Tag: Muse in the Morning

Oct 01 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXVII

Mental slavery is mental death, and every man who has given up his intellectual freedom is the living coffin of his dead soul.

–Robert Ingersoll

Doorway

Mort

At some instant

one day

the words will cease to flow

their creator (or vessel)

having passed through

the Door

between herenow

and therethen

The words left behind

the ideas they expressed

the actions they instigated

will be all

that remains

to weigh the meaning

of this particular existence

Regret is extinguished

if the words

have expressed

peacefulness

concern and care

and a life lived well

–Robyn Serven

–September 21, 2007

Muse in the Morning

Sep 30 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXIV

Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.

–Mark Twain

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

Muse in the Morning

Sep 29 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXV

Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.

–Mignon McLaughlin

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

Sep 28 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXIV

Creative experiences can be produced regularly, consistently, almost daily in people’s lives. It requires enormous personal security and openness and a spirit of adventure.

– Steven Covey

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

Sep 27 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXII

Einstein does not remain attached to the classical principles, and when presented with a problem in physics he quickly envisages all of its possibilities. This leads immediately in his mind to the prediction of new phenomena which may one day be verified by experiment.

– Henri Poincaré

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

Muse in the Morning

Sep 24 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXI

If a Man will begin with certainties, he will end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he will end in certainties.

– Francis Bacon

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

Muse in the Morning

Sep 23 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXXI

Now there’s a man with an open mind-you can feel the breeze from here!

– Groucho Marx

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

Muse in the Morning

Sep 22 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXVII

When I feel well and in a good humour, or when I am taking a drive or walking after a good meal, or in the night when I cannot sleep, thoughts crowd into my mind as easily as my mind might wish.

– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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

Muse in the Morning

Sep 21 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXIX

Anthropology demands the open-mindedness with which one must look and listen, record in astonishment and wonder that which one would not have been able to guess.

– Margaret Mead

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

Sep 20 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXVIII

If you do not expect the unexpected, you will not find it, for it is not to be reached by search or trail.

– Heraclitus

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

Muse in the Morning

Sep 17 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXVII

I’m looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.

– Henry Ford

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

Muse in the Morning

Sep 16 2010

Muse in the Morning

By Robyn in Art, Community, Poetry

Muse in the Morning

An Opened Mind XXVI

One change always leaves the door open for the establishment of others.

– Niccolò Machiavelli

Bouquet

I grieve for us

One more life

extinguished

this time in

California

on our dime

in our time

in our name.

Who is to blame?

We all pulled

the plug.

This candle

was snuffed out

Now don’t we

feel better?

–Robyn Elaine Serven

–December 13, 2005