Social Poetry Defined

so·cial

   [soh-shuhl] Show IPA
adjective
1. pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations: a social club.
2. seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly;sociable; gregarious.
3. of, pertaining to, connected with, or suited to polite or fashionable society: a social event.
4. living or disposed to live in companionship with others or in a community, rather than in isolation: People are social beings.
5. of or pertaining to human society, especially as a body divided into classes according to status: social rank.

po·et·ry

   [poh-i-tree] Show IPA
noun
1. the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by   beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts.
2. literary work in metrical form; verse.
3. prose with poetic  qualities.
4. poetic  qualities however manifested: the poetry of simple acts and things.
5. poetic  spirit or feeling: The pianist played the prelude with poetry.



there are a lot of ways that one could choose to put these two together. i do it like this - actions and intentions given to a dispersing of consciousness expansion, uplifting happiness and growth through the sharing of gratitude, joy and love.
that is social poetry; and much as with literary poetry, it is a difficult, if fun, entity to attempt to narrow down.
so i will do the opposite. i will expand it, because that is at the center of it all, is it not? growth. uplifting. expansion.
from running a hostel, to writing poetry, to running a nonprofit, to working with the music community, we find that we and those around us can usher our social poetry into existence in a myriad of different mediums and methods.
“...but i know we can’t all stay here forever, so i wanna write my words on the face of today...”
shannon hoon sand those words in a well known blind melon song, Change, and those words ring true just as much now as ever they might have.
are we writing our words on the face of today?!?
first we step up with occupy, then we step back as we allow rick perry and herman cain to dominate headlines, and congress to pass the NDAA...we are pouring our civil liberties and our basic rights out into the abyss of virtual disposal...what many of us are forgetting is that once we give these rights and liberties away, history has proven repeatedly that they are next to impossible to regain without a major upheaval.
maybe its what we need.
we are raping the land with corn, a crop that is carbon negative to such a degree as to be unconsionably detrimental, while it is next to impossible to get INDUSTRIAL hemp claused into legislature for commercial usage, despite hemps versatility, sustainability and carbon neutral potential, as well as its many health benefits and textile uses which are considerably more environmentally conscious that their alternatives, i.e., replacing wood and forest cutting to make paper, utilization in paints and other liquid textiles, fiber for rope and clothing fabrics, as well as the benefits of hemp oil and the broad array of nutritional properties of the plant and its seeds.
although there are ample technologies and materials available to expand solar energy and wind energy to mass continental levels, and electric and hydrogen batteries are currently already viable options, the petroleum industry continues to thwart attempts at ‘going planet green’
WAKE UP
oil men have KNOWN for years we were headed this direction
they are ringing every last gasp of pennies from us in order to extract whatever income they can before making the big jump and leaving the training pants behind
when we as a society take the jump to global green, to symbiosis with gaia and mother earth, we will me taking a step towards happiness, towards god, towards grace.
this is our social poetry...so, tell me what is your poetic license????

Why I have Hope

ALL I CAN DO IS SMILE.....i find it humbling and amazing to realize the transition we have made as a society simply in my short life span and it gives me great hope that the measure of our forward progression will be done not by an astonishingly progressive man, but by the people whom elected this man as they realize the SIGNIFICANCE of mentally breaking down the color barrier. As it settles in upon the rest of us what a monumental achievement has truly occurred we will recognize the scale of our pushing thru this hurdle---not around or over it but thru it----and how we as a nation and as the supposed leaders of western culture choose NOW to go forward.

Much as with the felling of the Berlin Wall during my childhood, the purest and most vast effects of this decision will slowly trickle down----much as regan-omics did----to the base mores of our culture. It will be sometime after Mr. Obama has shown the passion and deliberance that, in my opinion, won him the hearts of our nation and in effect the election----it will be after he shows his true depth that we will let it sink in that this was a wise and positive decision for us as a people.

I sit squarely at the juxtaposition of the GenX/GenY crossover. As a child i saw the intro of the Tandy Personal Color Computer and Nintendo --- along with a huge incidence of racial slurs and epithets in my own household. I watched the WALL fall and I saw Rodney King get beaten on video. I have witnessed the cultural coming of age that is/are my generation(s). It has been at times lethargic and poignant. I am currently watching---with much enthusiasm as well as apprehension---as the old guard is being shown the door in our federal legislative branch and younger, more progressive, and more tolerant individuals---at least in appearance---are being added to the roles of our elected law-making body. I am witnessing the changeover that hopes to be more open-minded, more culturally aware, and more socially and world conscious. I, unlike many of the pundits who "punditize"(the quotes are for you La...of course i had to use one made up word) the current generations involved in politics, am a supreme optimist. I know everyday when i get up that my peers will go forward and that we are moving ahead --- in medicine, technology, education, although education has a cuirve that is much too financially based --- and that at the end of the day we are better.

The current crisis is nothing more than a blip on the radar. Things have been due for a serious correction for many months now, and everyone from top analysts to college Econ. profs and there student body could read the signs. It has been clear to even the laymen who chooses to look beneath the MSNBC propaganda.And this too we will clear as a hurdle. The message my friends is that it will be ok. We are moving forward and despite the disaster that has been the bush administration, we will use it as a learning experience to grow.

I love you all.

Take this hope with you every day.

Namaste and blessings


jonah