Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Tribute to Transcendentalism

Once I lived a worldly life, filled with
Tasks and toys and all earthly joys, and
It was all about me.

One day I felt, despite all of that, I'd somehow lost myself.

So I leaped off the corporate ladder;
I conceded the race to the rats
And landed in strange fields.

I saw that it is a crime to eat other creatures, and became a vegan,
And was happier for it.
I rejected violence, became a pacifist,
Saw the futility and falsity of politics,
Turned away from the world,
And was the happier for it.

I gave away my toys and cars,
Said farewell to family and friends and my dog,
Joined an ashram, living by meditation and donation,
And was happier for it.

Now, I spend each day in contented contemplation,
Aiming ever for ego-obliteration,
Living in the moment
Peaceful and resolved,
Because at long last,
It's only about me.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Atheism is for Adults Only

When I was twelve I announced to my parents that I was an atheist. The informed me that I could not be an atheist as I was too young to make such a decision.

At the time, the statement struck me as outrageous, without knowing why. I think it was just a very young man's reaction to being told he wasn't supposed to believe what he believed. Later, I realized it was simply because my declaration scandalized my parents and that this was merely what they said out of shock and surprise.

But all these years later the incident comes back to me and makes me think that most profound of human thoughts: *huh*.

Ain't it odd, that whether Muslim or Hindu or Jew or Christian, you can be a child and be a believer. You can be a toddler -- you can be born a Hindu or a Christian or a Muslim or a Jew.

But it takes a grown-up to be an atheist.

*huh*

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

The Plant Wizard

I'm reading, and really enjoying, "The 42nd Parallel" by John Dos Passos. In it, among many treasures, is this poem, which I reproduce here. Seems like the right place for it.

Luther Burbank was born in a brick farmhouse in Lancaster Mass
he walked round the woods one winter
crunching through the shinycrusted snow
stumbled into a little dell where a warm spring was
and found the grass green and the weeds sprouting
and skunk cabbage pushing up a potent thumb,
He went home and sat by the stove and read Darwin
Struggle for Existence Origin of Species Natural
Selection that wasn't what they taught in church,
so Luther Burbank ceased to believe moved to Lunenburg,
found a seedball in a potato plant
sowed the seed and cashed in on Mr. Darwin's Natural Selection
on Spencer and Huxley
with the Burbank Potato.

Young man go west;
Luther Burbank went to Santa Rosa
full of his dreams of green grass in winter ever-
blooming flowers ever-
bearing berries; Luther Burbank
could cash in on Natural Selection Luther Burbank
carried his apocalyptic dream of green grass in winter
and seedless berries and stoneless plums and thornless roses brambles cactus -
winters were bleak in that bleak
brick farmhouse in bleak Massachusetts -
out to sunny Santa Rosa;
and he was a sunny old man
where roses bloomed all year
everblooming everbearing
hybrids.

America was hybrid
America should cash in on Natural Selection.
He was an infidel he believed in Darwin and Natural
Selection and the influence of the mighty dead
and a good firm shipper's fruit
suitable for canning.
He was one of the grand old men until the churches
and the congregations
got wind that he was an infidel and believed
in Darwin.
Luther Burbank had never a thought of evil,
selecting improved hybrids for America
those sunny years in Santa Rosa.
But he brushed down a wasp's nest that time;
he wouldn't give up Darwin and Natural Selection
and they stung him and he died
puzzled.
They buried him under a cedartree.
His favorite photograph
was of a little tot
standing beside a bed of hybrid
everblooming double Shasta daisies
with never a thought of evil
And Mount Shasta
in the background, used to be a volcano
but they don't have volcanos
any more.