Poetic Dissection of Sometimes a Wild God

Whilst exploring the electric seas of the interwebs I came across a poem that I had never read before called, "Sometimes a Wild God," by Tom Hirons. 

I read it.

Then I read it again. 

It resonated with me. So, before I color your view of it, I believe it only fair that you have a chance to come to your own conclusions. The poem, read by it's author, Tom Hirons with illustrations by Rima Stains, can be found here: Sometimes a Wild God. 

Now, while you consider this piece please allow me to prattle on for a moment about art.

All art is subjective and a delicate dance between the creator and, for lack of a better word, the consumer. I use the word consumer but I do not mean monetarily, I mean that a piece or work has been discovered, used, and/or experienced. Art is that magical space where these two forces meet - creators and consumers. And this is where magic becomes real. No matter what the art form, it takes two to tango. Art tells us a story and stories connect us to a greater narrative than ourselves. 

As consumers we are all at different places in our journeys and subject to the relentless nature of time. These factors influence the effect that art has on us at different time in our lives. Case in point, we could read a book when we are young and then read that same book ten years later and, due to maturity & life experiences, the book has different things to say to us. Things that we could not appreciate ten years ago. The same shift will happen ten years from now when we read that very same book. There are lessons to be learned - wisdom to be gleaned when we revisit art. That magic place, that dance between creator & consumer, can take on an unexpected depth over the course of years.

The author, the painter, the sculptor, the poet, the filmmaker, the musician, the vlogger, the creator brings it into the world, hones it by sanding down the edges, and eventually, releases it into the wild where it finds or does not find it's audience or those who will consume it. If it is discovered the dance can commence and the magic happens.

All that said, I find this poem magical. For me it speaks of the past and how we deal with things that are too much to process. The narrator is dealing with something from his past either some deep regret that he has done or some trauma laced abuse that was done to him. This is the Wild God. The Wild God is not in itself a force for evil - it is only a specter that the narrator has buried deep from himself and the world. He hasn't told his wife. The Wild God gets into the narrator's house even though he rejects him and while he is there the narrator avoids eye contact, gives him the "worst of his food," and ultimately pours the Wild God and himself a glass of whiskey - in effect drinking two glasses for himself all to push the Wild God away, to bury him again. The Wild God is a force of nature that wants the narrator to grow. "Why did you leave me?" the god asks. The answer is that the narrator does not want to face his own past. He would rather 'move on' with his life, but the Wild God is persistent and visits him when he least expects it. The narrator refers to scores of undead soldiers emerging from their tombs to fight the Wild God and these soldiers could easily be other defense mechanisms - other embattlements that he has put in place to protect himself from the past - from the Wild God. The psychological factor of the abuse that the narrator has suffered rings fresh with the final line of the poem, "His voice makes vinegar from wine and brings the dead to life." This shows that the narrator lives with his abuse at all times and the lengths he has gone to distance himself from it. Unfortunately for him, the trauma poisons his present tense and moments that he finds respite or joy are hijacked as his wine turns to vinegar at the memory of it all. And, in that moment the authors of said abuse, of said trauma, may even be dead now but his reluctance and/or inability to deal with his past ensures that they still live. 

We all have our own Wild God. Perhaps it is trauma done to us or trauma that we have done to others. Coming to terms with the past is a deeply personal thing. I heard a wise man once say, "Love everyone. Forgive everyone. Especially yourself." Forgiveness can be acknowledgment of horror visited upon oneself, an opportunity for us to make peace with the past - not to pretend that all is well or to let the purveyors of said horrors off the hook, but to get oneself off the hook. A moment in time to say it was a moment in time and I will not let it define me. A moment to stop the past from defining ones future.

I found "Sometimes a Wild God' a thoughtful work. I hope you did too. I hope it moved you and I hope that you have peace. I encourage you to look further into Tom Hirons and Rima Staines. Two interesting artists that are most certainly worth your time to investigate in depth.

Until next time, Gentle Reader, I bid you adieu. 

Go Outside & Play

“Time, time, time. …See what’s become of me when I looked around for my possibilities?” – Paul Simon

OH, Chicken Scratch… Please forgive me. I have neglected you. You became a place for me to briefly check in and scream at injustices that weren’t fit for polite company. I stepped away, but it certainly wasn’t because I’ve stopped writing. No, perish the thought. I have enough to fill a book on COVID and a book on cancer alone! No. I believe that my lack of participation here is that my attentions have been diverted due to my participation in social media. Due to the good and the bad that such participations have wrought. I saw a bright, shiny thing and I ran after it. I’m still running for it… No, that’s not accurate; it’s more akin to a light jog or a casual walk these days.

I would like to make amends. I look at this blog sheepishly. It is dated and of a different time. The majority of Chicken Scratch has not aged well. Case in point, one of my favorite segments, the Blue-ray Dossier, was made completely obsolete with the advent of streaming which took over several years ago. I have not paid attention to Chicken Scratch and instead I have invested time and energy into other electronic distractions. I held out a long-time concerning politics and religion but circumstances since 2016 have made such banality an impossible task – especially with the advent of social media and all of it’s pomp & circumstance.

So, what does one do? I mean, the genie is out of the bottle. There is no going back, right? The fact is we love our conveniences and the things that please us. There are no atlases or maps in my vehicle any longer because I use Google Maps and all the give and take that comes with it. Sure, I can get from point A to point B more efficiently, free from tolls & traffic, but I am not the only one who is concerned with my trip to point B. Nope, moment by moment my phone is being monitored. Oh, yours it to and, deep down, I believe we know this. The fact of the matter is, we don’t care anymore. This isn’t tin-foil hat territory any longer. It hasn’t been for quite some time. Have you ever had a brief conversation with someone within earshot of your TV or cell phone only to discover that the next time you’re on Facebook advertisers are actively trying to sell you the content of your conversation back to you – be it goods, services, or ideologies both political & religious?

So, what can be done? What is a healthy balance between using technology responsibly and living in an off-grid cave in the woods? I believe we need to rethink how we approach social media. We need to realize that there is no such thing as anonymity online any longer and that words still mean things (in some quarters). Social media should not be your journal or diary. You can use it as such but just understand that each of your keystrokes are being recorded somewhere, your opinions are being documented, your likes & dislikes are being honed to sell you something (at best) or to oppress you (at worst). Money & manipulation are the names of the game. If we can accept that premise, then we can start to take back a little bit or ourselves and not completely surrender to the algorithm. Think before you type. Pretend that your keyboard isn’t anonymous – like you are having a conversation in public. If you can do that, you’re ahead of the game.

Results may vary and I am still very much a work in progress, but I find that I am happier without corporate media’s 24/7 controlled ‘news’ cycle, doomscrolling, and the ideological battles that keyboard warriors – both worthy & unworthy alike wage their battles. The time one spends on social media is YOUR time. If you wish to fill it with rage & frustration, by all means, read and respond to the comments section. No thanks. The algorithm has painted us all into where the data that AI has collected says we should be. Then there are the soulless Bots employed by would-be oppressors to contend with, as well. No, you can keep your comments section. There’s a 50/50 chance you’re not unloading on a human (rational or otherwise) anyway. I truly feel that we need a mass movement of re-humanization. A moment of self-reflection where we evaluate our place in the digital landscape. Does the time you spend on social media bring you joy? If not, perhaps it’s time to step away from the keyboard for a spell.

Read a book.

Take a walk.

Learn how to cook.

Volunteer somewhere.

Whatever you choose to do to keep yourself sane, do that instead. I am old enough to remember a time before data aggregation when the net was open and free. In days of yore the BBS boards gave way to America Online, which yielded to My Space, which in turn yielded to Facebook and then Twitter. Everything was so bright and shiny and there was a bit of a learning curve. The early days of Facebook were the salad years of social media. Then came the data aggregation companies who became brokers of personal information around the globe. But as is the case with many advancements our technology has far outpaced our ability to accurately assess its true price – what it does to us both psychologically & sociologically. We, the end users of any social media platform, are the commodity. The price of participating is revealing everything about yourself to the algorithm.

Back in the early days it was a fun way to connect with people over the internet. Back from kindergarten playground chums to souls you have never physically met from around the world, a connection was being made. Good times. Then the learning curve flattened out, and the electronic population of social media quadrupled. Advertisers, corporations, municipalities, & governments (local, national, & international) took notice of how people, for a shot of dopamine, would reveal themselves to the world. The algorithm doesn’t simply suggest advertisers to you anymore, now it reports back to whomever wants to pay the price for your information – and this whomever was never your friend. As a matter of fact, this whomever is now monitoring you for how you think, behave, believe and the tools we thought were toys are now the chains that are being held by those who desperately wish to exploit and oppress and rule over you. Yes, your algorithm has been weaponized against us and will continue to be if we do not start to control ourselves and what we project into the electronic world for everything you do on your phone or on your laptop is monitored and scrutinized by people who wish to manipulate or control you just to sell you something - either material goods or services or agendas and ideologies.

Way back in 2013 I wrote a blog, Whistleblowers & the Prophesies of the Dark Knight. I was proud of this one. I see how naive it was now. Our ability as a species to properly keep pace with the emerging technology verses our rate of absorption at the cost of said technology is a problem. That blog entry has not stood the test of time due to the fact that mass surveillance is no longer behind closed doors but is before your screen be it on your phone, laptop, or TV as soon as you hit that “I Agree” button when you sign up anything you wish to do on the computer. It does not take a team of data aggregators to see that your electronic footprint, stretching as far back as possible, can and will be used against you. Your thoughts have been weaponized - yes, even the half-baked ones that you typed into a terminal back in 2013.

"So, what do I do?"

Be discerning. Practice the words you tell others you believe - you know the ones, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." Tell the truth. Try to be on the right side of history and when the political nightmares and abuses you see in the news come crashing through your door to steal you away as you have seen others stolen away you can stand in the light of the truth. Brutality and dominion have always existed but so have kindness and freedom. The pendulum swings eternally. So, when the weight of world's ills is pressing down upon you from everything that your algorithm belches onto your social media feed what can you do? 

If all else fails, block 'em. It's your time, after all. It doesn't have to be personal, perhaps you don't want a steady diet of "Factor X" on your feed. Take it back. Try to remember that you originally came to social media for fun and if your feed on any platform - Facebook, X, Bluesky, Instagram, WHATEVER begins to resemble a cavalcade conspiracies, lies, & overt political manipulation, drop it like it's hot. I have had to do so. Some cases I have had pangs of regret but most of the time it has been for the absolute best. Social media has, after all, provided ample opportunity for people to share their thoughts, feelings, & beliefs and if you are bringing nothing but hatred, lies, & racism to my feed - you've got to go. For the most part I came to social media for positive, progressive, & pleasant intentions. It's my time and it is precious. If you are not a monster we can be acquaintances or friends in real life, but if your online presence clashes with the intentions of which I came to social media for originally (or if you are a monster), then you can do so on your own feed without me.

Stand up for kindness and freedom and step away from the keyboard.

Read a book.

Take a walk.

Learn how to cook.

Volunteer somewhere.

Whatever helps in tapping down the insanities all around us. Evil men will do what evil men do. They have better tools these days, but so do we. Take back those pieces of yourself that have not already been categorized and cataloged. Write your own narrative and do not be manipulated into serving the algorithm and having it think for you. The sad truth is that people make money that can be traded for power when our information is used against us and the human animal does not always listen to the brighter angels of our nature.

Good luck, gentle reader. We are all works in progress. While I am attempting to re-humanize I am on social media less. 

I am happier for it. 

Perhaps you would be too.

 

Fixed It

I saw someone on Facebook posted this abomination. 

I fixed it. It now reads...

Dear God, this man. 

He's an evil we can't even imagine. 

Keep us safe from those who worship him. 

Amen!

 

Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson passed on September 28, 2024. He was a musician, actor, songwriter. His authenticity and honesty brought a sense of integrity to the varied creative projects he chose. 

I love the lyrics of "Pilgrim's Progress." Here they are, just as Mr. Kristofferson wrote them...

Pilgrim’s Progress by Kris Kristofferson

Am I young enough to believe in revolution
Am I strong enough to get down on my knees and pray
Am I high enough on the chain of evolution
To respect myself, and my brother and my sister
And perfect myself in my own peculiar way

I get lazy, and forget my obligations
I'd go crazy, if I paid attention all the time
And I want justice, but I'll settle for some mercy
On this Holy Road through the Universal Mind

Am I young enough to believe in revolution
Am I strong enough to get down on my knees and pray
Am I high enough on the chain of evolution
To respect myself, and my brother and my sister
And perfect myself in my own peculiar way

I got lucky, I got everything I wanted
I got happy, there wasn't nothing else to do
And I'd be crazy not to wonder if I'm worthy
Of the part I play in this dream that's coming true

Am I young enough to believe in revolution
Am I strong enough to get down on my knees and pray
Am I high enough on the chain of evolution
To respect myself, and my brother and my sister
And perfect myself in my own peculiar way

Thank you for the lyrics, music, and stories, Mr. Kristofferson.

Long may you ride.

...Is This Thing On?

Why, yes. I think the lights are still on, here. "Blogging" has taken some hits due to the advent of social media and the open sharing of ideas on all of the various platforms. But, those platforms are particularly rancid and venomous.  Social media was fun and informative. It's been hijacked by the old devil itself - the REAL devil, human nature. 

Yeah, we're pretty awful. That awfulness is easily exacerbated by sitting in front of an anonymous keyboard and filling one's mind with only opinions that cater to your world view.

"It is what it is," said Kurt Vonnegut.

Anyway, I noticed this very evening, that it had been over a YEAR since I posted anything here. Forgive me, Gentle Reader. I heeded that siren call of social media, of Facebook, Twitter (now know as, "X" for some selfish reasons unbeknownst to me), and YouTube - for me, the 'big three'.  I've done my 'blogging' there, instead of here.  

Forgive me, 'Chicken Scratch'. I never meant to be such a neglectful blogger. The winds of the zeitgeist blew and I was swept away by their velocity.

It is what it is.

Winds change, however. Perhaps they will blow me back one day?

 One never knows.  

Barry Manilow - Hits 2022 Tour, Philadelphia

And so, it came to pass, 8/14/2022… 

My wife and I are both longtime fans of Barry Manilow. We had his LPs growing up – as a matter of fact, the first album I ever bought was a Barry Manilow album, One Voice. A few months back I was able to procure two tickets (section 102, seats 7 & 8) to see Barry in Philadelphia. The day came and we started to balk. We did some hemming and hawing, but we went to see Barry Manilow on 8/14/22 for the Manilow: Hits 2022 tour. The hemming and hawing were not because we don’t love him or his music, no; we were concerned over the ravages of time. We did not want to behold a cherished singer from both our pasts not be able to do what he did so well – sing the truth from his heart. It would have been a stark reminder of the toll the passage takes – of what was and is now diminished or even gone.

Well, that is not living in the moment, is it? No. We are given only so many of them and we must make them count for something while we are here. We went and beheld a 79-year-old Barry Manilow knock us dead. What a GREAT SHOW! There he stood on stage at the Wells Fargo Center in all of his modest glory performing the songs that we know so well, and he was so good. Hearing those songs, sung by Barry, and sung so wonderfully, defied time. His performance declared, we are still here and we have a voice. So use that voice. He celebrated all the moments from the 70’s to now and we celebrated them along with him.

Here is the set list…

1. It’s a Miracle
2. Can’t Smile Without You
3. Looks Like We Made It
4. Brooklyn Blues (w/ Dave Koz – who opened the show)
5. This One’s for You
6. Daybreak
7. Even Now
8. The Old Songs / Ships / Ready to Take a Chance Again
9. Tryin’ to Get the Feeling Again
10. Weekend in New England
11. Let’s Hang On
12. All the Time
13. Could it Be Magic
14. I Made It Through the Rain
15. Mandy / Could It Be Magic
16. I Write the Songs
Encore:
17. Copacabana
18. It’s a Miracle (Reprise)
Encore 2:
19. Old Friends
20. Once Before I Go

I’ve seen a few shows in my time but this one touched me. There were moments that brought tears to my eyes. I’m a softy and the tides of time and of nostalgia rose over their banks. He told a story of his grandfather recognizing that a 4-year-old Barry was musically inclined taking him to Brooklyn every Saturday to record his voice in a sound booth designed to cut records that could be taken home to play. There were pictures and samples from one of the actual recordings. He told of how years later – the first time that he played Carnegie Hall, how his grandfather led the standing ovation when he came on stage and how he kept standing and clapping when everyone else started to sit down. He said, “I think of him every single time I play…” and then he started This One’s for You. There were tears.

With, Could It Be Magic he did a duet with himself from 1974 via archive footage. Yes, it was magical.

Within this bag is glow stick that was handed out to everyone upon entry, one of the streamers that blew out into the audience at the end of the show, and, of course, this write up.

Thank you for defying time and reminding us that we are still here, we must appreciate the moments we have, and that we are – still after all these years able to hear that one voice singing in the darkness.

For a life’s worth of memories, songs, and feelings, thank you, Mr. Manilow. 

Rehumanize Yourself

We are an angry nation.

Why is this so?

One could write several doctoral dissertations on the topic of how humanity coped or did not cope during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Most recently, I am reminded of a tweet that I saw and saved for posterity a few days ago on 8/26. Josh Moon said…

“One thing that about this pandemic that I’ll remember forever is the way many people got irrationally angry at people who were trying to help them. Angry at scientists. Angry at teachers. Angry at doctors. Angry at anyone who told them helpful info they didn’t want to hear.”

He is not wrong. This underlying anger, fueled by fear and hate, serves the darkest angles of our natures. The anger, fear, and hatred are real. These emotions need to be acknowledged. Emotions are a natural, human response; we all have them. It is, however, what we do with them that defines us. Is our reason swept away, robbed from us by serving some mob mentality? Or do we ask ourselves the deceptively simple question, “Why?” We, as thinking, rational human beings must search ourselves and ask the hard questions, why am I angry? Why does what I do not understand frighten me? Why do I hate?

If we can examine ourselves, if we can be honest with ourselves, and if we can reason for ourselves, then we can channel these negative emotional responses into something better – something positive. This takes an act of will, an act of humanity on the part of each of us. Do we join the unthinking mob, or do we join humanity and ask ourselves the hard question of “Why?”

We need a mass re-humanization, sooner rather than later. As human beings, we have the capacity to be so much more than what we are. The capacity to look beyond ourselves, beyond our own needs & desires – to look and see how we can lift others up instead of tearing them down, to help instead of hinder, to do what is right for everyone and not simply for ourselves.

Here, in the United States, our humanity has been compromised by politics. The simple act of wearing a mask and getting a vaccination to help stop a world-wide pandemic that has claimed over 4.5 million lives – 637,280 of them right here in the United States – is questioned by those who have chosen the whims of the mob over betterment of humanity.

Those who cry, “My body, my choice!” I hope you remember that phrase when it doesn’t only apply to your own situation – your own ‘needs’. I’ve seen some ugliness from people who have only been thinking of themselves for the last year and a half – we all have. Today, you could make that choice to rejoin humanity and do what is best for all, instead of acting or not acting out of selfishness due to anger, fear, and hate.  The excuses only go so far - the vast majority of them have no footing in reason.

It is past time to grow up.

It is not a political issue. It is a public health issue.

The Delta variant is filling hospital beds, taking such beds away from others who need them. Vaccinating would ease this pressure. It would be good for you, good for them, good for everyone. The mob destroys, humanity builds.

It is time to build.

Rehumanize Yourself.