For my flower of the day today, I want to give you a link to an incredible nursery. You won’t believe what you’ll see there. Incredible! Here it is: https://freshcutky.wordpress.com/
Don’t miss this one by Cee, or the others who have links on her blog: http://ceenphotography.com/2015/09/13/flower-of-the-day-september-13-2015-bashful-dahlia/
Earlier today, I wrote an answer to Mark Aldrich who had sent me a video of Leonard Cohen singing “Democracy” as an answer to my yesterday’s essay entitled “The Three Stooges and Campaign Reform.” In today’s earlier post, I admitted I had more to say but had run out of time to say it, but that I’d be back. Well, here I am. I’m baa-ack! Since Mark answered me with a song, I would like to reciprocate with lyrics by Leonard Cohen that I think offer a bit more hope that the lyrics of “Democracy.”
“Anthem”
The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.
Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
We asked for signs
the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed
the marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
of every government —
signs for all to see.
I can’t run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
a thundercloud
and they’re going to hear from me.
Ring the bells that still can ring …
You can add up the parts
but you won’t have the sum
You can strike up the march,
there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
That’s how the light gets in.
That’s how the light gets in.
–Leonard Cohen
Cohen is admitting that nothing is perfect and never has been. If it weren’t for the evil in the world, good would not exist; for the very existence of the world depends on the movement between yin and yang, anima and animus, light and dark, positive and negative, good and evil. But there is a crack in everything. Both the good and the evil are vulnerable to permeation by the other. The very liberty bell is, in fact, cracked.
I think he is saying to take heart. The I Ching states that the universe is a pendulum and that whenever one force gets to its summit, the laws of nature dictate that it begins to change into its opposite, swinging farther and farther over to its antithesis. The “widowhood” of a government marks the end of its power. Is Cohen saying that it is necessary for a corrupt government to fall in order to restore the good of the people? Perhaps. But all he commits to is the effect it has had on him, personally.
I can’t run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
a thundercloud
and they’re going to hear from me.
It certainly sounds like Cohen is talking about the hypocrisy of those who profess to be religious yet serve their own interest instead of the good of the people. This thundercloud that is happening–is it merely his personal little cloud? He says they are going to hear from him, and in this song, they certainly have. But is he talking about a larger cloud? One that will cause people to vote in the interest of the masses for once instead of the good of the vocal few who have convinced them that to vote to further the causes of the powerful and wealthy is in the best interest of ordinary citizens?
If liberty is cracked to the point where it is no longer functional, he calls upon people to still “Ring the bells that still can ring.” In short, to do what we can. No, our government is not perfect because nothing is perfect. It is just not the way the world is set up. We can take what power we do have, however, and vote. This is a power that hasn’t been taken away from us. If only, if only, the great majority of citizens would allow themselves to be enlightened–to let the light in–perhaps the change back towards democracy could start to happen.
When my sister Patti and her friend Karen Bossart were little girls, they were asked to sing a song for entertainment at the Republican Convention. Unbeknownst to those who asked them, my parents and hers were some of the few democrats in town. Imagine their surprise when my sister and Karen got up and sang wearing these badges! When we all got together earlier this summer, it just so happens that Karen had saved her badge, which now forms a reasonably appropriate illustration for this post.
In response to my today’s post “The Three Stooges and Campaign Reform,” Mark Aldrich sent me a link to THIS YouTube video of Leonard Cohen singing his song “Democracy.” The lyrics are below:
“Democracy”
It’s coming through a hole in the air,
from those nights in Tiananmen Square.
It’s coming from the feel
that this ain’t exactly real,
or it’s real, but it ain’t exactly there.
From the wars against disorder,
from the sirens night and day,
from the fires of the homeless,
from the ashes of the gay:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It’s coming through a crack in the wall;
on a visionary flood of alcohol;
from the staggering account
of the Sermon on the Mount
which I don’t pretend to understand at all.
It’s coming from the silence
on the dock of the bay,
from the brave, the bold, the battered
heart of Chevrolet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It’s coming from the sorrow in the street,
the holy places where the races meet;
from the homicidal bitchin’
that goes down in every kitchen
to determine who will serve and who will eat.
From the wells of disappointment
where the women kneel to pray
for the grace of God in the desert here
and the desert far away:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Sail on, sail on
O mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on.
It’s coming to America first,
the cradle of the best and of the worst.
It’s here they got the range
and the machinery for change
and it’s here they got the spiritual thirst.
It’s here the family’s broken
and it’s here the lonely say
that the heart has got to open
in a fundamental way:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It’s coming from the women and the men.
O baby, we’ll be making love again.
We’ll be going down so deep
the river’s going to weep,
and the mountain’s going to shout Amen!
It’s coming like the tidal flood
beneath the lunar sway,
imperial, mysterious,
in amorous array:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Sail on, sail on …
I’m sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can’t stand the scene.
And I’m neither left or right
I’m just staying home tonight,
getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I’m stubborn as those garbage bags
that Time cannot decay,
I’m junk but I’m still holding up
this little wild bouquet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
I must admit that these lyrics puzzle me. I think its message is pessimistic and ironic and to a degree hopeless. Perhaps he is saying that everyone will get fed up enough with the decay of democracy in the U.S. to do something about it, but it still feels to me that the overall message is one of irony. Everyone is fed up. The hints of encroaching democracy are more obvious in China in Tiananmen Square (although I believe by the 1990’s democracy had been pretty much squelched in China as well) than in the land of democracy and opportunity for all. Where is this change coming from? It is obvious it is not coming from the power brokers and wealthy who have sold democracy for their own enrichment. It must, then, come from us.
How then does Cohen see us–we who must bring back democracy? The family is broken, democracy ain’t exactly real and it ain’t exactly here. Gay rights seem dead (remember, this is 1990), the homeless fill the streets, auto companies are failing, wars are being waged, sirens are wailing (much like Cohen himself) and women are complaining in their kitchens. Everybody seems pretty unhappy. Even Cohen chooses to retreat into escaping into his TV set, declaring, all the while, that he is as indestructible as those garbage bags that will still be around for the judgement day.
To me, it looks like the outlook is pretty desultory. But this was what–25 years ago? What does the situation look like now? Lest this post get too burdensome, and because I have an appointment in an hour, please come back later for my answer. Yes, I do have the beginning of one in drafts. Just not the time to complete it.
My thanks go to Mark Aldrich, one of the best commentators on the blogs today, for providing the impetus for this post. Mark, you might have more illuminating words to speak about these lyrics. I welcome the input of all. I am not as versed in politics as most. I can barely stand to watch the news anymore, and I think I’m not alone in this. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care what happens in this world. I think we each do what we can in the way that most suits our personality. If you are reading this, chances are you have chosen the same way I have–blogging–and I thank Mark and all of the others out there in the world who bring us sound and fair reportage of what is going on.
Later tonight I am actually going to bring to you another Leonard Cohen song that I think perhaps holds out a bit more hope for us–and perhaps a few solutions. Thanks for reading. I welcome your comments.
The Three Stooges and National Campaign Reform
If I could change one thing about my country, it would be the national campaign and campaign financing process! The three ring circus that now exists is anything but fun. The posturing, lies, mud-slinging and character defamation (and recently the presidential candidates themselves) are more reminiscent of the Three Stooges than of the dignified performances that it seems should be called for on the part of those who are going to run our country and determine our futures.
I would like to see a system where presidential candidates are allowed to campaign for four months only. This would be done during a series of twice weekly debates and interviews run by a non-partial panel of interviewers who ask questions on key issues.
Each candidate would also be afforded so much space in newspapers per week but the articles would also be written by nonpartial journalists. Biographies of candidates would be written, again, by third parties who have no stake in election results.
The biggest change might be to totally outlaw campaign financing and instead to set up a common fund for candidates and to provide equal time for all of the leading candidates that would be provided by the networks and individual newspapers and national magazines. An additional advantage to this banning of campaign financing is that it might curb influence-peddling and graft and corruption in voting. Perhaps we could get out of the power clutch of big business and again make our government one by the people, of the people and for the people rather than one serving the interests of mainly the powerful and wealthy.
This may sound idealistic, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to base your votes on real information rather than theatrics, mud-slinging and character defamation? Perhaps if candidates were limited in the time they were given they would use that time to confront the real issues.
I don’t know how mailings and internet contact of private citizens could be regulated without impinging on the rights of free speech, as it would be a dangerous precedent to limit mention of candidates on various social platforms, but perhaps someone else could figure out some way to stop the current slander and libel and cruel character assassinations that occur on the internet. If not, at least we could encourage our government leaders not to serve as the patterns for such behavior.
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The Fun Platform.” If you were the new leader of your country and had the chance to transform something that’s currently an annoyance (or worse) into a very fun activity, what would it be? How would you go about the change, and why would you choose that particular thing?
Last night I was talking to okcforgottenman in between posting pictures for the selfies prompt. He first said it didn’t sound very much like a prompt I would pursue, then advised me on which pictures seemed too staged (Yes, I removed them), and in the end suggested I add the picture of my shadow on a beach studded with jellyfish. That was a good suggestion and I posted my blog, then noticed that it was 3 a.m.!!!
This chain of events is not unusual, for I rarely try to go to sleep before 2 or 3 and sometimes even later (earlier?) but for some reason, I am always surprised at the hour. I think I said something like, “How did it get to be 3 a.m.?” Forgottenman answered, “Time is a snake,” and for once I was the one who said that would make a good prompt. Of course he agreed and issued the challenge, so here is my poem on the subject, which is not at all as original as his, which I have read. He’s now polishing it. Well, actually, he’s now out mowing his lawn but thinking about polishing it. I’ll give him 24 hours and then I’m posting with or without him. It is 3:30 p.m., September 12, 2015. I’m giving you fair warning, okcforgottenman!!!!
Yaxchilan Divine Serpent
Serpentine
Time is a snake coiled in the dark–
ready to strike, eyes on its mark.
In the sun of youth, the snake may laze
in torpor from the day’s long rays.
If it moves slowly you may not see
time progressing from A to Z,
but as you grow older, it builds up speed,
spurred onward by the urge to feed.
The snake uncoils and starts its race.
Sensing this, you join the chase.
Your goal is what you’re meant to do,
while the serpent’s goal is only you.
With luck, you are still in your prime
when you run your race pursued by time.
For later, fatigue stakes its coup
and you slow until time catches you.
Then it coils gently around your head
in hammock, easy chair or bed.
Its pulsing gyre steals you away–
that final price that life must pay.
See okcforgottenman’s poem written to this same prompt HERE.
We invite you all to write to this same prompt. If you do, please send a link to both of us!
This poem is set in California, U.S.A. and the initial character is American, as are the protesters. The men standing outside the lumber yard are Mexicans looking for work.
Unclear Agenda
His denims worn and torn, his hair unshorn,
he sat on a fruit crate near a stop sign
on an exit road just off the California interstate.
“Will work for food,” his sign said, so I stopped.
“Jump in,” I said, and he looked confused.
“I have a city lot taken over by castor beans,” I told him.
“I’ll give you a meal and ten bucks an hour to clear them.”
“Lady, that would take me a day or more,” he said.
“I can make more than that in a few hours, just sitting here.”
A week later I see him in a line of toughs
who line the street, holding signs and now and then
crossing the street to harass the Mexican laborers
in the parking lot outside the lumberyard.
“Illegals steal the jobs of good Americans,” their placards say,
while the littler, more brawny men stand silent,
not answering their jostlings and their shouts.
Once more, I pull up in front of him.
“So you’re ready to work?” I ask. “Jump in.”
I direct the question to the lot, and not one answers.
“So no one wants the job of cutting castor beans?” I ask.
This sparks a recognition, and he shifts and turns,
his attention suddenly captured by the man lighting a joint
behind, in the shadows of a shrub.
Still, not one answers, so I drive on to the parking lot.
When I ask the question again, thirteen hands shoot up.
I leave with a full back seat and when I turn into the street
not one picket sign is lifted. Every eye avoids my own.
This poem, based on a real incident, was inspired by the prompt, “Wandering Revenue” that was suggested to me by the Topic Generator. https://topicgenerator.wordpress.com/submit/
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/daily-ritual/
The Missing Link
Leave a Link?
In the past few months, I’ve started leaving a link when I comment on other people’s blogs. I had done this in the past, thinking it would make it easier for them to find material written by me that is pertinent to what they have talked about in their blog. Then I read an article on a blog advice site that said this was tacky and made it look like you were just reading and commenting on another blog to advertise your own. Embarrassed, I stopped posting any links.
Very promptly, a viewer complained, asking why I hadn’t included a link as she had grown to depend upon them. I used this as permission to resume the practice. Since then I have never had a complaint about leaving links, but I’ve had at least a dozen bloggers thank me for doing so. It makes it so much easier to find the correct spot on my blog that I think they might be interested in, or in some cases, just helps direct them to new material they might have missed if they posted after I did.
I’ve found that this has given birth to so many more conversations and in fact I’ve found the blogging world to be a warm and caring and interactive place–partially due to the facility with which people can find my own thoughts about topics they themselves have written about.
So, dear blogging friends and friends to be, if you are making a comment to me about a specific blog of your own that I’ve commented upon, perhaps you’d consider including a link back to that post on your blog, since by the time I receive your comment on my comment, I’ve probably forgotten the name of your post or how to find it.
I’d love to comment on your comment and since there is so much to write and see and read each day, the less time spent searching the better! The same is true when you read my blog about a topic you’ve written about. I would love to read your thoughts. Help me out by giving a link!!
I’m interested in how you feel about this matter. Do you feel “used” when I include a link with comments? That is not the intention.
And now, here is a link back to the Daily Post site: https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/daily-ritual/
Worldly Ritual
One occurrence that is viewed the world over is the eclipse. In Mexico, there are still some rituals practiced. Parents tie red cloth around their children’s wrists and the necks of animals–dogs, cattle, horses–and farmers protect their crops in the same way by tying red cloth around gates or fence posts. I wrote about my own lunar ritual over a year and a half ago when few present viewers were reading my blog. My poem was written in complicated terza rima–a form explained in that post. To read my poem about the eclipse, go HERE.
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Daily Ritual.” Think about your day. Select one of your daily rituals and explain it to us: why do you do what you do? How did you come to adopt this ritual? What happens on days when you can’t perform it?
Oscar and Carmen Play with Flowers
I think there were twelve of us in my full-sized van that day, off to see the wildflowers and rocks of Tapalpa. This series of pictures is all about Carmen and Oscar. Oscar is the little boy you saw diligently doing his English homework at my dining room table a few days ago. He is now nine. In these pictures he is two. Carmen is his sister and stylist.
Oscar was pretty happy with his handful of pristine white flowers
But Carmen had a better idea.
She looked beautiful in her cosmos garland, in spite of the sun in her eyes that gave her a wistful look.
But she had further plans.
And I’m not too sure how Oscar feels about his sister’s attempt to spruce up his look, but I thought he looked adorable!
For more gorgeous flowers, go HERE.
Selfie Challenge
My prior selfies have been word-oriented, but in this challenge, the assignment was to do a photo selfie, so here are a handful!
For more selfies, look here: http://bulldogtravels.com/2015/09/07/calling-all-selfies-bulldogtravels-self-portrait-photo-challenge/
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 