(one of my dearest & favorite biotic individuals
accused me once
of keeping some deep dark secrets
nevertheless, i don’t try very much
and for the most part au contraire
i do know that i do wear a bit too much on my sleeve
now … please indulge me, tolerate me,
and what is herein
FORGIVE ME!
these “poems,” my blog posts,
are mostly for me and mine
though I do hope that as a “normal” being
i do also somewhat serve you and yours)
sim, i am certain that moral, ethical humans must live
sabiamente, simply, smally, slowly, steadfastly, sharingly,
and sustainably … in solidarity
i personally desperately need others who are living morally & ethically to help me to do so
i was incredibly lucky
to have been provided in my life
with good genes from louise & alton
and a favorable environment
i am a Have with considerable power
as a white, straight male, & u.s. citizen with a doctoral degree
who speaks three languages fairly well
(though i am truly still a relatively illiterate country bumpkin)
the amazing good fortune i have had
contrasts with at least one-half of the world
mostly south of the tropic of cancer
having to live in more uncertain & perilous “comforts”
with the instability & insecurity largely a result
of policy & actions of we Haves
who meet certain warped & unjust white supremist-, ethnic-, cultural-, language-, religious-, sexual- “norms” …
therefore,
herein i confess as a spoiled individual, as a Have,
that i have been a sinner
and i do ask for forgiveness
it’s not that i bear “white, macho, ‘american’ guilt” …
yes, i did have considerable guilt for many sins of which you preached padre …
but after about twelve years of age
i began to see that most of these crimes against humanity were not sins
and i began to shed the heavy burden of catholic guilt
still, my genes, epigenetic methylations & histone modifications , and environmental influences
compelled me toward empathy & compassion
and to attempt to share and help others–
Including those of other species
and other units in the hierarchy of ecological systems–
to continue to be
and to be at a high caliber of existence
“Less Is More”
(and this supports/is attached to the hip of an abidance to …
- the second law of thermodynamics,
- an ethic of reciprocity,
- pacifism,
- the precautionary principle,
- critical thinking & decision-making,
- being a positively ethical applied community ecologist/PEACEmaker
yet i personally use too much food, fiber, shelter
and vehicles for transport
fossil material & energy
and stuff
oftentimes i do not practice what i preach
with regard to always appropriately using appropriate technologies
and in truly living simply, smally, slowly, & sustainably
i have been wrong …
in not vigorously and overtly
speaking out against military power
and for social justice …
in lazily, comfortably working for, supporting, & voting for democrats
versus being Eaarth-changingly involved with the people’s party or the green party,
with democratic eco-socialism,
instead of supporting
earth-destructive consumerism, transnational corporations, capitalism,
exploitation of the poor & relatively powerless,
including other species
………………….
actually my GREATEST SHAME and sin is from my early twenties and thirties
as a Have exploiting poor and vulnerable have-nots
in college station, la grange, brownsville,
piedras negras, nuevo laredo, ciudad acuña, reynosa, matamoras,
brasilia
(and chris hedges and bob jensen have recently been good whistleblowers
in my cranium & psyche)
once after a long & tiring evening of hiking (often lost)
i whipped the bare bottom of my dearest grandchild
because he refused to take a shower
in my youth shortly after high school
i found and unethically utilized
a precarious pseudo-peace
via the most dangerous drug … alcohol
and came close to killing self and others
these last three definitely involved mortal sinning
sometimes committed to just go along with the crowd
(even with a saintly younger brother)
but nevertheless
mortal sins
i am sorry for them
and hope i can be forgiven
i’ve sinned in dereliction of responsibilities and appropriate behavior
as a husband, lover, friend, confidant
of the one who is the best thing that happened to me
in my life of more than seventy-five years*
i did not do right in giving in–
at the lone star state’s department of agriculture–
to a farmers unionist’s pressure
and awarding what was clearly a poorly managed pest management association,
state-funding,
simply because they contributed to an election campaign
moreover, i was not right in using a discarded mimeograph master copy
of the amazing teacher dr. burke’s taxonomy test
which my graduate student boss had given me
(this supervisory friend had come upon it
while searching through the entomology department’s trash
for an upcoming test in a graduate-level course he was taking!)
also, sins were committed …
through causing my straight and level & saintly mom some considerable grief over the years
in passing my completed algebra II exam back to “Comadreja”
in teasing and beating up on two of my brothers … & bill bowling and johnnye mabery
voting for most candidates of the democratic party,
and certainly of the republican party
is probably a sin
versus truly working relentlessly to change …
niebuhr’s immoral society
herman daly’s, david pimentel’s, h.t.odum’s, jason hickel’s et al. world of energy crises (and global climate/ecological change)
diamond’s, morton’s agrilogistics
robert jensen’s (essentially) dead world
mckibben’s eaarth
………………….
(sorry, … but I must stress at this point that being …
an agnostic/ignostic
pro-choice
against neoliberal capitalism
anti-war and -the war machine …
is not a sin
and anti-Trump, anti-Trumpism, anti-Trumpster
is a virtue
the democratic party generally supports capitalism
and a broken socio-political/economic system …
but Trumpism is a con-game on steroids
of using this broken system of neoliberal capitalism
for self-serving, temporary, immoral & unethical gain)
i’ve committed many, many sins …
mostly venial
they all pale in comparison
to those I committed in the cities mentioned previously herein
my atonement/self-imposed penance is:
outdoor teaching of positively ethical applied community ecology/PEACE to children of all ages
volunteering in remote villages to improve the health of the animals and the people of latin america
attempts at PEACEmaking through the writing of poetry, essays, and books …
and disseminating knowledge
(perhaps a good padre wouldn’t consider these aforementioned voluntary works to be penance
because i do immensely enjoy them
they do take effort, planning, time & energy
and for the most part i believe prayer, for penance & otherwise,
is a waste of time
[i must add that i will readily agree that meditation and deep thought
Is essential for good maintenance of self & community
and that these are essentially prayer
moreover, this “poem” is essentially “prayer”
as is good, informed group discussion
involving positively ethical applied community ecology/PEACE
and i suppose i do dream too much
which is essentially a form of prayer.
finally,
i am in robert jensen’s state of anguish
not anxiety …
i sleep very well most every night,
and sometimes during the day, even at the wheel!
not anxiety
not anxiety
but ANGUISH!!!
and hopefully I will work hard in this anguish
to produce such anguish in others
toward realization of somewhat of a neo-earth
and quality life for as many as possible
for as long as possible
and including individuals of other species
in ANGUISH
smartly learning in small “christian” cells
familial cells, amicable cells, intelligently-operated cells
of profound, holistic discussion, policy development, & action
spreading, communicating, critically-thinking and -decision-making
linking, intermeshing in solidarity, in communion with other cells
across Eaarth
to realize a neo-earth
in ANGUISH)
________________________________________________________________
*i am fortunate
to have taken this short ride of fifty-plus years
on this third rock from the sun
mostly in tx, fl, ga and on trips through all areas of the u.s.,
in brasil & other latin american countries,
and in poland & across europe by train from there to portugal
with Elizabeth “Betsy” Florence Hoffmann Martin
and last eve we imbibed together
Alejandro Escovedo
on the amazing Austin City Limits …
“Some people say the world’s a strange and evil place
And all the shadows fall across your face
Because the world’s a strange and evil place
Then others say because the sun shines every day
That we should live life come what may
Because the sun shines every day”
(Put You Down by Alejandro Escovedo)
pbm
7 S’s / VV->^^
Normativity (and Humankind & Solidarity??) – PabloEco3500K (paulpeaceparables.com)
To Kill! or Not to Kill? by paul b. martin – PabloEco3500K (paulpeaceparables.com)
A Sick World of Plastic – PabloEco3500K (paulpeaceparables.com)
Social Justice, Humaneness, and Ecological Sanity* – PabloEco3500K (paulpeaceparables.com)
TRUTHS – PabloEco3500K (paulpeaceparables.com)
The Starfish Parable – PabloEco3500K (paulpeaceparables.com)
Enrolada* by paul bain martin (Jan 2007) – PabloEco3500K (paulpeaceparables.com)