desperation

Desperation called 18 times during the course of the day asking why, what changed your attitude toward me?

How did you arrive at this heartbreaking conclusion to release me, to reduce my sense of responsibility and neglect burning ashes of regret?

Calm thought considered desperation's plight.

Release. Let go of passion, desire and expectations. Serenity, clear focus, unconditional love. Everything dies. Dance behind your tears, your questions with heart-mind.

Be still. Sit with sensation and perception. Breathe deep. In-out. in-out. Be your breath.

class is in session

once upon a time there was a continent, country, classroom

it looked like this

thousands of hungry children

hungry to learn and play with organic language

streamed through shuttered light

passing wood worn habitats of humanity

taking a seat

they opened their head

they opened their heart

they opened their mouth

long distance? give me information...

In a remote Cambodian jungle village along The River of Darkness they carve images of their dead.

The Chunchiet animist people bury their dead in the jungle.

Life is a sacred jungle.

Animists believe in the universal inherent power of nature world. The Tompoun and Jarai, among animist world tribes have sacred burial sites.

The Kachon village cemetery is one hour by boat on the Tonle Srepok River from Voen Sai. It is deep in the jungle. Many go in. Few come out.

The departed stays in the family home for five days before burial. Once a month family members make ritual sacrifices at the site. The village shaman dreams the departed will go to hell.

In their spirit story dream the shaman meets LOTH, Leader of the Hell who asks for an animal sacrifice. The animist belief says sacrificing a buffalo and making statues of the departed will satisfy LOTH. It will renew the spirit and return it to the family.

After a year family members remove old structures, add two carved effigies, carve wooden elephant tusks, create new decorated roofs and sacrifice a buffalo at the grave during a week long celebration with food and rice wine for the entire village.

New tombs have cement bases and carved effigies with cell phones and sunglasses. Never out of touch. See your local long distance carrier for plans and coverage in your area.

The future is brighter than a day in a sacred jungle.  

apocryphal

what you perceive as fantasy
is the product
of your imagination
what you perceive as reality
is also the product
of your imagination
without imagination 
reality is nothing

+

five things i cannot do for you

eat

wear clothes

shit

piss

carry your body around

goodbye July

such sweet sensation
dancing down summer days
turning a page, turning a corner
tuning sensitivity's wisdom into

a person's inability to sit still
long enough
to sense or imagine or know
all the unknowing

known to produce
sharp yellow finch trills 
and thrills
in rain's retrospect

one dawn
a floating red flower