Waking Bear…
America, has your merit increases matched the rising cost of your health care?
America, are your Wages are frozen? America, Good jobs out of reach again?Yes, it’s called the Revolt of the Elites… America, do you notice the spirit of revolution in the air?Do you notice the paradigm shifts in Europe or the quiet contempt coming from the East?America, are you irritated by the hegemony of the GOP and Democrats?Over it? Mad as Hell??? Me too...

I have been quite since I spoke my peace in the run up to the election. But with one year to go to the next election, I feel compelled to speak again.
My aspect of the election cycle will be ‘Inclusion and Perception’
So - Let’s get rollin’…

~ Sisyphus

*side note: links will be improving, this is just an impromptu note before the day begins…

39

in an ordinary world; all this would be fine
we would set aside blankets and leave the evening for the morning

looking out into the thunderous bay; I think of thousands of years of mistakes
the cabanas washed away; the bulkheads buckled; my memories protected in totes

scalded by a foolish notion that like the red brick of these roads pounded by time and progress, waiting sentiments would revitalize an adherence to youth

we wake up many days; driving home, sanitized by the not so brilliant stardust of an incoherent push to perfection; see that losing end and actualize: things will never be the same

I have since removed that tattoo, the tribal scar of youth to peek beyond the seraphim; through the hostile looking glass to a hazy black and white static

a radio silence prevailed and I was memorizing an iambic pentameter; it was the word and my deed was to reconcile the verb

we have since passed the days that a romantic would romance the demur into Daphne and out of her black sweater and into a cheerleader uniform

the shuffling silence of bronzy lit hallways; of carpeted offices, of humidified air transcend the sculpted actuary standing with sublime quarry, bereft, intangibly assuring

would I have willed to become the guilty sort; the grieving lean or the gaudy gown? Ah, once I said; if I let go this one time, I could always get it back…




ШАМРО

September 14, 2008

© woundedlordliterature 2008

one long winter

one winter when the summer was in bloom,
the sky resorts and the evening looms
the bones do not chill and the silence is not quiet
it is bearable but blood begins to spoil

new morning dawn breaking with the sea salt coating my skin
waking slowly afraid of breaking breath not my vow;
the purple hemisphere mixed with violet,
the golden lit road alibis spraying across the pavement

glass chards from tinted windows and beer, opiates asunder
with hallow bodies celebrating never to have been born,
skin wrinkled paint leavened flecks in cornrolls working
the Baptist church parking lot, tape deck quietly playing deep

a cerebral leer for a bona-fide junket where the soul stands in wait
sobriety is a sparse term, relatively, scornfully misused; lacking wisdom
of each lesson learned; there are folks who do not demand expatiating,
they just go down to the job under the most friendliest term

the dense humidity under the gravel road; the forensic passivity
a timidity of a lost and hungry child standing dust consumed
in these equations do we doubly anger the gods with our gifts,
that instant eternal shadow of grief resolving revenge

the purest of heart become the most savage
hiding in the blandishments of suffering sin
by what is despised most in love; imitating a language of an art consumed
by single minded focus that sigh longingly in abstract octave



ШАМРО

July 4, 2008

© woundedlordliterature 2008

Pity the Messenger

Barack Obama continues to make the political rounds to convince white America that he’s a little white; and to convince black America that he’s still black. Hyde Park rumbles the success of a ‘so called’ unprecedented speech, forgetting the hot water that Bill Cosby got into a few years ago or even Wynton Marsalis’ last recording speaking directly to black America about the possibility of losing a generation of changes that forbearers penetrated. These folks also haven’t spent any time watching Maya Angelou interviews or any of the perspectives that are usually aired each and every February.

Most people that have read the context of the speech, looked at the object psychology; albeit political necessity have found it to be rather sanguine posture disingenuously engaging in mock comparisons and the overall folly is that Barack Obama comes up short on the overall point: Reverend Jeremiah Wright and the Trinity United Church of Christ is not only volatile for a Christian church and in its most meanest sense a driving dividing line that states that no matter the credo; All Americans are not still Americans. I listened to Reverend Otis Moss III speak during an interview yesterday on NPR explain the nature of the church and it’s intent to still carry on in the manner of Reverend Wright; reinforcing the continuation of hate, disrespect and counter culture of black America versus white America.

But he can not quit; not being able to ensure that his base; not his fan base; but his base sticks with him. The same way that McCain can’t denounce the fringe maniacs on the polar end of Christianity. It’s a dilemma that takes more than leadership; but heart, more that intellectualizing; but guts; courage. Bigotry; no manner how one wants to cast it is still bigotry. What does Wright, Moss and Obama believe in? What do they have in store of American if they indeed are handed the keys?

America is a culture of frail behaviorists. As it has been mentioned; we enjoy being the best and we scorn those who by proxy deliver failure. The passions that follow the behavior of people like Wright are reflected now to Barack Obama because he has established himself as not being able to see the forest for the trees. The lack of ability for him to understand that the politics (not religion) of Jeremiah Wright, the disposition (not color) of his words are what people can not contend with. Barack Obama is out there asking for our empathy in his goal of protecting a hatemonger. Obama’s statement of crazy Uncle Jerry is sinister at best; what will he tell us of his wayward cousin Osama bin Laden? Obama has said that he is shaken by the uproar; but not the message. Well America is shaken too; distraught disappointed in the character of a man whom so many supposed had character.

Barack Obama should become a footnote in political history; rather than hailed for the stigma he has now attached to him and his supporters.

Perhaps some of his supporters would like to ask the only questions coming from his opponents…

1. If a white minister preached sermons to his congregation and had used the "N" word and used rhetoric and words similar to members of the KKK, would you support a Democratic presidential candidate who decided to continue to be a member of that congregation?
2. Would you support that candidate if, after knowing of or hearing those sermons, he or she still appointed that minister to serve on his or her "Religious Advisory Committee" of his or her presidential campaign?
I hope my message gets to someone in the Obama campaign -- or to a reporter traveling with the Senator -- who can persuade Senator Obama to answer them directly. As I just wrote, he will have to do so -- either now or perhaps in the fall.

Sam’ old Sam’ old; Mr. Barack Obama

Great Speech what else is new?

Some Questions for America…

Do you understand race better?

Does it count for your diversity training?

How does this dispel that folks like Rev. Wright are not still influential people to Mr. Obama or anyone in general?

Who will now be his spiritual advisor when he has to hunker down with moral questions, similarly with Christian Idealism?

Such as What if the War must go on or escalate?

Or What about new Israeli-Palestinian flare ups?

Does he agree with those remarks that aren’t exactly black vs. white issues? Rev. Wright talked about a lot more that wasn’t race.

Does he think that that AIDS was started by the US government to kill black people?

It is easy to dismiss ‘all that is offensive’; blanket the fire with a nice intellectual statement that circles in the sky the way a buzzard waits for a wounded animal to die. Hyde Park is smiling.

I think the speech was highly calculated; ‘the black community vs. my white grandmother’ nice…

So Nobel Mr. Obama where was the regret for the antagonism that Rev. Wright placed against Hillary Clinton for the most public of humiliation that she had to endure? You only gave an overt reference to her ‘evidence that she's playing the race card’.

Someone said recently that politics is still the same as it was back in Athenian forums; and what we witnessed yesterday is evidence; a slight variation of the central themes. It is as cynical as moving the goal posts; he simply redefined them to deflect the posed concerns.

I think it was largely a commitment of more of the same, no news.

A la:

Oh ~ Blacks are angry about the segregation, slavery, Jim Crow?
[When did that start?]
White folks are pissed because they don’t feel as dominant a race as they did 50 years ago?
[Really?]
Wait, did he indicate that Irish and Italians didn’t always get along or Catholics and Protestants haven’t always been friends?
[C’mon!]
I was waiting for him to say that gay people might live in rural communities?
[I didn’t get off that boat yesterday either…]

I expect the same reaction around the country as we got when we found out that Rev. Wright was a highly charged radical preacher from the South Side of Chicago: shocked, shocked! That this kind of demoralized feelings about race, class and basic humanity was going on in America! (or in the whole world: hint Iraq War)

I’m sorry that America has kicked up some dust in your sandbox Mr. Obama; but here’s the God’s Honest Truth… Life is Hard; For Everybody…Message you didn’t deliver: Get Over It!

I am no more able to complain about my disenfranchisement than anyone else in this world.

I think all that was done by this speech was validating the hurtful, hateful commentary of every racist in America; as well it will increase the capacity of every co-dependant self pitying pill popping constituency (who is guaranteed to love that speech)who once again will not reach beyond themselves to exhibit a self reliance in these basic human elements.

No; I don’t think this is leading by example; this speech is enabling the worst aspect of American society.

By keeping your heart and soul in the possession of any church that even hints at the aspect of Hate; you are no longer at a church but a member of a cult.

America knows this.

Plenty of people are capable of turning off their televisions, walking out of movies, restaurants; kitchen tables AND YES it is possible to walk out of a church that dispenses the continuum of a negative direct selection philosophy. Why can’t you do this?

All this talk of confronting race head on in this speech is malarkey; what exact fears of your own did you confront?

I think you hid them in this speech; attracting pity of the white folks and stalling the fallout from the black community for providing a hesitation before you perform in yet another suite as the chameleon.

I can’t tell if I am outraged more by the irony of the acceptance of this horror or by the implicit call to bifurcate the Theme of Racism.

Mr. Obama, I don’t think you know how to explain race any more than the next guy; even myself… but I will give you this one story before we go off the deep-end.

Many years ago; my brother in law raised as a racist was struggling with these emotions, drunkenly decided on Christmas Day to confront them. We drove to a bar in Clearwater, Florida on Greenwood Avenue; he walked into this bar (I wish I could remember the name; but this was 1994), sat down at the bar and proclaimed to the few people that were in there that he was born and raised a racist but thought that if he could come into this bar and drink with people he was taught to fear; he could change his beliefs.

I went to sit in a booth to let him fight his demons; a man named Rudolf came and spoke with me to see if he was for real; or if I was the ‘heavy’ as he put it.

We left a few hours later; everyone was hugging and grinning… saying, ‘wow’.

The speech we heard yesterday was filled with spoken truths, attempted to sooth political hysteria and to protect Mr. Obama’s flank. He may have been afraid to give the speech and overcame that; but didn’t over come his fears that consummate what is racism.

Courage is defined as the ability to confront fear, pain, risk, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. Not Biography.

Mr. Obama; where was your fear, pain, risk, danger, uncertainty or intimidation without the flowery remarks that are all part of a good speech?

Will Mr. Barack H. Obama Jr. Go Uncle Tom?

Reverend Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. has given a radical position to America.

Geraldine Ferraro had done the same; brought as an observation.

Now; America, Black, White and Other will decide it.

These racial questions bring to mind all the topics from immigration to the failure of American politics to head off this train at the pass.

Everyone will sit down to decide if as BHO is telling the truth that he is, as he stated, he is shocked.

America too is shocked that the Reverend had separatists tendencies. Or are they?

Talk to people about religion and politics; you can usually tell their religion or politics when they start to describe one of them to you.

I was raised Catholic, I can safely say, that although that church is known for controversies of its own, race and hate where not part of the pulpit. I have spent many days in other churches (people like to try to convert me); where I have felt the hate for blacks, Catholics, Jews…Iraqis, Iranians… Frenchies… you name it.

In the end; I have yet to find someone in those churches that do not subscribe to these attitudes and feelings. I took can eloquently tell you why I believe the opposite of what I believe too; just as perhaps Barack Obama has done with his interviews and posts.

The bigger issue is; Who the hell is this; Barack Obama? Has he spent enough time padding his resume, dotting his I’s crossing his T’s.

Try this rumor For example:

Is Barack Obama a Muslim?

He has stated that the Reverend is the man who brought him to Christianity. I read also that he has been a member of the church for 17 years.

He is 46 years old? He became a Christian when he was 29 then?
He’s been married for 16 years. 1992; when he turned 30.

I have not been a practitioner of my Catholic upbringing since 1987; is my non practice the same as his not being a Muslim.

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t care if he was or he wasn’t; my point is: the Fib.

He is not a Muslim; but he was for more than half of his life, much longer than he has been a Christian.

The Reverend went on in one of his speeches about how Hillary Clinton was not raised as a black man in America.

I will go one further; neither was Barack Obama. I think that Barack Obama has lived a far more privileged and charmed life than most black Americans born in the 1960s did. He also never had to consider what it was like having had members of his family that had been slaves.

This is a point critical for some people both black and white, for let’s part the question of reparations? I think it is a fringe issue; nevertheless, a lot of people black and white have talked about it for many years. I have no opinion on it; do I assume that Barack Obama doesn’t either?

Moreso Reverend; I’m sure he never had too much trouble hailing a taxi in Cambridge.

These questions were once not obvious questions to ask; I think that they are now.

So now; for political sake, for the sake of the candidacy, for the sake of the U.S. of K.K.K.A. Barack Obama has dumped Jeremiah Wright. When he was talking to John Edwards, it was fine to state that there were Two Americas… as long as there were Too White Americas?

When I think of Barack Obama; I think of the character in the book Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, which could have been romantic; but in the end he decided that it was a matter of survival to shed his skin and assume personalities to pass through both white and black Americans without allowing his disgust for both of us to show.

No white America, white people may like Barack Obama flavor of the month, but Mr. Barack H. Obama Jr. does not like you back. No black America, black people may like Barack Obama; but he is no Medgar Evers and Mr. Barack H. Obama Jr, Jr. Senator from Illinois, born in Hawaii and went to Harvard, he does not like you either.

So it’s “Sorry Reverend; Thanks for the title for my book and the source inspiration of my perceived spirituality; but you is one crazy n****r!”

The Question is now, 'who really is this guy?' A radical, a charleton? It certainly isn't who he says he is. He tells us when he agrees with Hillary on issues; usually they are when they are issues he doesn’t have experience with and steals her experience to pose his privilege.

All talk and no action; sort of like a cowboy I know who is all Hat...

“San Francisco Blues”
From Kerouac’s the 27th Chorus:

“San Francisco
San Francisco
You’re a muttering bum
in a brown beat suit
can’t make a woman
on a rainy corner.”


[1958]

Dear Don,

Will visit you soon with Allen. Latter sorted through my papers and found a piece I wrote before "Essentials [of Spontaneous Prose]" which is wilder and stranger, and short. Enclosed underneath. You can use that. I'd be sick & tired of making further big explanations. This can really suffice. I hope Barney does bring out Mexico City Blues (in entirety, chorus leading into chorus like jazz), it would sell too. Gregory in Rome, says he wept in the Colosseum all night and pissed in Nero's secret cave. Well, here's the early piece on prose: & format it was in:-


*****BELIEF & TECHNIQUE FOR MODERN PROSE*****

List of Essentials
**********************************************
1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy
2. Submissive to everything, open, listening
3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house
4. Be in love with yr life
5. Something that you feel will find its own form
6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind
7. Blow as deep as you want to blow
8. Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
9. The unspeakable visions of the individual
10. No time for poetry but exactly what is
11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest
12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you
13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time
15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye
17. Write in recollection and amazement for yourself
18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea
19. Accept loss forever
20. Believe in the holy contour of life
21. Struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind
22. Dont think of words when you stop but to see picture better
23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr morning
24. No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge
25. Write for the world to read and see yr exact pictures of it
26. Bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual American form
27. In Praise of Character in the Bleak inhuman Loneliness
28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better
29. You're a Genius all the time
30. Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angled in Heaven
As ever,

Jack


Jack Kerouac (March 12, 1922 - October 21, 1969)