You need paint
To paint an icon,
But not just physical paint.
You need eyes
To see an icon,
But not just physical eyes.
An icon's spiritual potency
Is not apprehended physically;
It is apprehended spiritually
By invisible eyes
Which can see
Invisible colours
And which can listen
To inaudible tones
And which can feel
Non-tactual textures.
An icon is
An interdimensional portal;
A crossing point
Between dimensions;
A conduit for angels
Or for that
Which is angelic in character,
Angelic in origin,
Or angelic in destiny.
You don't pay
Close attention
To an icon;
An icon pays
Close attention
To you.
Watch out:
You are being watched.
............................................................
Images of icons
>> The Resurrection of Our Lord
>> The Mother of God
>> The Virgin Mary Portaitissa (Keeper of the Gate)
>> St John the Baptist
>> St Nicholas the Wonderworker
>> St Simeon the Stylite and St Simeon of the Admirable Mountain
............................................................
Understanding icons
An introduction by Alexander Boguslawski
Understanding icons
An essay by Frederica Mathewes-Green
Understanding icons
First principles of interpretation - Orthodox World website
Icons Explained
P.W. de Ruyter's site - A Guide to Byzantine Icons, Frescoes and Mosaics on the internet from Constantinople to Macedonia to Russia, and around the world.
............................................................
Jesus is not an icon
Myth signifiers
More Norfolk koans
The consciousness of the angels
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Harriet feels a burning sensation
It is late on
At Toby's beach barbecue
When Harriet's pretty
Summer dress
Catches fire.
Harriet reflects
That fire is not just molecules
Changing address;
Fire is molecules downsizing
In order to become
Upwardly mobile.
Fire is cool like that.
Even cooler
Is the adjacent ocean.
Harriet throws herself
Into the dark, raging surf.
Not unexpectedly,
She finds the fire
In her dress
Quenched.
This is good.
The fire might have become
Tiresome
If it had been allowed
To spread
To adjacent regions.
And often
The elemental energy
Of the ocean
Is best appreciated
In the absence of clothes.
..................................
Surf on rocks
A photograph by Anne Mary Teichert
..................................
Mermaid
We are water beings
Lent in the open ocean
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
At Toby's beach barbecue
When Harriet's pretty
Summer dress
Catches fire.
Harriet reflects
That fire is not just molecules
Changing address;
Fire is molecules downsizing
In order to become
Upwardly mobile.
Fire is cool like that.
Even cooler
Is the adjacent ocean.
Harriet throws herself
Into the dark, raging surf.
Not unexpectedly,
She finds the fire
In her dress
Quenched.
This is good.
The fire might have become
Tiresome
If it had been allowed
To spread
To adjacent regions.
And often
The elemental energy
Of the ocean
Is best appreciated
In the absence of clothes.
..................................
Surf on rocks
A photograph by Anne Mary Teichert
..................................
Mermaid
We are water beings
Lent in the open ocean
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Mutability
Change is now.
Change is good.
Change is God.
Unlike the others
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Change is good.
Change is God.
Unlike the others
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
I am the Moon
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
I came from the surface
Of Jupiter
A long time ago,
When an explosion
Blasted me out
Of my gaseous womb
And I could no longer be held
In the gravitational embrace
Of my parents.
I congealed slowly
And deliciously
Into textured Jovian stone
And was captured
And held in orbit
By my new mistress
Gaia,
Whose scalp
You are shaving
Of rainforest beauty,
Whose breath
You are polluting
With poisonous industry,
And whose heart
You are breaking
With unnecessary war.
I am the Moon.
My spiritual task
In the multidimensional ecology
Of your local universe
Is to mirror
The consciousness of Earth
Back to you.
I reflect what you are feeling;
My primary function
Is to bounce back
Your emotions.
I am the Moon.
I am a very peaceful vibration.
I am weary with your obsession
With war and conflict
And tired of your capitulation
To religion
Which promotes war and conflict
By tolerating
The heresy of belief.
I am the Moon.
I feel energy data
Through silvery ray vibrations.
Do you remember these?
Do you remember
The silvery gossamer light
Shimmering breast bright
On the membrane of calm water
When the full Moon first rises?
Are you aroused by my rising?
I bear my breast naked
For you
Thirteen times a year.
Do I arouse your interest?
Do I stimulate your recall
Of etheric desire?
Run your eye over me.
Feel my texture.
I have canyons and craters
On my flesh
Which are the marks
Of cosmic lovemaking.
I have been penetrated
My many powerful visitors
And I have loved them all.
My vibrations are now
So cool,
So opalescent,
So translucently ethereal,
That there is
Almost no electromagnetic charge
Left in me.
I am completely balanced.
And it is this balance
Which I transmit to you
Gently
As dreams.
In the depths
Of my canyons and craters
There are small
White-domed
Library temples
Where I hold the records
Of your memories
And your subconscious
Mental banks.
I transmit these energy data
To those beings
Who magnetically draw my energy,
Be they animal people,
Or faerie people
Or human people.
They all draw consciousness from me
As silver is drawn from wells
Fed by waterfalls.
Listen out when you sleep,
Listen out when you dream,
Listen out for the memories
I hold
Of your soul experience
Life after life
On planet after planet.
You are strong enough
To destroy Gaia,
Who struggles,
Dying,
To hold you to my breast
For nourishment,
But are you strong enough
To be entirely passive
And receive my milk
Quietly
On your tongue,
With your feelings open
To the silvery tickle
And trickle
Of my teaching?
I am the Moon.
Accept my radiant nakedness
Without judgment
And know completion.
..........................................................
Here are six pictures of the full Moon over land: 1 2 3 4 5 6
And here are seven pictures of the full Moon over water: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
.........................
Full moon dates
.........................
Sussex police respond to the Moon
Extra police will be put on the streets during full moons after officers found a link between violent crime and the lunar cycle
I came from the surface
Of Jupiter
A long time ago,
When an explosion
Blasted me out
Of my gaseous womb
And I could no longer be held
In the gravitational embrace
Of my parents.
I congealed slowly
And deliciously
Into textured Jovian stone
And was captured
And held in orbit
By my new mistress
Gaia,
Whose scalp
You are shaving
Of rainforest beauty,
Whose breath
You are polluting
With poisonous industry,
And whose heart
You are breaking
With unnecessary war.
I am the Moon.
My spiritual task
In the multidimensional ecology
Of your local universe
Is to mirror
The consciousness of Earth
Back to you.
I reflect what you are feeling;
My primary function
Is to bounce back
Your emotions.
I am the Moon.
I am a very peaceful vibration.
I am weary with your obsession
With war and conflict
And tired of your capitulation
To religion
Which promotes war and conflict
By tolerating
The heresy of belief.
I am the Moon.
I feel energy data
Through silvery ray vibrations.
Do you remember these?
Do you remember
The silvery gossamer light
Shimmering breast bright
On the membrane of calm water
When the full Moon first rises?
Are you aroused by my rising?
I bear my breast naked
For you
Thirteen times a year.
Do I arouse your interest?
Do I stimulate your recall
Of etheric desire?
Run your eye over me.
Feel my texture.
I have canyons and craters
On my flesh
Which are the marks
Of cosmic lovemaking.
I have been penetrated
My many powerful visitors
And I have loved them all.
My vibrations are now
So cool,
So opalescent,
So translucently ethereal,
That there is
Almost no electromagnetic charge
Left in me.
I am completely balanced.
And it is this balance
Which I transmit to you
Gently
As dreams.
In the depths
Of my canyons and craters
There are small
White-domed
Library temples
Where I hold the records
Of your memories
And your subconscious
Mental banks.
I transmit these energy data
To those beings
Who magnetically draw my energy,
Be they animal people,
Or faerie people
Or human people.
They all draw consciousness from me
As silver is drawn from wells
Fed by waterfalls.
Listen out when you sleep,
Listen out when you dream,
Listen out for the memories
I hold
Of your soul experience
Life after life
On planet after planet.
You are strong enough
To destroy Gaia,
Who struggles,
Dying,
To hold you to my breast
For nourishment,
But are you strong enough
To be entirely passive
And receive my milk
Quietly
On your tongue,
With your feelings open
To the silvery tickle
And trickle
Of my teaching?
I am the Moon.
Accept my radiant nakedness
Without judgment
And know completion.
..........................................................
Here are six pictures of the full Moon over land: 1 2 3 4 5 6
And here are seven pictures of the full Moon over water: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
.........................
Full moon dates
.........................
Sussex police respond to the Moon
Extra police will be put on the streets during full moons after officers found a link between violent crime and the lunar cycle
Monday, July 17, 2006
Keep poverty permanent
Become an American citizen
And use your taxes
To support Israel and
The War on Terror.
Israeli children send expensive American presents to their friends in Lebanon
An image of unimaginable wealth
While Africa dies
An image of unimaginable poverty
Both photographs were taken on the same planet.
.........................................................
And use your taxes
To support Israel and
The War on Terror.
.........................................................
Israeli children send expensive American presents to their friends in Lebanon
An image of unimaginable wealth
While Africa dies
An image of unimaginable poverty
Both photographs were taken on the same planet.
.........................................................
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Controlled anal voicing
On a recommendation
From an ex-member's husband,
The Blythburgh branch
Of The Women's Institute
Invited Mr Cyril Middleton
Of Dunwich, Suffolk,
To address them
At their Ash Wednesday lunch.
The ladies had checked
Mr Middleton's
Bona fides
Carefully
Before he was invited.
According to the internet,
He had a good address
In the old medieval part
Of Dunwich,
And his hobbies were
Story-telling
And scuba diving.
His speciality,
According to those who
Had had
The good fortune
Of attending his celebrated
Lectures before,
Was to make funny noises
For the amusement
Of the underclass.
The ladies first noticed
That things
Were going to be a little different
At this particular lunch,
When Mr Middleton
Set up his
Amplification system.
He carefully positioned
On the stage,
Not one, but two
Microphones;
One in front of him
At mouth height,
And one behind him
At buttock height.
He then clapped his hands loudly,
Asked for silence,
And said that the ladies
Should not be alarmed
But he was going to do a quick
Sound test.
Everyone stopped talking
And listened intently.
There was a pause
And then a long,
Rasping
High-decibel fart
Echoed around the room.
An agonising split second
Of communal
Prophylactic shock
Was followed by
A wanton explosion
Of some of the most
Indelicate
Rabelaisian
Belly-laughter
Ever to have permeated
A Women's Institute
Ash Wednesday lunch.
Several members,
Indeed,
Were seen to be
Writhing on the floor,
Seriously
Injuring themselves
Laughing.
It was quite a few minutes
Before good order
Was re-established.
Mr Middleton
Urged the ladies
To control themselves
And asked that the windows
Be opened
Because the room was becoming
Rather stuffy.
He then let rip
With a second
Stentorian
Anal raspberry,
Twice as loud
And twice as long
And twice as bubbly
As the first.
The meeting once more
Degraded into
Screams and howls
Of unrestrained laughter.
Gertrude Cookley,
A new member from
Chediston Green,
Swore blind
That during this second
Mighty clarion call
She had seen a vision
Of the Archangel Gabriel
Presenting the Prophet Muhammad
With the original text
Of The Life of Brian.
Once the laughter
Had died down,
And the ladies
Had regained the power
Of coherent speech,
They began
Chatting animatedly,
With one another
Saying things like:
"Better out than in,"
And, "No need of nuclear power
With that volume
Of methane available,"
And, "That was worse than
Exchanging a sign
Of the peace."
Later in the day,
The Vicar's wife commented
To her husband
That, all in all,
It was not a good start
To Lent.
...................................
Lent in the open ocean
Worth Matravers in Dorset
A required tonic
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
From an ex-member's husband,
The Blythburgh branch
Of The Women's Institute
Invited Mr Cyril Middleton
Of Dunwich, Suffolk,
To address them
At their Ash Wednesday lunch.
The ladies had checked
Mr Middleton's
Bona fides
Carefully
Before he was invited.
According to the internet,
He had a good address
In the old medieval part
Of Dunwich,
And his hobbies were
Story-telling
And scuba diving.
His speciality,
According to those who
Had had
The good fortune
Of attending his celebrated
Lectures before,
Was to make funny noises
For the amusement
Of the underclass.
The ladies first noticed
That things
Were going to be a little different
At this particular lunch,
When Mr Middleton
Set up his
Amplification system.
He carefully positioned
On the stage,
Not one, but two
Microphones;
One in front of him
At mouth height,
And one behind him
At buttock height.
He then clapped his hands loudly,
Asked for silence,
And said that the ladies
Should not be alarmed
But he was going to do a quick
Sound test.
Everyone stopped talking
And listened intently.
There was a pause
And then a long,
Rasping
High-decibel fart
Echoed around the room.
An agonising split second
Of communal
Prophylactic shock
Was followed by
A wanton explosion
Of some of the most
Indelicate
Rabelaisian
Belly-laughter
Ever to have permeated
A Women's Institute
Ash Wednesday lunch.
Several members,
Indeed,
Were seen to be
Writhing on the floor,
Seriously
Injuring themselves
Laughing.
It was quite a few minutes
Before good order
Was re-established.
Mr Middleton
Urged the ladies
To control themselves
And asked that the windows
Be opened
Because the room was becoming
Rather stuffy.
He then let rip
With a second
Stentorian
Anal raspberry,
Twice as loud
And twice as long
And twice as bubbly
As the first.
The meeting once more
Degraded into
Screams and howls
Of unrestrained laughter.
Gertrude Cookley,
A new member from
Chediston Green,
Swore blind
That during this second
Mighty clarion call
She had seen a vision
Of the Archangel Gabriel
Presenting the Prophet Muhammad
With the original text
Of The Life of Brian.
Once the laughter
Had died down,
And the ladies
Had regained the power
Of coherent speech,
They began
Chatting animatedly,
With one another
Saying things like:
"Better out than in,"
And, "No need of nuclear power
With that volume
Of methane available,"
And, "That was worse than
Exchanging a sign
Of the peace."
Later in the day,
The Vicar's wife commented
To her husband
That, all in all,
It was not a good start
To Lent.
...................................
Lent in the open ocean
Worth Matravers in Dorset
A required tonic
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
General Synod agenda
The elected,
Appointed
And ex officio
Apparatchiks
Of yesterday's old-time
English churchianity
Gather in York
For a meeting of
The General Synod.
It is a good-natured gathering
Of low-brow
Ecclesiastical drones,
Spiritual has-beens
And aspiring wannabee system-geeks.
Why are they there?
To discuss sex and gender issues.
What do they want?
Sex and gender issues.
What will they get?
Sex and gender issues.
What is the Gospel of Christ about?
Sex and gender.
Any other business?
Sex and gender.
Why shouldn't Mary Magdalene
Have a toyboy if she wants?
Female bishops
Sermon abuse
Why is church so serious?
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Appointed
And ex officio
Apparatchiks
Of yesterday's old-time
English churchianity
Gather in York
For a meeting of
The General Synod.
It is a good-natured gathering
Of low-brow
Ecclesiastical drones,
Spiritual has-beens
And aspiring wannabee system-geeks.
Why are they there?
To discuss sex and gender issues.
What do they want?
Sex and gender issues.
What will they get?
Sex and gender issues.
What is the Gospel of Christ about?
Sex and gender.
Any other business?
Sex and gender.
Why shouldn't Mary Magdalene
Have a toyboy if she wants?
Female bishops
Sermon abuse
Why is church so serious?
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Sunday, July 02, 2006
A mystery deeper than tears
Crying is the therapy
Of release.
We need to cry more.
We need to cry better.
Tears lubricate a bad day.
But the positive energy
Of lachrymation
Is a mystery deeper than tears.
Why do people cry
When they are happy?
Why do people cry
When they laugh?
We give ourselves when we cry.
But who
Or what
Is the beneficiary
Of our giving?
We abandon ourselves when we cry.
But who
Or what
Then occupies
The vacated inner space
We leave?
And when we cry
Why is the person next to us
Suddenly so understanding?
Suddenly so concerned?
Suddenly so sensitised?
Crying is old magic
Deployed by ancient people
Ever young.
It is a behaviour of childhood
Which expresses the desire
To stay childlike
Without qualification.
And when the time comes,
It would be nice to
Cry oneself
To death,
Rather as one
Cries oneself
To sleep.
Going to sleep
Is practice for
Going to death.
Sleeping is dying,
And tears do help.
Never alone
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Of release.
We need to cry more.
We need to cry better.
Tears lubricate a bad day.
But the positive energy
Of lachrymation
Is a mystery deeper than tears.
Why do people cry
When they are happy?
Why do people cry
When they laugh?
We give ourselves when we cry.
But who
Or what
Is the beneficiary
Of our giving?
We abandon ourselves when we cry.
But who
Or what
Then occupies
The vacated inner space
We leave?
And when we cry
Why is the person next to us
Suddenly so understanding?
Suddenly so concerned?
Suddenly so sensitised?
Crying is old magic
Deployed by ancient people
Ever young.
It is a behaviour of childhood
Which expresses the desire
To stay childlike
Without qualification.
And when the time comes,
It would be nice to
Cry oneself
To death,
Rather as one
Cries oneself
To sleep.
Going to sleep
Is practice for
Going to death.
Sleeping is dying,
And tears do help.
Never alone
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Walls have ears
A group of
Well-spoken,
Well-educated,
Well-dressed
Young ladies,
Wearing padded
Push-up bras,
Is sitting in
A coffee shop
In Bournemouth
Discussing babies.
Yawn.
On the other side
Of the coffee shop
A group of
Well-spoken,
Well-educated,
Well-dressed
Young men,
Wearing posing pouches
And designer codpieces,
Is sitting at
A chromium-topped table
Discussing football.
Riveting.
Olive restaurant in Bromley
Men's issues
Women's issues
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Well-spoken,
Well-educated,
Well-dressed
Young ladies,
Wearing padded
Push-up bras,
Is sitting in
A coffee shop
In Bournemouth
Discussing babies.
Yawn.
On the other side
Of the coffee shop
A group of
Well-spoken,
Well-educated,
Well-dressed
Young men,
Wearing posing pouches
And designer codpieces,
Is sitting at
A chromium-topped table
Discussing football.
Riveting.
Olive restaurant in Bromley
Men's issues
Women's issues
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Monday, June 12, 2006
Men's issues
War, religion, uncontested sex etc
http://alcuinbramerton.blogspot.com/2006/06/mens-issues.html
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
Page update: 16.08.09
A man is a grown-up, male human being. Illustrations of archetypal men can be viewed here, and here, and here.
The kind of things which typical men do are pictured here, and here, and here.
This is a man-friendly blog. We have addressed the core issues of what it is to be a man in the modern world, in several important places. Examples are linked below:
The good modern husband
Marriage night
Marriage in trouble
Demanding lover
Distant and severe
Olive restaurant in Bromley
Poodle parlour in Purley
Obituary of Hank Texasburger III
Cricket on the radio
Disclaimer in the corporate boxes
Underpants
Magic Roundabout pyjamas
Preconceived idea
You can pretend
Small but passionate
The police are very good
Interdimensional travels
Heretic unfrocked
Nothing passes
Ontological real deal
Cybore
Magnanimous gesture
Interview for a new USA president
……………….…
Women's issues
………….………
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
http://alcuinbramerton.blogspot.com/2006/06/mens-issues.html
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
Page update: 16.08.09
A man is a grown-up, male human being. Illustrations of archetypal men can be viewed here, and here, and here.
The kind of things which typical men do are pictured here, and here, and here.
This is a man-friendly blog. We have addressed the core issues of what it is to be a man in the modern world, in several important places. Examples are linked below:
The good modern husband
Marriage night
Marriage in trouble
Demanding lover
Distant and severe
Olive restaurant in Bromley
Poodle parlour in Purley
Obituary of Hank Texasburger III
Cricket on the radio
Disclaimer in the corporate boxes
Underpants
Magic Roundabout pyjamas
Preconceived idea
You can pretend
Small but passionate
The police are very good
Interdimensional travels
Heretic unfrocked
Nothing passes
Ontological real deal
Cybore
Magnanimous gesture
Interview for a new USA president
……………….…
Women's issues
………….………
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Marriage night
http://alcuinbramerton.blogspot.com/2006/06/marriage-night.html
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
It will be
The perfect
English wedding.
Gorgeous spring weather,
Large cathedral,
Twelve bridesmaids,
Twelve pages,
Two bishops,
Flowers on every gargoyle,
Orchestra
And full choir.
Elegant reception
In a pink
And green
Marquee
In the cloister garden.
You will take care
Not to drink too much.
At last,
At the end of the day,
And feeling like
The Leaning Tower
Of Pisa,
You reach
The honeymoon hotel
Bedroom.
And then the glorious
Consummation.
Your young wife
Tells you
That she
Has a headache.
It is important
To be positive
And understanding
At this point.
Give her the benefit
Of the doubt,
And acknowledge
That there is at least
A twenty per cent
Chance,
That she is telling
The truth.
...........................
Demanding lover
Marriage in trouble
Men's issues
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
It will be
The perfect
English wedding.
Gorgeous spring weather,
Large cathedral,
Twelve bridesmaids,
Twelve pages,
Two bishops,
Flowers on every gargoyle,
Orchestra
And full choir.
Elegant reception
In a pink
And green
Marquee
In the cloister garden.
You will take care
Not to drink too much.
At last,
At the end of the day,
And feeling like
The Leaning Tower
Of Pisa,
You reach
The honeymoon hotel
Bedroom.
And then the glorious
Consummation.
Your young wife
Tells you
That she
Has a headache.
It is important
To be positive
And understanding
At this point.
Give her the benefit
Of the doubt,
And acknowledge
That there is at least
A twenty per cent
Chance,
That she is telling
The truth.
...........................
Demanding lover
Marriage in trouble
Men's issues
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Stream of consciousness
This is a stream
Of consciousness.
Politics is an elaborate
Metaphor
For croquet:
Painted balls.
I've forgotten to see
Those movies.
I forget everything
These days.
I forgot to get up
Yesterday.
And now it's today.
I adopt the lexical orthodoxy
Of Western linear time concepts here.
Excuse me.
I need chocolate.
I need chocolate fast.
Whose consciousness
Is this a stream of?
And how can I be sure?
Oh, look!
There's a squirrel.
That's nice.
What's a squirrel doing
In the deep-freeze?
The kettle's boiling.
I can see it boiling over there.
It's a steam of consciousness.
Water vapour is a more important
Greenhouse gas
Than either carbon dioxide
Or methane.
There are geeks
Who don't know that.
There are geeks
Who have no consciousness
At all.
Some geeks
Are just aural in-your-face
Non-sentient data complexes.
I like geeks.
The richest man in the world
Was a geek once;
A computer-geek
Who wrote source code.
Now he's the biggest do-gooder
Who has ever done gooding
On the planet,
Except for Mother Teresa.
Ah, good. Yes.
There's the chocolate.
I need chocolate to power up
My stream of consciousness.
I'm glad I saw those movies.
This is balls.
Contemplating an artwork
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Of consciousness.
Politics is an elaborate
Metaphor
For croquet:
Painted balls.
I've forgotten to see
Those movies.
I forget everything
These days.
I forgot to get up
Yesterday.
And now it's today.
I adopt the lexical orthodoxy
Of Western linear time concepts here.
Excuse me.
I need chocolate.
I need chocolate fast.
Whose consciousness
Is this a stream of?
And how can I be sure?
Oh, look!
There's a squirrel.
That's nice.
What's a squirrel doing
In the deep-freeze?
The kettle's boiling.
I can see it boiling over there.
It's a steam of consciousness.
Water vapour is a more important
Greenhouse gas
Than either carbon dioxide
Or methane.
There are geeks
Who don't know that.
There are geeks
Who have no consciousness
At all.
Some geeks
Are just aural in-your-face
Non-sentient data complexes.
I like geeks.
The richest man in the world
Was a geek once;
A computer-geek
Who wrote source code.
Now he's the biggest do-gooder
Who has ever done gooding
On the planet,
Except for Mother Teresa.
Ah, good. Yes.
There's the chocolate.
I need chocolate to power up
My stream of consciousness.
I'm glad I saw those movies.
This is balls.
Contemplating an artwork
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Monday, June 05, 2006
Women's issues
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
Page update: 16.08.09
A woman is a grown-up, female human being. Illustrations of archetypal women can be viewed here, and here, and here.
The kind of things which typical women do are pictured here, and here, and here.
This is a woman-friendly blog. We have addressed the core issues of what it is to be a woman in the modern world, in several important places. Examples are linked below:
Toenails
Seven toffee doughnuts
Into Bodmin to shop
Wiltshire wheat
Casualty
Intruders
Office separation
Sympathetic help for unacceptably fat women
Lose weight feel great
Strong decision
Eating disorder
Blue mouthwash
Novel in Burnley
Platonic relationship
Lent in the open ocean
Female bishops
Convent girl
Disappointed at Greenbelt
A new scripture shortly to be published
Men make such hopeless priests
Man-machine
Elvis in Bedfordshire
Circus in Southwold
Worth Matravers in Dorset
Creepy
Contact
Mermaid
Reflective
Gender confusion
Unguarded level crossing
Jellybabies theme park
Patio window
School run
Reasonable request
Another woman
Private collection
Pumpkin candlelight
Student life
Tuesday girl
Slinky ClubGirl goes out on the town
......................................................
We offer the following pastoral support for desperate women
Emergency chocolate cake pictures
......................................................
Waiting for the perfect man
A picture
..........................................
A woman is a grown-up, female human being. Illustrations of archetypal women can be viewed here, and here, and here.
The kind of things which typical women do are pictured here, and here, and here.
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This is a woman-friendly blog. We have addressed the core issues of what it is to be a woman in the modern world, in several important places. Examples are linked below:
Toenails
Seven toffee doughnuts
Into Bodmin to shop
Wiltshire wheat
Casualty
Intruders
Office separation
Sympathetic help for unacceptably fat women
Lose weight feel great
Strong decision
Eating disorder
Blue mouthwash
Novel in Burnley
Platonic relationship
Lent in the open ocean
Female bishops
Convent girl
Disappointed at Greenbelt
A new scripture shortly to be published
Men make such hopeless priests
Man-machine
Elvis in Bedfordshire
Circus in Southwold
Worth Matravers in Dorset
Creepy
Contact
Mermaid
Reflective
Gender confusion
Unguarded level crossing
Jellybabies theme park
Patio window
School run
Reasonable request
Another woman
Private collection
Pumpkin candlelight
Student life
Tuesday girl
Slinky ClubGirl goes out on the town
......................................................
We offer the following pastoral support for desperate women
Emergency chocolate cake pictures
......................................................
Waiting for the perfect man
A picture
..........................................
Spirituality websites worth watching
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Very refreshing
In a deserted house,
A shower can be a
Very
Refreshing experience,
If there is no-one in it
And you yourself
Are miles away.
It raises questions.
Why is the shower running?
Why is there no-one in it?
Who is listening
To the steady splash
Of the water?
What is the agenda here?
A shower can be a
Very
Refreshing experience,
If there is no-one in it
And you yourself
Are miles away.
It raises questions.
Why is the shower running?
Why is there no-one in it?
Who is listening
To the steady splash
Of the water?
What is the agenda here?
.....................................................
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Never settle down
Not ready
To settle down?
No, not ready
To settle down.
Life never settles down.
Life is a continual process
Of becoming more;
Stasis is not even
Theoretically possible.
Never settle down.
Keep moving;
Keep moving forwards.
Keep growing;
Keep growing bigger.
Never settle down.
Only in the matrix
Do people settle down.
They settle down to stay small;
They settle down to die.
But there is
No such thing
As death.
Therein lies
The intrinsic lie
Peddled by
The insistent
Death-mongers
Of material illusion.
It is dangerous
To get comfy
Down here
In the matrix.
There is more
To life
Than a three-dimensional
Hologram
Of half-experienced being.
Never settle down.
Interdimensional travels
The libraries do not fool us
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
To settle down?
No, not ready
To settle down.
Life never settles down.
Life is a continual process
Of becoming more;
Stasis is not even
Theoretically possible.
Never settle down.
Keep moving;
Keep moving forwards.
Keep growing;
Keep growing bigger.
Never settle down.
Only in the matrix
Do people settle down.
They settle down to stay small;
They settle down to die.
But there is
No such thing
As death.
Therein lies
The intrinsic lie
Peddled by
The insistent
Death-mongers
Of material illusion.
It is dangerous
To get comfy
Down here
In the matrix.
There is more
To life
Than a three-dimensional
Hologram
Of half-experienced being.
Never settle down.
Interdimensional travels
The libraries do not fool us
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Magnanimous gesture
http://alcuinbramerton.blogspot.com/2006/05/magnanimous-gesture.html
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
Very kindly,
Mr Tissington,
Of Ashbourne,
Derbyshire,
Signed papers
At his local hospital,
And officially
Committed himself
To an organ donor programme.
In the rubric
Of the document,
Deep down
In the small print,
He donated his head
To science.
It was a magnanimous gesture,
But a stupid head.
Stupid heads
Cannot easily be
Relocated.
But eventually
They found a stupid body
And attached Mr Tissington's
Stupid head to it.
There was genuine hope,
Among the medical team,
That once the transplanted organ
And its recipient body
Had acclimatised,
And come out of life support
And counselling,
They might have a useful role
To play
In the war
Against terror.
.........................
A taxi is possible
Sympathetic help for unacceptably fat women
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
Very kindly,
Mr Tissington,
Of Ashbourne,
Derbyshire,
Signed papers
At his local hospital,
And officially
Committed himself
To an organ donor programme.
In the rubric
Of the document,
Deep down
In the small print,
He donated his head
To science.
It was a magnanimous gesture,
But a stupid head.
Stupid heads
Cannot easily be
Relocated.
But eventually
They found a stupid body
And attached Mr Tissington's
Stupid head to it.
There was genuine hope,
Among the medical team,
That once the transplanted organ
And its recipient body
Had acclimatised,
And come out of life support
And counselling,
They might have a useful role
To play
In the war
Against terror.
.........................
A taxi is possible
Sympathetic help for unacceptably fat women
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Sunday, May 28, 2006
The angel paths are open
Perhaps what we call death
Is not that at all.
Perhaps what we call death
Is just a change
Of address.
We slip through
An interdimensional portal
Back into our real home.
Perhaps death was where we were,
Down here in the matrix,
Not where we go
Up there
When we leave.
Deep down we know that
The angel paths are open;
The angel paths are beckoning;
The angel paths remember
The fluttering feel
Of our feet.
Undead but positive
The consciousness of the angels
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Is not that at all.
Perhaps what we call death
Is just a change
Of address.
We slip through
An interdimensional portal
Back into our real home.
Perhaps death was where we were,
Down here in the matrix,
Not where we go
Up there
When we leave.
Deep down we know that
The angel paths are open;
The angel paths are beckoning;
The angel paths remember
The fluttering feel
Of our feet.
Undead but positive
The consciousness of the angels
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Friday, May 26, 2006
The good modern husband
Quite properly, a legally constituted pair-bond between husband and wife allows for give and take on both sides. But in these changing times, people can become confused about their role within the family. In response to numerous requests, we offer the following advice to men of advanced character.
Have dinner ready. The good modern husband always has dinner ready. He plans ahead, the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his wife's return. This is a way of letting her know that you are thinking about her and are concerned about her needs. Most women are hungry when they come home from work and the prospect of a good meal, especially her favourite dish, is part of the warm welcome needed.
Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so that you will be refreshed when she arrives. Touch up your aftershave, put on a new tie and be fresh-looking. She has just spent the day with a lot of demanding, work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting for her. Her tedious day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your wife arrives home, gather up school books, toys, paper etc. Then run a duster over the tables. In the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for her to unwind by. Your wife will feel that she has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for her comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces, comb their hair and change their clothes. They are little treasures and she will like to see them playing their part.
Minimise all noise. At the time of her arrival, eliminate all noise from the dishwasher, the washing machine and the vacuum cleaner. Encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see her when she arrives home. Greet her with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please her.
Listen to her closely. You may have a dozen important things to tell her, but the moment of her arrival home is not the time. Let her talk first - remember that her topics of conversation are far more important than yours.
Make the evening hers. Never complain if she comes home late, or goes out to dinner with others, or to places of entertainment without you. Instead, just try to understand her female world of strain and pressure and her very real need to be home and to relax without judgement.
Your goal is to make your home a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your wife can renew herself in body and in spirit.
Some obvious don'ts. Don't greet her with problems and complaints when she comes home. Don't complain if she's late for dinner. Don't complain if she stays out all night. Count such things as minor compared with what she must have gone through during her busy, difficult day. Don't interrogate her about her actions or question her integrity. Remember, she is the master of the house and as such she will always exercise her will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no need to question her.
A good modern husband always knows his place.
.......................
Marriage night
Marriage in trouble
Casualty
Men's issues
Women's issues
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Have dinner ready. The good modern husband always has dinner ready. He plans ahead, the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his wife's return. This is a way of letting her know that you are thinking about her and are concerned about her needs. Most women are hungry when they come home from work and the prospect of a good meal, especially her favourite dish, is part of the warm welcome needed.
Prepare yourself. Take fifteen minutes to rest so that you will be refreshed when she arrives. Touch up your aftershave, put on a new tie and be fresh-looking. She has just spent the day with a lot of demanding, work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting for her. Her tedious day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your wife arrives home, gather up school books, toys, paper etc. Then run a duster over the tables. In the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for her to unwind by. Your wife will feel that she has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for her comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces, comb their hair and change their clothes. They are little treasures and she will like to see them playing their part.
Minimise all noise. At the time of her arrival, eliminate all noise from the dishwasher, the washing machine and the vacuum cleaner. Encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see her when she arrives home. Greet her with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please her.
Listen to her closely. You may have a dozen important things to tell her, but the moment of her arrival home is not the time. Let her talk first - remember that her topics of conversation are far more important than yours.
Make the evening hers. Never complain if she comes home late, or goes out to dinner with others, or to places of entertainment without you. Instead, just try to understand her female world of strain and pressure and her very real need to be home and to relax without judgement.
Your goal is to make your home a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your wife can renew herself in body and in spirit.
Some obvious don'ts. Don't greet her with problems and complaints when she comes home. Don't complain if she's late for dinner. Don't complain if she stays out all night. Count such things as minor compared with what she must have gone through during her busy, difficult day. Don't interrogate her about her actions or question her integrity. Remember, she is the master of the house and as such she will always exercise her will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no need to question her.
A good modern husband always knows his place.
.......................
Marriage night
Marriage in trouble
Casualty
Men's issues
Women's issues
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Good like that
He was very short
Of money.
He only had
Twenty three pounds left
To get him through
To Friday,
And there were still
Four days to go.
So he decided
To go out
And give some of his money away.
He gave ten pounds
To a tramp
On the corner
He had not seen before,
And eight pounds
To a woman
At the Post Office
Who hadn't got enough
In her purse
To send a parcel
To her mother
In Africa,
And four pounds to
A student
With a green box
Collecting for
A rainforest biodiversity
Charity
In Sulawesi.
Then, on Thursday,
A letter arrived.
It contained a cheque
For two hundred and fifty pounds
From an old aunt
He had forgotten he had,
And who said she had more
Money than she needed
And was sure that he could
Put it to better use
Than her.
The universe
Is good like that.
...................................
A New Age prospectus
The central question of the universe
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Of money.
He only had
Twenty three pounds left
To get him through
To Friday,
And there were still
Four days to go.
So he decided
To go out
And give some of his money away.
He gave ten pounds
To a tramp
On the corner
He had not seen before,
And eight pounds
To a woman
At the Post Office
Who hadn't got enough
In her purse
To send a parcel
To her mother
In Africa,
And four pounds to
A student
With a green box
Collecting for
A rainforest biodiversity
Charity
In Sulawesi.
Then, on Thursday,
A letter arrived.
It contained a cheque
For two hundred and fifty pounds
From an old aunt
He had forgotten he had,
And who said she had more
Money than she needed
And was sure that he could
Put it to better use
Than her.
The universe
Is good like that.
...................................
A New Age prospectus
The central question of the universe
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Saturday, May 13, 2006
The feast of Corpus Christi
Dr Piers Stockton,
Of Cambridge University,
Is a
Closet
Anglo-Catholic.
Late at night
On the eve
Of the feast
Of Corpus Christi,
He creeps into the
Holy Office,
Retrieves the key of the
College chapel,
Enters the building by
The south chancel door,
And,
Approaching the high altar,
Neatly places
A fresh, hot
Slice of
Stuffed-crust pizza
In the hanging pyx.
Why is church so serious?
The Piers Stockton cycle of koans
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Of Cambridge University,
Is a
Closet
Anglo-Catholic.
Late at night
On the eve
Of the feast
Of Corpus Christi,
He creeps into the
Holy Office,
Retrieves the key of the
College chapel,
Enters the building by
The south chancel door,
And,
Approaching the high altar,
Neatly places
A fresh, hot
Slice of
Stuffed-crust pizza
In the hanging pyx.
Why is church so serious?
The Piers Stockton cycle of koans
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Interview for a new USA president
Page update: 25.04.08
Because of widespread electoral corruption
In the United States of America,
We have decided to address
The democratic deficit
And appoint the next president ourselves.
The selection process
Will be rigorous,
But fair.
Only white males
With non-Jewish names
And proven business connections
With the Bin Laden family
Will be considered.
There is a person specification
And there is a job specification.
The person specification is as follows:
The successful candidate
Will appear politely stupid,
But under the surface
Of this undemanding
Theatrical carapace
He will be deeply evil
In a down-home
American sort of way.
The successful candidate
Will be a spiritually illiterate fundamentalist,
But not just a religious fundamentalist –
He will also be
An educational fundamentalist,
An economic fundamentalist,
An environmental fundamentalist,
A cultural fundamentalist,
A political fundamentalist,
And a moral fundamentalist.
The successful candidate
Will be an American supremacist
With a sovereign disregard
For the good of the wider world.
He should also be capable
Of playing a tolerable
Round of golf
With corrupt buddies
During office hours.
The job specification is as follows:
To lead America
Into splendid isolation
And, once there,
To bomb
The rest of the planet
To pulp.
We invite applications
From persons of good standing
Within the Christian community.
...........................................
Bush White House begins to disintegrate
The American Problem
Jesus recounts a dream he had about George Bush
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Because of widespread electoral corruption
In the United States of America,
We have decided to address
The democratic deficit
And appoint the next president ourselves.
The selection process
Will be rigorous,
But fair.
Only white males
With non-Jewish names
And proven business connections
With the Bin Laden family
Will be considered.
There is a person specification
And there is a job specification.
The person specification is as follows:
The successful candidate
Will appear politely stupid,
But under the surface
Of this undemanding
Theatrical carapace
He will be deeply evil
In a down-home
American sort of way.
The successful candidate
Will be a spiritually illiterate fundamentalist,
But not just a religious fundamentalist –
He will also be
An educational fundamentalist,
An economic fundamentalist,
An environmental fundamentalist,
A cultural fundamentalist,
A political fundamentalist,
And a moral fundamentalist.
The successful candidate
Will be an American supremacist
With a sovereign disregard
For the good of the wider world.
He should also be capable
Of playing a tolerable
Round of golf
With corrupt buddies
During office hours.
The job specification is as follows:
To lead America
Into splendid isolation
And, once there,
To bomb
The rest of the planet
To pulp.
We invite applications
From persons of good standing
Within the Christian community.
...........................................
Bush White House begins to disintegrate
The American Problem
Jesus recounts a dream he had about George Bush
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Monday, May 08, 2006
Maybe try Romanism?
Alcuin Bramerton profile ..... Index of blog contents ..... Home
Page update: 04.07.10
We are often asked by innocent, impressionable young people, with iPods in their pockets and Rampant Rabbits in their sportsbags, what, exactly, we think of Roman Churchianity (also known as the Roman Catholic Church).
Our response to these enquiries is always measured, balanced and responsible.
We point out that although the quality of popes has declined recently, and there are no longer the fringe benefits for altar boys which once, in happier times, were enjoyed by many, Roman churchianity is still a hobby worthy of consideration, particularly by those with dark-side antiquarian interests.
If, for example, a modern young person is looking for religion rather than spirituality, then Roman churchianity may well be a live option.
Some well-informed, contemporary authorities say that Roman churchianity is church with the Christianity taken out, and a sprinkle of negative energy and spiritual fascism added in. This is a fair comment, but it is not the whole story.
Certainly, if guilt, sin, sectarianism and dogmatic-style unprotected sex are what you are looking for, then Roman churchianity may be right up your street.
But others say that Roman churchianity is not a thing to get involved with if you are of a nervous disposition and feel uncomfortable with a religion which apes the style of the Bush-Cheney White House, i.e. one which combines fundamentalist mantras with an all-consuming desire to dominate the weak.
In our view, this is slightly unfair. Many people who, in past centuries, proudly attached their undergarments to the mast of Roman churchianity, have now been reincarnated into quite positive, fun-loving, New Age careers.
And it should not be forgotten, that Roman churchianity generates a good deal of helpful literature. We would notice especially, in this context, the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church. This is a well thought-out book which offers the informed reader many interesting old ideas which can form the basis of a lively, individuated, do-it-yourself church lifestyle. And the book contains several interesting theories which can be useful as discussion-starters when having a drink with Muslim friends.
In this modern age, Roman churchianity needs all the help it can get. And it is getting a lot of help from the media. This popular support is to be welcomed and trusted.
.....................................................................................
The Criminal History of The Papacy (3 pdf files) 1 .. 2 .. 3
The endemic corruption which has blighted Roman Churchianity for over ten centuries. Tony Bushby writes in Nexus Magazine (2007).
..........................................
Why is church so serious?
Sermon abuse
What caused the death of religion?
The Gospel of Judas
Da Vinci's Magdalene
Index of blog contents
We are often asked by innocent, impressionable young people, with iPods in their pockets and Rampant Rabbits in their sportsbags, what, exactly, we think of Roman Churchianity (also known as the Roman Catholic Church).
Our response to these enquiries is always measured, balanced and responsible.
We point out that although the quality of popes has declined recently, and there are no longer the fringe benefits for altar boys which once, in happier times, were enjoyed by many, Roman churchianity is still a hobby worthy of consideration, particularly by those with dark-side antiquarian interests.
If, for example, a modern young person is looking for religion rather than spirituality, then Roman churchianity may well be a live option.
Some well-informed, contemporary authorities say that Roman churchianity is church with the Christianity taken out, and a sprinkle of negative energy and spiritual fascism added in. This is a fair comment, but it is not the whole story.
Certainly, if guilt, sin, sectarianism and dogmatic-style unprotected sex are what you are looking for, then Roman churchianity may be right up your street.
But others say that Roman churchianity is not a thing to get involved with if you are of a nervous disposition and feel uncomfortable with a religion which apes the style of the Bush-Cheney White House, i.e. one which combines fundamentalist mantras with an all-consuming desire to dominate the weak.
In our view, this is slightly unfair. Many people who, in past centuries, proudly attached their undergarments to the mast of Roman churchianity, have now been reincarnated into quite positive, fun-loving, New Age careers.
And it should not be forgotten, that Roman churchianity generates a good deal of helpful literature. We would notice especially, in this context, the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church. This is a well thought-out book which offers the informed reader many interesting old ideas which can form the basis of a lively, individuated, do-it-yourself church lifestyle. And the book contains several interesting theories which can be useful as discussion-starters when having a drink with Muslim friends.
In this modern age, Roman churchianity needs all the help it can get. And it is getting a lot of help from the media. This popular support is to be welcomed and trusted.
.....................................................................................
The Criminal History of The Papacy (3 pdf files) 1 .. 2 .. 3
The endemic corruption which has blighted Roman Churchianity for over ten centuries. Tony Bushby writes in Nexus Magazine (2007).
..........................................
Why is church so serious?
Sermon abuse
What caused the death of religion?
The Gospel of Judas
Da Vinci's Magdalene
Index of blog contents
Friday, May 05, 2006
Only Now
Perhaps Grace
Is the sacrament
Of the present moment;
The abundance
Of the universe
Which knows only Now.
Perhaps Grace
Is the realisation
In felt experience
That there is nothing
Knowable
Outside
The I am
Which is God.
Perhaps Grace
Is the incoming
Niagara
Of love
Which pours into the soul
When you realise
That you are
Sufficient
In yourself
And need no other
To complete
The full and fearless
Experience of your being.
Perhaps Grace
Is detachment
From the matrix illusion
Of need.
Interdimensional travels
More Norfolk koans
A New Age prospectus
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Is the sacrament
Of the present moment;
The abundance
Of the universe
Which knows only Now.
Perhaps Grace
Is the realisation
In felt experience
That there is nothing
Knowable
Outside
The I am
Which is God.
Perhaps Grace
Is the incoming
Niagara
Of love
Which pours into the soul
When you realise
That you are
Sufficient
In yourself
And need no other
To complete
The full and fearless
Experience of your being.
Perhaps Grace
Is detachment
From the matrix illusion
Of need.
Interdimensional travels
More Norfolk koans
A New Age prospectus
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Generation gap
Dr Piers Stockton
Of Cambridge University,
Is spending the day
With his young nephew,
Alexander,
Aged 8.
They find themselves
In a hamburger emporium
In the remote
Cathedral city of Ely.
Despite the fact
That both his parents
Read arts subjects
At a northern university,
Young Alexander is
A surprisingly bright child.
Dr Stockton is introducing him
To the rudiments
Of quantum mechanics.
“Now obviously, Alexander,
In a classical mechanical system,
The state-space
Composed of n particles,
Obtained by specifying the values
Of 6n real-valued quantities —
Three components of position and
Three of momentum
For each particle in the system —
Is a 6n-dimensional coordinate space ….”
“May I have another
Butterscotch milkshake,
Uncle Piers?”
“Not until you’ve grasped
The rudiments
Of quantum mechanics,
Alexander.”
“But Uncle, that will take
Millions of years
And by then
All the butterscotch milkshakes
Will have become the
Fossilised artefacts
Of a bygone age.”
“Only if you accept uncritically
The prevailing Western notion
Of linear time,
Alexander.”
“Yes, Uncle Piers.”
“Now clearly, the situation
Is a little different
In quantum mechanics,
Where there are mathematically
Describable ways
Of combining the values
Of the quantities
That don't represent
Physically possible states.
Indeed, the state-spaces
Of quantum mechanics
Are special kinds of vector spaces,
Called Hilbert spaces ….”
“When I grow up,
Uncle Piers,
I’m going to be a politician.
And then I’m going to
Use my power to
Steal some extra votes
In Florida, Ohio and Sedgefield,
And become
A benign dictator.
And then when I am
A benign dictator,
I will ban all science –
Not just practical science –
I will ban all talking
And all thinking
About science.
Only in that way
Can the world
Become a better place.”
“Yes, Alexander.”
The Piers Stockton cycle of koans
More Norfolk koans
Of Cambridge University,
Is spending the day
With his young nephew,
Alexander,
Aged 8.
They find themselves
In a hamburger emporium
In the remote
Cathedral city of Ely.
Despite the fact
That both his parents
Read arts subjects
At a northern university,
Young Alexander is
A surprisingly bright child.
Dr Stockton is introducing him
To the rudiments
Of quantum mechanics.
“Now obviously, Alexander,
In a classical mechanical system,
The state-space
Composed of n particles,
Obtained by specifying the values
Of 6n real-valued quantities —
Three components of position and
Three of momentum
For each particle in the system —
Is a 6n-dimensional coordinate space ….”
“May I have another
Butterscotch milkshake,
Uncle Piers?”
“Not until you’ve grasped
The rudiments
Of quantum mechanics,
Alexander.”
“But Uncle, that will take
Millions of years
And by then
All the butterscotch milkshakes
Will have become the
Fossilised artefacts
Of a bygone age.”
“Only if you accept uncritically
The prevailing Western notion
Of linear time,
Alexander.”
“Yes, Uncle Piers.”
“Now clearly, the situation
Is a little different
In quantum mechanics,
Where there are mathematically
Describable ways
Of combining the values
Of the quantities
That don't represent
Physically possible states.
Indeed, the state-spaces
Of quantum mechanics
Are special kinds of vector spaces,
Called Hilbert spaces ….”
“When I grow up,
Uncle Piers,
I’m going to be a politician.
And then I’m going to
Use my power to
Steal some extra votes
In Florida, Ohio and Sedgefield,
And become
A benign dictator.
And then when I am
A benign dictator,
I will ban all science –
Not just practical science –
I will ban all talking
And all thinking
About science.
Only in that way
Can the world
Become a better place.”
“Yes, Alexander.”
The Piers Stockton cycle of koans
More Norfolk koans
Science = Religion ?
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Saturday, April 29, 2006
The unknown ear
Words are signals:
Energy signals
Sent fluttering
Soul to soul,
Quietly searching,
Seeking a niche,
A nest.
Speak well;
Use good words.
Locate
The unknown ear
Which waits,
Softly listening.
The central question of the universe
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
Energy signals
Sent fluttering
Soul to soul,
Quietly searching,
Seeking a niche,
A nest.
Speak well;
Use good words.
Locate
The unknown ear
Which waits,
Softly listening.
The central question of the universe
More Norfolk koans
Index of blog contents
Spirituality websites worth watching
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