Five Words Thread

[phantasm]

throttlebottom, comportment, ort, esoterica, canard


What esoterica has brought us to this moment in history?
What craft or magic has been at work over the last few centuries
to weave us all into this incredibly complex embroidery?
There are dark corners of the human mind that must be fully explored
in order for us to truly understand our fellow human beings and the world around us.
Throttlebottoms seem to abound when massive groups of people are under stress.
Pick up a history book and you'll see what I'm talking about. Just an ort, a crumb
of wisdom from a paragraph or two, that's all we need, more or less.

We don't need any canards.
We need bards to help us become our best selves.
So-- What Hamlet says in irony, I say un-apologetically:

    Oh, what a piece of work is man,
    How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty!
    In form and moving how express and admirable!
    In action how like an Angel! in apprehension how like a god!
    The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals!

(Thank you, Captain Picard.)

It's the arts that inform the comportment of our citizenry--
That's the root of all human hope. It's all about what we
pay attention to and absorb. Which would we rather have,
a citizenry or a suzerainty?

Suzerain*feudal*throne*edict*born to the purple

[aims]

Suzerain*feudal*throne*edict*born to the purple
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If we could all Claim
Jesus as our suzerain
there'd never be a need for any feudal systems or relationships
because the edict he has delivered from his spiritual throne is:
. . .
"But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you"
and in a spiritual sense . . .
we are all
"Born again" to the purple.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
connotations, metaphysical, ethereal, tangent, indistinct

[aims]

connotations, metaphysical, ethereal, tangent, indistinct
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I suppose it could be true
that not all things
tangent to our lives
have a great or clear message to impart
perhaps life's puzzling bits
have ethereal indistinct connotations
because they are not the bearers of
metaphysical jewels of wisdom,
or life lessons;
that the absence of valued contribution, is , . . .
just as it seems,
meaningless chaos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
whip, lash, balderdash, crash, lip

[aims]

whip, lash, balderdash, crash, lip
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One little glimpse of you
can whip my heart into a frenzy
of cloud nine proportions
but the lash marks on my heart show later
when I am alone
and I realize nothing has changed
that's when my heart hits
"Crash and burn"
my lip quivers
tears in my eyes threaten a mutinous exit
there is no balderdash in this
my heart truly wants you. . .
sadly that is irrelevant,
because I cannot have you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sententious, rebarbative, compathy, mensch, ostensible

[aims]

sententious, rebarbative, compathy, mensch, ostensible
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is one really a mensch
if everything ostensible
and sententious
they express to others is rebarbative
rather than unifying with compathy.
Yes there is a time and a place where
necessity dictates cold hard truths which no one will prefer;
but even with these
the delivery
and the feelings conveyed therewith
can mean the difference as to whether
such truths offend and ultimately are rejected. . .
nullifying their usefulness!
or are offered in a spirit of helpfulness
from one flawed and frail (therefore human) soul to another,
where they might be acccepted reluctantly but eventually with gratitude.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
platitude, slick, profess, critical, crushing

[phantasm]

platitude, slick, profess, critical, crushing

We long for greatness, we want to live epic poetry,
Hallowed songs echoing into the distance
We find reality crushing us

Slick salesmen play to our insecurities for quick cash (and for kicks?)
Our world seems set up to allow the existence of the slimey-wimy shuckster, sometimes...
Though sometimes justice does prevail
Mere platitudes are not going to fix this ongoing problem

How do we get those in power to listen to those unlike themselves?
The continual critical crisis our world is facing only continues to crystallize and grow more facets

It no longer matters what faith you profess, only what you do with the power handed to you.

-----------------------------------

door, gate, hinge, path, journey

[aims]

door, gate, hinge, path, journey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Long the journey
the path grows clearer then more obscure
it winds
it climbs
it decends
it scratches at you with the thorns of life
it trips you in the overgrown less frequented places.
You search for the gate, in those places,
with the rusted hinge,
dismissing the ones that swing free
from so many a traveler in and out,
You are searching for the door
that will open only to you
that special place
that is the culmination of all of your hearts
ponderings and wanderings
a crowning expression that
pulls all of the threads of your life together
perfectly. . .
that shows the intricate pattern uniquely your own
the thing that says you, as only you can be said!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
placate, surrender, code, plead, sarcasm

[aims]

placate, surrender, code, plead, sarcasm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Placate me God
make me feel that you truly care
about my happiness
about what I want in this life
but let there not be a trace
of sarcasm in this unspoken assurance
and make it plain
not some code to be deciphered.
Show me that all the nights I plead
are not in vain
and I will surrender,
I will on faith accept that me suffering this
non-existent lovelife, this unrequited infatuation
is somehow best in the big picture of this life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
gold, sold, told, cold, old

[aims]

gold, sold, told, cold, old
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A cold breeze sends a shiver up my spine
an old love song
incessantly harrasses my thoughts
a dream of gold
that cannot be told
cannot be sold
it's a lovely dead end
that does not connect to reality road
the beloved kiss will never transform
this ugly toad
I will never become the handsome princess
filthy rich with Love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
seek, find, kind, mind, blind

[phantasm]

seek, find, kind, mind, blind


How do we seek out those who are kind? Where is the natural habitat in which they're ubiquitous?
Where can I find a quiet riot of compassion? Where can we  go that there can be a meeting of the minds?

I don't want to be blinded by ideology, I just want eyes to see where we're all going in this world.

If we seek out goodness, what will we find? The seeking of one thing often finds another.

What will that other be?


fad*compose*karma*railroaded*rebel

[aims]

fad*compose*karma*railroaded*rebel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The more rebels who get railroaded
by that fat cat in the whitehouse,
the more bad karma he racks up!!!
he's already a fad that's getting old
and the less he tries to compose himself
and the more wild he runs out of control
the sooner it will all come grinding to a halt. . .
and that, my friends, is a good thing!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
solid, waste, water, brain, log

#########
This poem including picking the next 5 words took me a total of 4 minutes and 26 seconds to write.

[aims]

solid, waste, water, brain, log
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our presence in this life
appears solid
we are tangibly here
like the rock
and the log.
but what goes on in our brain
is much more the flux
fluid like water
ideas wrap around between
and interweave with one another
yet maintain their individual meanings as well
it is not space that is ever wasted on these
but time, if indeed, waste there is.
we are that place where the tangible
and the intangible meet
where they join. . .
one foot in each reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sojourn, thimble, nimble, crazy, loyalty

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

this one took 9 minutes 12 seconds

[aims]

sojourn, thimble, nimble, crazy, loyalty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our sojourn on this earth
is so short
in the big picture
that our wish to be immortalized
for that short blip on the radar
is truly kind of crazy
it should be enough for each of us
to be noteworthy in the hearts
of those who love us
and whom we love
those who have professed and proven their loyalty
by the test of time
a thimble full of water is to someone dying of thirst
as we are, in our earthly existence, to eternity.
And nimbly as we may live and strive to mark our notches
in this existence
we are no match
for
no beginning /
no end!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
sorry, aid, travel, calamity, sword

[aims]

sorry, aid, travel, calamity, sword
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So he goes a'travelling
and his travel does nothing to aid our image abroad
in fact it causes more like calamity
his sorry ass should do the honorable thing and fall on his sword!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
tantalize, talk, swing, iterate, calm

3 minutes and 25 seconds

[aims]

tantalize, talk, swing, iterate, calm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just hearing you talk

or seeing your face

would tantalize me

like torture

because my mind

would have it iterated

every spare moment

playback in my head

and my mood . . . in concert

would swing between the happiness

of having seen or heard you to the

depressing realization of the big picture

I can't have you!!!

But today, I am calm

I am resigned

mostly because I haven't seen you in a few weeks,

much as I hate to admit it. . .

since I cannot have you

it is better

that I never see you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
precede, conned, educate, select, bored

[phantasm]

precede, conned, educate, select, bored


Take me back to where I was,
Send me someplace where rhythm pulses through the air
Please select me for this trip, take me back to the buzz

Give me back the 1980s, purified and refined
I want it all-- the Atari games, the techno music and boomboxes
Even if the cost of it is mullets everywhere
Even if this world precedes the Internet

Thinking back on that time makes my soul wet,
shivering with a heat wave pulsing from my chest to me feet

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be a kid again--
living as an adult through the 80s would really be an education,
both in terms of work and play. If I had half a chance I would go and stay
I'm smart enough to avoid getting conned by the raging fads
While enjoying everything that was on offer back then

I'd never be bored.



beat*rhythm*metronome*electronica*instrument

[aims]

beat*rhythm*metronome*electronica*instrument
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is no metronome
that can inform me
on what tempo to live my life by
nor try as I might
can I stand far back enough from my life thus far
to discern if there is a rhythm to it
nor even a rhyme,
and no matter which way I beat
this instrument, this me,
the utterances forthcoming
cannot be said to represent electronica
nor any other genre.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
find, trial, baggage, incarcerate, flippant

This one took me 6 minutes and 10 seconds to write

[aims]

find, trial, baggage, incarcerate, flippant
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many times
have I put myself on trial
in my mind
prosecuting myself
on the judgements I think would belong to others?
How many times have I seen fit to incarcerate myself
in such hells?
the answer is too many, long ago.
I lived my life with a soul wrung from the socket
from dragging emotional and mental torture as baggage.
But,
then one day you wake up older
and inexplicably flippant
about all the things
that squeezed tears out of your eyes
like blood from a stone.
Suddenly, you don't mind being alone
you don't care what others think
you don't wish you were someone else
and you are not prepared to kiss anyones ass
to get a kiss in return.
All of a sudden
you can do without the drama
the kind that used to cause you trauma.
I guess there are a few perks to getting old,
and finding the mountains
are now slightly rolling hills
and you might prefer a comfy chair to excitement
and thrills.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
song, terse, obscure, multitude, grin

ok this one took 16 minutes and 6 seconds

[aims]

song, terse, obscure, multitude, grin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The multitude of perspectives in this world
obscure the simpler things
like greet your fellow humans with a handshake and a grin
make the song that expresses the philosophy of your life
terse. . .
something like:
"Love makes the world go round!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
slice, pile, angel, dog, act

4:22

[phantasm]

slice, pile, angel, dog, act


Half angel, half dog, the mythical rises from a frothy sea of chaos
The dog wants to swim happily, the angel wants to act significantly and rise above
While the sword that guards the way to Eden twirls and slices apples into apple pie
But who is it baking them for? Piled high up to heaven is the scent of baking pies

Down boy, dogs can't have pie or sweet stuff people love.





ice*glass*lovely*adverb*uniform

[aims]

ice*glass*lovely*adverb*uniform
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slowly. . . she walked toward the object
of her desires,
stripping off her uniforn in pieces,the only adverb coming to mind= fiercely!
with a sultry, smouldering, smirk of a smile
on her face!
as she glided past the looking glass
without a glance,
her eyes fixed on the smoking hot
woman. . .
whom others might not have given a second glance to,
whom others may absentmindedly barely regard as old and a little overweight and . . .
a heinous sin in her eyes, nothing special!
What she saw was lovely, enticing, something that could turn ice. . .
into a boiling puddle
in an instant,
someone who set her body and her heart ablaze!
Someone she wanted very much!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
willing, quell, swell, confidence, water

stopwatch: 15:18

[phantasm]

willing, quell, swell, confidence, water

Where is the fount of confidence?
Where is the water that freezes into blocks and fortifies the soul?
I believe I am worthy. I am capable of producing interesting stuff
no one has seen in quite the combinations that I cook up.

But

One little word holds me back: hubris.
Humility afflicts me, quells my ambitions.

Who am I to think that I can outshine the greats
like Asimov or Clarke? I can't.
I haven't been at it long enough,
read enough, written enough, seen enough.

I am willing to do the work I love, and that is good enough for me.
It is sufficient. It has kept me alive through the vicissitudes of life.
I only wish I had more. More gumption. More chutzpah. More daring.

I want to be strong
I was taught to be meek
I want accomplishments under my belt
I was taught to revile fame and fortune, to call ambition evil

My heart swells against the old limitations placed on it.

How do I break free from the old limitations and retain ethical behavior?



(I did not expect this one to be so long or complex. The themes just kinda hit me as I started typing....)


Moral*Libertine*Entrepreneurial*Mystical*Syncretic

[aims]

I love this list you left I will attempt it another night however unless someone else beats me to it!!!


words are:

Moral*Libertine*Entrepreneurial*Mystical*Syncretic

[aims]

Moral*Libertine*Entrepreneurial*Mystical*Syncretic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Moral. . .
Moral is too simplistic
too this or that
wet or dry
up or down
black or white
it denies the shades of gray
or calls them all black
the libertine soul
has an entrepreneurial spirit
that embraces the mystical
and is unafraid of the syncretic
it is willing to evolve it's understanding of principles
in the light shed by foreign perspectives or beliefs!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
cost, imagined, illusion, surrender, join

I forgot to time this one but it couldn't have taken more that 5 minutes to write, if that.

[aims]

cost, imagined, illusion, surrender, join
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It costs more
to surrender
and join the crowd
than to be yourself
even if yourself is:
frowned upon,
or outcast,
or the subject of threats
by an angry crowd
that wants you to either join them or disappear altogether.
Besides this. . .
joining them is an illusion
an imagined solution
that will only work in the real world
if you are made of play-dough
and can be remade in their image.
What they are really inviting you to do is put a rubber mask over your face
that makes you look like someone else
and then all the love, applause & kisses
will really be for mask face
and felt only by the mask!
That lie,
will sit like a condom between you and the love and acceptance you sought
and sold yourself out for.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
doldrums, kite, genteel, solemn, lies

[phantasm]

doldrums, kite, genteel, solemn, lies


The wind blows subtlety, just barely brushing your cheek
Yet the eagles continue to fly, higher than most kites can reach
We are stuck in an ocean of molasses, it sticks to us everywhere
And dry land is a mirage on the edge of the horizon
The solemn lies we've all been inundated with from the wealthy and powerful
for decade after decade pour like rivers into the sea we all have to swim in

Can anyone shed themselves of this sticky shit and ascend to the sky,
genteel, with honor and decency sticking to the skin
instead of all the political machinations that create bigger messes than we know
how to clean up?


syrup * fly paper * rubber cement * clingy * bull dog

[aims]

syrup * fly paper * rubber cement * clingy * bull dog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a dark summers eve
crickets chirp
slicing the muggy air
with their sharp sound
and the tall grass by the pond rustles
and a bull frog is chased by a bull dog
who halts abruptly at the water's edge
the fly paper on the patio
is abuzz with the hopelessly stuck
like the syrup streaks near the stove
inside in the kitchen alcove
a rubber cement bottle sits squarely above
a childs art project on the kitchen table.
Nearby,
a mother is heard
uttering soft curses
at clingy socks
as she folds the laundry,
when she'd rather be in bed
dreaming of far away adventures
she almost certainly will never have.
However, life is good,
because of all that they have and haven't
serious trouble is in the haven't column!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
slight, previous, caustic, cautious, salamander

9 minutes 25 seconds

[aims]

slight, previous, caustic, cautious, salamander
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like the salamander breeds in the soup
new inspiration
is conceived
in a fluid stream of rumination.
Cautious, though, the seasoned thinker,
avoids the caustic sludgepool
of bitterness and anger
because what is born of it is either still,
or destructively burning out of control
toward the end of no good.
Slight discontent
on the other hand,
as previous experience has revealed,
can be the impetus that fuels
an earnest quest for answers that give comfort and peace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
decided, machinations, trust, pleasing, octave

8:00 minutes

[phantasm]

decided, machinations, trust, pleasing, octave



I have decided to step forward
The machinations are slow but sure
The creativity machine in my brain, hopefully, will sing an octave higher
I won't let anything bother me, not even a burr
in my sneaker.

I trust myself to make good decisions.
I will figure out my life.
I'm not looking back, no more recriminations.

The question is, will the others find my work pleasing?




egg, chrysalis, guppies, incubation, sky

[aims]

egg, chrysalis, guppies, incubation, sky
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Come forth from the womb
and crawl until you walk
until you run
until you totter with instability
towards entry into earth
a womb of sorts itself
incubation of recycled cells
into something else
another length of the endless circle.
A chicken that now struts
was once the yolk in an egg,
but now will put forth another.
Guppies were once roe.
and the chrysalis does not leave the cocoon until it
has become a butterfly.
All life
when it will die
will return to elements of earth and sky
and then,
inevitably as something else to come alive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
trust, faith, love, steadfast, true