The Angry Hippie's Soapbox Express

After the winter of my discontent gave way to my spring renewal, I took my scissors and glue sticks out and got to work on the fifth issue of my per/lit zine, Printaissance. With this being the last issue of Printaissance in this format and style, I wanted it to be something really special. So I took special care to craft this issue with as much creativity and heart as I could muster…I did just wake from my winter hibernation after all.

So the fifth issue of Printaissance, Five by Five, has been scripted, snipp’d, and pasted together. A fun and fairly personal issue of the zine is full of original poetry and personal insights into my life. The tales and themes of the sections have all come from fives! You will have to arrange a trade and get your hands on Five by Five to find out exactly what the hell that even means.

Issue 5 (37 half pages / available for trade)

Sandy is enjoying the latest issue, and you can be too, just contact me for a trade!!

Original Article

…and the beast in the dark,
Was waiting for the spark,
That showed the pawn was there within his grasp.
The fates set the stages,
Patiently for ages,
Knowing that only one of them could pass…
…only one would pass.

The pawn’s been living so hard,
Here within the shadow of the beast.
Still, inside him was a brightness,
That struck a sense of calm, internal peace.
But he sees the beast in the black,
And he knows it’s a fact, that a deadlier day shall dawn.
Just as he knows in this fight, he must cling to the light,
Lest it slip, and forever be gone…
…hold on.

A voice in the pawn’s head,
Meant to calm all his dread,
Saying he’s a survivor…
He knows it’s a liar…

…and the beast in the dark,
Still waiting for the spark,
To show the pawn’s finally crossed his path.
The fates set the stages,
Patiently for ages,
Knowing that only one of them could last…
…just one can last.

The beast fades from the pawn’s sight,
Hiding now as the moment draws near.
He cautiously crosses over
Into the hands of everything he fears.
The beast leaps from the black,
Ready to attack, as the pawn is taken by surprise.
And now the beast’s fangs sink in, as the pawn’s light it dims,
Quickly fading from there behind his eyes…
…hold tight.

It was chaotic,
The bite was hypnotic,
And the darkness was seething,
As the pawn stopped breathing…

…and the beast from the dark,
Had near taken his spark,
Which for a while is all the pawn’s had left.
Not bowing to the fates,
Or the death that awaits,
He now fights to draw another breath…
…one more breath.

A voice in the pawn’s head,
Meant to calm all his dread,
Saying he’s a survivor…
He knows it’s a liar…

…as he drowns in the dark
The pawn uses his spark
For a final chance, to slay this foul beast.
To the fates’ dismay,
They both fall in this fray,
As the pawn’s light is finally released…
…it’s unleashed…
…rest in peace!

(2/28/12)

Original Article

Once upon a time,
People sought to be informed.
Information was provided,
You see, this was just the norm.
But things began to change
And a different picture’s painted.
As the pools of information
One day became tainted.
It became something of a chore,
Actively seeking the truth.
And so many gave up the fight,
Figuring there was no use.
For it was only getting harder
Telling the fact from fiction.
The oppressors working smarter
To keep their agendas hidden.
Now it seems we’ve reached a time,
When all the lies, they keep us warm.
Misinformation is our master,
As we fall victim to the storm.

Once upon a time,
People valued being informed.
Information was our savior,
Lies and liars were met with scorn.
But things began to change
And those ways began to fracture.
Coming up against truths
Those in power manufactured.
And so many played along,
Swallowing each line they were fed.
No longer questioning a word
That the establishment said.
It was easier for the people
Being told what to think and feel.
It was easier for those in power
To further corrupt and steal.
Soon we’ll reach a place,
Where our very foundation’s cracked.
Soon just asking questions
Will be some sort of hostile act.

Cast off those old rose-tinted goggles,
Free your eyes, your mind, your soul!
Tell them you won’t be their puppet,
Show them you’re beyond control!
Burst through the wave’s of their injustice,
Stand tall deep in the eye of this storm!
Say, “Fuck your misinformation!
We have the right to be informed!”

Once upon a time,
Can surely be our time again,
If we stand up against the lies
And fight hard for the truth to win.
We can stem this deadly tide
That the powers set in motion,
Be the informed once again
Despite how much they loath this notion.
They will resist us fighting back,
Attack with everything they’ve got.
Paint us as villains and misfits
To the puppets still in their flock.
We must step up to the frontlines,
No more just waiting in the wings.
We must help others find the way
To free themselves from these strings.
So we can get to a place
Far from the propaganda’s reach,
Where the truth is not for sale,
And lies aren’t put in books to teach.

Cast off those old rose-tinted goggles,
Free your eyes, your mind, your soul!
Tell them you won’t be their puppet,
Show them you’re beyond control!
Burst through the wave’s of their injustice,
Stand tall deep in the eye of this storm!
Say, “Fuck your misinformation!
We demand to be informed!”

(2/26/12)

Original Article

On the verge…
Both lost and found.
Emotions surge…
Now breaking down.
Feel the urge…
There’s no control.
Shadows merge,
And purge the soul!

There on the edge
Of rhyme and reason,
The poet found
The shadow season.
So cold and dark,
And yet alluring.
Offering lies
That seem enduring.
And there he was
Touched by these flames
Rewriting rules
He thought could not change!

There on the edge
Of rhyme and reason,
The poet lost
What would have freed him.
Gone forever
From there in his sights,
Within the fires
Unwelcome rewrites.
And so it’s told
That here he shattered
Holding a dream
This torn and tattered!

On the verge…
Both lost and found.
Emotions surge…
Now breaking down.
Feel the urge…
There’s no control.
Shadows merge,
And purge the soul!

There on the edge
Of rhyme and reason,
The poet found
No truer treason.
And looking out
Towards this new dawn
He lost the way
To truly move on.
And here, it’s told
That the shadows cast,
Then became one,
As the poet passed…

On the verge…
Both lost and found.
Emotions surge…
Now breaking down.
Feel the urge…
There’s no control.
Shadows merge,
And purge the soul!

There on the edge
Of rhyme and reason,
The poet found
The shadow season…

(2/07/12)

Original Article

The wishful stand watching
With bated breaths drawn,
All lost to the reasons
As death takes the dawn.
Tomorrow’s children see
The ruins we’ve left,
Their future forsaken
Victims of our theft.
We stole their tomorrow,
Left nothing behind
Except for this dream
In rapid decline!

The fallen faerie sings
An anthem so pure,
That hope finds a way
To truly endure…

The wishful stand watching
With bated breaths drawn,
All moved by the verses
In the faerie’s song.
Tomorrow’s children see
A way to move forward
With one foot simply
In front of the other.
We stole their tomorrow,
Their will to react,
But through her heartfelt song
She’s given it back!

The fallen faerie sings
An anthem so pure,
That hope finds a way
To truly endure…

The wishful stand watching
With bated breaths drawn,
Freed by their mistress’
Golden gift of song!

(01/29/12)

Original Article

In the end, we all run,
Though it does us no good,
The executioner waits
Peering out from his hood.
His cold gaze locks upon us
Stealing our breath…
In the end, we all run,
But you can’t escape death!

The clock’s hands only turn
A finite number of times
Before the gears run down
And that final bell chimes.
When the cold settles in
With its barbaric grasp,
Do you know where you’ll be
When that bell sounds its last?

In the end, we all run,
Though it does us no good,
All roads come to an end,
It is just understood.
While we fight, struggle hard
Anything to survive…
In the end, we all run
But none get out alive!

Every step that we take
Leads us to the same place.
To the end of the line
That each of us must face.
As it’s reached, just one thought
Grips us, holding us tight.
Did we do all we could
With our time in the light?

In the end, we all run,
Though it does us no good,
Our circumstances tempt fate,
As we fall where we stood.
Breaking into pieces,
With no hope to mend…
Though there is no escape,
We all run, in the end!

(01/21/12)

Original Article

What would Jesus do,
With this atheist crew?
Demand they be slain,
For not praising his name?
Call upon his flock,
Asking that they be shot?
Could it be true…
Is that what he’d do?

Hear the screams and the wails
As your dogmas collapse!
Desperate rage rolling out
When atheists attack!
Where to turn, who to call,
For a way to refute
All the biblical truths
That these haters dispute?
All good Christians take heed
There’s a ‘war’ against God,
You may have the numbers
But I don’t like your odds!
And gauging by the rage
With which you’ve responded!
It would seem your faith, too,
Has now all absconded!

So you spew bile so vile,
With a hatred so pure,
So desperate for all
Of your myths to endure!
Losing the true message
The tenets you cling too,
To lash out at those who
Believe different than you do,
And ask for inclusion;
Equality; respect!
Which you all interpret
As an attack so direct,
So base and reviled,
That it warrants death threats.
No other cheek turned;
No forgive, no forget!

What would Jesus do,
With this atheist crew?
Demand they be hanged,
For all doubting his fame?
Call on his masses,
To commit these trespasses?
Could it be true…
Is that what he’d do?

For decades you have pushed
At this separation.
To sink your claws deeper
Into a scared nation.
Pouncing on each weakness,
Every seam being stressed.
And yet when we push back
It’s all you who’re oppressed?
You breathe fire and brimstone
On those who dare question,
Thinking of their free will
As acts of aggression.
Resorting to the worst,
Most extreme behavior,
Speaking through violence
Unlike your dear savior!

When atheists attack
You lose all decorum.
They punch holes in your base
Still you just ignore ‘em.
No more time for mere words
Now it’s time for action,
Leveraging threats against
All those gaining traction,
Those seeking to uphold
The state set division,
As you’re all attempting
To get it rewritten.
You let your frustrations
Take these aggressive tones
Resigned to just always
Be casting these stones…

What would Jesus do,
With this atheist crew?
Demand they be bled,
And then ask for their heads?
Call upon his flock,
Saying curb stomp the lot?
Could it be true…
Is that what he’d do?

Just look at your savior
Then just look at yourselves.
Your his image made flesh?
Do you know what that tells?
It tells us he’s prideful!
Tells us he’s run by wrath!
Tells us he’s ignorant…
And he’s quite proud of that!
Tells us he’s a bigot
In such large scale and scope,
That his kind of compassion,
Leaves us with little hope!
But one thing is quite clear
If the Christ myth was true,
He would never behave
The way that you all do!

(01/16/12)

Original Article

Not long ago, I submitted a follow up piece of micro-fiction to the always awesome lit comp zine Gag Me With A…, that not only complimented my entry for issue #3, but it continued it. So here it is for anyone interested.

The wind blew so subtly that the trees gave nearly no indication that it wasn’t as still and quiet as the night settling in around the small cabin. So isolated and haunting standing all alone in this weathered, old section of the woods. The scent of prey was in the air nonetheless. Noticeable to any true predator. The soft candlelight which fluttered against the wall inside, tossing an uneven, inconsistent glow against the window pane extinguished. Game on…

The woods around the cabin were bathed in darkness as the candle inside went out. What little moonlight managed to break through the tangled mass of tree branches that reached high into the sky dotted the forest floor in places. Dylan Westing’s boot stepped into one such spot grinding the remains of his cigarette into the damp earth and soggy leaves. Still carrying the remnants of the rain that fell the night before.

Dylan was glad that the weather was clear tonight. He had had his fill of the cool, wet nights among the aged, silent forest inhabitants over the past week as he hid among them. Studying her. Learning. He admired her isolated location deep alone in the woods. Knew those desires to be away from the city and the vermin that roamed its streets. Vermin whose blood often decorated the ends of his blades and his longing, excited hands.

A vision of his last victim flashed before his eyes as he took another step towards the cabin, and a sick smile tore its way across his face. He thought of the dandelion and the wish that was carried away by the wind. Before he knew it, he was making his way on to the old wooden boards of the porch that wrapped halfway around the front of the cabin.

His mind snapped back to tonight’s pressing satisfaction, treading lightly to ensure the boards would not announce his presence before he was ready. He carefully crept to the door and begun the tedious process of picking the lock.

He gingerly pushed the door open, pulling up against it to silence the otherwise restless hinges, and he stepped inside. Eagerly he angled in the direction his nights outside among the trees told him Carolyn LaVencia would now be fast asleep.

Suddenly the sharp pain exploding through the back of his head poured darkness into his vision washing the shapes of the cabin’s main room from his view as consciousness left him. His body landing roughly against the floor with a thud. Amateurs, Carolyn thought with a slight laugh watching her prey twitch on the ground before her.

Dylan woke with a start as the water splashed on his face, pulling hard against the unyielding chains binding his wrists together and stretched high above his head. For the first time he actually saw into the eyes of the women he thought was to be his victim and he knew…tonight he would experience the nature of a true predator.

Original Article

Recently I listened to the Sunscreen Song again released under Baz Lurhman, which was based on a graduation speech that had been around the internet for a while in the 90’s. It got me thinking, and then well, writing my own bit of advice to the public. And while I always liked the song before, now upon rehearing it, I recognize some problematic and privileged statements being made.

So I put on my Angry Hippie hat and wrote this piece modeled after the song and my Not Quite Deep Thoughts works. Then I put on my DJ Mydnyt hat, and set this music. Below is the link to the song, and below that are the words.

Listen to the song

People of the all classes, here in 2012,
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, ‘question everything’ would be it. The longterm benefits of questioning everything have been proven by anti-establishment and free-thinking individuals who’ve changed the very courses of history itself. Whereas the rest of my advice, has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense these life lessons now.

Enjoy any time of innocence and trust that you have; Oh nevermind; you will not understand or appreciate the time of innocence and trust that you have until it shatters. And believe me, it will shatter. There will come a day when a truth that you have clung to all your life, for it was imparted by those whom you trusted the most that they would never lie to you, will be revealed as the falsehood it really is…None of this, is your fault!

Everyone has an agenda. even if that agenda is pure and built of good intentions, it’s there. This agenda may in fact skew the advice that they dispense to you. Take me for example…huge fucking agenda! To make the world a better place. Biases that will indisputably be reflected in this exposition.

Be cynical…to a point. Don’t let that point cross the line where you no longer enjoy the simple pleasures that life does have to offer…like xbox.

Your life may become an internet meme. (sigh)

Read.

Laugh….when you can. And when appropriate. That’s generally never at someone else’s expense.

Don’t give up on the future; together, we can all act to shape and steer exactly where our collective tomorrow goes. But it won’t be easy. It will be like trying to solve a logic problem by skimming some random verse from the Christian Bible for any clues. Instead, just know that it will take each of us when able to be living as we believe the world should be. And possibly fighting to make it so.

Everybody poops.

Never be dismissive of someone who is telling you that you have privilege. Instead use it as a learning experience and attempt to grow from a new place of understanding. Privilege exists. And if you feel unfairly berated because of yours, then imagine how those who’ve been victimized for years by that privilege feel…and in the end, just get over yourself.

Don’t let your environment control you and be allowed to determine who you become. Instead, try to control your environment and make it fit who you are. If you succeed on doing this, please tell me how.

Peaches come from a can, they were put there by a man, in a factory downtown. If I had my little way, I’d eat peaches everyday. Sun soakin bulges in the shade.

Keep everything you’ve ever written…oh wait….

Write.

Keep everything you’ve ever written, words are not as disposable as you might think.

Don’t let others make you feel like your voice is invalid. The most inspirational people I know had many outside forces trying to silence them. The most inspirational people who’ve shaped the world still do.

The food supply is not safely regulated.

Be kind to the bees, we’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t be allowed because of some biblical and irrational bigotry that has gripped a segment of the populace preventing politicians from doing their jobs and honoring the traditions of equality and full freedom for all people by claiming to be protecting some outdated idea of the sanctity of marriage from gay people. But hey, maybe you’ll get to dance the funky chicken at some straight couple’s wedding reception one day only to watch them divorce a few years later.

Get outside…everyday, even if you have nowhere to go and no way to do it but in your mind or through a window. A bit of peace can often be found in the fresh air.

Ask for directions, it’s not going to hurt you.

Give someone a hug at least once a week, even if it is only yourself.

Get to know someone so truly, you are comfortable enough to share yourself fully…even if it doesn’t last…in the long run, you’ll be glad you did.

Be nice to your siblings…but feel free to cut them out if they deserve it. Like with any relationship, they can become as toxic as your friends or lovers…. p.s. have friends and lovers.

Understand that politicians come and go, but it’s the system in which they operate that needs the focus. If we can fix the system, then those who would be willing to participate in said system will have to either change with it or exit stage left. The longer the system stays broken, the worse the participants in it will become.

Live wherever you must and are able. But always try to find a way to make or uncover a comfortable, safe space for yourself. No matter where you are.

Listen.

Accept certain inalienable truths…I do not know what inalienable truly means…okay I just looked it up. huh….corporations will lie, well most people will. The most important thing you can do is to be honest with yourself.

Respect until disrespected even if they’re your elders…then try to breath and proceed as necessary.

Expectations set at any height can fail to be met. But if you are trying, and sometimes that’s all you can do, that’s what matters. After all, failure is merely a chance to begin anew. Unless that failure is something finite like failing to hold on to a ledge or rail keeping you from falling to your death…but how often is that the case?

Don’t mess with Texas…I don’t know I read that somewhere once. Seemed sensible at the time. I mean, there’s a lot of ignorance and armed people there, so, maybe avoid when able?

Be careful whose drugs you buy, but be open to those who supply them freely. Okay, that kind of feels like bad advice, but it has a real resonance with some of the experiences in my own journey. Perhaps it will have some meaning in yours…

But trust me, on the question everything!

(1/10/12)

Original Article