Prying the philosophy from one's skin

I am sorry I was eves dropping -- or is that thread spying?

"Take what you like and leave the rest"
A great philosophy
if you are living with an alcoholic.
Not so much if you are standing in line
at the gates of Auschwitz.
Who cares if the person who sent you
was on Time's cover in 1938?
You'll either die or shovel the dead into the pit.
Sometimes a person's core belief
makes you reject the rest of who they are.
It's also why I can't watch
Woody Allen or Mel Gibson movies anymore.

Author's Note

on eves dropping -- you can't always separate the beliefs from the person

Reviews

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

That exercise in contemplation whether bordering on the absurd or smack bang in the middle of reality leaves one wanting more, well done, good read KL as always.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you, it means a lot that you would choose this piece. I admire your conviction and unwavering passion in your writing.

[Paul Bell]

Drink sometimes gives you that little bit of inspiration. Like everything else, it can also take over your life.

[Lyn Anderson]

Not really the point of the poem, thanks for popping in.:)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

sometimes we just can't separate the artist from the works...Wagner from his operas or classical pieces...

it is tough to do...one faction doesn't make up the whole...but for some missteps or mistakes, there seems no forgiveness allowed...

j.

[Lyn Anderson]

Yes, there are some things that taint your perspective on the whole person. Something becomes less than what it was, or ugly even, once you know who did it. Thank you so much for popping in.

[Ana Papaya]

I also can't listen to Michael Jackson after all of that child abuse scandal stuff...

[Lyn Anderson]

That's exactly the point. Sometimes, it doesn't matter if the person had good points -- if the bad points are central to their being, then you can't look past it at some point, and you end up throwing the whole thing out.

[Pryde Foltz]

I have never been able to get into Woody Allen movies ... unless Diane Keaton is also involved ... who doesn't love Diane Keaton. I could never abide much the self-hate transmitted through what is otherwise clever and witty dialogue. So maybe the true villain is the self-hate and the monstrous acts and ideas that can come from this place.

[Lyn Anderson]

Interesting perspective. I do think that sometimes, it is impossible to separate parts of one's philosophy from who you ARE as a human being. A murderer may be brilliant, but I'd rather not take life advice from him. :)

[Pryde Foltz]

Well ... yeah. I am just saying that the atrocities flow from self-hatred.

[Pryde Foltz]

Self-hatred flows into judgement and the dehumanizing of others and then the grounds for atrocities are lain. I have seen first-hand the damage done to one's psyche from self-hatred and judgement. Beauty replaced with the grotesque.

[Pryde Foltz]

I am guessing there is a larger WC context to the write that I am not privy to :):):)

[Lyn Anderson]

Oh, anyone who cares to read the feed could figure this one out.:)

[Pryde Foltz]

I am not sure I care to read the feed ... lol ... my day might go better ... non. I literally have Taylor Swift in the background telling me to shake it off.

[Lyn Anderson]

tee hee. sometimes, while doing laundry, I get distracted.:)