nirvanaflats.com 

Mahmoud Darwish passed away at age 67 following open heart surgery according to cnn.com. I don’t know Arabic, but listening to his voice there are universal understandings. Pain- frustration, hope, despair, anger, and again hope.

It’s so rare that a voice of reason, passion and eloquence is heard above the din of hyperbole, stupidity and punditry; it is sad when that voice becomes quiet.

Poets illuminate the mundane and underscore the awful- life is… hard. And beautiful.

There are too few of us and tonight there is one less. When we are gone, we are gone and nothing we do comes with us- it’s what we pass on that matters.

I wish and hope Mr. Darwish now finds the peace that was denied him during his lifetime.

Not exactly from m-w.com…

Main Entry:
iro·neeee
\??-r?-n?? also ??(-?)r-n??\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural iro·nieeeeeees
Infected Form(s):
puss-filled iro·nieeeeeees
Etymology:
Latin ironia, from Greek eir?nia, from eir?n dissembler
Date:
1502-ish

1: a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to make the other’s false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning —called also Socratic irony
2 : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning
3 : Being too busy working deeply in launching, building and supporting social communities and environments to actually ever read, comment on or post blogs myself and feeling wholly disconnected.

Apparently Altoids thinks being whipped is like eating a mint. I fully support the person that approved this ad experience the difference.

“Give her a meaner leaner wienner for dinner makes the wiener’s owner a winner.”

I almost want to click the link that was included as a reward for the effort….

I get a grotesque comfort reading my old words- knowing they were mine, still are in some strange way- although they aren’t. I had committed them when I did, that me is over and gone- that moment- that cut- that cry- that heat- that brokenness- that seduction.

smeared polaroids in a back drawer

Wonderful

i couldn’t find my way to you
I didnt know what else to do
and once again
none of that is true

I dont know what is wrong with me
I keep thinking I want to be free
but I am trapped
by myself

Why can’t it just be wonderful?
Why isn’t it already wonderful
Haven’t we done everything
we’re supposed to do?

Why can’t it just be wonderful?
Why isn’t it already wonderful?
After all
It’s only me and you

You look at me with such contempt
I’ve been so crazy I’ve hardly slept
I wasn’t trying to do
anything at all

A thousand possibilities
A million different realities
I can’t explain
I just need to connect

And I bring it down
I always bring it down
It’s never enough
It’s never right
It doesn’t have to be
It doesn’t have to be
It’s okay
It’s okay
It doesn’t have to be
Please tell me it doesn’t have to be

There’s so much more out there
there’s so much we have right here
what is it
that makes that so wrong

I dont know what else to say
I wish we could find a way
to a place
A place that works

Why can’t it just be wonderful?
Why isn’t it already wonderful?
why does it have to be
so fucking hard

Why can’t it just be wonderful?
Why isn’t it already wonderful?
why is it always
so fucking hard

Why can’t it just be wonderful?
Why isn’t it already wonderful?

Tomorrow- Israel ends the embargoes and sends several convoys of food, water, medical and building supplies into the refugee camps and Palestinian ghettos.

Gaza, West Bank and a reasonable amount of additional workable land are turned over to Palestinian authorities on an agreement of a non-aggression pact by all parties. Truth and Reconciliation policies are enacted. Multicultural educational programs are deployed emphasizing individualism and respect.

Jerusalem is deemed a multinational/multicultural city free city with a governing board of participant states.

Israel and Palestine agree to host UN peacekeeping forces comprised of western, middle-eastern and African forces to guard borders and enforce peace. Leaders of forces that violate the peace agreement will be subject to UN Tribunals.

Integrated border towns will be built. Israel agrees to devote a portion of their armed forces personnel and budget to helping Palestine rebuild their infrastructure, towns and cities. Semitic multi-culturalism is encouraged. A common people with different beliefs as an example of what humanity can achieve once ignorance and stupidity are put aside.

TOMORROW.

I have tales of my daughters’ visit from new years and stuff brewing in the back of my head. Picture and stories coming soon. And oddly, a direct correlation to the offensive xenophobic laws that went into place a couple weeks ago across our grand country. One more thing us “Americans” can be ashamed of for years to come.

Many years ago my Mom and I and my brother and my brother’s friend and his mother who happened to be dark skinned were having lunch at a restaurant in Suffern NY. I used to carry a set of business cards in my wallet- I was about 14 or 15 at the time. They read in fancy type: “You are cordially invited to go fuck yourself.”

There was a couple sitting not too far from us who kept whispering in hushes and giggling and staring at us. I really didn’t understand what was going on but my mother did. She asked to see my wallet which i handed to her. She took the wallet, removed one of my cards and got up and walked over to the table the couple was sitting at- presented it to them and turned around and walked back and sat down and we proceeded with our meal.

Mom- for all the things I haven’t done right in my life, you gave me my moral center and taught me right and wrong and how to be a good- if not sometimes loud, human being. You taught me to never compromise your beliefs and to always stand up for what’s right, especially for those that cant or even won’t. And to have a laugh while doing it.

I miss you so…

All my love, your eldest son,

Kip

just registered it.

Look for a site soon