BALLAD OF THE BLACK BEANS

 .

.

.

Oh, listen my friends and you shall hear

A tale of the time it took

To soak the beans and boil the beans

But the beans just wouldn't cook

.

.

I put the beans on in the morning

Boiled those beans all day

Every time I checked the pot

The beans were boiling away

.

.

I tried the beans every hour or so

But they never did get soft

I finally gave up at bedtime

And turned the burner off

.

.

Friends please heed my warning

Check for when the beans were sold

Because black beans will never, ever cook

If they are too old

.

.

.

.

.

.

CONSENSUS

 .

.

.

CONSENSUS

.

.

Here is the weather report from the Sun

It's going to shine all day

You can count on its being there

Though dark clouds block its rays

.

.

If you visualize the Sun in your mind

You will find something real and true

We can all share this golden orb

There is plenty for me and you

.

.

.

.

.

.

MOMENTUM

 .

.

.

MOMENTUM

.

.

To stop moving is to blink out of existence

So we move

To stop going forwards is to go backwards

As time marches on

To stop readjusting moment by moment

Is to be tossed about by fickle fate

To stop giving and receiving is to lose relevance

So we move, make progress, stay mindful

Steer and slosh back and forth in the ocean of time 

Because time and tide wait for no one

And we have places to go and things to do

.

.

.

.

.

.

THE BOTTOM LINE

 .

.

.

THE BOTTOM LINE

.

.

When a professional is in charge

You can feel a degree of confidence

That things will go smoothly

Problems will be addressed and resolved

Any rough spots will be smoothed over

Things will be fine

.

.

No one knows me better than me

Every detail of my life so far

The boundaries of my existence

Whatever problems crop up I am equipped to address

I have given myself an extended warranty

If anything goes wrong, just bring it in

I will fix it to the best of my ability

Because I am the only professional on earth

Who understands how I work best.

.

.

.

.

.

.

THE HOLE TRUTH

 .

.

.

THE HOLE TRUTH

.

.

Every once in a while, a hole mysteriously appears

Although there is always a reason

Most of the time the hole is a big surprise 

To onlookers, and especially to the unfortunate one 

Who falls into the hole

They did not suspect that today will be the day 

They fall into a hole

This gives me hope, because every once in a while

Somebody comes along that I just can not abide

And since a hole can suddenly appear without warning

It could be that the person I can't abide might fall in

I don't wish it on them 

But knowing it could possibly happen is a bright spot in my thoughts

.

.

.

.

.

.

OH WELL

 .

.

.

OH WELL

A personal philosophy is a very important thing

It is the soil, rich or parched, where our conscious thoughts grow

And the Influencer of our Subconscious, that wry gnome

That lives in our basement, full of mischief and folly

With our current philosophy in hand

We must ask ourselves

Do we think life is awful and pointless

Or beautiful and full of meaning?

Is today a day to rise and shine?

Can I change the things I will?

We can change our personal philosophy

By altering our mental state

Drugs and alcohol will loosen our grip 

On our most urgent pressing problems

Allowing us to relax and gain perspective

But it doesn't last and can bring a myriad of secondary problems

Which will need another shift in philosophical perspective to solve

Relaxing and changing perspective is the way to go

Through reading, meditation, hanging out with cool people

Who have somehow gotten a grip on something in their head

And are consciously steering the mighty Ship of Self named the "Me"

When anger, hurt, confusion or fear appear 

These are problems philosophy can solve, the right tool

In the right hands can work wonders

So even if your philosophy is just to shrug, sigh, or walk away

If it helps you to feel better and keep going in a good orderly direction

It is a good philosophy just for today.

.

.

.

.

.

.

HEIRESS

 .

.

.

HEIRESS

.

.

I am incredibly wealthy

I can't take any credit for this vast horde of wealth

I inherited all this 

I would like to thank my benefactors

But I don't know who they are

So, I will thank them all

The cave dweller who discovered the use of fire

The genius who figured out the wheel

All the herbalists, alchemists and astrologers

Whose fields expanded into modern medicine and astronomy

To the list of ancestors who have contributed

To my comfort, safety, health, enjoyment -

Thank you all for these treasured advantages

I have ease, cleanliness and spare time undreamed of  

By my hardy ancestors of yore

I feel a solemn responsibility to bequeath

This large and irreplaceable treasure, this Progress

In good standing, I place these things in the hands

Of the next generation, who have a chance to add

And not squander, all this hard-won wealth

The greatest gift, the best chance, the most possibilities

That the new generation will continue to increase in knowledge

Passing that on to future generations

Who might not even be living on Earth

Who might not have all-human bodies

Who might have a lifestyle unimaginable

To me today.

.

.

.

.

.

.

MYTHIC

 .

.

.

MYTHIC

.

.

Hate and anger is a plague of boils

Painful, unsightly, a disease process

A Curse, sometimes generational

Sometimes personal, political. or regional

What can the afflicted do?

They can seek help

Apply the calming soothing ointment of sweet reason

Until the angry red rage bubbles subside

The problem is that the boil encrusted hater

Believes the boils are caused by others, by conditions

Not from an inner process they caught somewhere along the way

Be warned - these boils are contagious

While we might feel compassion, caution or pity for the ragers

We can't risk too much contact

Lest we become infected with the plague of unreason

And lose our healthy mindsets of

Benevolent peace and blessing

.

.

.

.

.

.

LABELS

 .

.

.

LABELS

.

.

To think of yourself as a "loser"

Is a terrible thing to do

That label precludes any effort

To try and succeed pushing through

.

.

No, once you are labeled a "loser"

You give up, sit back and lose

Keep on spiraling downwards

But is this the fate you would choose?

.

.

What if you dropped the word "loser"

Replaced it with "tryer" instead?

Then trying becomes your identity

To reach for the goals in your head

.

.

You might try and not get there

The very first effort you make

But now that you are a "tryer"

You just learn from every mistake

.

.

You don't have the wings of an eagle

But that doesn't mean you can't fly

You will keep climbing higher and higher

Once you determine to try

.

.

.

.

.

.

NOT JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT

 .

.

.

NOT JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT

"I didn't do it, it wasn't me."

Says the one who will deny endlessly

"It was a gift, I don't owe."

Says the one who won't pay back the dough

"I'm not a responsible person, I thought you knew it."

Says the one that really blew it

"I did nothing, you're to blame."

Says the one who will never change

Taking responsibility, admitting our role

Is the only way we can grow

Making amends and better choices

Is the consciousness raising process

The lower path never gets any better

But the higher path leads to amazing  treasure

.

.

.

.

.

.

VISION

 .

.

.

VISION

.

.

I don't want a battle, I don't want a skirmish

Nor any harsh words neither heated or warmish

No rude gestures, no dirty looks

Zero nasty insults shot with barbed hooks

.

.

I want peace, I want calm

I want a safe place for us to carry on

Words that are friendly, that encourage and support

Everyone willing to do their part

With the same amount of effort and much less drama

Life could be nicer, easier and calmer

.

.

The issue isn't about wrong or right

We can always cooperate instead of fight

Our lower natures might bare their fangs

But our higher selves lead us to better things

.

.

.

.

.

WHOOSH

 .

.

.

WHOOSH

.

.

Sometimes a breath is a sigh

Sometimes a breath is a prayer

Since our first breath at birth

Our life is lived in the air

.

.

The air is our constant companion

It must be every where we go

So our breath is a powerful tool

To learn how to aerodynamically  flow

.

.

First we cut down on resistance

Air drag is not what we need

Then we smooth any sharp edges

This gets us up to full speed

.

.

.

.

.

.

SOLVING A BIG PROBLEM

 .

.

.

SOLVING A BIG PROBLEM

What do you do

If there is a hippopotamus in the living room?

You could talk to everyone you know and complain

You can look for someone convenient to blame

You can give the hippo an official Latin name

But that doesn't solve the problem

.

.

The hippo has to go, but how?

The police refer you to animal control

But they visit and say that's not how they roll

When you peek through the living room keyhole

The hippo is still there

.

.

The government says they will fix this

But they don't

You ask the hippo to leave politely

But it won't

How have others dealt with this 

And coped?

You make it your mission to find out

.

.

You post a video of the hippo online

And in very little time

You have had 17 million views

You are on the local news

A zoo in Brussels says that they can use

A hippo in their fabulous new African Park

.

.

They come to your home to get it

They are kind and gentle and don't upset it

The hippo will have a fine new home

You had to solve this problem on your own

With the help of 17 million views

And an animal rights activist named Heus

.

.

.

.

.

.

EVOLUTION

 .

.

.

EVOLUTION

.

.

If you are leaping from one thing to another

Swinging wildly from limb to limb

You are using your monkey mind

Which immediately reacts to situations with action

Good for an immediate crisis or opportunity

.

.

If you are barely moving, in slow motion

Just breathing and waiting

You are using your reptile mind

A real survivor that knows the value of blending in

Keeping a low profile. basking in whatever warmth is available

Not committing to an action until you are sure

.

.

If you look up at the stars and moon with wonder

See the precious holiness of all life forces

Feel the strength of trees, hear the voices of wind and crows

You are using your Magical Childe mind

Expanding your awareness until it is One with the Whole

And the Light of Understanding shines like a beacon

The North Star

The beautiful destination of Wisdom

.

.

.

.

.

.

MY REAL ESTATE

 .

.

.

MY REAL ESTATE

.

.

Everything was here before I got here

Everything will be here when I'm gone

In the meantime I must manage my resouces

To set things up so I can carry on

.

.

I had many notions and ideas

How everything should ideally be

Yet I saw the most fertile field for improvement

Is the field of life given just to me.

.

.

.

.

.

.

AHOY

 .

.

.

AHOY

.

.

Against the backdrop of infinity and eternity

You and I are less than tiny specks

Lasting a brief moment

Yet in that moment, the golden now

We are very important, unique, vast in our thoughts

With the desire to know we turn over every rock

Study every leaf, analyze every substance

Because a physical body and a brain are all we have

Standing bravely, eye to a telescope, we look

Out into the vast beyond of time and space

We are the intrepid crew on the ship of Existing

Our sails filled with cosmic wind

Our destination unknown, our dangers many

We travel on the best we can, 

Working together, climbing the rigging

Until we see the harbor lights beckoning us

Towards port and a welcoming place of safety

Where no storm may threaten us 

.

.

.

.

.

.

YOUTUBE

 .

.

.

YOUTUBE

.

.

I know how to survive in a blizzard

How to remove excess hair

What to feed a pet lizard

How to scare off a bear

.

.

I learned about spooky action

I can escape from zip ties

I can roll my own shrimp rolls

Draw eyebrows over my eyes

.

.

I heard the theories of weirdos

Learned about what's in the skies

What to expect in the bardo

YouTube is making me wise

.

.

.

.

.

.

BLAST

 .

.

.

BLAST 

.

.

I used to break out in a fury

My mind was consumed with worry

I rushed around in a hurry

I shed that "me" a while ago

.

.

Now I am slow to anger

Everything doesn't spell danger

My mind, the Cosmic Ranger

Says upwards and onwards we go

.

.

.

.

.

.

LIMITLESS

 .

.

.

LIMITLESS

Gravity, the hand of the potter

Also holds me firmly to Earth

Gravity helps hold my life together

And has since the day of my birth

.

.

Gravity and entropy

Skip through time, hand in hand

Like them I will have all infinity

To do everything I have planned

.

.

.

.

.

.

ME-STERY

 .

.

.

ME-STERY

.

.

I own a vast array of things

Spoons, socks, paper products

I need all this stuff to live my day smoothly

These things are not me

If I had different spoons or chopsticks

I would still be me

.

.

I own a vast array of cells and atoms

Which are routinely and automatically replaced

Still, I am the little me that cried in a crib

The me that went to school, the me that became an adult

.

.

I am not spoons or cells

I am the information that knows what spoons are

I am the data on where the replacement cells go

I am the Organizer - spoons in the silverware drawer

Liver cells in the liver all tidy and neat

And who is the Organizer?

Though I am the Knower of some information

I do not know who I am yet but I believe

In the heart of the lotus, in the center of the rose  there is an answer

There is an answer that only my silent inner being can hear

.

.

.

.

.

.

HYPOTHESES

 .

.

.

HYPOTHESIS

Our bodies accumulate data errors

Entropy eventually does us in

While our minds accumulate wisdom

So, while we are losing, we still win.

.

.

..

.

.

.

A NEW DAY

 .

.

.

A NEW DAY

.

.

It is hard to leave

When the time comes to leave

We pack as much as we can

Including memories, feelings, experiences

These will become valuable teachings in days to come

Even if our old life was most unfortunate

Unpleasant, traumatic, unfair

It was where we were for a time

Where we struggled and tried our best

We invested ourselves in that incarnation

But few investments are permanent

All of life is in motion, arriving and leaving

Something, to go Somewhere Else

When that time comes strengthen your mind

To be open

To what will come next

Because as sure as the Sun's flaming chariot

Flies majestically across the vaulted sky

We too are on our way to a new day.

.

.

.

.

.

.

PRECOGNITION DEJA VOODOO

 .

.

.

PRECOGNITION DEJA VOODOO

.

.

The Sun was the same sun when we worshipped it

As it is now, when we do not worship it

The Sun wasn't pleased we worshipped it

Nor displeased we stopped worshipping

The Sun will carry on 

Whether it shines on mankind or not

The Sun has its own trajectory

Burning through time until time runs out

Probably through the sieve of black holes

Which skim off the information, the data

Needed for a new universe with new suns

Since Infinity is a really long time

Maybe new nearly identical versions of us 

Will reform, and we will have some instinctive feeling

About which way we should go this time around

Just like we occasionally have in this spin cycle

And this slice of eternity we are floating on. 

.

.

.

.

.

.