Path of the Pilgrim

As a young man I would ask the question
where is this heaven 
reverend said it was like a cloud in the sky 
then I learned some science 
science said a cloud is molecules 
so does that make heaven a lie 
and if so why sit in a church 
in a position that hurts 
listen to stories absurd 
Nah, I was not having it 
I'd rather go hang with the savages 
my habitat, babylon's labyrinth 
imagining I'm livin so lavish 
established and smoking that cabbage 
trying to get high like that cloud in the sky
like this was my heaven 
but I was pretending afraid of the times ending
it was a quick sand hourglass good times, go fast 
in the past, I was attached i thought I had, to make it last 
so the, high's were high and the lows were low 
and the manic depression would come and then go 
I knew there was more, I chose to explore
so I hit the open road with my broken toes 
put the soles of my feet in the dirt 
and walked with the salt of the earth 
in all of my travels i have observed 
we all feel similar things but use different words 
the curse of this babel makes fanatical's battle 
over the intangible but that cloud is not graspable 
so science is factual, actual, literal 
religion is ritual, mystical 
and the myth is the map 
to find where your at 
upon your life path so 
where you stumble there lies your treasure 
you need the struggle to enjoy true pleasure 
I now have acceptance of both more than science can measure 
since the essence of heaven is a poetic expression 
word to the reverend, I've worked with the church
Now I know that cloud is my brain 
I'm the big bang explosion 
I walked out the ocean as that web footed mammal 
 I'm the camel, passin through the eye of the needle 
my purpose has service to people I'm working the land 
I'm a man who holds eternity in a grain of sand with the palm of my hand 
and my truth is, I'm a buddhist, 
I chose to look within my mind to find 
the divine design my face and spine is like space and time 
From time to time, I ride cloud nine and this is my heaven 
it's laughin with my lady 
watching my baby learn, how to crawl 
the call from my mom 
it's writing this song 
givin my life to a cause 
it's trying to do right when easy to be wrong 
it's the feeling incredible of 
eating the vegetable, I grew from the seed 
being a lover of shade not a hater of heat 
mother nature connected perspective complete 
my spirit, alive in this 
my lyrics, describing this 
translated enlightenment 
that cloud is a mirror so heaven, 
I hope you can find it...

Mother Earth Is Speaking (People's Climate March Performance)

 

I find truth in that ancient metaphor of the earth as a mother.

And in that way, through climate change

I believe that mother earth is speaking, she's says she's got a fever.

I used to doubt her, but now I believe her.

It can be the middle of winter, and I can be wearing a t-shirt,

like it's summer warm. The next day might be a snow storm.

So mother earth is speaking, she's says she's got a fever

And look how we've treated her.

We put fog in her eyes, paved and farmed her skin dry.

No wonder she earth quakes to shake the fracking pipelines of her back

That are acting like the needle of a misquito,
But yo, I too have drained the gas can

too many days I've been sittin' in a traffic jam,

surrounded by cars runnin, wondering,

how we ever gonna get our way out of this,
with trash on my floor, some of it non-recyclable

as our exhaust smoke lifts, chokes the air

where the tree's that breath carbon, get clearcut for profit.

as if our earth mother is a lifeless object,

as if we aren't part of a larger process, that belongs to the earth.

And in that way, as cells in her body,

unlimited economic growth,

is a cancer cell philosophy.

That is not the world I want to see. This is not the change that I want to be.

So mother earth is speaking. she's says she's got a fever.
Somebody get her a tissue, this is an issue. This is a challenge.

This is our opportunity. To be like the hero in the movie

that saves the day when you think it's the end.
Because the mother earth is speaking, she says she gots a fever, 

and even though the crises gets deeper, we cannot, give in, to cynicism.

The quickest way to make a difference is own simple livin,

then get in with where ya fit in and change the system.

We have to know, the status quo, it has to go. so.

when the people lead, then the leaders follow.

Today we organize, we act tomorrow.

The solutions exist, with the systems we shift, still we cannot buy our way out of this.

Be aware of politicians with corporate wallets.

that promote policies that would allow temperature to rise,

4, 5, even 6 degrees. It's already risen almost one, it's still rising,
stopping at 2 or 3 is the best we got.

If we want to survive. 

Because mother earth is speaking. She's says she got a fever.

It is time to relieve her. It is time to listen.
Our earth has given herself to us

like a mothers body to her baby

and through our growing years, for the milk

we've left her bite marked and scarred.

she will never be the same again.
But a mothers love is eternal and abundant.
Abundant enough for our need... just not for our greed.

It is time to help our earth mother recover.

(Group Sing/Chant) 

The Earth is our Mother, we must take care of her.

Unite, my people, into one, into one.

So this is the song/poem I wrote for the Eugene People's Climate March, 9-21-14. I hope you like it and even more that it inspires you to take some form of action, or to push yourself to the next step in your mission to find harmony with and heal the earth.

Light A Candle (Dedicated to the Earth Lovers and Earth Activist)

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about climate change, the destruction that will occur because of it, and the importance of learning to live in harmony with the earth. I believe that this learning will be increasingly important as Industrial Civilization recklessly heads towards collapse (Can you believe the US state department recently declared that the Keystone pipeline would have a negligible impact upon the environment? If you believe that you might as well believe the earth is flat!)

I've been working with a group of Avant Gardeners and have been blessed enough to have their help transforming my traditional home into a urban homestead. In a sense, I feel like I'm going back to the land, as a child I was raised in the woods and I can't help but remembering my Mom who would sometimes read me Chief Seattle's great speech before bed, that speech, about being connected to the web of life, helped inspire this poem/song (I've been recording it into song with a friend and once the song is mixed, I will share with y'all).

Light A Candle

Hear my voice
Echo the elders
when they tell us
the earth is sacred
every pine needle
every grain of sand
I know the sap
that courses through the trees
like I know the blood
that flows through my veins
the flowers my sisters
the rivers my brothers
the air gives us breath
so how can a man
own the land
when he is not the weaver
but merely a strand
in the web of life
understand then
what we do to this web
we do to ourselves
so what will happen
when the last tree is logged
the bees are all gone
and the last salmon caught
it will be the end of living
the beginning of survival
so listen to these words
uttured by Chief Seattle
and don't curse darkness
instead light candles!

So How did this happen?
drilling, fracking,
can't drink the water that comes out the tap and
can't breathe the air
where they build a coal plant and
they build a pipeline
from the Tar Sands and
cut short the lifeline
of this planet
so lets examine
supply and demand when
keeping up with the Joneses
Equals eco-psychosis
because it's debt ridden
this capitalism is a system
of living based on infinite growth
on a finite globe
so we cut down the old growth
make paper cups, for us to use once
throw it away, make a mountain of trash
WE DONE WITH THAT
I hang with Avant Gardeners and Forest Defenders
and we remember our ancestors
and re-myth the message
for our progression
into the future
yes we use computers
don't buy new ones
every single year
so with this right here
we make mesocosmic moves
grow grass roots
through the city
occupy vacant lots
create eco villages
livin simply so others may
simply live
cuz, we don't wanna win
political battles
and we don't curse darkness
instead we light Candles!

Peace, Love, Joy, Wisdom...
-Plaedo