It makes me angry:
I can’t stop thinking
about things I want.
I want a new roof, new gutters,
and the house painted.
I want to remodel the basement.
I want to refurbish the garage
and replace the kitchen cabinetry.
I want outdoor furniture for the back yard.
I want an Airstream, again.
And because I’ll need something to pull it,
I want a truck. I want a tiny house.
I want a 20 inch bass drum.
I want a stand-up desk.
I want a new turntable.
I even want things for other people.
I want René to have a new keyboard.
Hers is stupid, heavy, and old.
I want to be a better father.
I want to achieve enlightenment.
I want to read every book in the house
and I want to finish a draft
of the new novel.
There are things I want that I can’t mention.
I won’t mention those.
I want at once everything I desire
and nothing I desire. I want very much
to desire nothing, to have no desire
except for those desires that
are noble and good.
Very few of my desires
are either noble or good
except the ones that are most
difficult or next to impossible–
like achieving Buddha-hood
or reading everything in sight;
those desires that cost nothing
save commitment–those are the
real fuckers, and the ones I really need, and
therefore, for the time being, unattainable .
Monthly Archives: May 2014
#133: Stupid Desire
Filed under Poetry, Self Reflection
#132: Someone’s Looking At You
You know this now, don’t you?
That nothing is private.
That everything you say can
be seen and everything you’re
interested in is now somebody
else’s business and part of the
permanent and public record
of your life and can and likely
will be used against you.
A whole industry depends on the fact
that you have willingly given up
your right to privacy. At any time
of your day you may be photographed
or recorded in your absolute worst moment.
Even if it begins innocently, things could
go south. You can be shared. You might
even go viral. You might become a virus.
And you must be careful now about
connecting things you like with your
choice of social media.
Everyone now knows what you’re watching
or reading. This may or may not be okay with you.
Everyone knows now what music you’re listening to,
the very moment of or moments after your listening.
This could be embarrassing.
Your desires have become public.
Your friends, who are not all really your friends,
know more about you than your mother.
Note: and there’s this. As much as we despise this Donald Sterling guy and believe he deserves everything that’s coming to him, Bill Maher in this segment is absolutely right. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/10/bill-maher-donald-sterling_n_5301576.html