Fingernails; Nostrils; Shoelaces by Charles Bukowski

The gas line is leaking, the bird is gone from the
cage, the skyline is dotted with vultures;
...
I walked miles through the city and recognized
nothing as a giant claw ate at my
stomach while the inside of my head felt
airy as if I was about to go
mad.
it's not so much that nothing means
anything but more that it keeps meaning
nothing,
there's no release, just gurus and self-
appointed gods and hucksters.
the more people say, the less there is
to say.
even the best books are dry sawdust.

Overheard

Whoever said "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all other forms of government" must have had to spend half an hour with the common man. Elections are here and friends would have me convinced that, ofcourse, the will of the people is always right. Vox populi vox dei. Here's a question for you to ponder about: Are people genuinely stupid or do they get treated stupid? Put another way, is the electorate at all capable of making an informed choice? I remain unconvinced as there is always some awe-inducing "stupid" on display. Case in point, a fellow at my school believes that since Julia is unmarried and doesn't have kids, she must be anti-family. I am not making this shit up. "She doesn't have a family, how can she be good for people with families" was his logic (er... if you can call it that). Add the fact that she doesn't believe in God... you can't trust her. She is not primeminister material. She is E-V-I-L. Tony on the other hand campaigns with his wife and daughter. Tony- good. Julia- bad. Head-Desk-Bang-Bang

Things hidden

From all I did and all I said
let no one try to find out who I was.
An obstacle was there that changed the pattern
of my actions and the manner of my life.
An obstacle was often there
to stop me when I’d begin to speak.
From my most unnoticed actions,
my most veiled writing—
from these alone will I be understood.
But maybe it isn’t worth so much concern,
so much effort to discover who I really am.
Later, in a more perfect society,
someone else made just like me
is certain to appear and act freely.

- Cavafy