Wednesday, October 12, 2011

On Watching Drama Unfold

The medieval Noe (Noah) plays were dramas that engaged the people in both a literal and allegorical interpretation of Biblical stories. It is appropriate that we call these dramas mystery plays. We have our very own mystery drama playing out now in cities all across North America. These dramas differ in that they not only represent the past economic features of our world but project into the future.

In our modern day mystery play, the first large group of mostly young people congregated in a very small park in New York City about one block long and a half block wide. They are confined to this small space in which to live and are not allowed to even pitch a small tent against the elements. They are not permitted to have a loudspeaker in order to give information to the large numbers of people that often congregate there to talk, exchange ideas, plan demonstrations and explain how the present economic policies affect their lives now and in the future.

At first the groups was badly used and abused, not because they were violent (because they were not) but just because they were there in large numbers.

And the rich wonder, "What does this mean?" They give many answers: Glenn Beck said that the protesters were going to attack the rich and kill them. Kevin O'Leary blanched white (see below). Eric Canter stated it was setting Americans against Americans. No kidding! Mayor Bloomberg thinks the protesters are taking away jobs. What? Lloyd Blankfein cancelled a talk when he thought OWS might be close by. All the rich people are petrified and OWS hasn't done anything but march around, sing, say slogans and carry signs! What drama! What mystery!

Put any rich person's name into google with Occupy Wall Street and a lot of interesting things can come up.

In allegorical terms, the small space allowed to OWS is the amount of wealth that they can aspire to--very small, quiet and uncomfortable indeed. They are ringed by police (not necessarily for their own protection) and some of the police have been paid by the Wall Street banks (recently, JP Morgan Chase gave $4.6 million to the NYPD!). The confined nature and the spontaneous committment of the people who call themselves Occupy Wall Street could be seen as a present-day mystery drama which will change as time goes on. So the 99% of people have 1% of the wealth as represented by the space they occupy in the economic wealth of the nation. While the 1% have 40% of the wealth and space beyond measure and comprehension. This is the stage being set for the opening of the play.

Occupy Wall Street is dramatic in its non-violent desires and its patience while the transformation of the drama continues to emerge. Now all one has to do is look at the reactions of folks and you get the idea of what this drama is all about.

For example, on the CBC (which is paid for by the taxpayers of Canada and supposedly represents the taxpayers' best interests) we have had two interviews which shows the fear and loathing of the rich and the strength and power of the OWS.

The first interview comes from the Lang and O'Leary Exchange, a business program that also interviews people making business news. It, too, has its misplaced drama. This week (on October 6, 2011) another co-host and Kevin O'Leary interviewed Chris Hedges about the Occupy Wall Street movement. You can also see the transcript here.

What is astonishing is the vileness of the host's response to a guest who was giving his honest opinion about OWS. What stands out in my mind is the chalk-white face of astonishment and anger of O'Leary as he challenged his right to be a billionaire, a billionaire without conscience or sympathy.

The second egregious example of unfair play in which both O'Leary and Lang attack the author, Linda McQuaig, for her ideas in a book she wrote called "The Trouble With Billionaires." She was trying to explain why inequality in wealth is detrimental to most people. The hosts, Amanda Lang and O'Leary took turns calling Linda insane, dangerous, evil (O'Leary's favorite word) and that she had lost her mind. Oh, Amanda, we have lost you!

And where, oh, where is Goldman Sachs in all this brouhaha? Well, both Chris Hedges and the Exchange mention Goldman Sachs who, we know is really the Epitome of Economic Greed as you can see from all the hundreds of posted entries on this blog.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

On Being Alone

I am a person who is mostly alone, not lonely necessarily, but alone. I am not good in crowds, in groups or in any setting where there are a lot of people. I have become more of an introvert as I get older. I think about this often and sometimes try to overcome my reluctance to talk to other people.

I talk a lot to my husband who has become very good at interrupting me and correcting anything he knows or thinks is incorrect. This drives me crazy! But I am sure I do things that make him upset too.

I try not to discuss things that will upset me when he makes those corrections but I never seem to succeed.

When I get the facts wrong I get very upset at myself as well as him.

This seems so trivial that I have no more to say about it.

Another Poem: A Question For You....

a question for you--
How broken is peace,
melting liquid and bleeding
a smile as velvety and fresh as melon?

(In honour of Libya's fight for freedom.)

Sunday, June 20, 2010

On Fatherlessness

Today is father's day and our daughter is going to celebrate with her father by taking the family to dinner.

I got to thinking about the existence of fathers in my family. My mother's father died at 33 years old in 1919 just a couple of months before my mother's birth. She was the fourth child in the family. So my mother grew up without her own father although she had a stepfather who turned out to be a renegade(to be kind). My mother married at 18 and was separated from her husband after having given birth to her first child (and that was me). She was divorced after giving birth to my brother. I guess patterns do mean something in families. Maybe we became a certain kind of mother and wife because neither she nor I had a father figure that we admired. I think that not having a father was the tragedy of my mother's life. She became very self-sufficient and independent which are not qualities that some husbands admire. My mother married two more times so I had one that was a stepfather (a very unhappy situation) and the other a distant figure that was not fatherly to me at all.

I have often wondered in how many ways our being fatherless contributed to the negative qualities of our lives.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

On True Blue Shadows



This morning as I was walking I finally found proof for blue shadows. Last night we had our first killing frost. The sun rose in a clear sky the next day. There was frost in the shadows where the sun hadn't hit the ground yet. And there lay the bluest shadows I have ever seen. Gorgeous!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

On Psychopaths

Last night I watched a TV documentary called "I, Psychopath" in which a journalist attempted to delineate the characteristics of a psychopath from scientific journals and writers and from a man who admitted to being a psychopath. I found it very interesting because it made me realize that I have had contact with a psychopath who was a member of my mother's household during her third marriage and who made her life miserable especially during her last two years' of life. A psychopath has no conscience; a psychopath does not show emotion; a psychopath is narcissistic; a psychopath does not have empathy. A psychopath takes great pride in manipulating others and lashes out in anger towards others for no apparent reason. A psychopath plays with others' minds until those around her/him begin to doubt their own view of themselves.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

On Magnetic Poems

Today I composed my first magnetic poem. I bought a container containing magnetized words which can be arranged into poems. I chose to make one based on a feeling. Here is the result:

Life

squirming & broken but no fool
dark ice and old clouds
prisoners dance
but I miss peace

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Painting

You circle and surround the thing,
dancing like cool velvet
as blazing colour bleeds and
soft perfume streams
a blue breeze.


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Trek

Translucent morning & universal rhythm
cloud his dark smile;
Needles Fly
in the fresh breeze;
Flowers linger streaming to the sky.

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