Contrarians’ Creed
Welcome to the Bard's Contrarian Bar where things are nearly never what you think they are
Take the seven deadly sins you hear so much about Not nearly as deadly as folks make them out It seems to me what they've come to be are the cornerstones of our society
To wit: The Magnificent Seven
Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride, Envy, Sloth, and Wrath
Gluttony—less for you, more for me Greed—give me more than I could ever need Lust—gotta get me some (…) or bust Pride—I’m way too big to step aside Envy—reserved for those with more than me Sloth—doing a Zoom chat in my underwear Wrath—piss me off and I will end you
Signs of My Times
Sign on my office door if I ever get an office "No Lying, Cheating, or Price Gouging
Politicians of any ilk need not apply
Gratuities Graciously Accepted"
Sign On My Condo Door if I ever get up the nerve
“Contrarians Welcome all others be wary”
Balance
My mind defeats me
with its incessant fixing
and my ego holds its structure
with diamond nano-threads
while my soul, with deference to neither
holds sovereignty over both
Home Sweet Home
The rising sun brings hope; the setting sun brings serenity; the middle sun brings blinding despair
Midwesterner’s Lament
Desert days, bereft of atmosphere
stand stark naked in their azure sameness
as empty as a loveless heart
content to be introduced
by the cooing of a mourning dove
Metal wind chimes clanging quartos
at the behest of a ghostly wind
howling through the corridors
of my salmon colored condo complex
as a cloudless dusk diffuses
the glare of an angry sun
Comes the night, sacred with delight
Featuring the cosmic trickster,
Coyote, Huehuecoyotl
Cousin to Kokopelli
A mystery for the human ear
to discern amongst the yips and barks
of our neighboring bands of canid kinfolk
the lusty rebel songs and deeds
of their immortal ancestors
Fallen
She felt like a live branch on a fallen tree Her snowy camouflage stripped by the sun Inviting passers-by to snap her off and transform her into switches or swords or missals or kindling Ignorant of her need to remain attached for the birthing of another glorious tree
And Yet
Yes I do believe that dark money runs our world
Democracy has lost its way
War is the world's greatest pastime
Truth has been murdered in its bed
Transparency can get you killed
and genocide is on the rise
Even God almighty has been weaponized
against innocents and non-believers alike
And yet
Love, the only manna worth its name
has yet to weigh in
has yet to be invited to the dance
Our choices
Split the atom, embrace annihilation
or
Honor the atom smashing energy of love
coursing through trillions of cells
to preserve our human temples
and we might get the message
that love, not might or right, is life itself
Like the man said, Love is all there is
