Flesh Gardening

to impose meaning

we try 

for a living

"the only little thing about little league is the parents"

we try
retrospectively
we try

we build humans

we impose meaning

we correct failures

viciously

we defend 

at times attack

"justifiably" 
to force a better world

so we do say 

very viciously

so we do teach 

very "properly"

in the name of good being

in the image of our good wishes

we try and we try
we acidify and we vilify 

what is not 

quite benevolent

in our own eyes

what we did name

to avoid shame

to be the very pure, the very good

and not the terrible, awful other

       this was never

what we thought is was

we will never be

         what we hoped to be

none the less...

                          prepare for battle

and hope, for the very best

Author's Note

Reviews

[DIVYA]

This poem has a very vivid, interesting title.
Given the chance, we humans would break every helix in our kids' DNAs and rebuild them to reflect perfectly pristine, shiny impressions of ourselves. I don't know if I'm talking sense. Have you read Osho Rajneesh?

"You may house in their flesh but not in their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you can't visit even in your dreams" - Osho, Rajneesh on parenting.

[Davidgeo]

Indeed I do know of Osho Rajneesh. A not so insignificant part of my "voice" comes from him.

How do you feel about Carl Jung?

And in a very different but painfully similar way, how do you feel about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and his "gulag archipeligo"?

[DIVYA]

My father used to put on tapes of Osho's speeches while dozing of to sleep so I know of him. The others...I'll have to read all of them David. I will let you know when I'm done.

[Davidgeo]

Jung you will find familiar... of the two fathers of modern psychology Jung was the spirit (he was S Freud's partner during the birth of modern analytical psychology). Solzhenitsyn's work is simply a plainly raw testament to how far mankind will sink to in defense of a "better world". It took me three years to get through the Gulag Archipelago... and it wasn't because it was a tricky read. That book is hard to get through for a very different reason.

[DIVYA]

That's heavy reading! I've heard of that book though. I'll look on Amazon if it is available.

[Davidgeo]

Sorry about the weight. I forget about that sometimes. This link below is an introduction I wish I had before I read Solzhenitsyn...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfEYKSxXC5o

[Davidgeo]

None the less and no matter the weight I truly believe every thinking human should be at least a little bit familiar with The Gulag Archipelago. Everybody knows about the Holocaust and the Nazis.... yes, it was over a longer stretch of time but the Russians did far, far worse. far far far worse,

[Davidgeo]

they set humanity back by decades....

[DIVYA]

Even now, Russia is really the nation to be feared most. Chilling is the word that comes to me mind. Forget China or North Korea. They're babes. Don't know for sure. Its just a hunch but they may be the one's to end it all. Just saying.

[Davidgeo]

No. What Russia is now is nothing like what it was then. I'm not hating on Russia so to speak, it's authoritarian orientated communism as political philosophy that I'm vilifying. The s**t that went down after about 1917ish in russia is truly absurd in a very, very inhumane way... and it played out over several decades.

[KWP]

have you been to Russia? Beautiful place - don’t believe everything that is fed to you via news and suc h ....

[peter Duggan]

An interesting poem you have written here David. What I see in this foolish world we live in, is that kids are being pushed so hard, and brainwashed so much, We took my Grandson out of school and my daughter teaches them from our home. He has learned so much since leaving school, and his real intelligence is wonderful. He is free from all the foolishness that comes from school education. I enjoyed the read, my friend....Peter

[Davidgeo]

Not all schools are created equal, I was lucky enough to have a pretty good education. But that's on the student just as much as it is on the educator. I've never been a huge fan of home schooled educations myself. Some people do it right and it can be just as good but a lot of times the child turns into an adult without the proper social skills or without a well rounded enough education to prepare them for university and ultimately the professional world. The curriculum and methods public and private schools use are generally very effective... failure is usually on the student and/or parents. Being "pushed" hard to succeed is not a flaw. Being allergic to that and teaching a child that it's okay not to push yourself is doing a disservice to the child's future work ethic and expectations... the habits they start now are what will define them in the future.

[KWP]

this one got me thinking - thanks - I’m gonna go away and think some more - you are really enjoying Neutral Milk Hotel just now yeah?

[Davidgeo]

Yeah... I love the Neutral Milk Hotel. It's a shame that they don't have more of an extensive catalogue to listen to. It's basically two albums and that's it... most likely forever.

I'm glad I could get your brain thinking. I think that's one the better compliments I could receive.

[Onlyme]

Humanity is going. For good, bit by bit. And returning it again fully, in this world is even harder!

[Chris Shaw]

Interesting read David, and my response, from someone much older, a mother, and a grandmother to three grandchildren that I have raised for the last 16 years. I say the last thing I want is for them to turn out to be a clone of me. God forbid, with the insecurities and beliefs I had as a younger person. If anything, I have learned much from them. They have opened my eyes, it is them that have made me question, it is them whom I admire for their openness and willingness to debate anything and everything. I admire them for their tolerant attitude. They are free spirits and always will be.

Chris

[Davidgeo]

I like how you think. I wish you were my grandmother. But I might be too old.

You and I, none the less, I think we'd make a wonderful intellectually orientated porn though.

(yes, there is a viable market for that... and no, I'm not THAT weird, I just watch a lot of porn)

[Chris Shaw]

Now you have really got me smiling this morning. You carry on enjoying your porn, each to his own :))

[Davidgeo]

Everybody watches porn at some point doll face. Even you I'd wager... even you.

[Chris Shaw]

You've got a good sense of humour I'll give you that :))