The six white chairs sat around the little table
to discuss the land wedged into the horizon
between the sea and the sky.
The poles stood guard and asked not why.
The bolt-lined path contained some stones,
a reminder of the children who had been there.
Such a peaceful day.
Now they are gone, the people and the children,
gone in many different ways
—all of which were unnecessary—
but for the same reason.
Let us not ask why.
Let us enjoy the peaceful day,
like the guards,
protecting empty chairs at the end of the path
beside the sea
beneath the sky.
“Poetry shouts at thoughts that hide from our awareness.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: Devil Dog’s Drowning Souls)
(This is the 5th in a series on racism that appears on the 20th of every month.)
The struggle against racism cannot succeed by attacking racists. On the contrary, defeating racism cures racists, enriches their lives and empowers them. Racism keeps us divided and weak. It deprives us of seeing beauty and finding friends. It narrows our world by enclosing us in prejudices and diverts us from the path of love.
People are generally attracted by diversity. Why this aversion to unimportant differences among people? Race has no significance for character, morals or ability.
The prevailing order in the world is built on money and money’s masters fuel the engines of prejudice. When the races are set against each other they don’t join together to fight against the prevailing order. A world where the needs of people trump the dictates of money cannot be created while racism drains the strength of the people.
Racism is rust on the face of the prevailing order.
“The struggle to create a garden of the earth
needs a united vision and a common determination
held together with untarnished respect for the dignity of every individual.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: A (picture of a) Peaceful Day)
Answers to yesterday’s quiz.
The symbols:
1: Heart = love, unity
2: Cross = faith, Christianity
3: Rust = decay, decadence
I know, I know! Rust isn’t really a symbol in the same class as hearts and crosses. I was trying to make a point. Language itself is a symbol. Every word symbolizes a thought about reality, an abstraction or a fantasy.
Rust is often employed to symbolize decay. This iron fence surrounds a grave, a symbol of a past life, a support for memory. The raked sand symbolizes order and calm. Look closely and see the shoots of grass threatening the order.
Everything is changing. At different paces. Even the the structures of belief in our minds, our symbolic perspectives. Some of these are as well-ordered as raked sand. And easily changed. Others are solid as iron. And rusting.
The times are always changing.
“If we have faith in the love in our hearts
we can protect our minds against the decadence around us.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: Racism’s Rusty Face)
This is a detail of an iron fence around a grave.
Quiz: The picture contains three of the main symbols of our times. What are the symbols? What do they symbolize?
The answers will be given in tomorrow’s post.
Have a thoughtful day!
“A written word is a symbol of a spoken word
that is a symbol of a thought
that is a symbol of reality.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: Deeper Than Sand, Stronger Than Steel)
It’s tough times for angels.
They are pure souls and have difficulty flying in polluted air.
So they cross their wings and refuse to fly.
It’s their way of going on strike.
That’s why you haven’t seen any angels lately.
“They rape our minds then claim that our pregnant thoughts are immoral.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: Black Iron Hearts and Crosses Quiz)
Scientific research claims that crucifixion at the time of Jesus was carried out on a pole rather than a cross. Not only do linguistic interpretations favor pole over cross, but practical considerations also point to poles. It was relatively easy to bind a victims hands and let him hang from a notch at the top of a pole as compared to building a cross and using (very expensive) nails.
It doesn’t matter much. The results were the same. Sanctioned murder has had and has many fashions: hanging, beheading, throat-slitting, stabbing, shooting, gasing, poisoning, burning, electrocuting…
The latest fashion executes ”suspects” with hellfire missiles fired from drones. Everyone in the vicinity of the ”suspect” gets executed as well—kids, carpenters, gardeners and grandmas—but practical considerations must be made.
Discussing whether ancient victims hung from a pole or a cross is as practical as discussing whether the bombed baby was crushed under its house or torn to pieces by the explosion.
We need to be practical in our considerations.
“Those who take lives are not playing God.
They’re playing Devil.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: Angel Strike)
It’s OK to follow the leader when we’re all on the same level.
When the leaders become rulers above us, following them will get us shit on.
“The dawn can’t be hurried or delayed
regardless of the plans you’ve made.
But if you’re prepared and in position,
you’ll be up front in the parade.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: Execution and Practical Considerations)
There are so many paths leading to the light.
So many ways to gather energy.
So many twists and turns to harmonize with life.
A new, warm and colorful day is coming.
“Lack of perspective is a type of blindness.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: The Rulers and The Flock)
… yesterday’s out-of-fashion theme continues.
Becca is a funny lady with a popular daily blog: Lady or Not…Here I Come. On Monday she wrote about old sweaters and the difficulty guys will have finding a date while wearing one. (See http://ladyornot.com/burn-baby-burn/ – Jan 7, 2013)
She is undoubtedly right, but her solution is wrong. She advises men to burn their old sweaters. I believe she’d do more to promote the union of the sexes by advising women to burn their fashion-warped perspective. With her sense of humor she could do a great job of this.
A guy wearing an old sweater—that he likes and feels comfortable in—is signaling that he’s dependable and self-confident. He’s not a pawn in the fashion game. The women who delete such a man from their possibility list, will one day be surprised when their men no longer find them fashionable and prefer ”newer” models.
That’s your choice ladies. If you want a man that follows the latest trends, you’re going to get one. And he will one day see you as untrendy.
Surely you’re not afraid of competing with a sweater? Most men will be more than happy to discard the comfort of a sweater for the comfort of a woman.
The correlation between the growth of the fashion industry and the growth of divorces (and loneliness) is not a coincidence. We are constantly being told to judge each other by our style. No brand of perfume is going to put a nice smell on that bullshit. It’s embarrassing to have to say this, but, when choosing between clothes and character, go with character.
Burn baby burn your unsustainable fashion-warped perspective.
“Not only do we need fashionable clothes,
we now need fashionable body parts;
at least those of us who have the latest fashioned minds.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: The Power of Perspective)
When I came home with these slippers some 10 years ago my wife didn’t believe I was serious.
”My father had a pair like that,” she said.
”So?”
”When he was young.”
”They were on sale and very cheap,” I explained.
”Nooo,” she replied dripping with sarcasm.
”The shop was going out of business.”
”You don’t say!” (More sarcasm.)
”They are very comfortable,” I explained.
”You look like an old man in those slippers.”
”The slippers change my appearance?”
”You know what I mean.”
”I’m going to be wearing them around the house. No one will see them and they feel great.”
”I’ll see them!” she replied majestically.
”Try to bear your suffering,” I said. ”I’m wearing them.”
When they first sprang a hole about a year ago, my wife said that I could finally buy a new pair.
”Why? The hole doesn’t affect their function. They feel as good as ever.”
”You can’t go around with torn slippers,” I was informed as though some law forbid it.
”They are nice to my feet and my feet love them,” I informed her. ”I shall not abandon them as long as they serve me well.” (Majestically)
”Promise me that you won’t wear the slippers when we have guests on Friday,” she said a few weeks ago.
(People take their shoes off on entering the house in Sweden and walk in their socks or wear a pair of in-house shoes or slippers.)
”OK,” I promised. ”But have you realized that these are designer slippers?”
”Designer slippers?”
”Yes, people pay good money to buy torn jeans. I have a pair of torn slippers. Can’t you see them as ultra stylish?”
”Slipper hero,” she replied and gave me a look that said it’s foolish to argue with a fool.
The insulting term ”slipper hero” in Swedish means a man who is dominated by his wife. I suspect that she’s grown to like my slippers, but she’ll never admit it.
To be continued…
“A slave of fashion is not a complete slave,
but only to the dictates of the fashionists.
They are free to be the slaves of other interests as well.”
Dartwill Aquila
(Tomorrow: Anti-fashionists)
System Humanity 