Community – Page 397

May 13 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXVI

Art Link

Butterfly

Just Wondering

Just because

I’m gendered differently

than other people,

why must I

surrender my feelings,

check my sensitivity

at the door

like an oversized overcoat,

just so a few

can repeat their

unfunny jokes

and pokes

at people like me,

because after all

there is nothing

funnier in their minds

than someone like me?

Not a real woman…

Not a real man…

What does that

even mean?

And why does

it even matter?

And why do people

just stand around

and silently

watch it happen?

Are they chuckling

to themselves

because they agree?

I wonder.

Beyond toleration

and acceptance

lie support

and defense.

Which will die first,

bigotry

or me?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–November 29, 2005

May 12 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXV

Art Link

Layers

Transference

You keep telling me

what I think

— like you would know?

How is that appropriate?

I am told by you

that I must be motivated

by self-interest alone

like you and

(you aver)

everyone

But it is not so

It angers you that

I deny your claim

maybe because you assume

I must believe that

I am better than you

No such thing

do I believe

But the truth of it all

seems to be

that you apparently do

believe your philosophy

is lacking

if your attitude

is any measure

And isn’t that

a kick in the butt?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–January 5, 2007

May 11 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXIV

Art Link

Breaking Dreams

Vendetta

When did revenge

become part of

a liberal or progressive

agenda?

How can we scream

call names

spead rumors

seek to crush

our enemies

and remain true

to our moral

convictions?

Is payback

all there is?

Is this all

a game of

dominance?

Or do we

still have ethics?

Who are we?

–Robyn Serven

–January 9, 2007

May 08 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXIII

Art Link

Separation Point

Poor Weather Friend

You tell me

it is not the right time

for fairness and justice

that generations must pass

until there is peace

for such as me

until we become

an honored part

of the whole

The truth is

that it could

happen now

if it weren’t

for people

just like you

You call yourself

a progressive

and tell me you are

on my side?

Who are you?

Where do you stand?

–Robyn Serven

–January 8, 2007

May 08 2009

Jesusita Fire: Information, Please.

By geomoo in Community, News

Please follow this link to the full-sized photo. It’s as close as you’re likely to get to the fire. This photo gives me goose bumps. Gratitude.

May 07 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXII

Art Link

The Road

To some of us

To some of us

it doesn’t matter

what you think

started us

on this journey

To some of us

it doesn’t matter

what you believe

even if

what you

believe

is that

what someone else

believes

is wrong

To some of us

it may be

an interesting way

to share our stories

…or not

But the fact is

that we are all

on this journey

together

And to some of us

the question is

“What do we do now?”

To some of us

the question is

“Where do we go from here?”

And we wonder if

you intend

to stand there and argue

or if you want

to come along

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–February 3, 2007

May 06 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXI

Art Link

Contention

Dominance Games

Why is there demand

for our spacetime

our attention

agreement

with only one side

your side

in answering

a question

that essentially

has no

correct answer

or maybe

has many?

Demanding an answer

does not make one exist

Vehemence

does not generate

truth

Is there no room

for diversity

of thought

in your world?

Who are you?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–January 19, 2007

May 05 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXX

Art Link

Partisan

Presence

Some of us are here

to save the world

to advance the society

to repair the errors

in the structure

of human culture

to guide the course

of human interaction

with and in

this universe

But some are here

to be entertained

they think

by arguing

for pointless

personal gain

that quite frankly

advances nothing

Which are you?

Who are you?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–January 4, 2007

May 04 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXIX

Art Link

Trapping the Demon

Emerson or Thoreau?

I am not

devoid of feelings.

I can be

hurt by words.

I can feel

anger at slights.

A stick swung

at someone else

will still hurt

if I am

the one stricken.

A stone thrown

at someone else

will do me damage

if me it strikes.

I can and do

feel outrage

when any group

is disparaged

anytime

anywhere.

This place

is not immune.

Where is the honor

in attacking

a Phelps of Topeka

for bigotry

if we practice

the moral equivalent

in this virtual realm?

Where is

the high ground?

Where is

our center?

Is the tent

in this place

too small

to contain

people like me?

Where is

your outrage?

Where is

your anger?

What is

your response?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–December 8, 2005

May 01 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXVIII

Art Link

Circuit

Perspective Be Damned

Escher had it right

when he showed us that

it was all about perspective

Up and down are relative notions

as are darkness and light

Is this reality simply

the reflection of another?

But even Maurits

would be hard-pressed

to find validity

in the fabric

of truth and untruth

woven to justify

this war

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–December 7, 2005

Apr 30 2009

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXVI

Art Link

Shell

Metaphors

Sometimes when you

peer inside an egg

all that you find there

is the inside of the shell

holding in darkness

A brain can seem as empty

A heart can seem as black

Courage can seem as fragile

as an empty egg shell

I am reminded of the wizard

It was all for show

with smoke and mirrors

Impressively awesome

with very little substance

The parallel is clear

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–December 29, 2005

Apr 30 2009

Torture:Justice :: Changing Places or Changing Minds, Weekly Action Series #5

By Lady Libertine in Action, Community

crosspublished at the orange! 10am, ET

And the beat goes on.

After an extremely intense Torture News, (link to emptywheel’s Document Dump Timeline) week prior to this, these past few days have quieted down a bit. However, the noise makers continue to try to justify torture and we find ourselves sometimes in debates. I hope to take this week’s Action Diary to stress how important it is that we continue having conversations and yelling louder about the realities of the crimes that have been carried out in our names. And, if we must argue, can we please try to keep it civil, amongst ourselves, in the “progressive” sphere…? Please?

Like most of the others, I was a seeker, a mover, a malcontent, and at times a stupid hell-raiser. I was never idle long enough to do much thinking, but I felt somehow that my instincts were right. I shared a vagrant optimism that some of us were making real progress, that we had taken an honest road, and that the best of us would inevitably make it over the top. At the same time, I shared a dark suspicion that the life we were leading was a lost cause, that we were all actors, kidding ourselves along on a senseless odyssey. It was the tension between these two poles – a restless idealism on one hand and a sense of impending doom on the other – that kept me going.

~HST, The Rum Diary

Category: Community