Truth dwells
on a cloud
in white
and grey tone.
It lives in
an argument
with your brother -
about the hazards
of drinking
in front
of a child.
It jitterbugs on
a New York floor
then walks the street
with a woman
on its arm.
It is bamboo in Asia
Vegemite toast
a brown duck
on a river.
It’s the way lilies
boast white;
roses, blood red.
It is cancer
and AIDS.
Hunger
dysentery
and war.
It is breaking down
into anxiety
as you enter
a busy public place.
It is seclusion
nurse, doctor, patient
It is police chase
court case
suicide attempt
intervention order.
It knows
your mistakes,
that no one
is perfect.
It knows you
were injured
as a kid.
It is wounded
rejected
hated
envied
laughed at
broken
criticized.
It aches to
let you know
and it begs
to not.
It is the swell
in your throat
when you think
of her.
The 14 year silence
as quiet as death.
It kicks you in
the guts
smacks you in
the mouth.
And you wake
into a day
of nothing -
except for
the watch
she bought you,
and two
old photos.
Truth is saying
sorry to a friend
on the internet -
for the anger inside
buried so deep
in a 20 year storm
that hardly
knows Calm.
It is not
confined
by border
or rhetoric
or creed.
It believes not
in money
or how fast
you can
shoot back
an answer
It is not a lawyer
pretending to be
a righteous man
Someone who forgot
a brother in Treblinka
or Buchenwald –
who can’t imagine
the stench of
burning flesh on
a Saturday
afternoon.
He has
a new ‘case’.
And this one’s
important.
It smiles
at the very
suggestion of Love -
it knows Hate, too.
You can find it
in a hungry dog
a frustrated child
a movie.
The tabloids
speak of it,
disc-jockeys
decry it.
The man in
the seminary
he stumbles upon it
in his desperate
lunge for the line.
In his sadness
and pet canary
flying about
his room.
Truth lives in
the beholder
in chocolate
and liquorice.
It was there when
you unravelled
that big ball
of string.
It was there when
you discovered
the machinations
of her body.
It is found in books
Bibles and Korans
in DSM – IV
a comic or two.
You find it in Dylan,
Thomas or Bob,
you know it in
new Cohen songs.
Hungry for more
you turn up
the sound.
You’re in Rome
in transit,
January ‘93.
You are alone
in some
Holiday Inn room.
A second hand cassette
blue back-pack
heavy boots.
You fondle
desert sand
in your pockets.
You turn
the music off
and eat your
stale orange
cornflakes.
You cannot covet
or predict it –
it knows its
own path.
It draws on the
power behind
the wind.
It draws on
the splendour
of the mind
of an ape.
It is prayer
and stillness.
September breeze
in your nostrils.
A church bell ringing
Yom Kippur repent.
Truth is honesty, uncut
It is bending
toward good -
as much as you can.
It is yesterday’s
ravaged thoughts
and today’s
burgeoning dance.
It is tomorrow, too –
unencumbered
broken, yet wild,
the way all good
stories turn out
to be.
Masterpiece
Masterpiece
'In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer' - Albert Camus
-
imaginary friend
- Posts: 1371
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:09 am
- Location: Vancouver, Canada
Re: Masterpiece
Boss,
I think your poem is brilliant. Vintage Boss, raw and beautiful.
Thank you.
I think your poem is brilliant. Vintage Boss, raw and beautiful.
Thank you.
Re: Masterpiece
Post a reply 121 posts • Page 1 of 9 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 9
Edit postReport this postReply with quote Black bird
by Boss on Mon Oct 17, 2005 3:27 pm
It's strange
that the bird song
is that of a bird
The one you knew
seasons ago
when you were 3 or 4
in the backyard
where everything made sense
except the missing father
at dinner time
The guinea-pig hutch
the little fellow
gnawing into carrot
You loved him so much
you squeezed him to death
one day, literally
Cut lawn
had that effect
meticulous
and the odour
In Spring
the onion weed
down by the back shed
spat out the side
of the gardener's mower
Greasy and rich
You were in it
And you catch a bird
with string
and a basket
a black bird
There is no fear
You had no knowledge
of McCartney's 'Blackbird' then
Only a quivering bird
Entrapped
You let him free
And Life gets in the way
as you grow
You forget smells
touch
intuition
they are etched away
You learn the language of the world
of the letter
and number
the abstract
Until crazy at 19
you accept their pharmacological dance
to 'righten things'
help you 'see straight'
And at 37
a black bird challenges you
to a fight
You walk away
in fear
and in envy
of her courage
And you notice
through the years
through the drugs
and self imposed exile
that enlightenment came
the moment you looked
in her eye
and saw yourself
by Boss on Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:19 pm
Thank you both for liking it - I like it too. It was written hurriedly, but from the depths. The black bird in the present tense is pertinent for me. Looking in her eye I knew we were one. I often look in animals' eyes, usually dogs and cats. I wonder what they "think" about. Why this meeting of eyes, even between species, why is it so universal? Partly I feel you're seeing yourself in that being and partly you share something inexpressible. A moment. You can be sure Elizabeth even my lithium and sodium valproate can't get in the way of that...
Thank you both
by Boss on Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:32 pm
Philo,
We are more than just meat and bone. There is an essence which graces us. I'm not sermonising, I have no religious preference. I just see incredible life in all creatures, all vegetation.
After many difficult years battling bipolar disorder I have (over the last 8 years) come to a more restful place. It's odd that sometimes mania opens you up. You see in different perspectives, really get down with the nitty-gritty. And your soul sings songs you barely knew. You find yourself in strange places...
I read you tried religion. Same here. But I didn't discard them - I saw Life in every one of them. They are only guidelines and used with a modicum of wisdom, for some, they can help. For me, G-d is so almighty he transcends all things. And it lives in us...
All the best on your journey
Boss
Last edited by Boss on Sat Oct 29, 2005 9:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
by Boss on Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:32 pm
The Hindu religion does believe in reincarnation. In fact they believe in 10 incarnations of a supreme avatar. Some believe Siddhartha Gautama - the Buddha - was the 9th.
I agree with Fljots. Once we die, we die. We are passengers on a ship. We do the best we can on our voyage, enjoying the bouquet that G-d bestows upon us and then we slink back into umpteen billion years of nothingness. It is this horror that has so affected Man's psyche that this is where many stories, many religions have had their genesis. The fear of death haunts all of us. From our childhood nightmares to watching a suspense/thriller. It is the ultimate fear - the reason for reincarnations, resurrections, heaven. The point is, we live 70 or 80 years (if we're lucky!) and that's it. But what to contribute in that time?! What loves to endure, what compassion to share? And what of coming to terms with the Oneness of all things - G-d?
The reality of dying is sad, even horrific, and the finality of it even sadder, but it is Life that opens us up. We are animals and it is the act of nurturing, so prevalent in our animal cousins, that we must practice. In the end, even faced with precarious times like today, Love wins. It always does. Funny about that!
Peace
Boss
Maybe I'm wrong; maybe we don't die
Adam
Last edited by Boss on Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 1:01 am
Hi Fljots,
G-d is immortal. It is a spirit that creates me, a spirit that sustains me and a spirit that destroys me. Then I am no more. This is basic Hinduism but I can see parallels in my life.
G-d started the Universe and perhaps one day will finish it. He/She is intangible. Put it this way: I've lost a 17 year-old sister, a 22 year-old brother, a 30 year old brother and my father. All gone. It would have been easy to cast G-d aside (and believe me I did with gusto) and be at one with nothing. But something shone through. This invincible being will cast me aside one day but He/She will go on being here. It is terribly difficult to put into words and it may seem somewhat strange to hear it, but I think faith in a living G-d, one who doesn't judge but who just nudges you along gently into your destiny, is real.
And when my time is up, it's up. For good. Why does there need be an afterlife? I can live comfortably in this dichotomy. It's the mourning for those who've passed that hurts most. I know I will never share with them again.
Boss
by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:52 am
Dear Lizzy,
I'm sorry for any confusion. Brahma creates, Vishnu preserves and Shiva destroys. For any average Hindu they would expect reincarnation next. Buddhism got this idea from here. However, I don't believe in any form of afterlife. I'm pretty sure I got it straight. Many Hindus pray to different aspects of G-d but in essence they are praying to the one god named Brahman. Hinduism is a complex religion, but one rich in ritual and daily worship. I have only a limited knowledge so if anyone on the forum would like to add more it would be good.
Here is something from the Chandogya Upanishad 5:10
by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:22 pm
Hinduism and Buddhism can be compared, in one sense, with Judaism and Christianity. Hinduism had many sects and varying ways of praying to the one supreme G-d. The Buddha, who started teaching in Northern India, was influenced by it; thus reincarnation, even without a godhead. As we all know, Christianity branched out of Judaism. These two younger faiths were both inspired by these older, more established religions. And, if you delve into the Qu'ran a little, one can sense a Judeo-Christian element as well. It's interesting to note that all 3 of the 'later' religions revere one man - be it Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha), Yeshu'a ben Yosef (Jesus Christ) or Mohammed ibn-Abdullah Hashim (Mohammed).
So where does that leave us? With religions sprouting from common ground. Oh, to take that step and develop ourselves into one common belief system. I know many scoff at such dreamings but think to yourselves - how did our existing religions come about? Aren't we mature enough yet to embrace each other globally? Mature enough to understand the connection we certainly must feel for one another, our animal relatives, this entire planet? Don't you ever think that hatred may need Love? That so many 'enemies' actually live in you? And so much compassion too?
There is only one hope for all of us. We have to 'get on', else things may get a little out of hand.
It is not too late.
Boss
Last edited by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:42 pm
What we need Fljots is a path. Some direction, a common goal. We're just playing semantics. You say 'no god' I say 'yes' to G-d; but what we both are aiming at is the same thing. A better place for this tired planet. You don't have to believe in the big 'G' god, you needn't be an atheist as long as you Love, and feel/spread it in abundance. There is something tangible in this, something real. Mystical even. I think I just repeated your post .
Boss
by Boss on Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:38 am
G'day Diane,
G-d is not exclusive of Love or Bliss or whatever. It is integral to it. I do not pretend to worship a deity that punishes sin and won't forgive. Now, where I've come to in my Life, if I was Abraham when asked to murder Isaac I would say, "fuck off". The Abrahamic religions are historical, they point to the unnameable. So do the Eastern traditions and also many smaller religions. It is this 'force' (for want of a better word) I find peace in. There is something mystical in life. Affirmative and nurturing. If you listen out for it, watch closely, it reveals itself. It is Love; and more. Trying to clothe it in a language is impossible. People spend their entire lives trying to 'get it', yet a baby swallow knows. Perhaps you can call it consciousness. Maybe you are right; just Love...
Take care
Boss
by Boss on Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:47 pm
Wow, some of you Yanks are rigid in your faith! C'mon, open up. G-d is not only 'good' or 'awesome'; G-d is Love. He/She is that something that tells you to look that little bit deeper, to see into someone's eyes, to dance. I agree bee, we have free choice. No coincidence about the Eden affair in Genesis. We know good from evil. But do we know our parents? How they manipulated? How they cheated us? Is this possibly why so many are so angry today? Religion searches for the transcendent, not so much parenting. How many reading this were hit and belittled as kids? The Love kicked out of them. How many learnt the Lord's Prayer or the Shema - not even knowing what they meant? We blindly address some dictator in the Heavens and miss completely what's going on in the 'Now'. There is something mystical bee. We don't know all its secrets. We may never know its truth. But it exists. It is there for you; for all of us. It is gentle as a raindrop, as powerful as an earthquake. Yes, it is definitely nature and yes it is spirit. The two working in divine cohesion. How else? As Fljots and Tchoc often allude to, we're tearing nature down. Consequently the spirit drowns too. Ah, but we haven't seen its demise just yet!
All is G-d. We are in it. That is the point. We are a part of it. Inside. Inside of you. Take a second to feel...Take another moment. There. Each of us with our unique journey, and our common trail.
Take care bee,
Boss
by Boss on Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:35 pm
Come on Bee. It wasn't their gift to give. They made love in June of '67 and I was born in March of '68. I was as much a gift to them as they to me. Ultimately, the 'gift of Life' is a mystery. It was their duty to nurture me. And yes, I am angry with my father for abandoning ship when I was 11. Bloody angry and he is now 6 years dead. Don't you see; you must, that parents are the world to a child? They are gods! My father once wrote a poem titled Once Father and God in 1992.
Bee, if you wonder of the 10 Commandments it says 'Honor thy Parents', not 'Honor thy Children'. Why? Because these are old systems we follow. A Common Belief System encompassing the broad mass of human experience, wisdom and potential is where we're headed. It is our only hope. I know you are 'chomping at the bit' to tear apart this post so now you have your chance.
Shalom bee
Boss
Edit postReport this postReply with quote Black bird
by Boss on Mon Oct 17, 2005 3:27 pm
It's strange
that the bird song
is that of a bird
The one you knew
seasons ago
when you were 3 or 4
in the backyard
where everything made sense
except the missing father
at dinner time
The guinea-pig hutch
the little fellow
gnawing into carrot
You loved him so much
you squeezed him to death
one day, literally
Cut lawn
had that effect
meticulous
and the odour
In Spring
the onion weed
down by the back shed
spat out the side
of the gardener's mower
Greasy and rich
You were in it
And you catch a bird
with string
and a basket
a black bird
There is no fear
You had no knowledge
of McCartney's 'Blackbird' then
Only a quivering bird
Entrapped
You let him free
And Life gets in the way
as you grow
You forget smells
touch
intuition
they are etched away
You learn the language of the world
of the letter
and number
the abstract
Until crazy at 19
you accept their pharmacological dance
to 'righten things'
help you 'see straight'
And at 37
a black bird challenges you
to a fight
You walk away
in fear
and in envy
of her courage
And you notice
through the years
through the drugs
and self imposed exile
that enlightenment came
the moment you looked
in her eye
and saw yourself
by Boss on Wed Oct 26, 2005 5:19 pm
Thank you both for liking it - I like it too. It was written hurriedly, but from the depths. The black bird in the present tense is pertinent for me. Looking in her eye I knew we were one. I often look in animals' eyes, usually dogs and cats. I wonder what they "think" about. Why this meeting of eyes, even between species, why is it so universal? Partly I feel you're seeing yourself in that being and partly you share something inexpressible. A moment. You can be sure Elizabeth even my lithium and sodium valproate can't get in the way of that...
Thank you both
by Boss on Fri Oct 28, 2005 11:32 pm
Philo,
We are more than just meat and bone. There is an essence which graces us. I'm not sermonising, I have no religious preference. I just see incredible life in all creatures, all vegetation.
After many difficult years battling bipolar disorder I have (over the last 8 years) come to a more restful place. It's odd that sometimes mania opens you up. You see in different perspectives, really get down with the nitty-gritty. And your soul sings songs you barely knew. You find yourself in strange places...
I read you tried religion. Same here. But I didn't discard them - I saw Life in every one of them. They are only guidelines and used with a modicum of wisdom, for some, they can help. For me, G-d is so almighty he transcends all things. And it lives in us...
All the best on your journey
Boss
Last edited by Boss on Sat Oct 29, 2005 9:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
by Boss on Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:32 pm
The Hindu religion does believe in reincarnation. In fact they believe in 10 incarnations of a supreme avatar. Some believe Siddhartha Gautama - the Buddha - was the 9th.
I agree with Fljots. Once we die, we die. We are passengers on a ship. We do the best we can on our voyage, enjoying the bouquet that G-d bestows upon us and then we slink back into umpteen billion years of nothingness. It is this horror that has so affected Man's psyche that this is where many stories, many religions have had their genesis. The fear of death haunts all of us. From our childhood nightmares to watching a suspense/thriller. It is the ultimate fear - the reason for reincarnations, resurrections, heaven. The point is, we live 70 or 80 years (if we're lucky!) and that's it. But what to contribute in that time?! What loves to endure, what compassion to share? And what of coming to terms with the Oneness of all things - G-d?
The reality of dying is sad, even horrific, and the finality of it even sadder, but it is Life that opens us up. We are animals and it is the act of nurturing, so prevalent in our animal cousins, that we must practice. In the end, even faced with precarious times like today, Love wins. It always does. Funny about that!
Peace
Boss
Maybe I'm wrong; maybe we don't die
Adam
Last edited by Boss on Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 1:01 am
Hi Fljots,
G-d is immortal. It is a spirit that creates me, a spirit that sustains me and a spirit that destroys me. Then I am no more. This is basic Hinduism but I can see parallels in my life.
G-d started the Universe and perhaps one day will finish it. He/She is intangible. Put it this way: I've lost a 17 year-old sister, a 22 year-old brother, a 30 year old brother and my father. All gone. It would have been easy to cast G-d aside (and believe me I did with gusto) and be at one with nothing. But something shone through. This invincible being will cast me aside one day but He/She will go on being here. It is terribly difficult to put into words and it may seem somewhat strange to hear it, but I think faith in a living G-d, one who doesn't judge but who just nudges you along gently into your destiny, is real.
And when my time is up, it's up. For good. Why does there need be an afterlife? I can live comfortably in this dichotomy. It's the mourning for those who've passed that hurts most. I know I will never share with them again.
Boss
by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:52 am
Dear Lizzy,
I'm sorry for any confusion. Brahma creates, Vishnu preserves and Shiva destroys. For any average Hindu they would expect reincarnation next. Buddhism got this idea from here. However, I don't believe in any form of afterlife. I'm pretty sure I got it straight. Many Hindus pray to different aspects of G-d but in essence they are praying to the one god named Brahman. Hinduism is a complex religion, but one rich in ritual and daily worship. I have only a limited knowledge so if anyone on the forum would like to add more it would be good.
Here is something from the Chandogya Upanishad 5:10
BossThose who are of good conduct here - the prospect is that they will come to a pleasant birth, either the birth of a priest, or the birth of a warrior, or the birth of a merchant. But those who are of evil conduct here - the prospect is that they will come to an evil birth, either the birth of a dog, or the birth of a swine, or the birth of an outcaste
by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:22 pm
Hinduism and Buddhism can be compared, in one sense, with Judaism and Christianity. Hinduism had many sects and varying ways of praying to the one supreme G-d. The Buddha, who started teaching in Northern India, was influenced by it; thus reincarnation, even without a godhead. As we all know, Christianity branched out of Judaism. These two younger faiths were both inspired by these older, more established religions. And, if you delve into the Qu'ran a little, one can sense a Judeo-Christian element as well. It's interesting to note that all 3 of the 'later' religions revere one man - be it Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha), Yeshu'a ben Yosef (Jesus Christ) or Mohammed ibn-Abdullah Hashim (Mohammed).
So where does that leave us? With religions sprouting from common ground. Oh, to take that step and develop ourselves into one common belief system. I know many scoff at such dreamings but think to yourselves - how did our existing religions come about? Aren't we mature enough yet to embrace each other globally? Mature enough to understand the connection we certainly must feel for one another, our animal relatives, this entire planet? Don't you ever think that hatred may need Love? That so many 'enemies' actually live in you? And so much compassion too?
There is only one hope for all of us. We have to 'get on', else things may get a little out of hand.
It is not too late.
Boss
Last edited by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
by Boss on Sun Oct 30, 2005 10:42 pm
What we need Fljots is a path. Some direction, a common goal. We're just playing semantics. You say 'no god' I say 'yes' to G-d; but what we both are aiming at is the same thing. A better place for this tired planet. You don't have to believe in the big 'G' god, you needn't be an atheist as long as you Love, and feel/spread it in abundance. There is something tangible in this, something real. Mystical even. I think I just repeated your post .
Boss
by Boss on Mon Oct 31, 2005 10:38 am
G'day Diane,
G-d is not exclusive of Love or Bliss or whatever. It is integral to it. I do not pretend to worship a deity that punishes sin and won't forgive. Now, where I've come to in my Life, if I was Abraham when asked to murder Isaac I would say, "fuck off". The Abrahamic religions are historical, they point to the unnameable. So do the Eastern traditions and also many smaller religions. It is this 'force' (for want of a better word) I find peace in. There is something mystical in life. Affirmative and nurturing. If you listen out for it, watch closely, it reveals itself. It is Love; and more. Trying to clothe it in a language is impossible. People spend their entire lives trying to 'get it', yet a baby swallow knows. Perhaps you can call it consciousness. Maybe you are right; just Love...
Take care
Boss
by Boss on Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:47 pm
Wow, some of you Yanks are rigid in your faith! C'mon, open up. G-d is not only 'good' or 'awesome'; G-d is Love. He/She is that something that tells you to look that little bit deeper, to see into someone's eyes, to dance. I agree bee, we have free choice. No coincidence about the Eden affair in Genesis. We know good from evil. But do we know our parents? How they manipulated? How they cheated us? Is this possibly why so many are so angry today? Religion searches for the transcendent, not so much parenting. How many reading this were hit and belittled as kids? The Love kicked out of them. How many learnt the Lord's Prayer or the Shema - not even knowing what they meant? We blindly address some dictator in the Heavens and miss completely what's going on in the 'Now'. There is something mystical bee. We don't know all its secrets. We may never know its truth. But it exists. It is there for you; for all of us. It is gentle as a raindrop, as powerful as an earthquake. Yes, it is definitely nature and yes it is spirit. The two working in divine cohesion. How else? As Fljots and Tchoc often allude to, we're tearing nature down. Consequently the spirit drowns too. Ah, but we haven't seen its demise just yet!
All is G-d. We are in it. That is the point. We are a part of it. Inside. Inside of you. Take a second to feel...Take another moment. There. Each of us with our unique journey, and our common trail.
Take care bee,
Boss
by Boss on Tue Nov 01, 2005 5:35 pm
Come on Bee. It wasn't their gift to give. They made love in June of '67 and I was born in March of '68. I was as much a gift to them as they to me. Ultimately, the 'gift of Life' is a mystery. It was their duty to nurture me. And yes, I am angry with my father for abandoning ship when I was 11. Bloody angry and he is now 6 years dead. Don't you see; you must, that parents are the world to a child? They are gods! My father once wrote a poem titled Once Father and God in 1992.
It is clear he had abandoned the stereotypical, traditional god many people believe in. He was free of it but remained a deeply spiritual person. He wrote this poem at age 57 - 20 years older than me now. I don't agree with all of it.Once
father and god
were almost the same.
Father stood
on god's shoulders
and directed things.
My father the director
could make the rain fall
on Wednesdays
the sun come out
for long weekends
and bears sleep
during winter.
Now only father remains
grey and lined
the way god always was.
I murdered god
one night when I was high
higher than father
my head out of the sky.
As I stabbed and bludgeoned
it was I who bled
and ached in freedom
Bee, if you wonder of the 10 Commandments it says 'Honor thy Parents', not 'Honor thy Children'. Why? Because these are old systems we follow. A Common Belief System encompassing the broad mass of human experience, wisdom and potential is where we're headed. It is our only hope. I know you are 'chomping at the bit' to tear apart this post so now you have your chance.
Shalom bee
Boss
'In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer' - Albert Camus
Re: Masterpiece
'In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer' - Albert Camus
Re: Masterpiece
Nice piece of writing Boss, this new one and the older one from 2005 too.
Margaret
Margaret
Re: Masterpiece
I have come new to you, but I am quite overwhelmed. Excellent.
Diana
Diana
Re: Masterpiece
"...and something that they are stammeringThere is something mystical in life. Affirmative and nurturing. If you listen out for it, watch closely, it reveals itself.
leaves me dying."
"Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart."
(San Juan de la Cruz)
I love it when you 'stammer' like this, Boss.
"Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart." San Juan de la Cruz.