The Torn Apart - Primitive

A long time ago, some men came across the ocean for the first time. And even though the common belief of their era was that the ocean was the edge of the world... they chose to cross it.

What inspires a man to commit to such an insane act? What quality, what virtue must a man possess, to look straight at the horizon of an endless ocean, the end of the world as they knew it and say "I will push forward!"

Is it faith? Maybe, but I doubt it. The established belief was that once you reached the shore the world ends. This belief progressively made its way into various mythologies across the globe at a later time, even after we became quite adequate in sailing. The ancient Greeks for example placed gold coins on their dead so they could pay the boat man and allow them to cross the ocean into the underworld. So the idea that across the ocean lies danger and death was still evident even in more advanced civilizations and was embedded in their religious beliefs. Faith would only produce more fear and hesitation in defying those beliefs.

Is it curiosity? Probably. I cannot see how a man can march towards certain death and infinite nothingness without some questions in his head that need to be answered. But is curiosity enough to commit to this? Today, would you jump into a black hole in space just out of curiosity? I don't think so...

How about imagination? Most definitely. I believe imagination is a quality that played an integral part in our evolution as a species. The ability to imagine and calculate an outcome in our head, with eyes wide shut, without necessarily experiencing the action. Imagination is what gave birth to mathematics. Mathematics, at their basic core, is an imaginative way of connecting things together without necessarily having them physically in front of you. I believe that these men, while staring at the endless ocean, had the imagination to invent the most raw form of mathematics, but also the most genius. The thought process would be this:

If the ocean is the end of the world, 

then this means that the world is made of land. 

If this is the end of the world, 

and the end of the world is the end of land...

...then why is there still land under the water?

Think about that the next time you come across the term "primitive." Because these men were physiologically and biologically identical to us. The difference is that they did a lot more... with a lot less than what intellectuals have available today.

My will be undone! My voice be unheard!

Religious fundamentalists, radical extremists and dogmatics all around the world will urge you to kneel down and raise your hands in the air...as high in the air as you can and shout your faith to the various one and only true gods and goddesses you might be following. "Raise them high! Higher!" they say; "Shout your faith as loud as you can so everyone can hear you! So every corner of the universe can hear your prayers!!" The so-called "spiritual leaders" of this world, feeding off of people's fear of mortality and frustration. Merchants of a perversive eternity which lasts a second or two and is a privilege only to the "chosen ones", pimps of "exclusive wisdom" and sellers of the everlasting after-life... or is it "after-death?" Being all-powerful and all-wise you would expect of them to at least know the basics of linguistics...

Stand up! You being here today, is physiological proof that your blood has been flowing in the veins of this world non-stop for the past 200 thousand years!! How dare you let these people "sell" you immortality so easily? How can you dishonour your immortal blood-line so foolishly, by preaching submissive, shallow words and conducting even shallower acts?! Next time a priest of any religion tells you "kneel down, you are nothing but a mortal" you reply with pride and say "my blood is older than your religion!" Next time a patriot tells you "go die for your flag! Your country is all that matters, you are nothing but a mortal" you slit your hand and let your blood shout "I have been here longer than any flag known to man!"

Keep your fists closed as tight as you can!
The universe will hear your voice, deafening and crystal clear...
your shouts will be carved under every stone, every molecule, every breath of fresh air...
and you don't even have to raise your tone....
in fact...

...you don't even have to say a single word!

Reality is the strongest drug

The biggest mistake we can make...as individuals, as members of small social groups, but also as an entire species...is to become so much accustomed to misfortune, pain, exploitation, scarcity and irrationality... that we begin to see it as "the natural way." What we so foolishly call as the "reality of things..." 

You've probably heard this expression a thousand times by now...and not just from the reporters, the politicians and the wall street business men who credit all their own wrong-doings to the "reality of things." No... You've probably heard your own parents tell you the exact same thing. "You have to study hard and go to college if you want to be successful son, that's the reality of things." And I'm almost positive you hear teachers saying that to you every single day at school. "You have to be successful in life, make money and have a career or else you're going to die poor and lonely."

That is not the reality of things...that is not the real world.

But what really worries me, is when this same false mentality is applied to matters of social injustice, war-profiteering and especially when it comes to people's well-being. "You have to pay ridiculous amounts of money for drugs and doctors if you want to be healthy, that's the reality of things." "Countries will always control and exploit the smaller, weaker countries, it's natural." "There's millions of people starving to death as we speak, it's sad of course but what can you do? That's just how the world is..."

There is nothing  "natural" about exploiting people's sufferings!

Letting people starve to death will never be the "reality" of things!

I live in the real world!

And in my world...

Fake smiles...

and real smiles...

don't mix!

Fake promises...

and REAL promises...

in the REAL world...

don't mix!

Fake peacekeepers...

and REAL peacekeepers...

in the REAL world...

can't mix!

                  Fake men!                                                                         And REAL men!

in the REAL world...

...will never mix!!

The Sculpture

I do not hide my many defects behind my anonymity. I am not at all memorable...I lived my life unnoticed and if you passed by me on the street today you wouldn't find much to look at. Shoot me in the face with a shotgun and you will probably make me prettier than what I am now. Extremely skinny, literally a walking skeleton. I use my good memory to convince others that I am more intelligent than what I actually am. I copy more than I create and I plagiarize more than I write. I have used my art to impress people and especially women, in a desperate attempt to feel wanted and attractive. Before I finish this post I will edit it a thousand times due to my artistic insecurities. Any comments left here by you, my reader, will be interpreted by me as a sign of admiration towards my "awesome skills" and my "amazing writing." If you are a man I will also think that you "wished you was as I" and if you are a woman I will think "she must be sexually attracted to me." Tonight you will close your eyes to sleep while listening to one of your favourite songs and you will visualise scenarios of yourself being a greatly exaggerated, more pretty and cool version of your actual self. And tomorrow, you will spend most of your time trying to elevate yourself to other's perseption cause you think everybody is looking at you, constantly judging your every move and your every reaction. 

Like the shadow of a Hellenic statue who salutes its self...
This is what we think of each other...
This is all that we want from each other;

“Don’t look at you,

just look at me...  

so unique, so graceful, so amazing...  

but not to worry,  

I have the narcotic you need...  

just say please  

and I’m going to empty you,  

completely format you...

...and install me."

A truthful statement needs no polishing. A real, unquestionable fact, needs no maintenance...and any statement, if truthful, does not change over time. Ask your self on what date you were born, and reply honestly. Then ask yourself the same question again after two weeks, or two years...ask yourself the same question a thousand times and always speak the truth. The same facts, the same words arise...every time. Truth, once revealed, never hides again. The truth invades your home like a violent guest who kept knocking on your door all night long, in demand of immediate and instant access. And once she enters your precious little cage...she never leaves. You can wait an eternity, she won't move an inch. You can threaten her, attack her, deny, insult her...she will stay calm. You won't manage to unsettle a single heartbeat out of her...no matter how much you scream at her, she will never raise her voice at you. The truth, unlike your lover, will not give you the luxury of a fight. You unleash all your rage at her! All your frustration and anguish! You come against her with all your strength! ALL YOUR STRENGTH!! And just take a good look at her...no reaction. No movement... nothing but the same cold, dead look in her eyes as she turns the other cheek...hoping that you have more anger. More rage! More lies to entertain her with...one more broken promise to amuse her with. Patient and calculative she stands calm as your energy rises in desperation! Calm like a stone she awaits as your fists now shake with hatred! Neutrons, protons, electrons, one thousand volts explode inside you!!!...

...as she finally speaks. 

With the utmost clarity...
The most gentle, monotonous, subliminal tone of voice, your ears will ever have the privilege to hear...

"A long time ago...

I felt the universe blow...

the impact...

chaotic...

merely a sculpture of my impatience...

...to see you.

Terribly alone...

one with the emptiness...

calm...

and patient...

I made a weapon out of my own imperfections.

Untouched...

unscarred by space and time...

I waited...

for this day...

and now...

finally...

I know how it feels to be immortal...

to be one and undisputed...

so go ahead...

give me your best shot...

come against me with all your strength...

I'm ready...

...I'm calm."

Fearache

I represent a generation of USB's and hard drives. I am the direct product of a culture based on fake appearances, mono-layered, self-obsessed personalities, techno-drum&base and "0.99" price tags. 

An entire generation, like zombie victims to advertising, to psychological manipulation, expert advisers in apathy with a Phd in fear...fear of dying. Fear of loss. Fear of not being good enough, not beautiful enough, not successful enough...Fear of tomorrow and worshippers of dishonest, filthy words...verbs, adjectives, nouns, the language of fear. Insipid and shallow, nothing but a burden to the tongue and slaves to our cold breath.

Make no mistake. Fear will destroy you. Fear will devour all that you are and everything that you adore around you. Fear is what drives you to do nothing, when you know damn well you need to do something. Fear is the one who whispers gently in your ear every night; "you have to wake up on time, you have work tomorrow," not your lover. Fear is the first you say good morning to and the last you say goodnight to. Fear is what forces you to cherish tomorrow and commands that you do anything you can possibly do to secure it. Lie, kill, prosper, manipulate, exploit, buy, buy more, buy all that you can...save for the future, worship the future...this day means nothing, the future and only the future matters. People value them selves so much that leads to a constant fear of dying...You can never have enough, you need more. You don't have enough money, you don't have enough goods, you don't have enough time, you don't have enough lovers, you don't have enough life, enough days... ENOUGH! Enough lies! Truth is...

...You live and die on this day! 

Every morning I rise! I rise with the rising sun like a new-born child and every night I close my eyes to sleep, I die...Yes! I will fade away tonight and I will embrace the blackness with open arms. Every morning I am born...with no pride, no scars, with nothing to remember nor to forget. There was no yesterday...there will be no tomorrow, no future to hope for...only this day! Even in fifty years, if someone asks me how old I am I will speak nothing but the truth and say "I am one day old." This day is my entire life-span and every day I rise with no inheritance, no self. No tomorrow to prepare for. No yesterday to be hold captive by. Every morning the mirror speaks to me and he has no reason to lie.

"You have no future." He says. "You have no past. You have no name today...no face, no value today. Cherish your loved ones and love them with all your heart today. Honour them with every single word that will come out of your mouth today. Fight! Fight for them with all your strength today! This is all your loved ones will ever have to remember you by...Do not save a single breath in your lungs today! You will have no fear today!  Prepare yourself cause this is it... You live and die on this day! There was no yesterday. There will be no tomorrow...only this day!"

My brother...my sister...my lover, my friend, my youth!

Have no fear and rise!

Rise like the rising sun!!

Look into your loved one's eyes...

...You have until night fall.

This is your battlefield...
This is it...
There will be no tomorrow...

...only this day!