Before the Shadow

After a 2011 Tartus Port poured into my goblet I drank deep as Tartarus.
Dread rolled past my tongue, causing my lungs to shiver as from a winter breeze or the teasing touch of fingertips cold as bone.
I swallowed lamentation, silently gagging on the smell of iron, smoke, and charred meat.
The festive feast on our long table is festooned with the silence of men who left too immediately for an awareness of their departure to appear.
Intelligent gossip slides from derisive lips and hides its' hushed meaning in the seams of this eternal campaign season.
The words are smeared with din and quite like smokeless fire unraveling the matter it travels through.
I can not make out the words but I recognize the tone ringing through me in a shudder-inducing cacophony: contempt.
Waves rise in invisible tides through us.
They share the flavor of the wine we're served, recognizable from its' aftertaste of massacre.

Cintare

Lights display in the night's skies.
Orbs overhead form mysteries from the gilt-framed fragments bedded in mass conscience.
Military? Alien? Wind causes clouds to stray but the luminaries never sway; they stay
in formation.
For many evenings after it had begun the portent of unknown import hung in the thin cold home of dark matter.
Then they were gone.

Slouches Publicize Private Wounds

I hide beneath tattoos.
You embarrass me publicly, "get in the car".
The blues are a bruise.
"Why're your nails black?"
Depression's a scar.
I dress like a thief to be as seen as a star.
I mar my face with metal cleaner than my clogged pores.
Vampiric, I lick to taste the iron bolted through my tongue.
I could dress any way but you only think of your young son to worry if he's gay.
Awkward as they may be, at concerts I find my we.

Then Exploding

two burgers, two brats
two shots, two beers
with dear friends
under fireworks,
alighting in the night like spaceships heading for the stars.

Fatherless Day

Two new fathers
I'm far from one
still young
with work to be done.

Babies flow like honey
supping milk-form mummy
clothed in daddy's money
crawling on fat tummies.

The widows winnowed from husbands
lead men on
they don't want replacements
they don't want to be alone.

Eye Rich

You're a blighter, a bleeder, an old pickled egg eater
and I knew you was bad from the first
I've had rivets and privets dropped in ta my spirits
by far and wide your bald lies are the worst

like a rat led by a fife
I let you guide my life
staying in my house
'til we be wed man and wife
you played timid mouse

I work on the docks
moving package box
and barely pause at the pub
before seein my luv

You're a bleeder, a blighter, a godless man-spiter
and I knew you was bad from the first
I've had fevers and flowers left for kin spirits
by far and wide your bald lies are worse

I seen your sweet cheeks bore a whore's marker
your pretty face had a touch of disgrace
painting your lids a shade darker
to age your tender young frown

knew you'd be good for fookin
when I had my first look
and with you cookin
my rest could be took

came home and sure enuff
you were sweaty in the buff
as the neighbors had told
you liked fellas real old

before you could plead 'meister'
I kicked out your keister
poonched the jaw that had kissed her
and slammed the damn front door
I knew it was comin
but I was dumb and done in
I should've thrown her out earlier

You're a blighter, a bleeder, an old pickled egg eater
and I knew you was bad from the start
I've had rivets and fevers in my few years
but your wild lies were the worst part

Turkey-Tired

I'm thankful for forgetfulness.

They're Both Wrong

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/fury-at-dna-pioneers-theory-africans-are-less-intelligent-than-westerners-394898.html

Neither side cites any study to prove equality or distinction between the intelligence of races or folks from different parts of the globe. Any attempt at measuring such a thing strikes me as futile: too many people and too subjective a definition. Would you give a math test? Questions on pattern recognition? What could a man be tried with in a convenient amount of time that would sum up his intelligence? So none of the people quoted in this article has reason to come to a conclusion about intelligence.

Beyond the words, what actions are proposed? James talks about engineering a society in which stupidity and ugliness are "cured". In the simplest, boyish fantasy I'll admit, "golly it'd be nice if every girl was some type of pretty and not an ugly woman or stupid man in sight". But how would such a proposed state be reached? The implication seems to be eugenics. Neutering of undesirables, "cleansing" of populations, limitations on the children (if any) allowed, ect. None of these are good practices. Think on the evil in saying "you're ugly, no kids for you". An alternative is to allow genetic experimentation so there is an option of appearence modification. However revolting a female reading this posting may find the idea of gene therapy to look better or altering the genes of offspring to mold a more desirable appearence I'm sure if such things are offered and work, women who haven't tried them, seeing other women succeed them in attractiveness, would adopt such practices as readily as hair-combing, make-up, shaving, jewelry, breast implants, plastic surgery, etc. And why not? Options of self-modification like tattoos and piercings are good but no one should be forced to adopt a societal standard of aesthetics. (I temper that absolute with clothes as an exception yet a clothed body has not been damaged or permanently altered). Such a proposed eugenics program is more wicked than the government that tells girls they must attend its schools and death to their babies should they interfere.

Back to race...James claim about Africa doesn't provide us a proposal to evaluate. If Africans can't be dealt with equally b/c of innate stupidity then....what? What alternative does James propose to the current dealings or methods of dealing between western and African countries/people? None is mentioned in the article to complete the picture of his intentions. Maybe he's too stupid to've thought of one. So James is a mystery.
His opponents say 'it just goes to show...' and want 'legal action'. Then James should be arrested for saying black people are dumber than other people? How does confinement to a cell follow, rationally, as a punishment for insulting a race? Should he be fined? No punishment makes sense. What wrong has he done? His belief may be wrong but that doesn't mean he has done wrong. Men are not punishable for thoughts because you can't know a man's thoughts. You can know a man's words but why should he be punished for these? A saying, like a lying advertisement, can cause harm. The only harm immediately apparent in James words are hurt feelings. Because feelings can not be measured a punishment equal to them can not be knowingly given. The plasticity of emotions precludes them from considerations of justice. It is just when a man's act directly harms his neighbor and an equal measure of harm is returned to the damager. Where a stolen item can not be replaced at the whim of the robbed man his happy state can be: it is his will.

Both James and some of his opponents are wrong. Each of them wants the state to oppress a group of people out of dreams for their societal ideal. One wants pretty women but that doesn't justify eugenics and one wants no racism but that doesn't justify censorship.