Birth of a Pinecone

Unfolding my heart
in dappled forest shadows
I exhale autumn

Swirling  dancer's skirts
spiral like Milky Way colors
embrace the darkness

Embrace the light, hold
fast to the center, then dance
into winter's dreams

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Art by Elsie

Poeme d’jour

traveling land of sunflowers
walking path of coyote who laughs with the moon
i am awake and yet i dream

i dream her face in every corner
i dream stars on my hands
i am awake, yet her face follows me

haunted skyline break open my heart
stitch these scars into a quilt
let this air, this world, be real to me

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New! Now available in Postcard format, with art by the lovely Connie Beckers.

Epigram

Copernicus made the sun stand still
So a lamb could be taught to sing
— Journal entry, circa 1979

Ideé d’jour

When you wake up, the world wakes up with you.
— Zen teaching, heard during “New Dimensions”

Ideé d’jour

A closed mind is like a closed book: just a block of wood.
— Chinese Proverb

Dream

Dream last night:
Republicans foreswore plutocracy
el presidenté admitted stories of
Iraqi weapons and programs
were just texas tall tales
o what a dream it was

we were walking to work
and the sun was in the south-east
and Bob Edwards was reporting
on the amazing shift in the white house
o what a dream it was

oklahoma was number one in education funding
all students gladly studied poetry
and math was a second language
texas and kansas repudiated creationism
o what a dream it was

just then
el presidenté announced
he would not seek a second term
o why did the alarm begin to chirp

Camp Landmark

One way to find your way back to Camp Grenola at Winfield is by the flags Joe hangs in the trees - each flag represents a person staying in the camp that year. You might make out the Oklahoma flag in the shot below.

The flag at the far right is the infamous Confederate flag. I'm uneasy with it, but I'm clear that Joe (the camp host) is no racist. I believe he flies the flag because he is anti-Federal Government, and is a bit of an iconoclast.

Ideé d’jour

What wouldn't Jesus do?
— Chuck Palahniuk, quoted in Entertainment Weekly

More from Winfield

The picture on your left shows the main kitchen area for our camp site. In the foreground, Mercedes and Mary T are stoking the campfire for Wednesday evening's supper. In the background, you might make out the sign which reads “Grenola Camp, Est. 1972”. Our host comes from Grenola, Kansas, which is just a few miles away from Winfield, and he has been coming to the festival since it was founded in ’72.

Our host is pictured on the right. Joe traditionally dresses in his buckskins on Saturday morning. Joe is a motorcycle enthusiast (much like Padre), and had recently completed a journey through the "lower 48" by bike. Joe is one of the kindest, most down-to-earth people I know.

Camped just a few yards to the south of us was the Pink Elephant Camp; you see their mascot in this shot. I received the unsettling title of "Dr Dirge" from Jim in this camp — just because I like to sing Leonard Cohen songs at 9 a.m. Now, I ask you, is that fair?

Sunday Morning at Winfield

Moment of Silence

Brother Dave sent a copy of this poem late last week. Little I can add to it, except to say I find it to be a very powerful polemic. I'll admit that I don't agree with every political point made, but the poem has power beyond politics.

Stained Glass Collaboration

In my "Free Postcard" entry for September 15, I mentioned the fact that Connie Beckers, the erstwhile Goddess of Glass, has sent an email to her customer base which links to one of my poem postcards. I have now created three postcards which use Connie's images as the "picture" side of the card.

Here's how Connie tells the story:

Here's an interesting story for ya . . . . I forwarded an e-mail about Paul Wellstone Music Day (October 25, 2003) and it eventually made it to a poet in Oklahoma who discovered my webpage from my signature on the original e-mail.   He's now using (with my permission, of course) imagery of some of my creations on his blog .... like this one.... how kewl is that?!? :-)   His poetry is wonderful and I'm honored he likes my work enough to use it with his.

Please let me know if Connie's e-mail has led you to this space.

Happy Birthday, St. Leonard

Thanks to Dr. Omed for reminding me that Sunday, September 21 was Leonard Cohen's 69th birthday. Leonard Cohen has been my poetic patron saint for many years.

Shortly after he returned from 'Nam, Brother Dave brought several lp's to the house to share with Padre and I. I especially remember Jefferson Airplane's Crown of Creation and Coltrane's Favorite Things and Other Songs. When he put the Cohen disc on the turntable, Dave told Padre and I that we'd need to listen carefully to the words.

I was immediately struck by the cover of Songs of Leonard Cohen: that black background; the machine photo brazenly addressing the viewer; the back cover art of a woman in chains being engulfed by flames. I was intrigued by these images alone, and knew something unique was in store. Songs from that album that still linger in my memory include "The Master Song", "The Stranger Song", and "Sisters of Mercy". I can sing snippets of these (and all of "Suzanne", of course) without reference to the lyric sheet or song book.

I had probably already heard Judy Collins' famous version of "Suzanne" by this point. I think I already had a copy of Judy's excellent live album, Living, which includes "Famous Blue Raincoat" and "Joan of Arc". But to hear that fractured voice sing his own words was like setting up camp in them, and learning to live there.

Sometime after Brother Dave introduced us to Cohen's debut album, I bought Songs of Love and Death. I believe that was the same year my stepmother attempted suicide. I was the first one home the day WL took her brand-new steak knife set into the master bathroom and cut both her wrists, length-wise, several times. The song "Dress Rehearsal Rag" from Love and Death soon became my theme song, although I did not catch the underlying humor of the song.

This was the summer between junior high and high school. I was around 16. WL's attempted suicide was probably too big for me to handle, but I counseled and comforted her until Padre got home. Leonard Cohen's songs taught me the language of the territory, so I could find the means to process the horror I had witnessed.

A number of other factors contributed to my use of poetry for self-expression, but WL's suicide attempt, and Cohen's profound linguistic cartography, were the primary catalysts.

To honor Leonard's birthday, Dr. Omed reprinted the words to "Who By Fire," a song from the album New Skin for the Old Ceremony which is loosely based on a prayer offered on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). I presume Dr. O printed this lyric either because the High Holy Days begin soon (sundown, Sept. 27), or because it's one of his favorites.

This song is definitely on my top ten favorite Leonard Cohen songs, but I would choose a different song, if I were limited to only one. In a 1994 interview, Cohen was asked which song he wished he had written. He replied:

'If It Be Your Will'.   And I wrote it.

If It Be Your WillIf it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
   I will speak no more
   I shall abide until
   I am spoken for
If it be your will

If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
   From this broken hill
   All your praises they shall ring
   If it be your will
To let me sing

If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice
   Let your mercy spill
   On all these burning hearts in hell
   If it be your will
to make us well

And draw us near
And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light
   In our rags of light
   All dressed to kill
   And end this night
   If it be your will
© 1984, Stranger Music

Ideé d’jour

Just try protecting the innocent from belief.
I once read of worshippers who vowed to leave
no trace of their existence on this earth.
Later I understood how far from home I'd come.
— Cassie Lewis, from “Temple”, High Country, p. 12, © 2001, Little Esther Books, Adelaide SA

I’m Back!

I have safely returned from my pilgrimage to Winfield, KS. I am taking today to clean things up and generally recover from the trip. Basic fact about camping at Winfield: one is not likely to get a good night's rest. People are singing and partying all night long. Friday and Saturday tend to be the loudest, as that is the time the youngest folk come in.

But it's worth it.

Elsie joined me, and this was her first experience of the Walnut Valley Festival. She totally enjoyed the experience, which certifies her status as a "keeper". We weren't able to see as much as the music as I had hoped, primarily because I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to rain & cold. It rained the better part of Thursday (the first official day of the festival), and it was pretty darn cold. As I recall, we only saw Tommy Emmanuel and maybe one other group on Thursday.

I did not write any travelogue poetry while there, but I have a couple of ideas that may be posted within the next day or so. I also have some photographs I hope to share in the near future.

I hope to write more about our experience of Winfield soon, but I've got to get back to work.

On Vacation

I now have two pilgrimages I make each year: one, to Winfield, Kansas; the other to visit Brother Dave. I'm heading off to Winfield within two hours.

So, what happens in Winfield, KS?

The Walnut Valley Festival. This festival began in 1972 as solely a bluegrass festival; over time, it has included several varieties of acoustic music. Performers this year include Hot Club of Cowtown, John McCutcheon, Tommy Emmanuel, No Strings Attached, and a number of "cowboy" groups.

The festival takes place on the county fairgrounds, and I will be among those camping near-by. If you happen to be headed to Winfield thisyear, look for the Granola Camp in Pecan Grove. We'll be just a few yards away from the legendary "Stage 5" (where amatuers play at a round-the-clock open mike). Ask for James. Or the guy who likes to sing at 8 am.

I'll be taking a scratch pad along, and hope to write a few travelogue poems while there. Be assured they'll be shared with you when I return.

Pointing the Finger

I was reminded last night of the great hatred many conservatives have for Bill Clinton. The predominant feeling, from Limbaugh on up, is that Clinton was an inveterate liar.

Now, folk on the liberal side seem to have the same view of the Resident.

This moral certitude seems to reflect a need to view folk as entirely "good" or entirely "evil". The obvious reality is that the average person is a complex mix of both.

Is it possible to frame an argument that we disagree with Busch's policies without calling him an idiot? Would it have been possible for the neo-cons to reasonably disagree with Clinton without calling him a horn-dog pathological liar?

Busch's history pre-presidency reflects an amazing amount of incompetence. It's mind-boggling that so many people voted for him. I suspect it is this incompetence which has led to the current situation.

The men who drafted the document on the New American Century (Karl Rove, et al) are on record as supporting Pax Americana. They may even be in favor of an overt plutocracy in which they (the wise) dictate life for the rest of us (the unwashed proles). Although I strongly disagree, and the thought scares me more than a little, I will admit the possibility that they believe their motives are pure.

The bottom line, to paraphrase Lincoln, is that a house divided cannot stand for long. So long as each extreme believes their opposite is absolutely wrong, little compromise can be possible. Which I believe means that little progress can be made at all.

More on Iraq

Note that the link in yesterday's post will now direct you to an article which begins with a report on Colin Powell's visit to Halabja, Iraq, yesterday. After the first four paragraphs, there is basically a repeat of the article which ran yesterday morning on the CBSnews.com site. At present, I cannot link to the original article.

However, Kriselda at different strings led me to a similar article at the Washinton Post (the Post site requires registration).

In the report on Powell's visit, the Secretary of State pledges that atrocities such as the chemical gassing of Kurds at Halabja in '88 will never happen again. The article notes that the atrocity was more likely perpetrated by the Iranians than by Saddam.

Secretary Powell's quotes imply a justification for the war — that the Iraqis are now free of Hussein's tyranny. What that implication ignores, however, is that the nation is currently in a state of anarchy which is likely to continue for the forseeable future.

America has never been in the business of deposing tyrants. We typically attack based as much on the basis of pragmatic business concerns as philosophical beliefs. The Pentagon Papers make clear the Viet Nam conflict had more to do with that country's natural resources than an idealistic concern for democracy. Many believe this conflict has more to do with oil than Iraqi freedom — and I suspect documents will be discovered within the next five years that substantiate that belief.

Delayed Report on WMD's

Brother Dave sent this link on the delay of the official report on the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" in Iraq. According to this CBS report, the Iraq Survey Group has not found any evidence of WMD or even of a viable WMD "program".

Meanwhile, on MSNBC, Eric Aleterman offers an excellent rebuttal to the ridiculous claim that there was a liaison between Iraq and al-Queda. [Many thanks to Rob Salkowitz at Empahsis Added for the lead]

And yet, if recent opinion polls are to be believed, the majority of Americans believe there was a connection between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks. Many Americans believe WMD will eventually be found.

In other words, if these polls are to be believed, most Americans are idiots, and we pretty much deserve the proto-dictatorship we are about to slide into.

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There is some good news however. The federal appeals court has halted the ill-considered California recall election. Supporters of the recall have pledged to file a brief with the US Supreme Court on Tuesday. This article from the San Francisco Chronicle suggests the high court may choose to dodge the bullet this time.

Well, one can only hope that the court will not choose to make another "once-in-a-lifetime" decision, as it did in 2000. Seems to me that doing so will negate the great pains the court went to in its Bush v. Gore decision to emphasize that it only applied to the special circumstances of that particular election.

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On the plus side of this California thing, Bill Clinton is on the trail again. I heard a clip this morning of him speaking against the recall at an AME church. You could hear folk in the congregation shouting "Amen" as Bill talked about how those who supporting the recall were more concerned about the mote in the Gray Davis' eye than the log in their own. The man was a born preacher. And there's no fun quite like having Preacher Bill cleaning the Republican clock. If the High Court dodges the bullet, Brother Bill will have to go back to stumping for John Kerry (of all people).

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I tell you what. When I seriously survey the current political landscape of America, it makes me want to crawl back to my fantasy Irish skerry. Is it any wonder that I've spent more time on poetry than on politics in the past two weeks? At least I can be semi-effective with poetry!

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Speaking of good poetry, Christopher Key's “Trailer Trash” at The Barbaric Yawp is definitely worth a read. Viva la revolution!

Free Postcard!

I wrote an extra Postcard Poem last Friday afternoon, and this time, you're going to have to click through to see it. It's only 15 seconds down-load time, and I think the image will be worth it.

What you will see is a domestic stained-glass window crafted by Connie Beckers, the erst-while Goddess of Glass. Connie's impressive stained glass work has graced two of the Postcards in this Postcard Poem series: “The Tao which can be spoken” and 30.August.03.

With the past postcards, I have selected one of Connie's works which best "fits" the poem I have written. In this case, I wrote a poem as a response to one of Connie's stained-glass works. Our agreement has been that I won't make a link live until Connie has approved the connection between poem and stained glass; she approved this poem this past Saturday.

Be sure to stop by Connie's website, www.goddessofglass.com and see more of her impressive work. When you do, leave her a note to let her know that jac (that's me!) sent you.

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Connie is reciprocating the link through an e-mail to her customer base. If you came by way of Connie's e-mail, welcome! Drop a note & say hi!