II: The Pen, The Sword, and The Might of Pillars

Continued from I: The Pen, The Sword, and The Might of Pillars

Abbreviated Tales of The Pen, The Sword,

and The Might of Pillars

(Or Pillars Home)

Self

Said The Pen to The Sword: Who are you?

Said The Sword to The Pen: What?

The Pen: Who are you?

The Sword: I am The Sword.

The Pen: Are you?

The Sword: What do you mean - 'are you'?

The Pen: What if The Pen has determined that you are The Dagger? What if The Paper agrees? Now - any being that looks like you, walks like you, talks like you, thinks like you - is The Dagger. Now - are you still The Sword?

The Sword: Of course I am! That's ridiculous!

The Pen: What if you come across a Club of Swords, a Society, if you will, among whom you keenly desire to affiliate. But when you ask The Secretary for admittance, The Secretary oozes unfettered disdain: 'Our Society is for Swords only'; with pity, The Secretary adds quietly: 'The Society for Daggers is over there.'

The Sword sputtered: But... but...!

The Pen: What if you come across an exciting Experience, an Opportunity, if you will, extraordinarily alluring to your heart and your soul. But when you ask to speak with The Giver, The Doorkeeper replies with haughty reluctance: 'This Opportunity is for Swords only. There are no Opportunities for Daggers at this time'; with pity, the Doorkeeper adds quietly: 'There are Opportunities for Daggers over there.'

The Sword sputtered: But... but...!

The Pen: Do you still contend, that you are The Sword?

The Sword sighed, deflated and confused: If I am not The Sword... who am I?

The Pen: The Dagger of course.

The Sword protested plaintively: But I'm not! I'm The Sword!

The Pen: If you look like The Dagger, walk like The Dagger, talk like The Dagger, think like The Dagger - are you not The Dagger? For are not truths and realities of one and all - determined by Pens and Papers?

The Sword retorted, indignantly ferocious: Why do Pens and Papers decide... who I am?! What gives them the right... to say that I'm The Dagger?!! I'm The Sword!!!

The Pen: Do you not do the same... when you call me... The Pen?

The Sword replied with increasingly burgeoning unease: Aren't you?

The Pen: Am I?

Power

Said The Pen to The Sword: There is a tale called Power.

Said The Sword to The Pen: Really? Tell me more!

The Pen paused... silent; before The Sword, The Pen appeared visibly... inexplicable...

The Sword: What's wrong? Why won't you tell me about the tale called power?

The Pen: Because -

The Pen sighed... and started again: Because -

The Sword gazed with gentle understanding before The Pen: Is it me?

The Pen nodded... breath bated... on the precipice of enigma...

The Sword declared emphatically: Then I will seek all that is real and true - until I am ready!

The Pen exhaled... and hugged The Sword: I love you, Dear Friend. When you are ready - we will leave nothing unsaid about The Might of Pillars.

The Sword heartened by The Pen's warmth and affection, proclaimed: I love you, too, Dear Friend. For no Truer Friend, have I, than you... for no other listens as you... no other inspires as you. Thank you... for the gift of You.

The Pen rejoiced with infectious elan: You are Very Welcome. Thank you... for the gift of You.

Continued...

Note

The abbreviated tales of The Pen, The Sword, and The Might of Pillars - are exactly that - abbreviated. For it would be quite meandering indeed - to be a fly aperch - for every curious conversation - between two whose friendship runs as real and true - as The Sword and The Pen. 

Sincerely,

- M.

~ ~ * * ~ ~ * * ~ ~

Said The Sword to The Pen: Of tales yet untold, and, in particular, of The Might of Pillars... while our healthy respect for intolerance, condemnation, and vilification of illimitable curiosity... is no insignificant matter, by any rubric... what more is left to say?

Said The Pen to The Sword: Indeed, for is not the inimitable pursuit of all that is real and true... the true and real Might of Pillars?

~ ~ * * ~ ~ * * ~ ~

Said The Sword to The Pen: Concordia semper et perpetuum...

Whereupon... The Sword paused expectantly...

Thereupon... continued The Pen: Harmonia caritas et fidelis...

Whereupon... The Pen and The Sword, ventured forth, together... joyful in their amicus, humble in their mutuus, content in their sui et qua alius...

Thereupon... birthed a nova societas amicorum of allkind.

~ ~ * * ~ ~ * * ~ ~

I: The Pen, The Sword, and The Might of Pillars

In life...

Sometimes the road less traveled, the road most perilous and lonely, the road most arduous... yet... still... exhilarating, to be sure...

Is the road home.

Abbreviated Tales of The Pen, The Sword,

and The Might of Pillars

(Or Pillars Home)

Truth

Said The Pen to The Sword: How do you know?

Said The Sword to The Pen: What?

The Pen: How do you know - if what you know - is true?

The Sword: If I see it with my eyes to be true, if I hear it with my ears to be true, if I touch it with my hands to be true, if I taste it with my tongue to be true, then it's true.

The Pen: What if my eyes are blind... my ears are deaf... and I no longer have my hands or my tongue...?

The Sword thought carefully... and exclaimed triumphantly: If I think it with my brain to be true, then it's true!

The Pen: What if I'm drugged? Is the truth - when I'm drugged - true? What if I'm brainwashed? Is the truth - when I'm brainwashed - true? What if I'm asleep? Is the truth - when I'm asleep - true?

The Sword considered at some length... and shrugged: I know.

The Pen: Then... is the truth... true... on faith?

Beginning

Said The Pen to The Sword: What is the beginning?

Said The Sword to The Pen: What?

The Pen: What is the beginning? What is the end?

The Sword: My birthday is the beginning. The day I die is the end.

The Pen: So - before you - nothing was? And - after you - nothing will be?

The Sword stammered: Well. No. The beginning is the beginning of time. The end is the end of time.

The Pen: So - before time - nothing was? And - after time - nothing will be?

The Sword thought for a moment: Well. Aside from time, there's matter. So, the beginning is the beginning of matter. The end is the end of matter.

The Pen: So - before matter - nothing was? And - after matter - nothing will be?

The Sword started and stopped, appearing increasingly more perplexed, until The Sword expelled in resignation: Well. I don't know. Some people believe that higher powers are the beginning and the end, but I don't believe in myths and legends and fantasies and illusions and stories to comfort little children. So. My answer is: I don't know.

The Pen: So... is the beginning and the end... states of existence... that don't exist... except perhaps as arbitrary delineations to satisfy the need for some to believe... in beginnings and ends?

Good

Said The Pen to The Sword: What is good?

Said The Sword to The Pen: What do you mean?

The Pen: What does it mean to be a good being? What is good? How do I be good?

The Sword: You live right. You treat others the way that you want to be treated. You don't hurt people. You don't break laws. That's about it.

The Pen: That sounds easy.

The Sword reparteed with confident swagger: It is.

The Pen: Is it?

The Sword: What do you mean?

The Pen: Is it easy to live right? To treat others the way that you want to be treated? To not hurt people? To not break laws?

The Sword hesitated: Well. I suppose, when you put it that way, it's not easy to be good.

The Pen: How so?

The Sword: Well. I mean. I have a right to live my life the way that I want. So. Sometimes that means the way that I live my life - means someone else doesn't get to live their life the way that they want. And... I have a right to be treated the way that I want. So. Sometimes that means that the way that I want to be treated - means someone else doesn't get treated the way that they want. And... I have a right to want what I want. So. Sometimes that means that when I get what I want - someone else doesn't get what they want. That's life. Everything doesn't always go your way.

The Pen: So... when you live your life, your way... it's right. Right?

The Sword asserted emphatically: Right!

The Pen: So... what happens when others live their life, their way... and their way doesn't let you live the way that you want... be treated the way that you want... get that which you want? What happens, when others live their life, their way... and everything doesn't always go your way?

The Sword huffed with righteous indignation: Well. Obviously they're hurting me! So they're wrong! They should be punished. That's what law and order and justice is for: to correct wrongs.

The Pen: But of two people - one who is living life, irrespective of others... and the other, who is living life, respective of others - who is living right? Of two people - one who treats others, irrespective of others... and the other, who treats others, respective of others - who is treating others, the way that they want to be treated? Of two people - one who consumes wants, irrespective of others... and the other, who consumes wants, respective of others - who is not hurting people? Of two people - one who demands everything in life, irrespective of others... and the other, who champions self and others - who is not abiding by laws and orders that serve and protect, one and all?

The Sword exclaimed woundedly: But! What about my rights! Why should I sacrifice my rights, for others?!! I have as much right to my rights, as anyone and everyone else!

The Pen: Because rights are privileges... are they not?

The Sword sputtered in confusion: What do you mean? What does that mean?

The Pen: Rights and privileges are not inviolable; they're earned. Thus: good is an inviolable dignity and being good is an inviolable virtue, such that the demonstration and exercise of good, earns rights and privileges. On the other hand, the failure to demonstrate and exercise good, earns justice. (Not to be confused with - reprisal, retaliation, retribution - which are unjust.) Indeed: is it not unjust, for any one of us, to champion our (unearned) rights, to the exclusion of others? For what else is the championship of ungood - i.e. championing our selves and our (unearned) rights to the exclusion of others, etc. - than the championship of unjustice?

Continued...

Note

There are many tales of The Pen and The Sword, for The Pen and The Sword are great friends who take illimitable joy in each other as living and being beings.

As for the tales above, they are but snippets of curious conversing... gasps, really... of back and forth and back again... about all that is real and true.

Warmly,

- M.

Continued at II: The Pen, The Sword, and The Might of Pillars

A Song for the Loved and Lost

For the loved and lost...

Lost and Found

(verse)

when the stars come out

and the dark is nigh

I miss you

when the ill wind blows

the tempest fro

I miss you

(chorus)

wherever you are

whenever you go

I'm with you

whenever you roam

wherever is home

I'm with you

(verse)

because I haven't forgotten

your voice

your arms

around me

(chorus)

wherever you walk

whenever you run

I'm with you

whenever you pray

wherever you lay

I'm with you

(verse)

the night is long

when you're far away

I miss you

the sky is dark

and my heart is lost

without you

(chorus)

wherever you are

whenever you go

I'm with you

whenever you roam

wherever is home

I'm with you

(verse)

no mountain

no ocean

no desert between us

can keep me

from you

(chorus)

wherever you laugh

whenever you cry

I'm with you

whenever you sing

wherever you dance

I'm with you

(verse)

if evermore we'll only have

our memories

then that's what I will hold

and treasure dear

(chorus)

wherever you are

whenever you go

I'm with you

whenever you roam

wherever is home

I'm with you

(verse)

hope is found

when the light is dark

when I'm with you

all is right

when the day is night

when I'm with you

(chorus, final)

tho' wherever you are

near and far

I miss you

you as you are
all that you are

I love you

you as you are
I love you

More

This is a song for the loved and lost... for the loved and lost is me, the loved and lost is you, the loved and lost is one and all.

Indeed, our experiences of love and loss transcend that which separate and divide us by a million and one this-es and that-ses. For our experiences of love and loss pellucidly unite us.

Moreover, who are any one of us... without all of us... for together we stand... divided we fall. Lest we surrender to solipsistic despair:

may we embrace our shared humanity... in times of tribulation and wonder... and welcome comfort and joy into our hearts and souls... with dignity and grace.

With fondness,

- M.

Dedication

To angels and demons, to titans, to gods and goddesses, to longshots... who light the way from caligo to virtue... thank you... for you.

lest mine heart betrayeth
mean fears and humilities
'fore God and Man
I vow 'fore thee and all:
I love thee
sweeter than dew
warmer than glow
for no truer love
doth course within
mine brimful heart
than thine

Devotedly yours,

- M.