Oblivion

Near winter
White blankets upon the land:
Icy warm, smooth and crunchy

Leaves
Dregs of satisfaction hanging like frosted breath; 

Pure and refined

'Neath entombed twigs with clear casted wigs:

Their armor

Frozen decay

None proceeding 'till damp melted spring
Rotted amour
Stems splendent growth
Scented blossoming death from death 

Change and life, only to fade and die
The wheel turns

So much distraction for meaning
Fooled and helpless folk eking out
Stupid fawns amazed and gleeful;
Climbing higher, the tendril beanstalks running for the sun

Brown and dead by summer's end,
When baited brewing transforms:
Wine. . .

Come, come awaited oblivion

–by Julie O./ Ember Elektra

November 30, 2014

At the End of All Things and Everything

                                   

If I met you at the end of all things and everything,

We would embrace, and the wind would whip my hair into my face,

Soft and warm like the moment before all time.

Silent, deafeningly silent, like music melancholy and lonely, 

But full, full to bursting. 

Then the fall. 

And falling . . . who cares?

Why should we care? 

Why should I care, when there is nothing and no one there? 

Heaven, maybe hell. 

All is lost, only to be found. 

And only one moment is real in eternity. 

–by Julie O. / Ember Elektra,  (photo by Lauren Stupar)

November 23, 2014

All that Glitters is Not Gold

About 3.4 billion years ago cyanobacteria (blue-green bacteria) began to perform photosynthesis in the oceans of the earth. This first life upon the earth was directly dependent upon sunlight for its existence. To be in the light meant photosynthesis and life, to be in the dark meant no photosynthesis, no life. It wasn't until round 360 million years ago the first animals started to come out of the water to live upon land. Therefore life evolved for billions of years with a direct connection to the light as sustenance. About 250 million years prior to animals appearing on land, the first proto-eyes evolved in animals which were able to detect light and dark. Cnidarians were the first animals to be able to detect light. The seers were dependent upon these types of bacteria and other plant life to sustain them. Even for these animals, going toward the light and heat meant food and energy.
The shiny places meant refuge in the dark foreboding expanses of the sea. Could it be that at our deepest most primal cores we are still hard wired to think that shiny glittering things mean abundance, comfort, and life? 

   Hey, come  back. Come back here. I'm gonna get you. Gonna get you. . . Come here. . . I'm gonna swim with you. . . I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you. - Finding Nemo, 2003

And no one showed us to the land. 

And no one knows the where's or why's

But something stirs and something tries And starts to climb towards the light. Echos, Pink Floyd, 1971

Animals that do not preform photosynthesis are one step removed from the sun and can travel deep into the darkness of the ocean, never needing to travel to the surface. These are some of the meanest looking, craziest creatures on the planet who are obviously not concerned with beauty. They play dirty to get what they need to survive. They use other creatures natural attraction to the light to lure them in and eat them.

    Some deep sea Anglerfish lure in prey with a light emitting escae, the result of a symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria

The lure mimics something that the prey are drawn to naturally out of self preservation, but in a sadistic twist, that very thing turns out to be a trap and the cause of death rather than life. 

The word lure is originally from Anglo-French lure, Old French loirre "device used in falconry to recall a bird, lure". The lure mimics the natural prey of the falcon. Falcons probably aren't stupid. They learn that the lure is not prey, however it comes to be associated with something valuable, namely food and other benefits they may get from the relationship with their keeper. The user of the lure, in this case, does not mean to harm the falcon, but uses the birds natural attraction to its prey as an incentive for training.

    Pheasant Wing Lure, northwoodsfalconry.com

The etymological dictionary states that lure is from Frankish *lothr or some other Germanic source. It seems plausible that the Old French word loirre comes from root words like PIE *legh- "lie, lay" and *leugh- "to tell a lie", with the meaning of something like "lie, deceive, conceal, be false", considering that the 'g' might have been replaced by 'r' as in the name of the River Loire in France. The name Loire comes from Latin Liger, which is from the Gaulish name of the river Liga meaning "silt, sediment, deposit, alluvium", from root *legh- "lie, lay". False prey might be a bird that lies. It does not move it lays still. It is false, a lure. Which can make it like a trap. A lure lies, like a concealed hole in the ground lies, or, even, like soft wet silty earth near a river lies that it is solid ground when it is actually a muddy trap. All that appears solid is not solid and all that appears delicious and edible is not really edible.

The French word for gait of a horse is allure. The allure "gait; way of walking" of a thoroughbred may be a factor in people choosing a particular hose to bet on in a race such as the Kentucky derby, but it finally comes down to the race. You don't necessarily get paid by betting on looks. Although looks and talent are often seen together.

    Secretariat at Saratoga On The Grass Saddling Area, The Whitney Stakes, 1973

Appearances can be manipulated for effect. So we have the common saying that all that glitters is not gold. All that is shiny or alluring is not valuable. Gold is ultimately from PIE *ghel- (2) "to shine." Gold is shiny, but what about being shiny is good? It is pretty and that is part of the allure, however, its real value goes beyond its appearance. The gleam of gold does not fade it is durable, and gold is malleable, a good conductor, and it doesn't tarnish. So it is pretty, but it is also the promise of being something of value that is alluring. If something is alluring but it does not prove to be valuable or beneficial the allure is a trap. 

    Iron Pyrite- Fool's Gold

A beautiful or mysterious woman can be very alluring. Mermaids are the epitome of mysterious allurement. 

    The Depths of the Sea, Edward Burne-Jones, 1887

The sea itself is very alluring. It glitters and waves. In Latin mare / maris is "sea" and merus "pure; bare, naked," figuratively "true, real, genuine", probably originally "clear, bright," from PIE *mer- "to gleam, glimmer, sparkle." It is so delightful when it is peaceful. It is full of abundance, and enables swift travel. But it is a very raw and naked strength, and sometimes seemingly cruel and unforgiving, not unlike a mirror of merus (pure) truth. 

Things can be alluring that hold the promise of being delicious and delectable. In fact the word delicious comes from the sense of luring away. It is from Latin de "away"+ lacere "lure, deceive." Why would what is delicious be a deception? Perhaps it is a deception that what is delicious will make one happy, when in fact its deliciousness can lead one instead to a state of weakness, sickness or delicateness through [over]indulgence and therefore making one less resilient and finally less able to enjoy anything. What is delicious can lure us away from balance to our own demise.

Delicate meaning (of people)"self-indulgent, loving ease"; also "sensitive; easily hurt, feeble"; (of things) "delightful" is from Latin delicatus "alluring, delightful, dainty," also "addicted to pleasure, luxurious, efiminate" deliciae "a pet". Related to Latin delicere (de "away' + lacere "to lure, entice"). Often people have delicate lacy looking doilies to dress up holiday party tables. Fitting in that we are trapped by the delicacies and the word lace is from Latin lacium, from Latin laqueum "noose, snare," related to lacere.

Eat now. Feel guilty later. Hang over. . . tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving. 

    Delicious Root Vegetables on Thanksgiving, photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

And I'm just going to leave it at that, 'cuz that's where I'm at right now.

peace ✌️