The Literate Epoch
Where The Brightest Minds Have The Darkest Corners
Tag Archives: growth
Apr 2 2012

NaPoWriMo 1:30 ~ Reminisce Then Release

by The AOMuse

work 2142838 3 flat550x550075f distant footsteps echo through the corridors of time1
 

i carry the insignia
of your memory
like the equation
etched in efflorescence
of a red brick porch step
of the hovel that housed
my childhood
keeping innocence
untainted

i carried your scent
in a satchel
no larger than
a pocketwatch
dangling from the neck
in plain sight
where others complained
it made for painful
adornment
pulling me low
like a light boulder

i am carrying
an arrow quiver
which Eros
emptied into me
in recovery
for heart sickness
though no vaccination
save disconnecting
the patient
is an antibiotic
worth injecting

whereas before
i wanted only
to curry favor
this flavor of nostalgia
once a gastric flame
burning my abdomen
is now slowly dying light
squelched out
from rapid
atmoshperic ascent
dead from absence
of oxygen

Prometheus has ceased
sparking civilization
mere carcass meeting vulture
littering the landscape
of memory
deteriorating
in this corridor
of consciousness.

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Mar 1 2012

The Grizzly: Vol. 2, Ep. 0 ~ Of Nappy, Anti-Conformist Origins

by The AOMuse

Grizzly
 

The Grizzly is a choice. These fickle follicles my purposed determination to work through life upon my own terms exemplified by the expanding sage brush cloaking my face. I decided that I should not be buttressed by those conditions concerned with consuming my humanity.  If I would gauge my own reaction, I could find happiness, passion and sustained progress in any circumstance.  I started by not cutting my hair firmly affixed to the notion that should the desire arise to trim in the future, this conclusion would be rooted in a personal hunger for change and neither reaction to external influences nor habituated behavior.  All things else involving dance, writing, investigation and rhetoric grow outward from that point.  This unruly mane is a mere representation of those unyielding exploratory boundaries.

The Grizzly is an exercise in non-conformity.  Coming forth from five years pursuing the corporate doughnut, a layoff moved me to reject the reconstruction of my persona that I might curry favor in each new contractual arrangement which the day presented.  I refuse to cave to a particular countenance that you might consider me accepted.  It is preferred that you evaluate my qualifications and expect that I arrive here to complete an assignment for which you shall render payment whereupon I will leave the office in search of a real life.  I will not work the extra shift.  I will not stay later that you might see my diligence and intense work ethic as a beacon of excellence amongst my peers.  I will not pretend that I like people in whom I have no discernible interest.  All cordial behavior should be interpreted as my authentic appearance unless I give you cause to consider otherwise.  This face is filled with a dense and nappy forest of fierce honesty beholden to no truth larger than the ability to readjust your position.

The Grizzly is free expression.  This always casual chorus of human song singing nothing short of curious.  He who carries instruments familiar only by name.  Together we shall learn from one another and reveal the secrets to be discovered in  progression.  The path I walk is winsome; barefoot.  Smooth as Mississippi mud.  On occasion.  Sticking to ribs thick.  And cleansing Alabama clay.  Applachian rock hard gravel.  I don’t dance.  I merely dodge wind.  Slip between humans.  Two foot placement.  One in front of the other.  Finding novel ways to make my missteps look rhythmic; classy.  Carrying no camera so significant that I cannot count the beauty in the blinking of an eye.  The intensity of a sunset on a slightly moistened summer day.  This chin chuckles at the light which lives through children and challenges itself each day to lean into that level of illumination.

The Grizzly is detached…unhinged…disconnected from all that won’t matter, but finding new fascination with each aspect of a living Earth as the hair grows unmanaged contemplating the communal possibilities.

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Oct 24 2011

On Poetry, Prose & the Repositioning of Pentameter

by The AOMuse

Some time ago I made a conscientious decision to stop posting so much poetry on this blog.  I had become concerned that the blog would be too consumed with my personal writing to prove itself an effective evangelist for this notion called the Literate Epoch.  It it my fervent desire to encourage humans to return to a time of great writing, literature and critical thinking.  I felt the need to branch out in order to accomplish this task.

Initially I went dormant on the blog.  For long periods, I would post nothing.  Then I would return with a spartan bit of prose or freewriting which I had done on hiatus.  I began to maintain an exhaustive reading schedule to expand my thoughts on previously unexplored ideals which traded upon my burgeoning atheism and skepticism.  This gave way to the desire to review books that advanced the intellectual, literary and revolutionary aesthetic that I had hoped would define this Literate Epoch.

When feeling misunderstood in my rapidly shifting opinions, I found an outlet through essays on subjects that I felt would inspire critical thought.  Slowly these elements have begun to bond together into a cohesive whole.  I feel the blog has sufficiently expanded its wellspring of ideas that a return to poetry would not dilute that level of progress.  I thought I should prepare you as I begin to dig into this rich dark compost of unfinished ideas and fashion a garden that I hope shall flourish in the minds who allow it to take root.

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Jun 14 2011

Review: Chords and Discords

by The AOMuse

Chords and DiscordsChords and Discords by Walter Everette Hawkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hawkins is a quiet gem of the Renaissance era. His selection “Here and Hereafter” is perhaps poetic theme music for my present life journey. I am delighted to have found it. I came by his work first in a John G. Jackson lecture on the history of freethinkers in the black community. There was another version of “Here and Hereafter” which had been referenced as being written for the Poetry Corner in “The Messenger” magazine as printed by A. Philip Randolph and Chandler Owen. What great delight befell me when I discovered that this text, Chords and Discords, had been made available to the public domain and subsequently digitized by Google Books as I was anxious to read more of his work.

This text which is ostensibly the only one ever compiled by Hawkins seems to be a collection of all of his writings at that point in his life because one can sense the forward journey through artistic engagement with the supernatural and then sudden bursts of expression where he declares firmly his adherence to no creed or manufactured system of beliefs. These bursts lend themselves to great moments in freethought literature such as the aforementioned “Here and Hereafter”, “Too Much Religion”, “A Festival In Christendom”, and “Evolution”. In between, we find moments accented by other standard poetry fare such as selections on love, childhood, longing, and self exploration. In all, it is a delightful and brisk read for any one interested in the freethought literature of that era.

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Apr 28 2011

Review: By Any Means Necessary

by The AOMuse

By Any Means Necessary (Malcolm X Speeches & Writings)By Any Means Necessary by Malcolm X

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is a documentary on Malcolm’s life that one can occasionally find packaged with some copies of the movie Malcolm X. I consider it the finest documentary done regarding Malcolm’s life because it bypasses narration or peers recounting their relationship or randomly inserted persons raising up how Malcolm affected their lives. All that the documentary includes is a series of speeches, lectures, news clips, and sound bites strung together which trace Malcolm’s life from end to end.

This book is a similar summation. Perhaps no finer text exists with a collection of Malcolm’s writings that display his ability to grapple with the political and cultural conditions to arrive at new truths. It is sufficient in this world to simply be the stake one’s flag in the ground and hold that position until death, but when one can be so public and still allow the world to know that your position has changed upon the arrival of new information; that you might have possibly been wrong and now you are publicly correcting your stance.

This is the signature of a mature human being. One not lost in the leadership role assigned to them, but one whom has transcended and simply recognizes that they are a part of some larger and human and brilliant.

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Apr 1 2010

NaPoWriMo 1:30 ~ Exhaust This Ink

by The AOMuse

until falls
the final drop
of liquid good

when its barrel
lay broken

and ink leaves
a dry
indelibly
delivered lesson
for future
story
foretold

when no longer
may i scratch
this empty metal
cartridge
across my desk
in search of any
form of
formal imprint

when pin
pricked
fingers
no longer lead
the ledger
to a level of 
legible english

let my life
be a supple
formation
of a simple
letter S

be it
remembered of me
certain
that when the
full measure
of my darkness
does search
its way towards
the surface
of my person

a pen remains
my only means
of navigating
my way through
a life of service

and though
i write
a ground floor
legacy
i may leave
forgotten
in a blink
there be
later room
for sleep
i am writing
still
by moonlight
on mission
to exhaust
(t)his ink.

Photo-00

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Dec 28 2009

Excerpts from the TOAT Archives: Self Determination (Kujichagalia)

by The AOMuse

The unpacking of the archives continues on this 2nd day of Kwanzaa at a much later hour.  Kujichagalia means self determination.  With each new principle I recite, I can hear in the distance the voices of the children of Betty Shabazz International Charter School performing one of their rituals.  Every aspect of these rituals is a chisel that chips away at those things in this present world which shape their minds in ways we do not desire.  I am reminded Dr. Jifunza explaining to young Akin the inner workings of the semi-monthly Market Day.  I can hear the admonishment that I have received before regarding Jah’kaya.  “She’s just a child.”

What sort of world will arise from the hands of our children if all we ever teach them is the art of being children eternally?  No.  We are forming from our hands the world we wish to appear in our future.  Our children should be no less aware that every moment they allow to escape is another missed opportunity for creation whether they understand it from a literal or symbolic perspective. – tekhen djehuti

SELF-DETERMINATION (KUJICHAGULIA) – Knowledge: Firm and definite choice of one’s own acts, character, and state of being beyond external compulsion, influence, and obstruction. Wisdom: To define, name, create, and speak for and of ourselves instead of being defined, named, created, and spoken for and of by others. Understanding: Freedom is not given. Liberation is not a gratuity bestowed upon you by external forces. Nothing in Life worth achieving is delivered unto one’s doorstep. Bequeathed unto each and every Being at the point of Creation is the inherent ability to do for Self and experience one’s own personal Genesis. You can shape your Life and your World in any image you choose, so long as you possess the Self Determination to not be shaped by those things that surround you.

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Jul 24 2007

Rashida

by The AOMuse
Cute Sister’s Dog
Cute Sister Trying To Avoid A Morning Picture
Cute Sister’s Other Dog
Persistent Brother’s Second Attempt At A Morning Picture

Everyone give your best greeting to Rashida. She is an interesting character that can be encountered here in Chicago if you look very carefully on the second Sunday after the full moon where the third star in Orion’s belt can be seen on the far East rock near Promontory Point. Sorry. My subtle attempt at humor to offer some semblance of how often I get to see her, but still I find her quite the treat when she is in town.

Determined, explorative, adventurous, and willing to put up with a non sequitur such as myself. Isn’t that printed tee great? The two little ones pictured above are Gizmo (above) and Chewie (below). They have faces that bear an uncanny resemblance to their respective namesakes. She has just returned to Boston to complete a contract so I will have to fast and meditate for another 6 or 7 weeks at best until her return. Until that time, I always have my blog, these photos, and the waning days of my seasonably warm Chicago summer.

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