings

Comments

Post a Comment