I'm so grateful for your summary, Lor, thanks so much.
It was a bit of a swerve this one. I'm always thinking of ways to use these short writings to carry messages or ideas, or encapsulate moral conundrums etc, and I'm so glad this one landed with you because, you know how it is, one is never really sure.
It's crazy the way history is a living breathing entity in the present, how we seem to never learn, or how we create myths of the past that lock us into patterns. I remember when Terence McKenna once said "Culture is not your friend," and I understand just what he meant. Culture and tradition can be dangerous allies that lock societies into non-movement.
As always Lor, thanks. I'm honestly so glad you take the time :)
Everything changes, and everything stays the same. That old cliché is never going to change. Can humans change? Can society? I am inclined to say a big no, but it's easy to despair, much easier than to hope. Yet your words always fill me with hope, Jonathan. Because you care -- and one caring person is better than none. So keep writing, my friend. The one might become a legion of love.
I'm with you on the big "NO", even though I have a certain acceptance that we can also be truly wonderful, but my hope seems to dwindle to the immediate circle, not the wider one, if I give it too much thought. I'm honoured that hope is cultivated in you from my efforts :)
"So keep writing, my friend" - Talking of keeping writing, I know I went on the other day, but your poem #44 really was something else. I've been struggling to write myself lately (this post hardly birthed itself, it struggled to see the light), and your brilliance really helped me, so thank you for that, Fotini. I really think you've got something special going on. No need for a mutual appreciation fest, I just wanted to tell you this. I usually write at the top of a blank sheet "just do the writing" to keep my monkey mind from excusing itself from the effort, but it can be a struggle for sure.
We need others, Jonathan. Be it an Englishman ambling the Sweden forests, a talking dog or a silent god reflected in the owl’s round eye. Be it an oak with leaves like mittened hands or a pine bleeding resin. We need them so their otherness can pull us back from our selfish, narrow point of view. So that we become unstuck and then write some more, and cry and laugh, and move on thanking them all along. You see, it never ends—the fest of appreciation is an ongoing thing that keeps us going.
PS
The part about the ‘struggle to write’ begs me to elaborate, but all in good time :)
You are, of course, saying something that's both true and beautiful. Praise be the otherness. Nice. Now I await the elaboration, but, all in good time :)
Jonathan this is an incredible story. So different than your usual brilliance, but nevertheless, certainly a new realm and a stand out. Your selection and speculation of language from 1669 laid smoothly on the story. Right through time you landed , seaming the past to the near future. Recognizing the patterns on repeat. The ancient Oak bearing witness to the sins of men. A sharp , frightening analogy as we are suddenly thrown from a time warp, or will it be a new period of warped time.
(not sure if you got this one or not, Lor, so here it is again :)
I'm so grateful for your summary, Lor, thanks so much.
It was a bit of a swerve this one. I'm always thinking of ways to use these short writings to carry messages or ideas, or encapsulate moral conundrums etc, and I'm so glad this one landed with you because, you know how it is, one is never really sure.
It's crazy the way history is a living breathing entity in the present, how we seem to never learn, or how we create myths of the past that lock us into patterns. I remember when Terence McKenna once said "Culture is not your friend," and I understand just what he meant. Culture and tradition can be dangerous allies that lock societies into non-movement.
As always Lor, thanks. I'm honestly so glad you take the time :)
I did see your reply. I was out tromping through our first snow storm, 3 inches of wet snow. A trek through a tall pine forest , ‘dreamy snow’ still falling ( when the snowflakes float down in a slow motion dance to the ground) . Ranger perfecting his side somersault roll to a standing position, we gave him a 10. A quick addition (or not so quick); It is the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. while I have never needed one particular day of the year to be thankful, I’ve added one more thing to my endless list. I am thankful for great short stories that take flight from Sweden to Vermont, and as the Crow flies, land in my mailbox in record time. I’m already deciding ,save this one for later, where and when I will settle in for the read. Often times shaking my head in agreement, smiling at Benny’s wisdom, your wry sense of humor, eyes widening in awe of your words, or challenging me to find the innermost meanings , taking out my ‘spectacles’ looking deeper for truths. Always a pleasure. The ultimate definition of a great short story. Interesting how you chose the 1600s, it made me think of the conundrum of mixed messages unwritten in history books.Thanksgiving 1621, short captions under quick drawings, oh the wonderful pilgrims sharing a gift of harvest from the Native Americans. They taught them how to plant and harvest from the land only to murder ,kick them off their home land, sell them as slaves.
“…as if time were but an illusion?” “This is my answer. Don’t look away.” Unfortunately we did, and time has not changed a thing.
"Ranger perfecting his side somersault roll to a standing position." I can see it now, love that move, good boy Ranger!
Here, very close by, in fact so close to the very road on which I live, there was a time in the 1600's called "Det Stora väsendet" - The Great Noise - where Sweden went insane for a while and "witches" were see uncovered all over. Literally hundreds of women were murdered in a bloodlust, based on nothing at all but vague accusations, often by children. That's why I chose the 1600's. And you're so right to mention the treacherous treatment of the indigenous folk by pilgrim settlers. Fire and smoke, fire and smoke.
Anyway, moving on, moving on, the first snow is such a treat I think, love it. We had the first snow last week, but in these oscillating temps it's gone already. Hopefully winter's beautiful gift will be back next week, I'll never tire of that infantile excitement at water falling as crystal. So lovely. Tramping in boots, that sound like sailboat wood creaking with each step in the dryness.
Jonathan this is so beautiful! I love how the story spanned over centuries and the oak tree being the only witness to the time passing and you being the credible narrator through the centuries embodying a man with clear conscience who feel utter discomfort with the injustices towards innocent falsely accused women. It’s so good. Thank you so much for writing this! Such a simple experiment and clean execution!
Thanks so much Swarnali, I really appreciate your kind words. I wanted to think of some way of showing that injustice can flow through generations so easily, in different guises but always the same ignorance.
So much of today's prejudice and abuse of power is also about controlling people, a little like you wrote about in your latest brilliant Witch essay, so thanks so much for you kind praise, it means a lot :)
Thanks so much Brian. I really appreciate your reading and commenting even though, I've proven myself to be a useless collaborator and totally scatterbrained! (sorry dude).
I've got this idea that we are predictable because we keep responding to our environment in the same way all the time. So, If we have and environment of limited resources and share those resources unequally, and allow power to accumulate in fewer hands, and those hands feel aligned to their own small group and not the wider group, and are encouraged to accumulate rather than gift or share, then we will encourage a set of responses to this environment that happen again and again.
What I'd love to know is what is human behaviour outside of these restricting parameters?
And I guess the incredible range of answers to the question of "how we should live" is answered far better by indigenous communities than the urbanised, feudal-style, power-condensed, monotheistic societies we wrongly assume are a fair reflection of ourselves and our potential.
It would be interesting to observe human behaviour in an egalitarian society. Has one ever truely existed? I'm not sure. I suspect there will always be some among us that seek to control, that desire more, and among them there will be narcissists and psychopaths, which occur naturally within our species, and they will disrupt egalitarianism and convince others of their ways because they are by nature extremely confident people though often lacking in ability and certainly empathy, and their confidence makes others feel safe, and safety and comfort are very appealing things.
I don't know. I'm not really sure of anything, but I believe we should aim for idealism even if we don't truely think it can be achieved in a holistic sense.
Normally I'd sidestep these overtly political conversations, but I reckon you might enjoy this Alia so even though I just wrote you a lovely comment which crashed and disappeared 🙄 here is a quick reply based on what I can remember I just said :)
There are all kinds of societies in human history (and the current era) that have much more flattened out hierarchies and exhibit a better balance in gender and power decision-making and social responsibilities. But because of our erroneous concept of “progress” we think of them as backward or not up to the complexities of modern western industrial societies. Of course nothing is ever totally “egalitarian” and probably shouldn’t be aimed for, but we need not have the structurally organised inequality and massive condensing of power we see in so-called modern societies today.
There is nothing stopping a restructuring of society to reflect the fact we see so much inequality and environmental and psychological destruction, except of course the obvious fact that those in power resist any change with all they have at their disposal, which is everything more or less.
I totally agree with you about narcissists and psychopaths, which are a natural phenomenon of the human species. But I do think narcissists and psychopaths are disproportionately rewarded with positions and power in our capitalist, competitive, ethically dubious societies (and in fact narcissists and psychopaths seek out these positions precisely because they are narcissists and psychopaths). One trick to organize societies with wider decision making processes spread through people and institutions, avoiding the possibility for N's and P's to gain such influence.
So I guess my point is that what we think opf as human behaviour is in fact only a limited set of human behaviours within our highly structured environments where we are erroneously assuming what we see is all we can expect.
Or something like that...
BTW I haven't forgotten to read your last post, I'm getting there, I'm getting there :)
Ah, that would have been frustrating to have lost the comment. It has happened to me a few times too. Thanks for writing it out again :) And yes, you've picked me for someone who appreciates a good debate, haha.
They're virtuous sentiments you have Jonathan and it would truly be a wonderful thing to see to fruition.
I'm also sure we'll never see these things come to fruition in a societal scale, but on the scale of ones own life, in ones own small interactions, can we not see virtuous sentiments blossom?
I hardly ever remember the countless idiots and craven fools I constrantly meet through life, but I always remember the kind and gentle souls. I bet its the same for you in some way, no?
God I'm sounding like a naive twerp here...maybe I should have sidestepped this after all ;)
Not naive at all, I think it's perfectly possible on a small scale. I see it within certain geographical communities here in Australia. Those with power rarely bother themselves with those living the simple life. On a grand scale, the world seems to keep contorting in the opposite direction and I can't see a realistic way for power to be broken. Having said that, I'm still trying to get on top of the collapse theory that's taking hold at the moment, and fears of war are growing, so the world may have something up its sleeve for us yet.
I shall refrain from boring you with that which has already been said in below comments Jonathan, there is nothing I can add other than if it weren't for your empathy amongst us and others, nothing will ever change - your voice is one of love and compassion always - please keep using it - your writing is always intelligent and clever, your message clear - nothing ever changes in this world that has changed so much does it? Same walk different shoes... as @ben.wakeman would say...
Apologies for all tardiness - Friday was just such 'a day' the words were not forthcoming :-(
As you have pointed out here, it does feel like a shadow has fallen over our land, one with echoes down through the centuries. It could almost be forgiven long ago from sheer ignorance and the baleful influence of the church but to have it running rampant today. It is damn discouraging. Thanks Jonathan.
At the moment I'm influenced by all this cacophony where a peaceful melody should reign, and these difficult pieces seem to be the result. I think I'll take my eyes for the idiocy for while and try and write more beautifully...thanks for sticking with me Wes.
It's these times we live in, Jonathan. To have elevated a monster to the peak of influence. I am beginning to feel more and more like a stranger in my own land, a really peculiar feeling.
Oh man, I know that feeling too. Almost a hallucination, where everything has shifted and nothing seems to make sense anymore. Why do they not see and feel what I feel? Why am I deafened by the sounds they do not hear? Why am I blinded by the light they do not see?
This will pass, as you know, Wes. Ride it out my friend, they've lost their minds but not forever.
Chilling, powerful words Jonathan. I love that you chose a clergyman to narrate this haunting tale—feeling your own caution and wisdom speaking through his predicament. I read that as an earnest longing to reintegrate the positive masculine into this harrowing timeline. And the old oak baring witness to these seemingly endless cycles.
I just finished reading a chilling report about the increase in maternal deaths here in the US since the abortion bans, another version of the hangings, the burnings, the scandals and the deportations.
May the oak teach us how to root and thrive while cyclically shedding all that no longer serves. Thank you for this important piece.
You've (unsurprisingly) got it spot on, Kimberly. The ever haunting dehumanisation of humans for the sake of a "system" or an ideology of power is infuriating and sad. Whilst the gendering aspect of this is incomprehensible to me. That American women are preferred to die, so that so-called powerful men can strut their self-importance is, in my eyes, no different than the witch hunts.
There is a huge question over the strange obsession with "progress", the myth of linear improvement, when so often I see the exact same behaviours dressed in different outfits.
Anyway, I'm beginning to tink I should write something a bit more lighthearted for fear of scaring away my readers. but times feel a little dark just now. I guess I'll have to write what occurs and leave it at that.
Thanks so much for commenting Sarah :) I often have that same feeling about trees, that they have a kind of patient wisdom where time moves at a different pace.
There is a tree here in Sweden called Old Tjikko, which is 9500 years old. That means this tree was standing before Doggerland was submerged by rising sea levels, it was standing before the domestication of cattle when mammoths still roamed the land, before Stonehenge and Göbekli Tepe were built for we know not why, when humans were coming toward, but not yet leaving the Stone Age.
Imagine what this tree might say if we could ask, of our strange obsessions and trivialities. What would it say of our so-called progress and out self-celebrations? I am so in awe of the natural rhythms and the immensity of time, I should love to gain some insight from a tree.
What incredibly clever writing Jonathan. So smoothly done. To thread current times to this era . You had me there, caring. Wondering.
Great analogy. So much in this rich piece on fear, courage and truth.
This generation may well heal and enlighten itself into an understanding that might help make this world better. You're part of that story, your crafted storytelling is powerful! Feel the truth and meaning in them.
You know Síodhna when you say things like that I am seriously encouraged. I was a little uncertain of this one, but I want The Crow to spread its wings and fly over all kinds of territory, so I thought what the hell, and pressed Post anyway. So thanks pal, I really appreciate your intelligent reading and encouragement.
Damn right you can write like this, Jonathan. There's important work to do. Important, beautiful work. And it's wonderful to see it express itself through your writing.
I'm so grateful for your summary, Lor, thanks so much.
It was a bit of a swerve this one. I'm always thinking of ways to use these short writings to carry messages or ideas, or encapsulate moral conundrums etc, and I'm so glad this one landed with you because, you know how it is, one is never really sure.
It's crazy the way history is a living breathing entity in the present, how we seem to never learn, or how we create myths of the past that lock us into patterns. I remember when Terence McKenna once said "Culture is not your friend," and I understand just what he meant. Culture and tradition can be dangerous allies that lock societies into non-movement.
As always Lor, thanks. I'm honestly so glad you take the time :)
Everything changes, and everything stays the same. That old cliché is never going to change. Can humans change? Can society? I am inclined to say a big no, but it's easy to despair, much easier than to hope. Yet your words always fill me with hope, Jonathan. Because you care -- and one caring person is better than none. So keep writing, my friend. The one might become a legion of love.
I'm with you on the big "NO", even though I have a certain acceptance that we can also be truly wonderful, but my hope seems to dwindle to the immediate circle, not the wider one, if I give it too much thought. I'm honoured that hope is cultivated in you from my efforts :)
"So keep writing, my friend" - Talking of keeping writing, I know I went on the other day, but your poem #44 really was something else. I've been struggling to write myself lately (this post hardly birthed itself, it struggled to see the light), and your brilliance really helped me, so thank you for that, Fotini. I really think you've got something special going on. No need for a mutual appreciation fest, I just wanted to tell you this. I usually write at the top of a blank sheet "just do the writing" to keep my monkey mind from excusing itself from the effort, but it can be a struggle for sure.
We need others, Jonathan. Be it an Englishman ambling the Sweden forests, a talking dog or a silent god reflected in the owl’s round eye. Be it an oak with leaves like mittened hands or a pine bleeding resin. We need them so their otherness can pull us back from our selfish, narrow point of view. So that we become unstuck and then write some more, and cry and laugh, and move on thanking them all along. You see, it never ends—the fest of appreciation is an ongoing thing that keeps us going.
PS
The part about the ‘struggle to write’ begs me to elaborate, but all in good time :)
You are, of course, saying something that's both true and beautiful. Praise be the otherness. Nice. Now I await the elaboration, but, all in good time :)
Jonathan this is an incredible story. So different than your usual brilliance, but nevertheless, certainly a new realm and a stand out. Your selection and speculation of language from 1669 laid smoothly on the story. Right through time you landed , seaming the past to the near future. Recognizing the patterns on repeat. The ancient Oak bearing witness to the sins of men. A sharp , frightening analogy as we are suddenly thrown from a time warp, or will it be a new period of warped time.
(not sure if you got this one or not, Lor, so here it is again :)
I'm so grateful for your summary, Lor, thanks so much.
It was a bit of a swerve this one. I'm always thinking of ways to use these short writings to carry messages or ideas, or encapsulate moral conundrums etc, and I'm so glad this one landed with you because, you know how it is, one is never really sure.
It's crazy the way history is a living breathing entity in the present, how we seem to never learn, or how we create myths of the past that lock us into patterns. I remember when Terence McKenna once said "Culture is not your friend," and I understand just what he meant. Culture and tradition can be dangerous allies that lock societies into non-movement.
As always Lor, thanks. I'm honestly so glad you take the time :)
I did see your reply. I was out tromping through our first snow storm, 3 inches of wet snow. A trek through a tall pine forest , ‘dreamy snow’ still falling ( when the snowflakes float down in a slow motion dance to the ground) . Ranger perfecting his side somersault roll to a standing position, we gave him a 10. A quick addition (or not so quick); It is the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. while I have never needed one particular day of the year to be thankful, I’ve added one more thing to my endless list. I am thankful for great short stories that take flight from Sweden to Vermont, and as the Crow flies, land in my mailbox in record time. I’m already deciding ,save this one for later, where and when I will settle in for the read. Often times shaking my head in agreement, smiling at Benny’s wisdom, your wry sense of humor, eyes widening in awe of your words, or challenging me to find the innermost meanings , taking out my ‘spectacles’ looking deeper for truths. Always a pleasure. The ultimate definition of a great short story. Interesting how you chose the 1600s, it made me think of the conundrum of mixed messages unwritten in history books.Thanksgiving 1621, short captions under quick drawings, oh the wonderful pilgrims sharing a gift of harvest from the Native Americans. They taught them how to plant and harvest from the land only to murder ,kick them off their home land, sell them as slaves.
“…as if time were but an illusion?” “This is my answer. Don’t look away.” Unfortunately we did, and time has not changed a thing.
"Ranger perfecting his side somersault roll to a standing position." I can see it now, love that move, good boy Ranger!
Here, very close by, in fact so close to the very road on which I live, there was a time in the 1600's called "Det Stora väsendet" - The Great Noise - where Sweden went insane for a while and "witches" were see uncovered all over. Literally hundreds of women were murdered in a bloodlust, based on nothing at all but vague accusations, often by children. That's why I chose the 1600's. And you're so right to mention the treacherous treatment of the indigenous folk by pilgrim settlers. Fire and smoke, fire and smoke.
Anyway, moving on, moving on, the first snow is such a treat I think, love it. We had the first snow last week, but in these oscillating temps it's gone already. Hopefully winter's beautiful gift will be back next week, I'll never tire of that infantile excitement at water falling as crystal. So lovely. Tramping in boots, that sound like sailboat wood creaking with each step in the dryness.
Thanks for this information, I found an interesting story which I’ll read later. "Det Stora väsendet" - The Great Noise”
Ironically, I just finished watching Mayfair Witches ( Anne Rice) on Netflix just last night.
Beautiful writing Jonathan, a captivating insightful piece xxx
Thanks Emma, I appreciate that a lot :)
Times don’t really change, do they? Just given different labels. Lovely piece.
Same, same but same. Thanks Lynn, glad you enjoyed this one.
Jonathan this is so beautiful! I love how the story spanned over centuries and the oak tree being the only witness to the time passing and you being the credible narrator through the centuries embodying a man with clear conscience who feel utter discomfort with the injustices towards innocent falsely accused women. It’s so good. Thank you so much for writing this! Such a simple experiment and clean execution!
Thanks so much Swarnali, I really appreciate your kind words. I wanted to think of some way of showing that injustice can flow through generations so easily, in different guises but always the same ignorance.
So much of today's prejudice and abuse of power is also about controlling people, a little like you wrote about in your latest brilliant Witch essay, so thanks so much for you kind praise, it means a lot :)
A haunting piece…. haunting when ideology with only “ideas” for founding begins to take the seat of rulers.
Your writing is powerful Jonathan.
Thanks so much Brian. I really appreciate your reading and commenting even though, I've proven myself to be a useless collaborator and totally scatterbrained! (sorry dude).
No problem! I hope you're still wanting to do it, but I understand on just needing to make the timing work. Let me know!
Yes, and yes, timing is the real problem, or shall I say time. When things open up for me you are first on my list Brian :)
A great connection, Jonathan. And wonderfully written. Human behaviour really does transcend time, doesn't it. We're such predictable creatures.
I've got this idea that we are predictable because we keep responding to our environment in the same way all the time. So, If we have and environment of limited resources and share those resources unequally, and allow power to accumulate in fewer hands, and those hands feel aligned to their own small group and not the wider group, and are encouraged to accumulate rather than gift or share, then we will encourage a set of responses to this environment that happen again and again.
What I'd love to know is what is human behaviour outside of these restricting parameters?
And I guess the incredible range of answers to the question of "how we should live" is answered far better by indigenous communities than the urbanised, feudal-style, power-condensed, monotheistic societies we wrongly assume are a fair reflection of ourselves and our potential.
Or maybe I'm a lunatic optimist, I can't decide 🤣
It would be interesting to observe human behaviour in an egalitarian society. Has one ever truely existed? I'm not sure. I suspect there will always be some among us that seek to control, that desire more, and among them there will be narcissists and psychopaths, which occur naturally within our species, and they will disrupt egalitarianism and convince others of their ways because they are by nature extremely confident people though often lacking in ability and certainly empathy, and their confidence makes others feel safe, and safety and comfort are very appealing things.
I don't know. I'm not really sure of anything, but I believe we should aim for idealism even if we don't truely think it can be achieved in a holistic sense.
Normally I'd sidestep these overtly political conversations, but I reckon you might enjoy this Alia so even though I just wrote you a lovely comment which crashed and disappeared 🙄 here is a quick reply based on what I can remember I just said :)
There are all kinds of societies in human history (and the current era) that have much more flattened out hierarchies and exhibit a better balance in gender and power decision-making and social responsibilities. But because of our erroneous concept of “progress” we think of them as backward or not up to the complexities of modern western industrial societies. Of course nothing is ever totally “egalitarian” and probably shouldn’t be aimed for, but we need not have the structurally organised inequality and massive condensing of power we see in so-called modern societies today.
There is nothing stopping a restructuring of society to reflect the fact we see so much inequality and environmental and psychological destruction, except of course the obvious fact that those in power resist any change with all they have at their disposal, which is everything more or less.
I totally agree with you about narcissists and psychopaths, which are a natural phenomenon of the human species. But I do think narcissists and psychopaths are disproportionately rewarded with positions and power in our capitalist, competitive, ethically dubious societies (and in fact narcissists and psychopaths seek out these positions precisely because they are narcissists and psychopaths). One trick to organize societies with wider decision making processes spread through people and institutions, avoiding the possibility for N's and P's to gain such influence.
So I guess my point is that what we think opf as human behaviour is in fact only a limited set of human behaviours within our highly structured environments where we are erroneously assuming what we see is all we can expect.
Or something like that...
BTW I haven't forgotten to read your last post, I'm getting there, I'm getting there :)
Ah, that would have been frustrating to have lost the comment. It has happened to me a few times too. Thanks for writing it out again :) And yes, you've picked me for someone who appreciates a good debate, haha.
They're virtuous sentiments you have Jonathan and it would truly be a wonderful thing to see to fruition.
I'm also sure we'll never see these things come to fruition in a societal scale, but on the scale of ones own life, in ones own small interactions, can we not see virtuous sentiments blossom?
I hardly ever remember the countless idiots and craven fools I constrantly meet through life, but I always remember the kind and gentle souls. I bet its the same for you in some way, no?
God I'm sounding like a naive twerp here...maybe I should have sidestepped this after all ;)
Not naive at all, I think it's perfectly possible on a small scale. I see it within certain geographical communities here in Australia. Those with power rarely bother themselves with those living the simple life. On a grand scale, the world seems to keep contorting in the opposite direction and I can't see a realistic way for power to be broken. Having said that, I'm still trying to get on top of the collapse theory that's taking hold at the moment, and fears of war are growing, so the world may have something up its sleeve for us yet.
Lovely!! The landscape remembers. Always. History repeats itself, but the landscape sees and remembers it all. Nicely done! XO
Thanks Danielle 🙏🏼
Damn, second time lucky!
I shall refrain from boring you with that which has already been said in below comments Jonathan, there is nothing I can add other than if it weren't for your empathy amongst us and others, nothing will ever change - your voice is one of love and compassion always - please keep using it - your writing is always intelligent and clever, your message clear - nothing ever changes in this world that has changed so much does it? Same walk different shoes... as @ben.wakeman would say...
Apologies for all tardiness - Friday was just such 'a day' the words were not forthcoming :-(
You, Susie, are a gem. Thank you. As for tardiness I still have your last post to read, so there we are, two tardy ones :)
Thank you. I truly appreciate your kind words.
As you have pointed out here, it does feel like a shadow has fallen over our land, one with echoes down through the centuries. It could almost be forgiven long ago from sheer ignorance and the baleful influence of the church but to have it running rampant today. It is damn discouraging. Thanks Jonathan.
At the moment I'm influenced by all this cacophony where a peaceful melody should reign, and these difficult pieces seem to be the result. I think I'll take my eyes for the idiocy for while and try and write more beautifully...thanks for sticking with me Wes.
It's these times we live in, Jonathan. To have elevated a monster to the peak of influence. I am beginning to feel more and more like a stranger in my own land, a really peculiar feeling.
Oh man, I know that feeling too. Almost a hallucination, where everything has shifted and nothing seems to make sense anymore. Why do they not see and feel what I feel? Why am I deafened by the sounds they do not hear? Why am I blinded by the light they do not see?
This will pass, as you know, Wes. Ride it out my friend, they've lost their minds but not forever.
I guess taking the long view is the best chance to survive this.
Chilling, powerful words Jonathan. I love that you chose a clergyman to narrate this haunting tale—feeling your own caution and wisdom speaking through his predicament. I read that as an earnest longing to reintegrate the positive masculine into this harrowing timeline. And the old oak baring witness to these seemingly endless cycles.
I just finished reading a chilling report about the increase in maternal deaths here in the US since the abortion bans, another version of the hangings, the burnings, the scandals and the deportations.
May the oak teach us how to root and thrive while cyclically shedding all that no longer serves. Thank you for this important piece.
You've (unsurprisingly) got it spot on, Kimberly. The ever haunting dehumanisation of humans for the sake of a "system" or an ideology of power is infuriating and sad. Whilst the gendering aspect of this is incomprehensible to me. That American women are preferred to die, so that so-called powerful men can strut their self-importance is, in my eyes, no different than the witch hunts.
There is a huge question over the strange obsession with "progress", the myth of linear improvement, when so often I see the exact same behaviours dressed in different outfits.
Anyway, I'm beginning to tink I should write something a bit more lighthearted for fear of scaring away my readers. but times feel a little dark just now. I guess I'll have to write what occurs and leave it at that.
Fabulous story. How many times have I stood beneath an ancient tree and wondered at all that it has seen, your story gives life to my imagination.
Thanks so much for commenting Sarah :) I often have that same feeling about trees, that they have a kind of patient wisdom where time moves at a different pace.
There is a tree here in Sweden called Old Tjikko, which is 9500 years old. That means this tree was standing before Doggerland was submerged by rising sea levels, it was standing before the domestication of cattle when mammoths still roamed the land, before Stonehenge and Göbekli Tepe were built for we know not why, when humans were coming toward, but not yet leaving the Stone Age.
Imagine what this tree might say if we could ask, of our strange obsessions and trivialities. What would it say of our so-called progress and out self-celebrations? I am so in awe of the natural rhythms and the immensity of time, I should love to gain some insight from a tree.
Wow, that is just amazing. Oh the stories that tree could tell. The insignificance of humanity!
Yep. My thoughts exactly :)
What incredibly clever writing Jonathan. So smoothly done. To thread current times to this era . You had me there, caring. Wondering.
Great analogy. So much in this rich piece on fear, courage and truth.
This generation may well heal and enlighten itself into an understanding that might help make this world better. You're part of that story, your crafted storytelling is powerful! Feel the truth and meaning in them.
You know Síodhna when you say things like that I am seriously encouraged. I was a little uncertain of this one, but I want The Crow to spread its wings and fly over all kinds of territory, so I thought what the hell, and pressed Post anyway. So thanks pal, I really appreciate your intelligent reading and encouragement.
Damn right you can write like this, Jonathan. There's important work to do. Important, beautiful work. And it's wonderful to see it express itself through your writing.
Perfect metaphor for the dark times we are entering, Jonathan. There are few things more dangerous than a powerful man claiming to do “God’s will”…