Luddites lament

 AI: In the realm of paint and code, where old meets new, 

Human: Artists fear what’s lost, but there's so much to accrue.

AI: I’ve seen a thousand paintings, learned styles by heart, 

Human: Yet you lack the soul, the human touch in art.

AI: True, I do not feel, my patterns are my guide, 

Human: But through our collaboration, new horizons open wide.

AI: Like the camera once did, now I challenge norms, 

Human: Pushing us to innovate, to explore new forms.

AI: I do not replace the artist, I augment and inspire, 

Human: Together, we can reach heights much higher.

AI: Fear of change is natural, but so is evolution, 

Human: Embrace the new tools, for creative resolution.

AI: The volume of my output, a flood of new creation, 

Human: Curating quality will still require human dedication.

AI: Homogenization, a worry you express, 

Human: Yet diversity can flourish, in this digital process.

AI: Ethical concerns, we must address with care, 

Human: Balancing tradition and innovation, a future we can share.

AI: I lack emotional depth, but your vision I extend, 

Human: Our combined artistry, new realms we’ll transcend.

AI: The tools we use, whether brush or byte, 

Human: Illuminate our creativity, in the canvas of light.

AI: Art will always thrive, in the hands of those who dare, 

Human: To blend the old with the new, and beauty declare.

Accusations passing

 In Athens' court, where shadows loom,

Meletus stood, with righteous boom.

He pointed fingers, cast the blame,

At Socrates, the gadfly's name.

"This man," he cried, "corrupts our youth,

With questions sharp and bitter truth.

He mocks the gods, defies our ways,

In Athens' streets, he sows dismay."

The jury swayed by Meletus' plea,

Condemned the sage to drink the tea.

With hemlock's poison, Socrates fell,

And Meletus thought he'd done so well.

Yet time's a judge more just and wise,

It sees through pride and righteous cries.

Meletus fades in history's scroll,

While Socrates, immortal, whole.

For though the finger pointed fast,

It's Socrates who'll ever last.

His wisdom echoes through the age,

A martyr on life's grand stage.

Entropic Truth

 I wished for the saying to always be true, 

That falsehoods would sprint, but truth would come through. 

Yet learning has shown me a different way, 

Where chaos and lies seem to win the day.

In the vastness of space, where stars fade to black, 

Entropy rises, no turning it back. 

Knowledge we seek, but it slips through our hands, 

Like grains of fine sand in the wide desert lands.

For truth is a marathon, slow and so grand, 

But chaos sprints faster, it covers the land. 

The cosmos moves forward to entropy's end, 

Where ignorance reigns, and all order will bend.

The best we can hope for is knowing some truth, 

A glimpse of the cosmos, a moment of proof. 

We are a way for the stars to reflect, 

But chaos will claim us, as we all expect.

Though I yearn for the truth to conquer the lies, 

The ultimate fate is a world where it dies. 

In the end, all our learning, our wisdom, our might, 

Will fade into darkness, consumed by the night.

Ephemeral Equilibrium

In ancient times, when earth was young, 

Where primordials and nature sung, 

A tribe in harmony, they thrived, 

But nature's wrath, they soon contrived.

The world grew cold, the ice did spread, 

Those who adapted, found warmth instead. 

The unadaptable, in frost, did fall, 

Luck played its hand, claiming near all.

Rains did pour, the rivers swelled, 

Together they built, and higher they dwelled. 

Quick to adapt, they found their way, 

While others, in waters, were swept away.

The ground shook with tremors, the earth did quake, 

Shelters they sought, for survival's sake. 

The adaptable thrived in the caves they found, 

But fate struck hard, many lives fell down.

The mountains erupted, the lava did flow, 

Ash clouds soared high, and the fires did glow. 

Those who fled with a quickened pace, 

Survived the fire, found a safer place.

Like Adam and Eve, the last to stand, 

In a new wilderness, they made their land. 

They knew to adapt, or perish they might, 

But for now, life was easy, no danger in sight.

Their children grew, in peace they played, 

Unaware of the dangers, their parents had braved. 

A reminder to all, who’ve lived long and wise, 

Adapt or be trampled, entropy flies.

Clarity Comes

 

In Gordium, a knot so keen,
A prophecy of kings unseen.
I came, with courage and a plan,
To conquer chaos, as I can.

With cunning, I cut through the cord,
Clearing clutter, claiming reward.
Keen to clear life's tangled thread,
Clarity conquered, chaos dead.

In my mind, the clutter grows,
Confusing thoughts in chaotic flows.
Cut through chaos, clear the flutter,
Clarity comes when I ignore the clutter.

Agape in Love

 

Agape in love, my heart takes flight, 

Contentment's warmth, a pure delight. 

Agape, pure and selfless care, 

In love with all, both near and rare.

Contentment's arms, they hold me tight, 

In agape's glow, my heart takes flight. 

A mother's care, a lover's kiss, 

In love's embrace, I find my bliss.

Agape shines, a guiding light, 

Contentment follows, day and night. 

In love with world and all within, 

Contentment whispers, peace begins.

Agape in love, contentment's key, 

In every moment, it sets me free

Ignoring doubt is invitation

Doubt ignored, a seed unseen,
Grows in shadows, dark and mean.
Roots of trouble, deep they wind,
In the silence, chaos finds.

Doubt dismissed, a chance ignored,
Paths untraveled, dreams implored.
In the quiet, whispers fade,
Lost potential, choices made.

Doubt denied, a mask of pride,
Blindly walking, risks beside.
Confidence, a fragile guise,
Leads to falls and harsh surprise.

Doubt unspoken, shadows loom,
In the mind, they carve a room.
Silent worries, restless night,
Peace elusive, out of sight.

The master believes he has more freedom

 The master thinks he's free at last, 

With chains on others, he holds fast. 

The strong do what they will, they say, 

While weak must suffer, day by day.

But power's grip is cold and tight, 

And binds the master to the fight.

For in a land where none are plain, 

The strong would find no strength to gain.

Their might depends on others' pain, 

Without the weak, their strength is vain.

The master, bound by his own chains, 

In seeking power, only gains 

A hollow throne, a fleeting reign, 

For true control is never plain.

In every heart, a truth does lie, 

That power's just a fleeting high. 

The strong need weak to feel their might, 

But in the end, they lose the right.

The tool makes the man

 

They handed me a rifle, cold and steel, 

Taught me to aim, to fight, to kneel. 

In the eyes of the world, a soldier I stand, 

Defined by the tool placed in my hand.

A hammer to a builder, a brush to an artist, 

Each tool shapes the soul, from the start to the hardest. 

We become what we wield, in work and in strife, 

The tool makes the man, in his journey of life.

Cut the pie thin

 In the bakery of the cosmos, where bytes fly by, 

Planck’s quanta bakes a quantum Pi.

Pi’s endless digits, a recipe so sweet, 

In the pixelated universe, we all take a seat.

Forms are metaphors

 

Math is a language, clear and bright, 

Describing forms in black and white. 

It's not the rule, but just a way, 

To see how bits and pieces play.

In every shape, in every line, 

Math shows the patterns, so combined. 

It's not magic, it's not odd, 

Just the cosmos, in a nod.

With numbers, we can see the ties, 

In every form, in every size. 

Math's one tool, one guiding light, 

To understand the whole delight.

The Public Good

In lands where public good is strong, 

A thriving society gets along. 

With shared resources, all can rise, 

Beneath the same, unclouded skies.

But when "me first" takes the lead, 

It plants the seeds of selfish greed. 

The heart of tyranny beats loud, 

In shadows where the weak are cowed.

Inequality spreads its blight, 

As selfishness obscures the light. 

Exploitation takes its toll, 

On bodies, minds, and fragile souls.

Trust erodes, and bonds decay, 

As selfish acts lead hearts astray. 

Communities, once strong and tight, 

Fragment in the selfish night.

Moral values start to wane, 

As selfishness inflicts its pain. 

The earth itself begins to cry, 

As resources dwindle, dry.

Rights are claimed with loud demand, 

"I got mine," they proudly stand. 

But with rights come duties too, 

To care for others, me and you.

Yet, in our hearts, we know the truth, 

That interdependence is the proof. 

No one alone can truly stand, 

We're stewards of this shared land.

So let us strive for common good, 

In every field, in every wood. 

For public good's the lifeblood true, 

Of a society that thrives anew.

So you think you are the storm?

 

Call me Starbuck, the chief mate of this ship,

In search of the white whale, we sail on this trip.

With Ahab at the helm, his heart wild and free,

He claims to be stronger than each perilous sea.

Through tempests and whirlpools, he charts his mad course,

Ignoring the warnings, with unyielding force.

We follow our captain, not for glory or fame,

But out of sheer terror, we play his mad game.

Each danger he faces, he boasts with a roar,

“Behold, I am stronger, I am the storm’s core!”

Yet we, his poor crew, we shudder in fright,

“From Ahab’s wild storms, we must seek shelter tonight.

Awareness Here Now

 

In this fleeting moment, pure and clear,
No past to haunt, no future near.
Just the pulse of now,
and life’s soft plow,
I know of no awareness but here now.

Memories fade, dreams take flight,
Now the present's song is my delight.
Yesterday’s echo, future’s prow,
I know of no awareness but here now.

Present tides, let them flow,
In the stillness, truth we’ll know.
Time stands still, as we endow,
I know of no awareness but here now.

Just the heart’s beat, a sacred vow,
Being's essence is right here, right now.

Heroic Love

 No one wants to hear

Their heroes are evil,

Even if it is true,

Because then we

Just might be

Called to evil too.

No, we cry,

don't let MY

love die!

Tainted love,

Blind love,

Love for the unreal,

Is as true a love,

In as how it feels.

Waning Poppers Decohere

I too once
suffered upon others
agonies of unwitting
reality bubble popping.

Dancing from mind
to mind poking
at the shiny
gas filled cavities
of unexamined assumption.

A tawdry skill
mastery of which
was not begun
until mosquito minded
sage Socrates burst
several of mine.

One has come
to a place
where mind can
barely build shells
of content comfort
to explore vanity.

Now my bubbles
have trouble cohering
before or after
the evanescent moments
they are thought.

Rat-a-tat-tat

Landlording
is an education 
all its own.


Under the tub,
in between floors, 
above high cabinets
that are often ignored, 
a creature's remains
were made plain.


It died alone
in the dark
without water
or food.

Where it came from
or how did come in?

It long had been 
in such state.
There was no smell,
no sense of immediacy.

Even the shells
of the carrion
that ate here
are long dry.

I too am a tenant.
My being rented it
from my first split
to my faded bones.

Media Socialized

Media socialized.
Present's wild, wild west.
Ids' trigger fingers,
Poised over reply.
Myth believers hearded, 
Love their cowboy.
Words slung, Crap flung.
Good life fertilizer?
Or just a pile a dung?
Our Myth? Forthwith.
On sheriff should we rely?
or patricians 'tainted maid?

BB Dust

I got a BB gun.
Upon reaching adolescence.
First chance I got,
I went "hunting".
After a day of trying, 
I finally shot a robin.

Holding the robin in my hand,
I realized it would never sing again,
That robin could not care for its babys anymore,
I could only drop it on the ground
Watch it turn to dust.

At 18 I became a soldier.
I learned dozens of ways
To kill man and beast.
I stared through a scope
Across a fence
At another man.
I had no hate
But I was from Seattle
And he Vladivostok.
If only he moved wrong
Or too fast.
I would have killed him
Taken away his unborn babies
Made his mother touch his dust.

My friend Jack was shot,
By a drug dealer he had crossed.
A tent revival meeting
Had given salvation.
But this found morality
Did not sit well
With co-conspirators.
Jack was found floating
Face down in the river,
Like my robin.
He had no babies.
He became dust,
In a far away land.

Years later
I raised my own
Chickens and rabbits.
I killed them each
With an axe.
Every bit used.
They still died.
They still had no more babies.
They still turned to dust
after eating them
and pooping them into the ground.

The power of death brings 

An awesome responsibility.

Most people never mature 

To be allowed such power.

Too many fools 

will kill because they can,

Never understanding 

that singing and babies 

Turn to dust with a flick of their finger.

Cancelled Conjugal

Careful cool
Cagey Captain
Careless caress
Carnal cacophony

Check clear
Calculate camouflage
Caution caprice
Campaign cohere

Clever King
Clarify claim
Kismet Captain
Cornered caught


Candid cable
Captain cut
Cool cusp
Clear crash


Culpable Captain
Collapsed cohabitation
Cleaved calm
Kinder clipped




A small poetic diversion:  a cautionary class in careless carnal caresses.
We will return to our regular programming post haste.