Anthracite

I am deliriously happy
the person said
so what

and according to who
so you think
don’t judge

Here lies the philosophical battle in all of us
congratulate the spoken revelation as you do
that is what is expected from you,
required in fact

am I displaying the right emotion?
that is obviously demanded?
to salve some wound

hollow are the words
when best displayed
by actions

Stumbling through a grain filled field
your entrails fill your hands
and you don’t know how to go on
but you do

There lies a house near familiar trees
that beckons to your burdens
maybe a safe place you want to believe
your face displays need

A door is opened with sad fatalism
you are not an expected privilege
gratefulness hindered by your burden
and then you know

Your uniform is but a shell of you
ugliness of the war on you like paint
and although you hold your heart out
it is not seen

The shallowness of the world crashes upon you
fighting it as it can’t be believed as true
the shadow in the door looks past you to other ghosts
a forgotten distraction

The stone you occupy is your own for now
as the breeze of historical ignorance passes
you do not possess the the sail that others can ride
such your soul becalmed.

I will be your monument
said no one but a fool
reducing men to nothingness
bereft of dreams
left to drool

hopes cannot hang on the flesh of men
and a martyr’s just skin and bone
anyone’s God is not of man
but made of wood
and cold hard stone.

Do not talk to me like that!
– like what? Your reality is flawed!
Well tell me what is reality then!
– reality is what you are breathing right now.
Reality is an individual thing so no one can say
– well then it is imagination, not reality.
Not true! Your reality is different that mine!
– no it’s not, it is opinions that are different.
You have a deformed view, my reality is not yours
– yes it is. The sky is blue, the grass is green, the wind blows, these things are the same, these things are reality.
Yes but…..
– and are not formed by your opinion or imagination. The reality is that you live.
Yes but…..
– the reality of how you live it is called choice.

And then the sun rises and glints off the empty bottles
as you wake to the embrace of old whisky and an Arab armpit in your mouth.

Such are the consequences and dangers of spending a night arguing with oneself

These words are not written with tears from an Angel
maybe they are from a man
but does it make a difference?
the more they engulf your soft feelings
better the chance of getting my way
and in the end you must agree
that is precisely
the point.

This gadget in my hands means we have progressed
evolved from the mud we seem so keen to return
able to judge others for their wrongs and punish
travel for knowledge and build phalic buildings
drive machines that we own and have things
this is strength and knowledge from evolution
then why do we act like viruses

and why are we not all kind?

Please don’t tell me what it means
or what it is made of
I don’t want to know how to say it
not even if it is illegal

The outcome is perfect
because I like it
just the way it is

How do you know if you are living the best you possibly can?
and if there is no connection to your head how can someone else tell you?
now define best

How do you measure your contentment?
why is it important to display it to others?
now define contentment

What is the relationship between need and crying?
do we cry because we need as if it fixes things?
now define need

Does society dictate how you live your life?
then why, if it your choice to participate?
now define society

And all of this is answered with one word
But only if we can apply it purposefully to ourselves
now define love

So that is it when all said and done
what is love?

the total absence of judgement

(the last line is familiar to me and I recall it may be inspired by the Dalai Lama – not sure)