I just returned from NYC. That's a funny place, filled with opinions and yet strangely tolerant of others. The fences are screaming "Down with Facism" and "Vote Bush and Cheney". Personally I find the tags and other graffitti to be interesting bits of art. I know there are those who photo the walls and keep some records, but there are so many walls. Future archeologists will wonder at the religious meaing behind the drawings, as they do with all obscure material. Did I ever tell you about the chicken pits? There's a place in Denmark where they built a neolithic village and populate it with university students who live the life of the neolithic farmer, herdsman, potter and shepherd. One day the university brought some researchers for a tour and they were all excited about the authenticness of the place. One professor had recently written a paper on religion of the neolithic communities and he excitedly pointed to the shallow depressions beside each home near the front doorway. They had a small amount of grain in each pit and he said, "I've just written a paper on the Goddess of the Threshold! That's amazing!" and one of the inhabitants replied, "That's where we feed the chickens."
On the way home I decided to pull up my old delights and think about poetry. Since finding out that my bad chloresterol is way too elevated (taking Lipitor now) I determined that I need to get my head straight. I need to find my bliss again. So here's some of my latest poetry, written on the train from NY to home:

Confused V of geese
are pulled behind
by Amtrak's
forward thrust.
Beside the
fractured
Hudson
the grey-etched
trees
occasional islands
and the
soft moan
as we
cross over.
The Holy Sycamore
and
muted pine
accompany my
northward
rail.

Gulls stand
on
ice flows.
Underneath
flows
cold water-
while
down
below-
the
dark frozen mud.

The ice boats
no longer sail
the shattered ice
the celadon water
the turk coy sky.

The holes we dig
in our life
we fill
with our life.

Sad taxi stand
at Hudson station
the trees
devoid
of
passengers
await
another ride
the stone walls
like Mayan
cities
in
some distant
mountain
pass
await
another
eye
the train
trembles
I'm in
a greyscaled
landscape.

Well, it's been a long time since I wrote that much and I hope it pleases. I used to try to be published and I try to think of this blog as being published. I took two rolls of film to be developed before I went to NYC. One was filled with pictures of the desert outside of Phoenix from when I took Larry's ashes down to his family. The other was blank. I wonder what was in that blankness? My thoughts, my deeds, my future? or was it just that I had broken a roll of film and then rewound it back, forgetting my error?

I was reading Deuteronomy this morning. So full of blood and intolerance. That crazy god of the Isrealites. Cut off their penises, not once but whenever I feel like more blood from innocent young men. Rape the little girls, but stone the Isrealite girl that gets raped. I am trying to figure out the name or the image of the god of fire, the god of volcanoes that first was worshipped by those who became known as the Jews. He was a trickster god for sure, but also a terrible one. I never thought before about the other volcanoes. I never knew that central Europe had them, but now that I know, I need to explore the very early remains of that faith. There isn't much to go on. It makes sense, though, that they ran their sheep and goats up on the fertile mountainsides and occasionally the god would speak to them in fire, brimstone and deep, booming voice. The innocent died and they trembled with fear. Curious that they would worship a mountain fart.
I wonder if it's possible that other volcano gods would give us a clue as to the nature of that beast? Human sacrifices are common, great fear and jealousy is common, but what about the name? Is it possible that the Norse would provide a clue? Was Thor ever a mountain god, or Woden? Was Loki ever associated with mountains or fire? There was a god of fire mentioned in a tale of Thor and Loki, but briefly. There's a book on the Gods of the Ancient Northmen, by Dumezil and that has many obscure stories from central Europe that will help out. If I find out who that bastard was I'll let you know. Once you have a clue as to who they worship, sometimes you can negotiate a back-door deal. I just want him to stop them from killing so much. The neo-Christians are clearly ignoring all the teachings of the Christ and taking all of thier cues from the Old Testament. I don't think, somehow, that the American crew are worchipping the same aspect of Trickster as the Jewish government, but I could be wrong. Deuteronomy clearly tells them to rape, plunder, pillage and then occupy and that is what both groups are doing. The Isreali government is taking over lands as fast as they can and the neo-cons here are occupying Afganistan and Iraq, as well as looking into other small, easy to conquer places. I wonder why they haven't taken over Cuba yet? I suppose it's because they have no oil. That would indicate Nigeria is on the short list. For the sake of "security" I expect that in the next 5-10 years they'll have to place a security zone into Mexico and Canada. Maybe a 50 mile wide strip we patrol and occupy but never officially own. We'll just call it a place of needed security and force the Mexican government to sign a document declaring that they want us there. Canada will be ore difficult but with a paper in hand we can do anything. Do you suppose somewhere there's a god of both volcanoes and law? Those lists of things in the Books of Joshua and Deuteronomy sure sound like a cosmic lawyer.