Daily Archives: November 26, 2002

An Early One-Act Farce

For those who are interested, here is a link to an early one-act farce that I wrote while at college. It is in PDF format, so if you don’t have the free Adobe reader, you’ll have to download it in order to read this piece.

An Evening of Card Playing
Enjoy.

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Quotes for Today

“Do not steal a minaret if you have not already dug a well to hide it in.”

“If you do not have room in your house for an elephant, do not make friends with an elephant tamer.”

“Never name the well from which you will not drink.”

— Sufi proverbs

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On the Tao

The Tao that can be seen is not the Tao,
the obvious is never what it seems;
and often, what connects the who to how
is understood only by fools in dreams.

Still, once in a great while, a glimpse is seen
of balance, as it plays behind a cloud;
the light and dark and all points in between,
the word that vanishes if said aloud.

For only in the frame of the observed
Can our defining map much of the way;
And our illusions do naught but preserve
masks between it has been and come what may.

Both in our grasp and there beyond our reach,
The Tao embraces all, and defines each.

26 NOV 2002

for Pietro

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Bright and Clear: a ballade

There is a quiet place where one may find
a respite from the bustle of the day;
where silence soothes the worry of the mind
and with its echo, holds the world at bay.

In this majestic lull the muses play,
and come forth from the mist to seek my ear;
they whisper of enchanted, secret ways,
and offer inspiration bright and clear.

When seeing far too much has left me blind,
and history’s sad lessons bring dismay,
then sacred wisdom’s cloak around me winds,
to bring me peace and clear my doubt away.

And then, I turn back, strong, to the melee,
to fight against the shadows as they near;
with courage to withstand those who nay say,
and offer inspiration bright and clear.

Upon the right, the doubters may confine,
and on my left, authorities hold sway;
old friends may wonder at my new design,
while strangers at my doorstep wait in prey.

Yet on this course, I am obliged to stay
and ever forward, seek in spite of fear;
to search for truth, and find it where I may
and offer inspiration bright and clear.

So to this quiet place, I often stray,
when stagnant thought engulfs what I hold dear;
where I can search my heart for what to say
and offer inspiration bright and clear.

27 NOV 2002

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Wake Up America

Wake up America and face the facts
Your roads are built on broken backs
And there’s no way that you can track
The hypocrisy that against you stacks

There are storm clouds in those spacious skies
of which you sing, but do you realize
Your purple mountains and amber grain
Will disappear in the acid rain

Of time, there’s no time, and the time is now
To turn our hawk-like swords into plows
And reap the seed that we have sown
The apathy that has destroyed our home

Wake up America and face the truth
There is no one standing in your voting booths
And the people in this country who run your lives
Are free to find your back with their forks and knives

You stammer, and you whine, complain that there is nothing you can do
But you and I know that this is not true
You’ve focused your attention on the world outside
Now it’s time to take the board out of your own damn eye

Oh sleeping giant it’s time to rise
And wipe the sleep out from in your eyes
You’ve enslaved your brothers to promote your creed
But you don’t know what it is, because you can’t read

And your huddled masses yearning to be free
Are as tired and poor as they used to be
They’re dying of AIDS, selling, or trying to score
Wake up, the future is right next door

Around the world we act so proud
Americans, yes, and we say it loud
We rub our freedoms in everybody’s faces
But we let the media run the presidential races

If we stood for equality, life and truth
Then the flag we fly would be fire-proof
It’s our claim to fame, and our greatest shame
And we’re running out of fingers pointing out the blame
If you’re so proud, proud as you claim
Pick up the pieces … and use your brain.

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands
one nation, indivisible
with liberty
and justice
for All.

Wake up America, and read your history
So many have died for this democracy
The facts are clear and can’t be ignored
There are strip mines where once eagles soared

It’s time we started listening to “Yankee go home”
And went through our problems with a fine-tooth comb
Remember, just like Patrick Henry said,
Without liberty, we might as well be dead.

1985

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I Awoke Glad: an awdl gywydd

I awoke glad for no cause;
but did not pause to reflect,
just smiled to myself in bed,
and instead of neglect

I gave myself attention;
didn’t mention my great flaws,
but spoke kindness to my soul;
on the whole, quite nice, it was.

26 NOV 2002

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