words

           *telegrams
           calculable words
           words as objects
           words as mathematical
           meaning price > value

time

           days of the week, hours of the day minutes
           time is mathematical
           time is measurable
           time is a commodity
           meaning price > value.

(let's not fund the humanities they say.)

life

deaths by numbers
earthquake in Nepal -- death count over 7000
just a number in a news report, really
just a
number.
deaths are measured in numbers
not people,
people are countable
objects.
7000 people.
meaning all your friends on facebook
every person in your lecture hall
every person you have loved or kissed
all your former neighbours
everybody you have talked to on public transportation
every barista that has served you coffee
when these are faces you remember when these are your friends your family when these are *your people that is when
7000
becomes more
than a number.

but we don't want to let it
be
that
do we?

we cannot understand it
or let ourselves feel it
we cannot grieve for 7000 people swallowed by anonymity
when the death of just
one
could **** us.

the world will end by 2060 because we will have let
the oceans overflow and we will be drowing by numbers.
not people.

these are numbers. facts. statistics.

so
who
cares.

the journalists and scientists and economists
know what they know
and maybe we know what they know
but we have to experience before we change and
it will be too late.

it is up to the artists, now, to the poets and painters
and the actors directors designers to
show us what things
feel
like

before we all become
calculable objects
in oceanic waste lands.

it is up to people with the gift to make things
mean
more

than 7000
does.

When Faith and Love landed at the chapel Wisdom was waiting for them.  "Love and Faith I've been waiting patiently for the two of you.  I've spoken with Loyalty on my communicator.  He and Knowledge will be here shortly and then you can pledge yourselves to each other" said Wisdom.  Just as the three were speaking Grace walked out of the Chapel.  
"Hello Love and Faith it's about time the two of you showed up" said Grace.  "It's good to have a star for a friend who's gifted in all the arts" said Love.  Love threw her arms around Grace and gave her a big squeeze.  "Lets get you in your wedding dress.  If you'll follow me to your dressing room we can get started" said Grace.
As Love and Faith followed behind Grace, Knowledge and Loyalty landed at the chapel.  Wisdom received Loyalty with a strong handshake and said "Your wife to be is already changing in her wedding dress.  May I say she's as beautiful as the morning dew.  Lets get you changed" said Wisdom.  After a few seconds of changing Loyalty, Wisdom, and Knowledge stood at the altar waiting on Love.  
"Wow Love you look absolutely beautiful" said Faith standing to the right of Love.  "Yeah Faith is right.  You are stunning.  Now remember don't have the doors opened leading to the altar until I start singing" said Grace standing to the left of Love.  "I know Grace.  C'mon lets go" said Love as she stood in front of the mirror.
Grace took her place at the altar with Loyalty, Knowledge, and Wisdom and began to sing.  Shrouded in light Love enters the room.  She timed her entrance just right.  The light that Love emitted filled the entire chapel.  Love stood before Loyalty and a chapel full of wedding guests holding a bouquet of pink Lilies and wearing a crown of Olive leaves.  The words that walked out of the mouth of Wisdom lingered in the air like leaves floating on the winds of serenity.  "Devoutly righteous we come together in the presences of the Almighty to join in holy matrimony a pairing to be respected by all.  Love will you have Loyalty to be your husband?  Will you nurture him, care for him, and watch over him as long you both shall live?"  With eyes full of Joy Love answers "I will."  
Wisdom looked at Loyalty and said "Loyalty will you have Love to be your wife?  Will you stand by her, protect her, and provide for her as long as you both shall live?"  With eyes full of courage Loyalty answers "I will."
"By all things holy the bride and groom may kiss" said Wisdom.  As Love and Loyalty came together their wedding guests erupted with praise.
Love turned her back to her wedding guests and threw her bouquet of pink Lilies over her head.  Without thinking Faith leaped into the air catching the bouquet before it landed in the hands of Mercy.  Faith looked at Truth and winked her eye.  Love turned around to see who caught the bouquet.  "Wow you sillies let Faith catch the bouquet" said Love.  With a pout on her face Mercy said "We didn't know she could leap like that."  "Hey you got to do what you got to do" argued Faith.  "Lets wrap this up so me and my wife can start our new life" said Loyalty.  "File this in your memory.  Our new life started when you asked me to marry you" said Love.  As Love and Loyalty gazed into each other's eyes Wisdom tells Understanding to grab the cage with the two doves.
"Now if everyone would follow me outside" said Wisdom.  
On the outside of the chapel Wisdom said "Just as these doves soar into freedom may your marriage soar on the breeze of Serenity."  Wisdom motions for Understanding to release the doves.  Spreading their wings the doves take flight.  "Now it's official" proclaimed Faith.  
Faith stepped in front of Loyalty and Love and said "Now close your eyes.  We have a surprise for you."  "Come on Faith do we have to?" asked Loyalty.  "Loyalty do you want your surprise or not?" questioned Faith.  Loyalty and Love closed their eyes and waited on their surprise.  "Ok now open your eyes" said Faith.  When Love and Loyalty opened their eyes they were happy with what they saw.  "A NEW NEO 7000!  I THOUGHT YOU BOUGHT THE LAST ONE!" said Love.  "I did after we all bought yours I bought mine" said Faith.  Love gave Faith a hug and a kiss on her cheek.  Love thanked Faith and the rest of her friends.  Loyalty grabbed Love by her hand and said "I thank all of you but it's time for us to go."  
The newly married couple got into their transporter and took off.

Written by Keith Edward Baucum

As the sins partied the night away the sun came rising in the country Tranquility.
"Are you ready to spend all eternity together?" Loyalty asked Love as they stood on their balcony.  "My dear, dear, husband soon to be, you already know the answer to the question you ask" said Love.  As Loyalty and Love stand locked in a warming embrace being kissed by the rays of the sun the two share a kiss of their own.  Beep, beep, beep.  "Well this is a perfect time for my communicator to beep" said Love.  Breaking her embrace with Loyalty, Love answers her communicator.  "Hello Faith how are you?" asked Love.  "I'm fine Love and how are you?" answered Faith.  "I'm ready to start this new era in my life" said Love.  "I'm looking over your wedding file.  Are there any last minute changes you want to make?" said Faith.  "No Faith everything's perfect" said Love.  "I'm outside your house waiting on you Love.  Let's get going" said Faith.  "I'll be right down.  I have to go Loyalty" said Love.  Grabbing Love by her waist and pulling her close Loyalty whispers in her ear "Are you sure this is what you want?"  "I wanted you when I first saw you.  Now if you'll excuse me Faith is waiting for me" said Love.  When Love exited her house she found Faith hovering in her brand new transporter.  "Wow Faith this is beautiful" said Love.  "Thank you Love.  This is the new Neo 7000.  It was the last one left" said Faith.  Interrupted by her communicator Faith answers her call from Loyalty.  "Hello Loyalty what do you want?" said Faith.  "Why you have to ask like that Faith?" said Loyalty.  "Just make sure Knowledge have you at the chapel on time.  Now if you'll excuse me I have things to do"  said Faith.  "C'mon Faith we don't have time to play with Loyalty" said Love.  Rising higher in the air Faith and Love zoomed away.  As they flew through the sky Faith asked Love about her humanitarian organization S.O.U.L.  "How was your peace keeping mission in the country Limbo?" asked Faith.  "The citizens there had a lot of raw emotions from the war.  There is a big scar dividing the country" said Love.  "Your organization S.O.U.L. has a lot of strong positive influence.  How long has S.O.U.L. been active in the humanitarian field?" asked Faith.  "Five years" answered Love.  When Faith and Love landed at the chapel Wisdom was waiting for them.  "Love and Faith I've been waiting patiently for the two of you.  I've spoken with Loyalty on my communicator.  He and knowledge will be here shortly and then you can pledge yourselves to each other" said Wisdom.  Just as the three was speaking Grace walked out of the chapel.  "Hello Love and Faith it's about time the two of you showed up" said Grace.  "It's good to have a star for a friend who's gifted in all the arts" said Love.  Love threw her arms around Grace and gave her a big squeeze.  "Let's get you in your wedding dress.  If you'll follow behind me to your dressing room we can get started" said Grace.  As Love and Faith followed behind Grace, Knowledge and Loyalty landed at the chapel.
Written by Keith Edward Baucum

As the sins partied the night away in the country Darkness the sun came rising in the country Tranquility.
"Are you ready to spend all eternity together?" Loyalty asked Love as they stood on their balcony.  "My dear, dear, husband soon to be you already know the answer to the question you ask" said Love.  As Loyalty and Love stood locked in a warming embrace being kissed by the rays of the sun the two share a kiss of their own.
Beep, beep, beep, "Well this is a perfect time for my communicator to beep" said Love.  Love broke her embrace with Loyalty and answered her communicator.  "Hello Faith how are you?" asked Love.  "I'm fine Love and how are you?" answered Faith.  "I'm ready to start this new era in my life" said Love.  "I'm looking over your wedding file.  Are there any last minute changes you want to make?" said Faith.  "No Faith everything's perfect" said Love.  "Lets get going" said Faith.  "I'll be right down.  I have to go Loyalty" said Love.  "Loyalty grabbed Love by her waist and pulled her close.  He whispers in her ear "Are you sure this is what you want?"  "I've wanted you when I first saw you.  Now if you'll excuse me Faith is waiting for me" said Love
When Love exited her house she found Faith hovering in her brand new transporter.  "Wow Faith this is beautiful" said Love.  "Thank you Love.  This is the new Neo 7000.  It was the last one left" said Faith.  Interrupted by her communicator Faith answers her call from Loyalty.  
"Hello Loyalty what do you want?" said Faith.  "Why you have to ask like that Faith?" said Loyalty.  "Just make sure Knowledge have you at the chapel on time.  Now if you'll excuse me I have things to do" said Faith.  "C'mon Faith we don't have time to play with Loyalty" said Love.  Rising higher in the air Faith and Love zoomed away.
As they flew through the sky Faith asked Love about her humanitarian organization S.O.U.L.  "How was your peace keeping mission in the country
Limbo?" asked Faith.  "The citizens there had a lot of raw emotions from war.  There is a big scar dividing the country" said Love.  "Your organization S.O.U.L. has a lot of positive influence.  How long has S.O.U.L. been active in the humanitarian field?" asked Faith.  "Five years" answered Love.  When Faith and Love landed at the chapel Wisdom was waiting for them.

Written by Keith Edward Baucum

You try to hurt me
That’s how it seems
When you tell me I’ll get my Karma
Because something small happened
You like to know I’m struggling
That I’m hurting deep inside
Where no one can see my wounds
You’re 7000 miles away
Nothing I can do to prove my pain

There are seven thousand people
that would fit me like you do
but the downside of that option is
those people just aren't you

and no matter how i turn my head
the answer stays the same
you're the best thing for my habitat
you're the plus side of my fame

when im alone inside my head
and swimming in my dreams
your face is what im floating on
and its drowning out the screams

Your eyes are what im looking for
what ive been missing for so long
something sweet and easy
couldn't be so hot and wrong

my pen is shaking with the thought
of air where you would be
the color red is leaking on
what was once the thought of me

you're far away inside my head
i'm reaching, clutching black
this isn't dreamworld's gaming board
and i can't take it back

theres nothing where my heart would be
i you had left it nice and whole
i would be the wreckless kind of free
a fleeting thought of what you stole

im scared of what this world is like
with no one left to hold
since when is love and lies and heat
worth more their weigth in gold?

its simple if you're looking
and its easy if you do
but ive gotten good at hurting
the things that look like you

I wear white
I wear white

I wear white and stare right back at
the other end of the world

The hems of the loosely fitting traditions
Barely touch the ground anymore

I wear white
I wear white
White like the chalk on the blackboard switched from
right to left.

Aimless and bereft of the desert I once called mine,
I walk alone

I wear white, I wear white
As I have done for 14 hours
and 14 years

7000 miles on the screen and 2 more up there
to be precise. It faded for every mile
Just as it has been doing since the day Darwish died

I wear white, I wear white
A different breed of Semite than they're used to

Not walking but flowing almost
as contradictory as "poutine Arabesque"
The routine wears my jaw out
as the vowels twist from right to left

I wear white, I wear white
Not just quite there yet
Not even close
Not even halfway to the surface but then again
I suppose we've always been at ease at the depths of the sea
Pearls and black gold abound

I forget that sometimes in between
intermittent bouts and doubts of "3arabiyun ana"
As if that's what makes up the anatomy of an Arab
As if that's enough for you, Khaled

I wear white
I wear white
Or at least I tell myself I do
Leave myself open to the prospect
of life starting anew
Forcing myself to see it through
See life through your eyes
Or are they my own **** you ?

Tell me for the love of Christ
Call me by name and don't
bury me under the empty discarded photo frames
that you stockpile

I'm calling to you, Walid
And will keep on calling
And trying and burning and aching and failing and dreaming and irritating
like a bad itch

I sink under it all and push it all off step 3 repeat as necessary

I scream in the tongue that you deafen your ears to and pull at the beard you've tried to shave off
I pluck at the horizontal heartstrings you've tried to mute

Above all, I wear white...
And I fight.... I fight.....

I FIGHT

Like a chorus of angels singing slightly off key
In the chilly morning it builds as the sun rises.
Some mystery passes from one to the next, silent.
Just how, who can say? Their bodies lift in unison.
There is nothing awkward about them.  Poetry!
I was quite unprepared for the glorious spectacle.
Thousands.  Like watching a ballet of slow wing beats.
7000 miles they follow their heritage of millenniums;
And they rest upon the banks of this river.

I finally felt the sun on porous red rocks that day –  
7000 feet closer to heaven, 7000 feet from air that hurts to breathe,
I asked you: why don’t we feel like this every day?
and I didn’t think about the blades I used,
or the pills you took ,
all I could think was those red rocks,
that hot sun, the endless sky, and this beautiful earth sprawled
at our feet, like at that moment we owned it,
the three of us back together again
we breathed – finally free.

but our heaven is 1,000 miles away now,
your absence hurts just the same,
and I’m back to suffocating on this Indiana air,
and all that clouds my mind is
we still have this beautiful earth
and that beautiful week
to float away with.