Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

I woke up this morning, confronted with a massive pile of books I placed on my couch last night, that needed to be organized. I'm daunted by this pile wondering when and how I'll find the motivation to put them away.the questions that linger, do I dust the shelves first, or do I just put the books away without dusting. One of the problems with urban living is the dust, lord only knows how much dust I suck into my lungs on a daily basis, but I guess that's the least of my problems given how much I smoke.

I was referred to in an e-mail as a harbinger last night. I like that, makes the sense of dread of feelings of impending doom actually mean something, rather than just ruining my morning coffee. I've said for years, I have a feeling that we're(the west) is on the wrong side of history this time. I stand by that, I suspect that in my lifetime, there will be new kind of revolution, something we have never seen before in history. I'm not sure what form it will take, but it will be ugly, take a long time, and will bring truth to Orwell's prediction "if you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face-for ever". Orwell knew what the future held, he had the specifics wrong, but the generalities he had dead on.

We're in a strange time, at the same time we've never been as progressive as we are now, legalized same sex marriage, we're taking steps to give dignity to the dying, and we're on the verge, of marginalizing racism completely. At the same time we've created an incredibly intrusive infrastructure, that allows the government to intercept and interpret all but the most private of communications and activities. As a society we're all but tripping over ourselves to aquiesce our privacy.

You have to play the hand that's dealt you, we fear nameless, faceless villains more than we do an invasion of privacy. One of the most common arguements, "if you're doing nothing wrong you have nothing to worry about", has to be one of the most frustrating arguements I've ever heard. One has to worry about how this information is being collated. Could it possibly be used in divorce cases in the future, could it be used against one in a job interview, or a credit application? Much talk in Canada in recent weeks about Elections Canada sharing voter information with other departments and ministries. My feet are shaking at the top of this slippery slope, looking down on a vast landscape of frightened people, shattered societies, a vast concrete jungle on the verge of collapse.

I walk the streets, and everywhere I look I see the faces of the doomed. We need a hero, we need someone to inspire us, to remind us of the potential that we have, all of us, the children of Eve. I'm reminded of a line a poet once used "from my windows I see ruins". That's the way I've been feeling for awhile now. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

With eyes of fire
No one can see
The smoke from the sweet grass
Covers me

I am drawn
I am drawn to her
Like a moth to flame
She leads me down
Unbound

I am lost
I am lost
Has anybody seen me
I am lost

Oh nothing is forgotten
Only left behind
Wherever I am
She leads me down
Unbound

No borders
No fences
No walls
No borders
No fences
Unbound

Oh, listen for the night chant
Oh, listen for the night chant

Like a moth to flame
She leads me down
Unbound

No borders
No fences
Unbound
No borders
No fences
Unbound
Unbound