Uncomfortable Truths

People are often sensitive to certain topics that are often painful to face the reality, and the truth. When faced with uncomfortable situations, or propositions, people and even whole nations will employ a cognitive dissonance to protect themselves from such truths or to shield the truth with another false reality that justifies such a truth. Cognitive dissonance is a form of denial. People or a country will seek to counter a discomfort by forming an oppositional argument or attitude that either masks or justifies the truth.

A prime example of such denialism is by Turkey regarding the genocide of one and a half-million Armenians. April 24th, 2015 marks the 100 year anniversary of the Armenian Genocide committed by the Turks at the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.  An article appearing in the New York Times this week explained how after the Turkish Republic was setup, Turkey's first president, Mustava Kemel Ataturk engaged in a massive social-engineering feat of "Turkification". Turkification had an aim to alter the past by erasing it from history with altered "facts" and to paint the picture of Armenians as liars and traitors.

To this day, the result of a century of denialism is reflected in by a foreign policy study by research organization in Istanbul. Their research showed that only 9% of Turks agreed that the government should call the atrocities committed in the last century as genocide. This shows how destructive denialism is as it is a form of deceit. Deceit over time becomes a new reality even though not true.

Truth and myth converge and become difficult to distinguish. It is this convergence that gives rise to everlasting conspiracy theories that take on their own life-forms. Myths are hard to dispel because the form hardened belief systems. Belief systems are almost impossible to break down thus the truth remains unknown and unheard.

Armenian looking at human remains from genocide 1916

 Photo source and website link

Lizzy Borden - A Perfect Exit

lizzy borden who were you
way back in 1892

you allegedly took an axe
mother and father you did hack

a grueling trial you withstood
did you do it - it seemed you could

you walked free from the scene
what a relief that must've been

you took with you to the grave
a mystery that still stays

what went on behind that door
we'll never know that's for sure

silent you lay in infamy
are you guilty as can be

does your guilt forever hide
with mother father by your side

Lizzy Borden

Bobcat to Rodeo Valley

A blue-yellow glow left by the slowly falling orb of the golden full moon over the horizon helped light our ascent on Bobcat trail. I look over my shoulder and watch for a moment the headlamps as they twinkle like fairy lights climbing Bobcat Trail. We turn at the final switch back of Bobcat and reach the crest of the hill. The fairy lights slowly dwindle to a flicker as they emerge over the crest and into a dawn that greets us at the top of the trail.

The dark blue sky of night turned into a liquid gold that poured down the hillsides and into Rodeo Valley like pure honey. A morning mist tinged by the warm lilac and orange glow of the sunrise cascaded down the hillsides into the valley floor below.

I stopped and pondered upon this new day emerging over the horizon. The warm glow offered a reprieve from two hours of darkness -- albeit beautiful darkness. But there is always something heavy about the night. The dark blue turning azure signals a new day and lessens the weight of darkness...

The 50 Mile North Face Endurance Challenge 2014

Azur

Azur blue
a fabulous hue
feeling blue?
look up
blue greets you
demure azure
no longer blue
are you

Behind those Lights

crossing the Bay Bridge at night
always such a spectacular delight
rising glittering against black velvet
one wonders
what goes on behind those lights?

The enchanted city
alive with life!
dancing
prancing
chattering heads
oblivious to the display
across the bay tonight

the Embarcadero twinkles
reds greens yellow and white
shimmering, changing, moving
while
one wonders
what goes on behind those lights?

Anxious drivers at the end of day
honking horns
get outta my way!
oblivious to the display
across the bay tonight

neon lights all aglow
flickering, glaring, sometimes staring
illuminating the bars below
one wonders
what goes on behind those lights

a fedora tips
an audience quietens
as a poet recites
behind those lights
oblivious to the display
across the bay tonight

My Silent world

I cannot see

I cannot smell

I cannot feel

I cannot tell

I cannot speak

And I cannot listen

But upon my head

Morning frost glistens

Making Waves

ride the wave that  few dare to ride
there's always one from which folk hide
get in close
watch the wave start to crest
kick furiously with the best

you may have the ride of your life
you may wipe out with a tumultuous roll
dumped along the sea shore
in a barrel of a wave
and hear the ocean roar

you may ride alone on the wave
gliding safely to shore
assured by the roar
in an ocean of approval

however you end up along the shore
you will sure to have been seen
creating a scene
going against the tide
and enjoying the ride

drowning in a sea of despair
is not an option