Lets not judge Iran quite yet

Peace, there is little doubt that if you are reading this you have read or heard or are in some way familiar with the events taking place in Iran. I am not going to pretend to shed any light on this situation or to act like I have some sort of knowledge that others don't. I have never been to Iran, and will leave the political evaluation up to those better suited. I have however lived in the United States all my life, and spent a considerable amount of my education studying the history of our country. Given this I feel like there is something missing in our discussion of the current Iranian situation. It seems that in all our commentary and disgust (which, I think is often the appropriate emotion) we forget that we are less than a year removed from robocops patrolling downtown St. Paul, from our own assault on basic rights like dissent, just ask the RNC 8. We also have our own fraud issues just ask Al Gore or any non-white in Florida, or for that case non-whites anywhere. Now I am not trying to justify what is taking place in Iran, all I am saying is that before we allow President Obama to claim a position of authority on allowing the freedom of speech etc. we hold ourselves to the same standard. Professor Chomsky calls it the principal of universality... if we wouldn't want it done to us don't do it to anybody else and vice versa... Jesus called it the golden rule, but I think doing the right thing will do. So yes, be upset, be outraged, demand a more see through process, demand rights be observed, do this all for Iran and the Iranians, but don't leave out America and Americans.

Live Poetry

It’s one of those nights… you know the ones where you want to go to sleep, but every time you close your eyes your mind goes into overdrive. Yeah it’s one of those nights. Instead of fight it I got up and decided to enjoy some poetry maybe that would rest my mind (I knew better). I found myself listening to one of my favorite pieces “Poetic Bloodline” by Gemineye. I had heard the piece close to 1,000 times, but tonight it was like the first time, and as I sat there trying to sort out in my head what was different it hit me…. I understand it. The piece is an ode to the poets of the past framed in an encounter Gemineye is having with God in which poetry is the tool that has been, and will be used again to create change and bring positivity (of course there is more to it like being a poet is a sacred charge not to be disrespected by misrepresenting yourself, but that is a whole different issue any way back to the point). One of the lines in particular struck me “I need poets to take the world back and undo the curse”, and I understood then more clearly than ever before why the world needs poets. We have a responsibility, an opportunity to leave this world a better place in a way that very few have the chance to ever even think about. Our job is to be the voice for those who cannot use or do not have their own. It is up to us to tell the stories of those who would otherwise be easily forgotten, to unveil the beauty in the seemingly ugliest places, it is up to us to manifest love and freedom. It seems so often we lose ourselves in slam scores or booking shows or writing the illest metaphor or whatever, that we forget our only true responsibility is to live as honestly as possible. This is the true meaning, I think of taking art to action without this everything else is hollow. Now it is not my place to tell anybody what this does or doesn't look like I am simply saying without connecting the art to your community, and eventually the larger community of humanity, we have missed the point.... we missed what God told Gemineye and what Gemineye in turn showed me, mainly poetry has a purpose, and that purpose is to create and build community. It is important to note that I believe all of us in some way or another are poets, whether we write or just get up every morning to face the daily grind we make something beautiful and unique. Our pencils might be a smile to a stranger or not lying to a friend, but somehow we are all contributing to the creation of our reality, and it is important to remember we share in the responsibility of living honestly and representing our community. I believe that when we truly own this responsibility greed, and hate and all the other things that serve to keep us so numb to one another lose their hold, and will eventually disappear. Notice this does not demand time from schedules, or money, just a commitment to positivity and community. So to my fellow poets, writers, humans I thank you and encourage all of us to Live Poetry. Sai Werd