____________Expressions in Song & Spirit & Social Change____________

As fate would have it, the seasons turn,
once again Yule fires burn,
with mistletoe and holly green,
with earth breath some twixt the scene.
In spite of Gaia’s terra firm,
Polaris lights no home return,
looking under reef and over dale,
for the lost art of Bombadil.

Where are we to travel?
Sojourn in spirit all!
With feasting, laughing by the hearth,
this Earth, this Light, this Warmth!

Sacred hearts and ancient dreams,
played out with life like figurines.
Though magic keeps the hope alive,
the fear of all, the embers dying.
For, with act, and prayer behest,
with youth intact worry may rest;
for whose heart is not attuned
to Light, to Love, to Earth’s vibration?

Where are we to travel?
Sojourn in spirit all!
With feasting, laughing by the hearth,
this Earth, this Light, this Warmth!

It’s a Sublime truth,
that you’re bound to be served.
Stand against the truth and lose,
as Galileo recently proved.
From this house in the west,
with these clothes poorly dressed,
I stare to longer days and muse,
with Sweat and Blood, we’ve all paid the dues.

Where are we to travel?
Sojourn in spirit all!
With feasting, laughing by the hearth,
this Earth, this Light, this Warmth!

One of the songs that I will be recording later this week, when a friend returns to the island. I will share the video link here on Millennium Blues when it is available.

Thanks for the continued support and feedback, some of the comments are quite interesting!

Archimedes, a Greek philosopher, was one of the first westerners to describe the impact that wisdom and knowledge have on physical reality. ‘Give me the place to stand, and I shall move the earth.‘ This phrase was said to have been used in describing the lever. I mention that he is one of the first westerners to mention this idea, as the saying ‘use four ounces to move a thousand pounds‘ is an oft quoted Cheng Man Ching saying in the practice and study of Tai Chi which is also paraphrased in T.Y. Pang‘s On Tai Chi Chuan in the Tai Chi Classics part of the book.

While Archimedes states the principle with what may be perceived as the western bias towards self and ego, ‘give me’ and ‘I shall,’ it is within the Tai Chi tradition that the principle is described. Perhaps then, it is no surprise, that in English speaking communities, the correlations which describe this principle are musical, therefore offering a perspective and knowledge enhancing comprehension and growth, which after all is the point of art and philosophy (love of wisdom).

‘Only by using four ounce jin to apply leading to a thousand pounds, then you can move it.’ from Cheng Man Ching’s 12th Oral Secret, which compares easily to lyrics from The Moody Blues song ‘Legend of a Mind.’ ‘He flies so high, he swoops so low, He knows exactly which way he’s gonna go.’ Initially this is a bit of a stretch, consider though, the Archimedes quote, and also from The Moody Blues, ‘He’s outside looking in.’ Each of these statements are clearly describing perspective, and with that realization, it is not so difficult to relate Cheng Man Ching’s philosophies to a musical description of one of the sixties great psychologists who was also a philosophical leader in terms of consciousness and personal growth.

Another similarity in the ideals being expressed: ‘By making a distinction between the two words lead and move, we can explain their separate functions and perceive their marvelous use.’ Which with poetic license or geographical difference being allowed, can become ‘He’ll take you up, he’ll bring you down, He’ll plant your feet back firmly on the ground.’ With any luck, you’ll find yourself ‘back the same day.’

I’ve just finished reading two books, one a novel, one an in depth look at the buying and selling of food. Krampus, the Yule Lord by Brom, and Grocery written by Michael Ruhlman. While on the surface, these books might not seem to have much in common; the dualism of reality was essentially the theme of both. Krampus, being a fictitious account of how Krampus, having been captured by Santa Claus, escaped and set about bringing the Yule Spirit, or honoring the cycles of nature, back to the people in Boone County, West Virginia. Grocery, which obviously involved more research, crosses into honoring the cycles of nature as well, from interviewing a third generation family of grocers, the Heinens, and the quite dedicated group of people who help them run their Cleveland based stores, in an eco-friendly manner, as their customers become environmentally conscious regarding food sources.

There are of course, immediate archetypal correlations. The returning of life, as Krampus observes the Yule, and the greenery of earth providing all that eventually finds a space on the grocery shelves, as well as Santa Claus, and the goodness/convenience brought about by modern day markets. Curiously, though each of these story arcs don’t cover up the ‘bad’ actions brought about by the green side of the arc, they both also describe intentional debasing of nature for the ‘betterment’ of society, i.e. furthering specific behaviors, or creating profit.

Brom, sets up quite an interesting story in providing a background on why Krampus has developed a full fledged feud with Santa, essentially, because he is in fact Baldr, one of Odin’s sons, who Krampus believes has deceived the Norse gods and brought about Ragnorok. The generosity of spirit is one of the unifying points of Baldr and St. Nick in the novel, and while Baldr is recovering from his first ‘death,’ the words of Saint Nicholas become his guiding principles. Since St. Nick is from an entirely different era of thought and myth, Baldr-Claus feels it necessary to develop new symbols and uses alchemy to transfer the flying power of the goats of the Norse gods to reindeer, which he then uses to pull the sleigh which he has stolen from Krampus.  A very real example of this ‘sleight of hand’ is the article ‘How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat,’ in the New York Times September 12, 2016, demonstrating that in order to continue profit, the sugar industry initiated and paid for experts to deceive the public with the connection between sugary drinks and obesity.

There are still more connections between the time it takes to make a marinade or stew, and it’s flavor characteristics. Essentially, by the third axiom in Boolean logic (commutative), the stronger something’s character, the more time it takes to develop. Ruhlman asks at the end of the 18th Chapter, entitled ‘The Cooking Animal,’ ‘At what cost convenience?’ What is the trade off of giving up preparing food with family and friends, the memories, the dialogue and the aromas? What is the cost of transferring properties of nature into another container for the purpose of profit, control, or from ignorance? While Ruhlman’s book invites essential dialogue, with the example of Heinen’s stores hiring a Chief Medical Officer,  Todd Pesek, it seems that Dr. Todd and Brom’s Krampus have an inherent understanding of health and environment, as they both recognize that it is through engaging with environment in a respectful way that restores balance to our diet, and creates a culture of sustainability, or as it was referred to in simpler times while ‘dressed in the fruits of the wild,’ life.

There is always a new way of looking at old ideas, and today I am going to use a fractal algorithm which only a musician may have considered. While reading the May 13th – 19th issue of The Economist, there were a number of articles which were of interest. The first, the Bagehot column, entitled ‘The Marxist moment,’ quite thought provoking, and reminds today’s thinkers of some quite valid points that Marx predicted, including ‘that capitalism would become more concentrated as it advanced,’ and what The Economist refers to as his most famous prediction; ‘that capitalism produces immiseration for the poor even as it produces super-profits for the rich.’ These ideas have been brought up in British thinking today by some of the leaders (not coincidentally) in England’s Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, and John McDonnell. As the world, and many nations face the question of how to grow as a nation in an ever shrinking globe, the ideas of ownership, management and production are at the forefront of many thought processes.

While The Economist suggests that Marx has overlooked (ignored) the role of managers in improving productivity, there are several other modes of thought which disagree, some of which prove the antithesis. Gary Hamel, a world renowned business thinker, stated in an article entitled ‘First, Let’s Fire All the Managers‘ for Harvard Business Review, that ‘Management is the least efficient activity in your organization.’ Reading through the article, one of the ideas which stands out to me as having been a ‘worker’ in several types of environments, is ‘Let employees forge agreements.’ This type of thinking clearly reduces the thoughts of ‘the maples,’ representing in this instance management, as demonstrated in Rush’s ‘The Trees’ – ‘The trouble with the maples (and they’re quite convinced they’re right),’ where management imposes a rule of order based solely on numerical predictions as opposed to practical knowledge.

This lack of practical knowledge, as it happens, is discussed in another article in the same issue of ‘The Economist,’ Free Exchange, regarding the passing of William Baumol, who coined the phrase ‘cost disease’ in terms of economics. The cost disease is the misunderstanding, lyrically summarized, ‘So the maples formed a union and demanded equal rights,’ which becomes ‘political pressure for cutbacks’, not recognizing that ‘rising employment in stagnant areas raises rather than lowers overall productivity growth.’ In short, ” Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power,” from the Tao De Ching, chapter 33. To reduce this idea even further for the sake of meter and song: ‘But the oaks can’t help their feelings if they like the way they’re made.’ – Rush

WHISPER

Whispering  is illegal

Say it again

I can’t it’s illegal

Say it again

Conspiracy develops unity

Say it again

With breath, one love

Say it again

You say width, I say eons

Say it again

This length strength connected

Say it again

Build circles, build try angles

Say it again

Being square reduces social return

Say it again

Laughing joking gets spirit moving

Say it again

Talking about a revolution

Say it again

Sounds like a whisper

Say it again

Whispering is illegal

PURPLE

Purple and sludge combine in my blood

royal pollution turns my thoughts cold.

Freezing, cracking, breaking all chances,

my life a myriad of devil’s dancing:

Fox Trot, Two Step, Tennessee Waltz,

tomorrow starts through last night’s fog.

Dreams and visions colliding like atoms,

clarity vanished focus is scattered.

Yet of all the gifts I’ve wasted,

your love is my most disgraceful.

If I must, if I must, if I must let you go,

I’ll have the strength because you’ve made my heart whole.

Thursday’s and Saturday’s, so far away,

the man in black singing desperado,

‘Before it’s too late, before it’s too late.’

My fear became controlling, inherited hate?

To make a wish on this shooting star,

Hold one more time,

my mended heart.

SPOKE Or WHEEL

Can rhythm, momentum, be felt;

heard from the page?

Can life experience be marrored with la lingua?

Mirrored with language?

Do physical symbols design the mind?

Is memorization a waste of time?

Memorize, mesmerize.

How many words read now

are their actual size?

To inscribe them in stone

for future generations,

won’t ensure communication

murmur ancient Egyptians.

BALANCE

Turbulence, like mind,

can make for a rough ride,

hemispheric balance, solving for Y.

Cold fronts, or bold ideas pushing against

the engine of thought.

Warm fronts or wimpy ideas can cause…

loss of context.

Under certain lights, bold is cold,

warm and wimpy,

all rolled into one pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

It’s not all a ‘Black Light Trap’,

some synapses Shriekback:

referring of course to that trick of logic and light

we know as smoke and mirrors.

‘Quite the raving’, quoth the maven.

Usually these thoughts are kept

for much, much later.

‘Oh, there’s a limit on thought?’

Can these directions be brought under control?’

‘Is there a cat piloting my soul?’

‘Cause if dog’s my copilot,

I’d prefer they find common ground,

instead of chasing each other’s tails round and round.’

Since these empty pockets of thought

barely keep my hands warm,

at least these wings will be level

as we fly into the storm.

Every bolt of lightning, every thunderclap,

the white stripe on the skunk,

saying ‘Don’t touch that!’

Each gauge, each measure,

every turn of a prop,

even flying itself,

proof that Nature knows Math.

ROUND ABOUT

To believe in the lyrical

is to believe in the spherical,

the universe the source of all mc’s material.

But belief is a trap, the universe exists;

without being, yet present if you get my drift.

I’ve been there, you’ve been there

flip the choice spot if you’re so aware.

Feelin’ stuck in the same ol’ same?

I’ve lived on that plane.

Drinkin’ in sadness, drinkin’ in pain.

Stopped by a dime,

live for today.

The grass is always greener

when the green’s in your brain.

When the heart is the way,

when you feel joy,

 Shout!

As you are breathing out.

 All your cells burst forward to

your next Roundabout.

Kindness

At the bus stop a homeless man

Said he wanted to tell me about his best friend.

Well, he kinda smelled, his clothes were dirty,

But the bus wouldn’t arrive ’til 8:30.

There’s a light in his voice and peace in his eyes,

And his smile is as wide as what we call the sky.

Well, I’ve got troubles, but I’ve got no troubles.

It’s true, it’s wonderful.

With a song and a chant and blessings in his hand,

Offering rain on this droughted land.

On the streets here I’m invisible,

when he greets me, I’m invincible,

 I never thought I’d feel this way

I’ve lost a lot, but it’s ok.

This magic, it isn’t magic

I’m just resting in the hands of spirit

And the pain in my belly, the snide remarks

Just reminders of where to start.

There’s a light in his voice and peace in his eyes,

And his smile is as wide as what we call the sky.

Well, I’ve got troubles, but I’ve got no troubles.

It’s true, it’s wonderful.

With a song and a chant and blessings in his hand,

Offering rain on this droughted land.

He stood up as the bus arrived, I saw a flicker in his eye,

He kinda smelled, his clothes were dirty,

But I was no longer in a hurry.

I turned to this man who had a best friend,

And say hey, tell me again.

There’s a light in his voice and peace in his eyes,

And his smile is as wide as what we call the sky.

Well, I’ve got troubles, but I’ve got no troubles.

It’s true, it’s wonderful.

With a song and a chant and blessings in his hand,

Offering rain on this droughted land.

The Darkness

Sunlight can only be seen from the dark,

A mother’s truth is infinite and large.

I’ve felt your handshake,

Your limited faith,

We’re all one tribe through the miracle of birth.

Tell me why only light can represent truth,

When everywhere in nature

The opposite is proved.

My heart began in The Darkness,

Your heart began in The Darkness,

All Life began in The Darkness.

It’s untrue fiends are born in the dark,

Fiends are bred through lies and ignorance.

Shaped without warmth,

Formed in secrecy,

Hatred and fear I know your recipe!

Tell me why only light can represent truth,

When everywhere in nature

The opposite is proved.

My heart began in The Darkness,

Your heart began in The Darkness,

All Life began in The Darkness.

There’s nothing wrong with warmth,

Ain’t nothing’ wrong with love.

Even a warm Fuzzy Navel gonna get me some.

You say you know what’s wrong,

I know what’s not right,

And through poetry alone

Your truth I will Smite!

Tell me why only light can represent truth,

When everywhere in nature

The opposite is proved.

My heart began in The Darkness,

Your heart began in The Darkness,

All Life began in The Darkness.

battles, it’s believed belong to those who flex their might
culture strives from chromosomes unconcerned with fight
a love supreme will reign, in a way the world can see
this hatred of our stewardship, no way for us to be
everywhere ideas for change, it’s evident we ought
the ethos followed formerly, with fright is fraught

with glory and grandestanding, government is fraught
when asked of other ways, the humble admit there might
bettering conditions, no aim for politicians yet, ought
we must root and scream for all in freedom’s fight
can we on one point agree, all people have a right to be
class synonymous with caste, self-evident why can’t we see

no one free when others are oppressed you see
you got, I got, this consumer habit with emptiness is fraught
til heartbeat props are granted those with other ways to be
some will always dream, I wish I may, I wish I might
when Thomas said, ‘Do not go gentle,’ what else but freedom’s fight
poetry and Yoda speak, to re pen thought, change our words we ought

to banish fear from mental sphere, give thanks to those we ought
music, universal language, harmony speaks, you’ll see
in the space where truth is free, there is no need to fight
overcome ego, a koan, is the owner of breath with discernment fraught
nevermind the yestertime, or fret about what might
time eternal set to now, how can it not be

que sera, que hora, believers, it’s time to be
synchronically existing as embracing hearts we ought
as the circle pushes forward, the fates tease those with might
no dice, no trading futures, the new physics shows us see
surfing waves of freevertising, with balance be fraught
breathe slow, notice the glow of others in the good fight

armor yourself with humor, shields up, no need to fight
advice from high, when facing treachery, let it be
tune to natural rhythm, through the myriad signals we’re fraught
choose through the muse, and your heart will be where you ought
never been born, never been free, open your ears to see
draw from life’s loving fountain, strength and might

in the spiritual fight, find freedom we might
so others yet to be, see what our hearts see
and with joy be fraught, to chase past humus we ought

speech, evolutionary artistry, communication elemental
assembled anglo sounds, significance residual
vocal tones balance the lofty and the gifted
awareness, bountiful, caged in ego; not elected
esoteric painters represent rationale as golden
direct transmission – enlightenment; still beholden

gilded glossary paints perception: beholden
sea and earth and satellites, gravity; elemental
geography, culture, grow wisdom standing golden
echoes of poets whisper: conceptual residual
poems prized per policy; no emotion, still elected
espousing muse in parchment used, releases verses gifted

scholars, zealots, bards, left volumes; we’ve been gifted
geoecholoqution, igniting spirit less beholden
indoctrination, cannonization: heart shapes poems elected
the expression of wisdom, love: omnipresent, elemental
stains of war and weary soldiers; not nature’s residual
advancing war, advancing debt, deified by golden

sacred earth distraught for betrayal of her golden
perhaps the wise attune to creation always gifted
warmongering builds hate; leaves destruction as residual
as fish forget water, forts forget they are beholden
to captain industry, slash and burn, ignoring elemental
poets wreathed in laurels grown, yet industry elected

speaking plants ideas; slang gets words elected
people’s use is people’s choice, it ain’t always golden
leadership currency creates resistance, thanks to elemental
sediment sprouts mournful odes, lessons learned, now gifted
a calf, an idol, lucre lately, yoke of thoughts beholden
diamonds, beef, wrangling votes: witness the residual

gluttonment creates unrest, tax and war residual
as a penny saved is earned, invested thoughts elected
music, art, dance, expression: being beholden
a koan, a canvas, a child’s poem, all signs life is golden
capitol harvests harshly, ideas that dreams hath gifted
time refines, improves with rhyme, nature, elemental

fundamental, elemental
rhyme without negative residual
gifted thought, double edged, vorpal sword blade, not elected
prior to thoughts priced golden
communication: with one state
to unity all behOlden

“We have new information.” Waite offered. He continued: “One area of the mine has been closed for some time, and had upgrades performed. Safety equipment was added, more lights and a few other specialties. There will be an ore specialist visiting tomorrow, apparently to make recommendations on how to improve the excavation of a possible new ore that has been found here. Apparently, the only person that they could find with the required skills is from Earth. She has been in the Bragliian system for a few days performing preliminary studies on the samples they have already obtained.”

Thorpe’s wife had talked with him enough about her work as a neuro-astronomer, so that when Waite mentioned that the specialist arriving to make recommendations on how to mine the ore was a woman, Thorpe instantly pictured the woman who had made the trip with him from Titan.

He was not surprised therefore, when, with the help of their sympathizer,  Waite, Shovel, and another of the captured, while maintaining a wary eye on Thorpe, allowed him to be a part of the mission to covertly watch the inspection from an abandoned control room, that the ore specialist did in fact turn out to be the woman that he had initially thought of as a bride or agent.

The surprise was that his ‘friend’ Cole, and his doppelganger were among the members of the inspection team. The inspection lasted about an hour, and as far as Thorpe could tell, was normal, other than the hiding of the enslaved workforce, and the illegality of the entire operation. Waite had mentioned that the tour was being recorded, but that they would only be provided with an audio format initially, because the room they were using to maintain their observation of the tour would not be available to them for two more days.

When they had returned to what Thorpe now knew was called the ‘undergrounds’, Waite was surprised to find that the audio file had already arrived. Among the things they learned by listening, was that the specialist was Dr. Lynne Ellensdraught, and that his double was named Eugene, a fact which caused Thorpe to cringe.

After listening to and listing the changes that Dr. Ellensdraught recommended in order to preserve the most of the mineral, Thorpe and Shovel, who also had worked in construction, discussed in what ways the changes would be able to benefit their situation. Most useful to their desired goal of a serious disruption was the introduction of sonic drills. The captured could tell that their captors were relieved that Dr. Ellensdraught’s suggestions did not include the traditional blasting caps. They were running a slave mine after all, and some improvements just could not be tolerated.

Because their captors were unaware of the captured’s level of extensive communication, and the skill set that the ‘disruptunion’ had amongst themselves, there was no way for them to prepare for what was bound to happen when the captured were given the sonic drills.