12.19.2010
where without whom - octavio paz
There is not
A single soul among the trees
And I
Don't know where I've gone.
i've just recently started reading paz and i find him lovely. this poem especially. although short, its brevity helps to convey the loneliness of the piece. i hear its even better in spanish. check it out.
12.18.2010
12.08.2010
An Interview With a Lusty Spike
“SpikedwithLust” originally joined DP when she was 15 at a friend’s recommendation. We know her as “Lusty”, “Spikey”, “Lust O Spike” and a few other names.
Opklot: What sign are you?
SpikedwithLust: Libra, the sign of balance … supposedly I’m gregarious.
Opklot: Tell me about some of your influences.
SpikedwithLust: I really got into Bukowski this past summer. His stuff is kinda’ stark and dark, but really about the real things in love.
I had two great English teachers in high school that helped me "perfect" my writing …9th grade and 12 grade, the beginning and the end. They taught me to be succinct.
My 9th grade English teacher gave me a greater appreciation for grammar and sentence structure all that good stuff….and my 12th grade teacher taught me to be analytical of works. Both of these tools I use when I write.
Opklot: You have a few writes on the Dark Poetry site that I really wanted to ask about.
SpikedwithLust: Ok.
Opklot: What time period did you create the work titled “Asphalt Memories”?
SpikedwithLust: I was on winter break during my freshman year of college, so I was 18. It’s about a friend and all the things I admire about her and sort of see in myself. She’s the one, who really got me writing and I’m sort of in awe of her, but she always seemed to have this...space I guess you could call it between her and other people, I just wanted to capture some of that. It’s more like we were the same in a way, the sort of space we had between ourselves and other people, but it was just more apparent with her. I could see some of myself in her.
Opklot: It almost appears as though you also saw a few things that you wish you had, but don’t?
SpikedwithLust: There is level of admiration for this person, I mean her work is outstanding and she's pretty outstanding herself. In her isolation, if that’s what you want to call it, she became more wanted. You know people always want what they can’t have and are always curious about the unknown. I think that distance she had gave her this quality.
Opklot: "all i have are asphalt memories and the crumpled dragonflies she left in my hand" ....What does this mean?
SpikedwithLust: well those were two of her former DP (Dark Poetry) names
“asphalt memories” and “crumpled dragonflies”. I wanted it to be about her. One of my friends said it sounded as if she had written it, but I’m not sure it’s my usual style. She always wrote about the faerie and gods and things like that. It’s just who she is.
Opklot: Do you not see her much anymore? ....as you wrote ... "and sadly
i’ve lost touch with my youth
she doesn't come around as often"
SpikedwithLust: At that point in time, I didn’t. We had sort of drifted apart, especially with me going off to college, but we're pretty good friends again now.
Opklot: That is great! ....sounds like a nice friend to have.... she sounds like a very special person.
SpikedwithLust: She’s awesome…. same one that got me to join DP.
Opklot: Well, if she reads this, I must say “thank you” to her, because I personally think that I would have missed a great author if you hadn’t come around!
Opklot: Tell me about your write called “courting ghosts”.
SpikedwithLust: I wrote this because for some reason the phrase courting ghosts popped in my head. It’s weird the things that pop into my head. The phrase just sort of reminded me of sad lovers. I felt bad writing it though, because I feel like I always write about the same things.
Opklot: "waiflike, i dance
between the cracks in our foundation,
sway in the spaces amongst the has-been and the never-was."
Tell me about this part.
SpikedwithLust: In my mind, I think of a waif as a thin person, so, someone small enough to fit in those minute spaces. It’s usually a collection of small things that cause a relationship to fail, like the small cracks in the foundation of a building. Just one won’t cause it to tumble.
Opklot: What does the part about the "sandbox love affair" mean?
SpikedwithLust: I thought about the simplicity and the brevity of childhood romances. I just pictured a little boy and a little girl at the playground, playing in the sandbox. I feel as if the world of a child is quite small in that way; confined to the sandbox.
Opklot: Tell me about the part that reads "like we end when the sun goes down."
SpikedwithLust: That refers to two things I guess. Going back to the sandbox …. When we're children, it’s as if the world doesn’t exist after dark. When it gets dark, its time to go in, play time is over. The second part has to do with the shadows. Shadows are formed when an object obstructs the light. So, in true darkness there are no shadows.
Opklot: Why did you rewrite “courting ghosts”?
SpikedwithLust: I was unsatisfied with the first version. It didn’t flow the way I wanted. It seemed to jump to the last two stanzas in a weird way and the ending seemed abrupt to me, almost like it was unfinished, so, I felt like I needed to add some smoother transitions.
Opklot: how much does your write titled “theophilus” have to do with the biblical aspect?
SpikedwithLust: I was reading C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”, when the inspiration for the poem hit. I kept repeating to myself for a couple days "im searching for god in lowly places" and writing it over and over. I felt kinda crazy. I decided that it was gonna have something to do with god, but I didn’t know it would become as extended as it did. It’s kind of a long piece for me.
Opklot: Tell me what you meant by "they say, the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us",
You start it off with "they say". That’s a bit less emphatic than the people who proclaim it. Tell me about it.
SpikedwithLust: I quoted from the bible and I guess it’s kind of important that this part of the poem came somewhere in the middle of my writing the piece. I guess in a way its a part of my style. I often start poems in a similar way. I wanted to connect it more. Once I decided I was going to have all biblical/religious type metaphors and images, it was important to me to have something from the bible. I could have easily started at "tonight" but I also admire poets who use allusions.
There are plenty of ways one could rearrange the piece, I suppose. I just felt it was an appropriate opening; it sort of sets in place the whole notion of divinity of the flesh. I guess I also like the idea of Jesus as the word too…. divine flesh...divine words. I had a talk awhile back about divine love and what it is to love god in a romantic sense.
Opklot: You go on to say "so tonight, i am searching for god in lowly places," ....that was the reference to C S Lewis? ......were you actually doing a soul search at that time?
SpikedwithLust: I’m glad you ask, because I really was. I read “Mere Christianity” two summers before and it really changed me. It made Christianity seem so simple to me; something so complex made so simple. I love Lewis forever for that.
Opklot: A lot of people know Lewis for "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe", but it seems as though only a handful know of "Mere Christianity". People usually skip this piece. Why do you think that is; and further, what was your actual prompt to read it in the first place?
SpikedwithLust: I actually never read any of the “Narnia” books. I think a lot of people today just don’t know about Lewis’s adult works. The children books are what he's known for. I just recently learned that Lewis wrote poetry. I decided to read it because a friend of mine read a group of Lewis’s adult literature for his senior project and presented to our class. I found it interesting, plus, I’m just curious.
Opklot: There appears to be a bit of sensuality thrown into this piece. Is that right?
SpikedwithLust: Yeah, it is a bit sexual … lol …it’s kinda’ cloaked.
To catch the rest of “SpikedwithLust” and her writing, you’ll need to go to Dark Poetry and start reading or she might be found in the chat area also. There are also forums that you can join to discuss in depth topics.
Opklot: What sign are you?
SpikedwithLust: Libra, the sign of balance … supposedly I’m gregarious.
Opklot: Tell me about some of your influences.
SpikedwithLust: I really got into Bukowski this past summer. His stuff is kinda’ stark and dark, but really about the real things in love.
I had two great English teachers in high school that helped me "perfect" my writing …9th grade and 12 grade, the beginning and the end. They taught me to be succinct.
My 9th grade English teacher gave me a greater appreciation for grammar and sentence structure all that good stuff….and my 12th grade teacher taught me to be analytical of works. Both of these tools I use when I write.
Opklot: You have a few writes on the Dark Poetry site that I really wanted to ask about.
SpikedwithLust: Ok.
Opklot: What time period did you create the work titled “Asphalt Memories”?
SpikedwithLust: I was on winter break during my freshman year of college, so I was 18. It’s about a friend and all the things I admire about her and sort of see in myself. She’s the one, who really got me writing and I’m sort of in awe of her, but she always seemed to have this...space I guess you could call it between her and other people, I just wanted to capture some of that. It’s more like we were the same in a way, the sort of space we had between ourselves and other people, but it was just more apparent with her. I could see some of myself in her.
Opklot: It almost appears as though you also saw a few things that you wish you had, but don’t?
SpikedwithLust: There is level of admiration for this person, I mean her work is outstanding and she's pretty outstanding herself. In her isolation, if that’s what you want to call it, she became more wanted. You know people always want what they can’t have and are always curious about the unknown. I think that distance she had gave her this quality.
Opklot: "all i have are asphalt memories and the crumpled dragonflies she left in my hand" ....What does this mean?
SpikedwithLust: well those were two of her former DP (Dark Poetry) names
“asphalt memories” and “crumpled dragonflies”. I wanted it to be about her. One of my friends said it sounded as if she had written it, but I’m not sure it’s my usual style. She always wrote about the faerie and gods and things like that. It’s just who she is.
Opklot: Do you not see her much anymore? ....as you wrote ... "and sadly
i’ve lost touch with my youth
she doesn't come around as often"
SpikedwithLust: At that point in time, I didn’t. We had sort of drifted apart, especially with me going off to college, but we're pretty good friends again now.
Opklot: That is great! ....sounds like a nice friend to have.... she sounds like a very special person.
SpikedwithLust: She’s awesome…. same one that got me to join DP.
Opklot: Well, if she reads this, I must say “thank you” to her, because I personally think that I would have missed a great author if you hadn’t come around!
Opklot: Tell me about your write called “courting ghosts”.
SpikedwithLust: I wrote this because for some reason the phrase courting ghosts popped in my head. It’s weird the things that pop into my head. The phrase just sort of reminded me of sad lovers. I felt bad writing it though, because I feel like I always write about the same things.
Opklot: "waiflike, i dance
between the cracks in our foundation,
sway in the spaces amongst the has-been and the never-was."
Tell me about this part.
SpikedwithLust: In my mind, I think of a waif as a thin person, so, someone small enough to fit in those minute spaces. It’s usually a collection of small things that cause a relationship to fail, like the small cracks in the foundation of a building. Just one won’t cause it to tumble.
Opklot: What does the part about the "sandbox love affair" mean?
SpikedwithLust: I thought about the simplicity and the brevity of childhood romances. I just pictured a little boy and a little girl at the playground, playing in the sandbox. I feel as if the world of a child is quite small in that way; confined to the sandbox.
Opklot: Tell me about the part that reads "like we end when the sun goes down."
SpikedwithLust: That refers to two things I guess. Going back to the sandbox …. When we're children, it’s as if the world doesn’t exist after dark. When it gets dark, its time to go in, play time is over. The second part has to do with the shadows. Shadows are formed when an object obstructs the light. So, in true darkness there are no shadows.
Opklot: Why did you rewrite “courting ghosts”?
SpikedwithLust: I was unsatisfied with the first version. It didn’t flow the way I wanted. It seemed to jump to the last two stanzas in a weird way and the ending seemed abrupt to me, almost like it was unfinished, so, I felt like I needed to add some smoother transitions.
Opklot: how much does your write titled “theophilus” have to do with the biblical aspect?
SpikedwithLust: I was reading C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”, when the inspiration for the poem hit. I kept repeating to myself for a couple days "im searching for god in lowly places" and writing it over and over. I felt kinda crazy. I decided that it was gonna have something to do with god, but I didn’t know it would become as extended as it did. It’s kind of a long piece for me.
Opklot: Tell me what you meant by "they say, the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us",
You start it off with "they say". That’s a bit less emphatic than the people who proclaim it. Tell me about it.
SpikedwithLust: I quoted from the bible and I guess it’s kind of important that this part of the poem came somewhere in the middle of my writing the piece. I guess in a way its a part of my style. I often start poems in a similar way. I wanted to connect it more. Once I decided I was going to have all biblical/religious type metaphors and images, it was important to me to have something from the bible. I could have easily started at "tonight" but I also admire poets who use allusions.
There are plenty of ways one could rearrange the piece, I suppose. I just felt it was an appropriate opening; it sort of sets in place the whole notion of divinity of the flesh. I guess I also like the idea of Jesus as the word too…. divine flesh...divine words. I had a talk awhile back about divine love and what it is to love god in a romantic sense.
Opklot: You go on to say "so tonight, i am searching for god in lowly places," ....that was the reference to C S Lewis? ......were you actually doing a soul search at that time?
SpikedwithLust: I’m glad you ask, because I really was. I read “Mere Christianity” two summers before and it really changed me. It made Christianity seem so simple to me; something so complex made so simple. I love Lewis forever for that.
Opklot: A lot of people know Lewis for "The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe", but it seems as though only a handful know of "Mere Christianity". People usually skip this piece. Why do you think that is; and further, what was your actual prompt to read it in the first place?
SpikedwithLust: I actually never read any of the “Narnia” books. I think a lot of people today just don’t know about Lewis’s adult works. The children books are what he's known for. I just recently learned that Lewis wrote poetry. I decided to read it because a friend of mine read a group of Lewis’s adult literature for his senior project and presented to our class. I found it interesting, plus, I’m just curious.
Opklot: There appears to be a bit of sensuality thrown into this piece. Is that right?
SpikedwithLust: Yeah, it is a bit sexual … lol …it’s kinda’ cloaked.
To catch the rest of “SpikedwithLust” and her writing, you’ll need to go to Dark Poetry and start reading or she might be found in the chat area also. There are also forums that you can join to discuss in depth topics.
12.05.2010
buddy wakefield - hurling crowbirds at mockingbars
*the good stuff starts around 2:15*
"i could have swore you sung me a love song back there...and that you meant it..."
if you have ever encountered me in chatbox, you will know how much i sing this man's praises. this is by far his most touching work to me. saw him perform it and i shed a tear. please watch, please discover more awesomeness like this for yourself :)
anis mojgani - sock hop
"she told me she didnt believe in god anymore, i told her i still did..."
i am literally obsessed with this man's words, i find them beautiful and honest beyond belief. i've had the pleasure of seeing him perform live and its touching, enjoy his youtube glory.
3.21.2010
2.25.2010
The Grand Daddy of them All!!!!
Today, dear readers, we are in for quite an honor. I have with me today one of my favorite Dark Legends, GrandaddyBonegrinder .
Join me as I attempt to explore this man's fascinating and insightful world.
DD: I want to know more about the man that has created such intelligently crafted masterpieces as you have, over at Dark Poetry.
Can you tell us a little more about yourself?
GB: My name is Michael Brown. I'm a 60-year-old, iconoclast, happily married to my soul mate Lingaz for 28 years. I've lived most of my life in rural, western New York. I have four wonderful children who are my best friends. Adam is the Chair of Education Department at St Bonaventure University and teaches Evolutionary Psychology. Kristian is a supervisor in a local mail order shop, Kenton teaches English at SUNY, Fredonia, NY and Nicole works as a suicide prevention counselor at the University of Buffalo. I own and operate Chainbiters Disc Golf Course, just outside of South Dayton, New York. A disc golf addict, I tour from May through Oct following the Can Am Disc Golf Series. I was the New York State Advanced Masters champion in 2008.
I earned my Masters in Metaphysical Science from the University of Metaphysics in Los Angeles, California and my BA from SUNY at Fredonia in Sociology with a minor in History. A certified hypnotherapist, I specialize in erotic fantasy for women and couples. I'm a graduate of Programming and Systems Institute proficient in COBAL, Basic, C+ and NWScript. I have over 30 years experience as a D&D Dungeon Master creating scenarios for my loyal followers. I still host a weekly PnP game for several local college professors during the winter months. Lingaz and I began computer gaming on the Commodore 128 with Pool of Radiance and The Bards Tale (1,2,3). I created my first hack and slash adventure programming in 128 BASIC w/ sound. It was a lot of fund at the time. LOL! Since then we've played them all. We both consider the Wizardry series the best of the lot until Neverwinter Nights appeared on the scene. I guess you could call me a "world builder"; I now work 6-8 hours per day in the NWN Toolset creating MMORPGs for a fantastic online Persistent World called Eternal Destiny As you might expect, Lingaz is my devoted game tester, allowing me to spend more time building and creating my modules. I write satire, parody and poetry in the irreverent tradition of social observers like Mark Twain. My hobbies include metal art, web-site design, and computer graphic art.
DD: So many of your works seem like they could have directly influenced many other themes found in movies and other forms of artistic expression. Even some that have been as recent as a movie like "Surrogates", with Bruce Willis. "Filename: Michael L Brown" is one of the most astoundingly brilliant short stories I have ever read.
Would it be out of line for me to ask you, even BEG you, to PLEASE, (PLEEEASE)continue this storyline?
GB: Yea? this probably ain't goona happen, LOL, but thanks for the kind words.
DD: In, " the marketplace - 2022" you paint a pretty intriguing glimpse in to what the future of our species may look like. I read this piece before I ever watched the movie "Repo: The Genetic Opera". The first thing that came to mind, when I read the back of the DVD at the video store, was this work.
Is this just a coincidence? Or, are my suspicions, that in "meat space" you are somebody famous, true?
GB: Indeed this is pure coincidence, as I do not watch movies at all. IMHO, sitting watching a movie when I could be building, writing, putting or doing anything else productive, is wasting my time. I would estimate the number of complete movies I"ve seen in my life, could be counted on two hands; much of my work is influenced by my background in Sociology and the problems I perceive within our culture.
DD: In my opinion, it's obvious why someone with your caliber of ability would be a member of The Dark Poetry Council.
Can you tell my readers a little about what Dark Poetry means to you and what it means to be among the ranks of the DP elite?
GB: Dark Poetry.com is far more than just a website on which to post your dark poetry. I believe the words of sites founder, DarkPoet ,describes the community perfectly: "The psychological benefits of writing Dark Poetry are substantial. The fact that you can share a little piece of your soul with another person just by writing is miraculous. Even the simple act of describing something that is bothering you in a new way can give you a whole new perspective, and help you find new ways to handle it. Above all, having someone else actually understand you at such a deep level makes you realize you're not so alone in the world after all." "Using this community for the sharing of your poetry can help connect you to other people in new ways. In fact, thousands of friendships, hundreds of romantic relationships, and even a number of marriages have resulted from the meeting of poets on DarkPoetry! These connections didn't happen entirely by fate: the members sought out those who they really could understand, and worked to create these new, deep relationships.?" The Captain of the Starship DarkPoetry does not give out titles lightly; one earns their position here by hard work and dedication. I'm happy and proud that in some small way I have been able to help with the sites growth and enrichment. And as for being an elite, naw, I'm just one of the DP family.
DD: Some people are either uncomfortable with or have no opinion on matters outside of poetry and the arts. After viewing some of the thought provoking graphical art on your DP works list like, "The fundamental nature of Democracy" , I get a sense that you, like me, are not among those ranks.
Given the recent uncertainty facing our world, at the dawn of a second decade of the new millennium, what are your thoughts on the current state of government in the U.S.?
GB: Like all failed democracies down through history, the US has slowly evolved into a Bread and Circus Empire. Controlled by a massive corporate/media/military complex, perhaps the most appropriate word to describe current US leadership is Plutocracy. Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth, "a fusion of money and government". For the USA, World War 11 was the final set of nails in the coffin of the American Republic. Since that time there has been no "Government of the people, by the people, or for the people," in any meaningful sense of the phrase. Today, we cling only to the illusion of democracy, in the wake of 9/11, the veil becoming transparent, the US Empire so expansive and powerful, it is no longer possible to hide behind the Matrix of democracy. Yet still, most Americans embrace the illusion that we live in a democracy, simply because we have the right to vote. Voting only matters where real choices are allowed. The present U.S. political system has been carefully crafted to ensure that no one who questions the military/industrial/corporate power structure will be allowed entrance into positions of authority. The voting process is the ultimate charade, yet the illusion that every vote counts is very important because it allows the average citizens to become willing participants in the two-party, corporate sham.
DD: And lastly, what advice would you give the next person, who clicks a link on my blog to go over to DarkPoetry.com
and sign up for a Free Memebership, to get to the level of recognition and understanding of self that it appears you have achieved, by expressing yourself on a website such as DarkPoetry?
GB: Becoming part of the DarkPoetry community allows one a unique opportunity to rub elbows with a wide variety of talented personalities, providing a chance to converse with members who have multitude different values, attitudes, ideals and opinions. One excellent to learn about yourself is to explain your beliefs to others and in turn, learn from what others believe.
Words can not express my gratitude at being allowed the honor of sharing your time, to entertain me and my little hobby of satisfying my curiosity about the wonderful authors that can be found among the denizens of the DarkPoetry world. Be well, GranDadday and, as always, keep scribbling! (Especially about Michael L Brown) =)--Draven
Join me as I attempt to explore this man's fascinating and insightful world.
DD: I want to know more about the man that has created such intelligently crafted masterpieces as you have, over at Dark Poetry.
Can you tell us a little more about yourself?
GB: My name is Michael Brown. I'm a 60-year-old, iconoclast, happily married to my soul mate Lingaz for 28 years. I've lived most of my life in rural, western New York. I have four wonderful children who are my best friends. Adam is the Chair of Education Department at St Bonaventure University and teaches Evolutionary Psychology. Kristian is a supervisor in a local mail order shop, Kenton teaches English at SUNY, Fredonia, NY and Nicole works as a suicide prevention counselor at the University of Buffalo. I own and operate Chainbiters Disc Golf Course, just outside of South Dayton, New York. A disc golf addict, I tour from May through Oct following the Can Am Disc Golf Series. I was the New York State Advanced Masters champion in 2008.
I earned my Masters in Metaphysical Science from the University of Metaphysics in Los Angeles, California and my BA from SUNY at Fredonia in Sociology with a minor in History. A certified hypnotherapist, I specialize in erotic fantasy for women and couples. I'm a graduate of Programming and Systems Institute proficient in COBAL, Basic, C+ and NWScript. I have over 30 years experience as a D&D Dungeon Master creating scenarios for my loyal followers. I still host a weekly PnP game for several local college professors during the winter months. Lingaz and I began computer gaming on the Commodore 128 with Pool of Radiance and The Bards Tale (1,2,3). I created my first hack and slash adventure programming in 128 BASIC w/ sound. It was a lot of fund at the time. LOL! Since then we've played them all. We both consider the Wizardry series the best of the lot until Neverwinter Nights appeared on the scene. I guess you could call me a "world builder"; I now work 6-8 hours per day in the NWN Toolset creating MMORPGs for a fantastic online Persistent World called Eternal Destiny As you might expect, Lingaz is my devoted game tester, allowing me to spend more time building and creating my modules. I write satire, parody and poetry in the irreverent tradition of social observers like Mark Twain. My hobbies include metal art, web-site design, and computer graphic art.
DD: So many of your works seem like they could have directly influenced many other themes found in movies and other forms of artistic expression. Even some that have been as recent as a movie like "Surrogates", with Bruce Willis. "Filename: Michael L Brown" is one of the most astoundingly brilliant short stories I have ever read.
Would it be out of line for me to ask you, even BEG you, to PLEASE, (PLEEEASE)continue this storyline?
GB: Yea? this probably ain't goona happen, LOL, but thanks for the kind words.
DD: In, " the marketplace - 2022" you paint a pretty intriguing glimpse in to what the future of our species may look like. I read this piece before I ever watched the movie "Repo: The Genetic Opera". The first thing that came to mind, when I read the back of the DVD at the video store, was this work.
Is this just a coincidence? Or, are my suspicions, that in "meat space" you are somebody famous, true?
GB: Indeed this is pure coincidence, as I do not watch movies at all. IMHO, sitting watching a movie when I could be building, writing, putting or doing anything else productive, is wasting my time. I would estimate the number of complete movies I"ve seen in my life, could be counted on two hands; much of my work is influenced by my background in Sociology and the problems I perceive within our culture.
DD: In my opinion, it's obvious why someone with your caliber of ability would be a member of The Dark Poetry Council.
Can you tell my readers a little about what Dark Poetry means to you and what it means to be among the ranks of the DP elite?
GB: Dark Poetry.com is far more than just a website on which to post your dark poetry. I believe the words of sites founder, DarkPoet ,describes the community perfectly: "The psychological benefits of writing Dark Poetry are substantial. The fact that you can share a little piece of your soul with another person just by writing is miraculous. Even the simple act of describing something that is bothering you in a new way can give you a whole new perspective, and help you find new ways to handle it. Above all, having someone else actually understand you at such a deep level makes you realize you're not so alone in the world after all." "Using this community for the sharing of your poetry can help connect you to other people in new ways. In fact, thousands of friendships, hundreds of romantic relationships, and even a number of marriages have resulted from the meeting of poets on DarkPoetry! These connections didn't happen entirely by fate: the members sought out those who they really could understand, and worked to create these new, deep relationships.?" The Captain of the Starship DarkPoetry does not give out titles lightly; one earns their position here by hard work and dedication. I'm happy and proud that in some small way I have been able to help with the sites growth and enrichment. And as for being an elite, naw, I'm just one of the DP family.
DD: Some people are either uncomfortable with or have no opinion on matters outside of poetry and the arts. After viewing some of the thought provoking graphical art on your DP works list like, "The fundamental nature of Democracy" , I get a sense that you, like me, are not among those ranks.
Given the recent uncertainty facing our world, at the dawn of a second decade of the new millennium, what are your thoughts on the current state of government in the U.S.?
GB: Like all failed democracies down through history, the US has slowly evolved into a Bread and Circus Empire. Controlled by a massive corporate/media/military complex, perhaps the most appropriate word to describe current US leadership is Plutocracy. Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth, "a fusion of money and government". For the USA, World War 11 was the final set of nails in the coffin of the American Republic. Since that time there has been no "Government of the people, by the people, or for the people," in any meaningful sense of the phrase. Today, we cling only to the illusion of democracy, in the wake of 9/11, the veil becoming transparent, the US Empire so expansive and powerful, it is no longer possible to hide behind the Matrix of democracy. Yet still, most Americans embrace the illusion that we live in a democracy, simply because we have the right to vote. Voting only matters where real choices are allowed. The present U.S. political system has been carefully crafted to ensure that no one who questions the military/industrial/corporate power structure will be allowed entrance into positions of authority. The voting process is the ultimate charade, yet the illusion that every vote counts is very important because it allows the average citizens to become willing participants in the two-party, corporate sham.
DD: And lastly, what advice would you give the next person, who clicks a link on my blog to go over to DarkPoetry.com
and sign up for a Free Memebership, to get to the level of recognition and understanding of self that it appears you have achieved, by expressing yourself on a website such as DarkPoetry?
GB: Becoming part of the DarkPoetry community allows one a unique opportunity to rub elbows with a wide variety of talented personalities, providing a chance to converse with members who have multitude different values, attitudes, ideals and opinions. One excellent to learn about yourself is to explain your beliefs to others and in turn, learn from what others believe.
Words can not express my gratitude at being allowed the honor of sharing your time, to entertain me and my little hobby of satisfying my curiosity about the wonderful authors that can be found among the denizens of the DarkPoetry world. Be well, GranDadday and, as always, keep scribbling! (Especially about Michael L Brown) =)--Draven
2.12.2010
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