understanding – three good words

October 4, 2025October 4, 2025

Ignorance is no excuse

What’s a topic or issue about which you’ve changed your mind?

There used to be a certain patience towards ignorance. A kind of leniency towards stupidity. “Well, they don’t know better,” used to be a valid caveat.

Now, no more.

What has become terribly evident is that humans need to be wise to survive.

The stark reality is:

Stupidity and ignorance are equal to viciousness and malice, given their outcome. Abject ignorance is a serious health hazard, and idiocy is a danger to us all.

Added to that:

Intelligence is not enough, either. Empathy paired with intelligence is what is needed to keep the species alive and thriving.

You’re smart, fine. But are you wise?

Can you heal a broken heart? Can you nourish a soul? Have you grown within? Are you aware of yourself and others? Are you capable of generosity? Do you listen to understand? Have you matured enough to comprehend love?

The hard truth is:

Wisdom is not a perk of life. It is a requirement to survive and thrive.

#foodforthought

October 11, 2021October 11, 2021

Listen…

This space where
rather than converse
we talk write text
at each other
not to, forget with
one / another

masses of individuals
so many I-s so many Me-s
screaming soundless
endlessly into the void

hoping for a response
but all that bounces back ping-ping-ping
is the echo of our own voices ding-ding-ding
ricochets and rebounds
off of each other

over and over and over and over and over
(why am I so tired?)
and over again
until the onslaught of words
congeals;

that deafening silence.

In the distance
longed for desperately
written about once again
murmurs of actual conversation –

September 9, 2015

us, all

and the candle flickers
a quick wobble of light
letting shadows pass unseen
slip silently into the night.

roman letters written
like footprints on white
a sandy trail of thought
dripping grain for grain
into that part
so conscious
before a salty wave of recognition
floods it all.

and in all this
the silence lifting
a tripping beat
tum-ti-tum
life’s relentless drum
beating beautifully
in the sheltered home
of a ‘me’, a ‘you’
together

here and there
us, all.

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

rise and rise

two seconds, three
understanding blooms
palpitations rise and rise and rise

a hot red slab of anger, pain
veined white with amusement, wry
scorched perfectly on each side
with blood red coals of feeling
soot black with melancholy

then
after all pretence is dropped
leaving just heartfelt desire
to know, see
to really understand:

a sudden why
splits the tree of reason
with a jab of irrational light
a bolt of hot heart electric
that goes deep
deeper still
all the way down

cracking open marbled stone below
that lay hidden
under deep roots of denial
possibly, probably
lying low in the undisturbed slumber
of the long ignored
disrupted by a blessed moment
of clear harsh uncompromising
sight.

sometimes the mistake was made
too long ago to be rectified
sometimes youth means
being hopelessly hopelessly blind
to the silly slyness
that is life.

August 14, 2014August 14, 2014