Solomon's Kryptonite

Andi and Dani

We’ll begin with a couple and their curse and the day they drove away in a little red hearse.

As the wheels roll slowly on the asphalt below, family, friends, and acquaintances whisper about the life these two will live together in sorrow.

“Neither happiness nor peace will emerge from this,” they say.  “The two will only rot and decompose and then smell as they decay.”

Before this so called happy moment, each night the couple would vent to others of the yelling and the shouting and the fighting and of their torment.

Not only did the couple’s words embalm with hate and malice, but the only reason they seemed to stay together was so that they could touch that sacred chalice.

However, the two would flaunt their status from time to time, fantasizing that the problematic ashes would blow away in the wind the day the bells of the funeral would chime.

Despite the efforts and advice of caring others, the day has regrettably come to pass.  The gloomy fog lingering as dew softly coats the brown grass.

The tombstones of similar lovers and their epitaphs of misery mean nothing to these two as they vow and kiss and recite the words: ‘I do’.

Morbid music, dancing, and food follow and the sound, sight, and taste of the reality makes it hard to take it all in and swallow.

As the couple step in and lie down in their separate coffins, they are slowly enclosed inside a vale of black that wipes away their giddy grins.

The hinges and clasps lock them inside.  Their shouts of sheer terror echo in the ears of the caring others, causing them to weep, wail, and cry.

In the years that follow, the mothers of the couple will mourn this day daily while the fathers will become bitter, depressed, never cease to be angry.

“There’s nothing more we could do.”  The women will say to their men as they sit together on their porch hand in hand.

-Mikey D. B.-

It has been said before that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.  One thing that makes us, human beings, the dominant species, is our ability to remember and interpret past events in an extraordinary manner.  This great feat can also be our Achilles’ heel unfortunately.  As simple as it may be to just remember and interpret, Leonardo Da Vinci once said that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.  See, the thing is, we all remember significant events fairly well in my opinion.  We all are familiar with at least the basics of historical moments, or a good majority of us are, and we know what the general morals to be learned from them are.  Remembering, that is the simple part.  Sophistication comes when actually applying what we learn and know.  Within each of us is the natural desire to beat the odds.  As we interpret past events, automatically we figure that we know what our ancestors did wrong and since we know that, we figure that although we will do exactly what they did, we will do it flawlessly, because after all, we see the bigger picture unlike our naïve predecessors.

Rene Descartes explored this idea in his Discourse on Method.  Basically, as he walked in the halls and studied in the classrooms of some of the most prestigious universities of his time, he discovered that the more he learned, the less he knew, and he found it highly ironic that many others, when they learned more, they knew more.  He states that to be human is to be a reasoning individual and that if we reason we are human and if we are human, then we will reason (Rene Descartes’ Discourse on Method Part I).  If we reason, we will see that not only are we not invincible, but we are also very vulnerable to the idea that we think we are and that Superman has nothing on us.  We will see that we are not superior and humble ourselves, recognizing our God given weaknesses.  However, people don’t always get it and it takes a tragedy before we realize that yeah, we screwed up big time.

Take King Solomon the Wise for example.  “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.  And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.”  (1 Kings 4:29-30)  From my interpretation, I’d say that it’s safe to say that Solomon was a pretty wise guy.  We read of his wisdom in story after story in the Bible, and yet I find it interesting that somehow there is one thing that Solomon did not seem to get despite all of his wisdom.  He, like his father King David, was wooed away by the curves of women.  David lusted after Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah, just so that he could take her to wife (2 Samuel 11).  Solomon, son of Bathsheba and David, had his heart turned away by his wives and concubines “and Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father” (1 Kings 11:1-8).  Solomon the Wise made the same mistake that his father David did.  It wasn’t committed in the same fashion, but the principle wasn’t any different than that of his father’s choice.  It’s an irony of history that such a wise son of an immoral act, was blinded and in turn, committed the same basic immorality.

We all subject ourselves to be more superior than we really are.  We all have a morsel of Little Man’s Crack hidden in a secret pouch of our jacket.  All of us shout out from time to time: “A bible, a bible, we already have one and need not another!”  There is not a second that passes by that I, myself, do not struggle with the fact that I am no Superman nor am I Captain America.  The struggle is not necessarily the important part, but rather the fact that am I going to take “the tombstones of similar lovers and their epitaphs of misery” to heart or will I wait until “the hinges and clasps lock [me] inside.  [My] shouts of sheer terror [echoing] in the ears of the caring others, causing them to weep, wail, and cry”?  Sometimes all it takes is a simple werd for us to realize how far down the road we really are.  Will we listen and obey, or will we ignore just so that we can rot, decompose, and eventually decay?

Washington's Call to Arms

A call to arms

When un-ruling rulers rule this land to consume the jealously of a jealous lover’s greedy hand,

They, dividing the divisible to prevent the uniting of the invincible, creates a fire within, burning and purifying and cleansing all from sin.

While there was once one with charity and another with vulgarity, the heart beats of many become the heartbeat of one, all together now, from father, daughter, mother, and to son.

No longer will the restless rest.  No longer will the servants and servitude not be at their best.  Kings and Queens will stand up and rise as the tyrants fall and the dictators slowly die.

Understanding the understandable and common ground, ignites the desire to fight the fighter’s fight and to stand and to shout and to triumphantly sound. 

While there was once one dignity another lacking humility, the footprints of many become the footprint of one, all together now, from father, daughter, mother, and to son.

Uniting the United seems and impossible and nonviable goal, but then again, so does reuniting the body and spirit, recreating the human soul.

Musicians and magicians will refine their art and gift, to contribute to the cause, to the calling of hope and of victory and to light and uplift.

While there was once one with vitality and another with hostility, the breaths of many become the breath of one, all together now, from father, daughter, mother, and to son.

The beginning of the beginning has begun as all rise and sing the song that’s been written and sung.

Teach to be taught the things of truth and seek that which was sought to unveil that which was lost with youth.

While there was once one with loyalty and another with hypocrisy, the secrets of many become the secret of one, all together now, from father, daughter, mother, and to son.

-Mikey D. B.-

           

            George Washington, this great nation’s first president, cautioned not only the people of his time about the dangers of political parties, but us as well.  This man, who is the father of our nation, was giving council to his people, to his children, to us, to avoid anything that would disrupt the harmony and unity that was created after the long fight with Britain.  Having political parties, he said, would create a spirit of contention among those within the nation.  Washington did acknowledge that this spirit “is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind”, however, he also realized that this spirit is the enemy of government in any form.   Political parties “serve[s] always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. [They] agitate[s] the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.” (Washington’s Farewell Address 1796). 

            Watch the news and listen to the radio and tell me that George Washington was wrong.  From MSNBC to Fox News to the various C-SPAN channels, there is not only a distinct separation of ideas, but values and morals.  I’m not saying that that is necessarily wrong, but if one side does not agree with an idea of the other, often, hostility ensues and both sides tear into the stomachs of their opponent.  Yes, diversity and variety make this nation what it is, but I believe that there is a sense of civil disagreement that has been lost over the years.  Two sides or people can disagree and still be unified.  I’m not married or do I pretend to know how to make a marriage relationship work, but I have seen many, many couples disagree and yet come to a common ground where they aren’t forced to shoot their spouse in the face.  We all have strong opinions and as Rene Descartes said, we all think we have enough good sense to last us for the rest of forever (Rene Descartes, Discourse on Method Part I) but come on people. 

            On Sean Hannity’s radio talk show he was talking about the upcoming election between Obama and Romney, and a caller, I can’t remember who, said that “never has the United States been so divided than right now”.  I don’t know if I agree that now is when we have been most divided.  I mean, the Civil War literally divided the nation, but the spirit of what he said has a certain ring that caught my attention and made me ask: “How ironic is that?  That The United States is divided?”  A country with the word ‘united’ in its title is anything but that.  Again, watch the news and tell me that this anonymous caller is wrong in the fact that we are divided as a people.  Issues from abortion, Wall Street, Women’s Rights, Conservatism, Liberalism, etc. testify of this division.  I could go on and on with examples of this chasm that lays between us Americans, but that’s not my point.

            My point is that where did that unity go?  I was only 11 years old when the World Trade Center towers were bombed and collapsed, but during that moment in history, I felt true patriotism among us.  I didn’t comprehend it then, but reading about it and reflecting on it now, I do.  We bonded as citizens during that tragedy.  We put differences aside, political and personal.  We found common ground to stand on in order to fight a common enemy.  Our hearts beat as one, we all took in the same breath, and we all had the secret pain of loss and sorrow within us.  Read about the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the events that unraveled after that infamous day, and you’ll recognize the same sense of brotherhood and unity that I felt in the months shortly following September 11.  Yes, there is a time and a place for differences, but not at the expense of dignity and respect towards one another just because of their political stance.  Instead of voting for an R or a D, consider what is in the best interest of the country.  I pray that it won’t take another tragedy to bring us together as Americans, as human beings, but rather a simple and humble werd.