Strugglers

despite all the unhealed cuts and purple bruises

ignoring old wounds and the aches and the pains

staying in the game

creating new plans after dismal failures

willing to struggle for years without success

hopeful no matter appearance or situation

no matter the failures, in spite of the wrong turns

oblivious to the posted odds

remaining focused on the race itself

suiting up despite all the previous losses

beaten often, yes, but not beaten down

bloody but not yet broken

coping with mental and physical handicaps

catching the pack though left far behind at the start

making full use of anything at hand

fighting through the bitter tears

unable to cast aside powerful dreams

never accepting the relief of simple hopelessness

walking bad roads that always seem uphill

sacrificing youth and even life itself

always holding fast to the passion of living

ignored and unwanted

cast off and left without training

nonetheless finding a clear and unique voice

laughed at by the cliques

shoved aside by the powerful

succeeding with the help of a simple but marvelous persistence

malformed, skinny, fat, scarred and/or quite ugly

unable to quite reach the rungs of the ladder

fated often to lose but never able to quit

tripped up on obstacles purposely erected by others

held further back by the rules of the rigged game

forced to seek wisdom in the lot they were handed

downtrodden and forgotten, ignored or abused

cast out without being given a sense of direction

trying so hard, without any lessons

born to those who neither achieved nor were expected

assumed to be dull and lacking ambition

yet roaring up from behind, unaware of the difficulties

left outside too often to their own immature devices

not cared for or nurtured, but ignored and injured

adapting and overcoming, finding a way on their own

rarely even looked at, then laughed at and quickly beaten

not good enough for TV or the groups back at school

tortuously discovering what others deliberately did not show them

often failing, but never quitting

too far removed from the herd to know they could not succeed

carving out their own positions of self-respect and honest dignity

scorned by the fair and the offspring of the privileged

not taken for granted - just not even considered at all

but driven on by a strong but quiet voice from the inside

finding new hope when things have all gone wrong

stepped on without malice and kicked aside with indifference

achieving success and still knowing mercy

living off tiny dreams in an atmosphere of failure

able to persevere despite years of disappointment

achieving, in the end, what the wellborn might scorn as mundane

My Interview Questions

Tell us about the best thing you have ever done

What is the average depth of the ocean

Name the most important thing you would change if you could

Given the chance, what would you do differently with your life

Share a question that you have pondered time and time again

What magazines do you make sure to always read

Where and what were you before your earliest memories

What mechanical tool do you find you use the most

Explain an intricacy of your favorite plot

Describe in some detail the one person you knew and most despised

Explain one concept you accept as an article of faith

Why do humans always find it necessary to go to war

In how many languages do you have some fluency

How many languages should be official in one country

Should police use personal judgment or treat every case the same

Between electricity and running water which would you do without

Why or why not is human life more sacred than that of the animals

Explain the principle behind the internal combustion engine

Talk a little about the book that you are currently reading

Give the scientific names of the four days when the seasons change

How do you tell if you are doing something nearly at your potential

What sports do you participate in and how do you train

What ways have you found that you can express yourself

How would a greenhouse gas bring about global warming

If you have a car, what kind and how old is it

What is different about the nut securing a chop saw blade

Who do you think was the greatest American

Why are Asian immigrants more successful than Hispanics

Name your favorite mathematician, alive or not

If a man lived right but had no Savior, could he go to heaven

According to science, what is the age of the earth and the universe

If you watch television, name three shows that you like

Where do you go to find out about current news and events

What species is the largest vertebrate ever to live

What clubs or societies are you a member of

Approximately what percent of humans now live in poverty

How important is the abortion issue in relation to other problems we face

How wide and how thick is a wooden 2x4

What is the relationship of Intelligent Design to the Theory of Evolution

What’s on the menu for your favorite breakfast

What are the three planets closest to our sun

Everyone wants to hear of your most embarrassing moment

What is the approximate current human population of the earth

What do you fear more than anything else

Name the second highest peak in the Himalayas

Talk frankly about the biggest lie you have ever told

What Internet site do you spend the most time at

What was the most important event of the 20^th Century

Ask a question that most people will not know and give the answer

Which continent is the largest of all

What determines the size of waves hitting a beach

What distinguishes man from other animals

Name one work of the very late J.S. Bach

How might your goals change if you knew you would live forever

If you had five minutes to live, right her and now, what would you do

How many prime numbers are there

Name three Canadian provinces and one Mexican state

What is di-hydrogen oxide good for

Would you call the conquest of the New World a great genocide

What is the longest time you ever went without speaking

What is the chief cause of animal extinction

What is a musical chord

How long will it be until your influence becomes background noise

What is the purpose of the ATP molecule

What civilization do you admire the most

Why should people be required a license to drive but not to have kids

Tell us something your father used to say

Why would humans be basically without hair

Who taught you the best and how were they so effective

When did the last ice age end

Who is your favorite painter and name your favorite work

How long ago was writing invented

What is your favorite tree

How are the animals used to make hamburgers killed

Do you have any pets, why or why not

What is escape velocity

What year was your mother born

What is the distinguishing characteristic of the earth from space

Who do you admire the most, either living or dead

Describe a problem in your field that you would like to solve

Would you take responsibility for control software on a manned spacecraft

Is mathematics an art, a craft, a science or something else

What is your own normal heartbeat

Tell us about your ancestry

What is the main difference between the sharks and the fishes

Talk about any project you are currently working on outside of work

What do you usually do on Saturday nights

How did the English language originate

How much money does the US spend on defense per year

Why or why not do you practice recycling

Where does your community obtain its water supply

What supplements or medications do you take

How far away is the moon

Why does the sound of a jet seem to come from behind it

What language has the most speakers today

What would you like to do on your ideal 3 week vacation

How old do you expect to be when you die

What would you do tomorrow if you could stop working today

Good Weaving

Swim in the oceans, the lakes and the rivers

Hike the far places and enjoy different cities

Cook your own meals together in the kitchen you remodeled yourself

Write down whatever true lines might come from inside

Take time to be alone, considering the quiet darkness

Be comfortable outside and get a little dirty

Decorate your own place with a slow and loving care

Patch that leaky roof all by yourself

Create a fine soup from that good chicken carcass

Rehabilitate that broken but comfortable lawn chair

Notice as the moon waxes and wanes

And be aware as your life seasons come and go

Bake your own bread and break it with your family

Change your oil and top off all those fluids yourself

Sell your house without a grasping, useless, so-called professional

Read for yourself and cast aside all the sound bites

Buy good things used and proudly donate items in their time

Don’t let the angry young man become the bitter old fool

Make someone smile using your own imagination

Plan a trip all by yourself to a place you’ve never been

Pick up your own instrument and play from your heart

Mix up some concrete and put it to good use

Tile the halls and refinish the wood floors

Buy the tools that you need to make these things work

Hook it up and wire it in

Mend the clothes should they get torn

Cut your own hair to suit your own taste

Sing the songs that make you feel right

Leave enough room for a few more wild dreams

Give the local birds a happy home beside you

Grow tomatoes or a whole garden

Don’t replace it if it ain’t really busted

Take some time to just stand in great wonder

Tend to the house plants and you will bloom together

Paddle the river, board the mountain, hike the trail, bike the pass

Distrust all noisy, gasoline-powered recreational forms

Start your own trends and ignore the media concoctions

Keep the faith though the struggle is both endless and futile

Build it to be stronger than it will ever have to be

Make it to last longer than it could ever be good for

Put it together so it can be taken apart and repaired

Have enough parts around to get all these things done

Realize that to love is your highest aspiration

Listen to the voices that brought you from the past

Leave all your campsites cleaner than you found them

Strive for a society where women blossom like flowers

Try not to shout without thinking or slam things to the ground

Take good note of scientific, mathematical and philosophical infinity

Study enough to be able to start seeing all the questions that appear

Take pride in your work or find something else to do

Try to weave your scattered experiences into your own rational tapestry

Laugh with the masters as they clap with one hand

Marvel at the blossoms that appear in the spring

Just keep on working, quite absorbed, until death overtakes you

Live happily with the dogs, our own true partners and friends

Simply teach your children to do for themselves

Analyze but do not swallow those mass-market opinions

Be skeptical of slick but empty corporate entertainment

Verify wisdom with your own eyes, ears and mind

Try and save something, each and every day

Know your computers inside and out

Tap into the Web to give and to get

Understand yourself better than you do those fools on TV

Take time to be overwhelmed by life’s baffling mysteries

Tend to the things which have always supported you

Fall in love as deeply as you possibly can

Make sure your read widely and above third grade level

Be able to do the math and understand the physics and statistics

Know about planets, stars and distant galaxies

Learn the past of humans, of the earth and the cosmos

Be able to heed wisdom when you should stumble across it

But do not allow others to do your thinking for you

Live within your means and plan for the future

Search out those things that you do very well

Maintain your body as well as your mind

Learn to differentiate between empty fads and true values

Train for good work and continue sharpening your skills

Do not grow bored for the sake of a paycheck

Speak at least one other language and know your own very well

Travel widely and quietly, learning from others far away

Build up a small framework of reason and understanding

Have faith, but avoid dogma and organized religion

Understand the world around you better than the plots of soap operas

Always follow the money to understand politics and business

Listen to the rain as it falls gently on the roof late in the evening

Pause and strain to understand the quiet bursting of the Springtime

Laugh loudly and often, especially at yourself

Cry when you have to and somehow grow from the sorrow

Hold someone tightly and listen to their heartbeat

Look deeply into the mystery that comes before and after

Keep your study well-organized to prepare for twisted and isolated facts

Maintain a thumb on the bullshit buzzer but fill your heart with ideals

Simply share the earth with all of its beings

Build a sustainable bridge that links to a real past

Try to find new ways to make things better while using up a little less

Enjoy cutting waste to help supply your friends in the future

Do some of the things that I could only imagine

Don’t make all of these same mistakes that I have already made

Realize that your life is vanishingly short

Try to love all these good things at once, with everything you have

Subliminal Logic

I went searching for algebra and found shiny wrestlers in makeup on steroids

You needed to form complete sentences but you wound up simply texting

On the trail of Latin etymologies there were several signs for real estate

Hoping for the Sports Section, protease inhibitors brought me disappointment

With the Physics Lust upon me, I wound up running fantasy computer Hos

Looking for a fast-food drive-through you stumbled on a partial integration

Imagining the count of stars in a galaxy, I saw infinite litter on the ground

After taking the shrooms, nanoscale quantum effects brought on tears of joy

Understanding the earth’s precession earned rewards of caffeine and sugar

Groping the remote yielded only a cross-section of a stupid shield volcano

Elliptical symmetry brought me in contact with the Tibetan Buddhist monks

Suddenly big screen Dolby StarWars became a black and white chemistry text

IPod shuffling along I reckoned which way the earth rotated under my feet

Bored with the Federalist Papers, you summoned PuffDaddy for a real lesson

Trying to win your heart, I brought you a copy of Newton’s Principia

She found the remains of a failed numerical integration in her makeup kit

The herd chewed their cuds patiently awaiting some singularity or another

The immigrant gave up on English and began speaking only computer codes

Struggling to find the exit they were surrounded by closely packed isobars

Seeing a Big Bang simulation he tried to remember what movie it was from

Following ignorant intuition I managed to re-invent cold fusion in a jar

Asphyxiating the zebra, the lion was unaware of the passing equinox

Gazing in the microscope she was appalled at what crawled in her mouth

Frightened by the frank uncertainty of the scientists they clung uneasily to their Bibles

Stumbling with tensors I found great relief in merely sweeping floors

Hungry for meat, salt and fat they found photosynthesis less than a miracle

Peering inside the simulation, I saw that it squirmed with differential equations

Magnetic Resonance Imagery clearly showed the unborn Crack baby’s grasping hand

I stumbled over the dog in the dark despite his obvious infrared signature

Hurrying to Wal*Mart, the family struck and killed a wandering singular matrix

Tired of my long confusion, I sought a chaos theory based solution

Reaching for a beer the trucker was struck by the fractal beauty of the highway

jogging through the park I caught just a glimpse of a tiny prancing Eocene horse

Looking for a parking spot he ran straight over evidence of plate tectonics

I saw blazing porch lights obscure photons billions of years old streaking from the sky

Amidst broken bottles and discarded needles, you found an irregular German infinitive

Stalled in traffic, I became a placid notochord in a vast and warm inland sea

Rising too quickly she hyperventilated images of complexity and uncertainty

Struggling up the Waterfall Model, I felt my colors fade like some tired salmon

The thick layer of ash, several million years old, did not effect her sales pitch, one iota

I used a laser to burn microscopic pits into a plastic DVD to backup my confessions

Distracted by her cellphone, she continued in motion relative to her car and the tree

I had had nothing to eat that day outside of an arbitrary constant of integration

He flipped channels idly searching for curvaceous Jungian archetypes

In the eyes of a boy with Down’s Syndrome I saw a single gene expressed

Facing the geological history in the Grand Canyon, he invoked a Biblical flood

Entering the abandoned cave I realized how much man needed dogs and fire

The fortune teller was nonplussed by her client’s vision of that Schrodinger’s cat

I contrasted the infinite with the uncountable pushing my cart down aisle 5

After the party, he dreamed of sensing a neutrino in an underground aquifer

Walking on the beach, I pondered those fossil human footprints from Africa

They found the Aurora Borealis far less spectacular than Disney’s wondrous fireworks

As we held each other tightly, the purpose of galactic clusters eluded me

The candidate dared not flipflop though the earth’s magnetic pole had reversed many times

Stumbling over quantum uncertainty, I whacked into one of Plato’s Ideals

He did not question where in Maslow’s Hierarchy his loud new pickup muffler fit

The sound of her medieval surname recalled in me Tolkein’s love of ancient Norse

Recoiling from the so-called fossils, she thanked Jesus for bilateral symmetry

Hearing their rancorous debate, I puzzled over the study of Creation Myths

They sought relief inhaling petroleum distillates from sealed plastic bags

Crawling on my hands and knees while scrubbing, I thought of approaching c

Bathing naked in ultraviolet rays, I mused upon their birth in far-off nuclear fission

Thinking of my trillion living cells, I felt my sense of self begin slowly to dissolve

Chronic inhalation of the particulates around her crib curbed her growth

I just made it better than it had to be and ensured that it was easy to repair

I hoped with our passing that this wonderful awareness did not simply disappear

I was struck by the unnecessary beauty of leaves without their chlorophyll

I observed orderly crystallization of atmospheric moisture into myriad snowflakes

Casually responding, a million reactions occurred simultaneously in my brain

I pondered whether the Golden Mean was truth revealed or facts discovered

At the turnstile, I had a vision of a supercomputer jet wing vortex simulation

She accepted perspective drawing without thinking, based upon so many examples

My attempts to decipher whale songs lead not to English but tended more towards Bach

His team raced to catalogue new life forms barely ahead of their extinction

I had trouble convincing myself that this hummingbird was not actually a miracle

Unconsciously I continued integrating discrete instants into a continuous past

In My World

In my world religion cannot possibly ever be the cause of any wars

Human population stayed at a level that could tolerate our messy ways

Having more features and comfort means being more efficient as well

In my world the old are not treated as irrelevant fools to be cast aside and ignored

Children long to be outdoors before they strap on music or play electronic games

Science is a wondrous tool and religion continually sheds its calcifying dogma

In my world failures and mistakes increase knowledge just as does success

The country and the people preserve things simply because the future is unknown

Greed is not the main factor in success or viewed as a great virtue by society

In my world more is spent on finding peace than preparing for yet another war

Preserving the environment that supports us is not seen as wasting money

Fast food might be occasionally eaten when one is far away from home

In my world we travel through space inside the womb of this blue world

We proudly maintain, repair and renovate most everything we own

Nobody endlessly mows a fertilized, watered, fumigated bluegrass “lawn”

In my world we know where meat comes from and the sacrifice its production entails

People would not even consider making their vehicles produce extra noise

Teenage granddaughters of unwed mothers do not singlemom babies on their own

In my world time is not measured by looking forward to the weekends

Evolution is merely one of many ongoing, undogmatic scientific debates

Shopping is not mentioned in any list of patriotic activities

In my world much time is spent preserving and marveling at the earth’s web of life

Societies do not produce climate changes that future generations must adapt to

A large part of a people’s legacy is based upon their environmental footprint

In my world sustainability is a very important issue to the entire society

Plastic-wrapped white bread produced in automated factories does not exist

Domestic animals do not run free, kill wildlife and breed unwanted offspring

In my world no warnings need be issued about toxins in fish and game

People don’t celebrate by shouting drunkenly and producing loud explosions

Children quickly learn their subordinate places in the larger pack

In my world people understand and appreciate what it means to be a farmer

The first sprawling unplanned migrant squatter slum never even appeared

Religion is taxed and regulated like other franchised vices such as gambling and liquor

In my world our numbers stopped increasing before we reached 3 billion

Our unavoidable mistakes and messes do not threaten entire planetary ecosystems

Pretty much all of our pollution could be solved by simple dilution

In my world there are no starving children whom people must strive to ignore

levees are not built to protect flood-prone homes that should never have been built

No one misses the foolish, giant, wasteful vehicles that we did not produce

In my world the old do not lay drugged in their own feces pondering meaningless lives

Leadership is more than ass-kissing, back-biting and shoulder-climbing

Newborns are not found in dumpsters stuffed into milk cartons with drugs in their bloodstream

In my world we welcome pilgrims from across the world who come to teach us of their cultures

Large reserves of petroleum are left untapped for unknown future needs

Cigarette butts, fast food discards and bottles are not part of the scenery

In my world health care is neither a privilege nor a huge economic problem

People journey for weeks on foot talking to others in every little town

We do not ignore the effects of our actions because some believe we cannot control them

In my world things are built to be better than they have to be

For profit exploitation of regional labor inequities is not viewed as progress

Savers do not waste all their money on useless but expensive healthcare and then simply die

In my world small planes are required to have mufflers just like cars

Mining companies do not walk away and leave a toxic mess for future generations

Fat Texans do not sit idling diesels, smoking with just one window cracked

In my world tourism is not an industry and there are no corporate resorts

Politicians do not parrot speeches that their corpro donors pay other people to write

We do not destroy the things that we love just to cash in on their emotional appeal