The Sublime Roundabout

Just what does the moon smell like, anyway? How can you put in words that which defies description? As easily might a man condense a sunset And put it in a jar As describe the glory of you. People walk about Their busy lives Their heads in clouds Their eyes blocked by fetters They cannot even feel But some of us have come to know That we are not beings of physical matter It is not the physical that matters But the glory of the soul The strength of the light Emanating from within We who are awake to this reality Love the world And those who live here Because it is like being out amongst the stars Reeling with pleasure and wonder and awe From one moment to the next The light from your soul Commingles with the light from my own And fills the immensity of space And the deepest corners of my heart.

It has come again Another year older and Wiser, too. I guess.

Lo, here! They cry Over here! See this, hear this, and believe! Do this, try, live and love! Be happy, only thirty minutes per day! That's all that's required! Eat this! Drink this! Exercise! Run! Lift! Faster! Higher! All it takes is a few moments of your time. All I want is for you to be happy. All I want is some of your money. Free! For a limited time! Wealth! Fame! Success! Somewhere in this cacophony Of dissonance and clamor I seek the peace That comes From within There, in my own self Left with my own thoughts Seeking my own I see the glittering, illuminated And illuminating Me The real me The spark of glory that is battered and scarred But not diminished Never tarnished Solid, firm, bright, glorious

In which I look at what it means to be a liberal Latter-day Saint. I don't think it's any big surprise to those who know me at all that I have some liberal ideas about some things. It is quite fascinating to me the reaction I get from friends and family who either assumed I was like them, or who thought I was putting on a show in the name of stirring the pot. Well, I do enjoy a good healthy discussion about values/ideas. And having someone who is able to articulate a contrary point of view in a respectful and thoughtful way is always a joy. But believe me, being liberal - or having some liberal ideas - makes me about as comfortable as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I have had some very awkward exchanges due to my political beliefs, in settings that are very public and involving people who should have known better. I think perhaps I make them uncomfortable, too, so they respond to the unknown, to the disconcerting (a faithful, liberal Mormon is almost a contradictio...

He remains alone, dark In the pit his own hands dug Cold and forgotten

I have a lot of thoughts rattling around my brain the past few weeks. Normally, I'd like to bounce them off someone to see what others think. However, finding someone who can keep up with my randomness is difficult. Read: impossible. So I shall pour out my thoughts here, and hope that you, dear reader, will have the patience to read on. Still here? Ok. Thanks. :) This morning I've been thinking about the debt in the United States. The current budget in the US is a complex thing, but to (perhaps overly) simplify: 1. Social Security. We pay a lot for Social Security each year - more than we do any other single expenditure. Social security itself is a complex thing. Instituted back in the FDR administration as a way of providing for elderly/retiring folks, as well as for those who are permanently disabled, and for those who are temporarily unemployed. The program is relatively simple to understand - those who are currently working pay into a pool from which the retired, et...

What do you see When you look in the reflection Of light That is in a mirror? What do you see? Do you see yourself? Do you see who you are? Do you see what you've done? Or where you've been? Do you see where you're going? Your dreams and your potential? Do you see how the past has shaped these things? Do you see? Do you see, most of all, The light that I see? The light that is no reflection But that emanates from your soul? Do you see that? Because I do. And it is most glorious.

There Just there Somewhere deep within In the darkness Glows a spark A divine spark of The purest Light Like a single star Set against the deep Velvety blackness Of space Space! An apt comparison! Because space is nothing A void Where nothing is And nothing can be Cold, harsh, impersonal Yet where there is space There is nothing And where there is Light There is Something And it can be seen Discerned And it is good This Light Which comes from your soul And fills the immensity Of space Between us Within us Warm Pure Sweet Serene Sublime

The day dawns cold and clear The blue sky arching above The heads of people deep in love Holding each other near The air is cool at this season The leaves swirl as they fall to the ground A softer quiet can be found That winter's coming is the reason But not yet cold, still full of light Though there's a slight chill in the air The days are full and warm and fair And stars twinkle and blaze away at night The days grow shorter, the nights grow long And in my heart sings the Autumn's song.