the afterlife, after life, or life after… (a pondering, a vision)…

the afterlife, after life, or life after… (a pondering, a vision)…

view of dark hallway
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…perhaps the problem is in the name itself, the name is a supposition, meaning that we are calling this life, and then ‘something‘ after, maybe the real answer is that this is just a phase of overall life not the end all be all .
for most of this phase of life, I must admit I have been focused on the possibility that there is nothingness after conventional death, that my life has zero significance and it will be as if I never existed forever after this – gone… – forever…, at times this has given me what feels like a panic attack, my breathing shortens, my chest seizes, a get a bit dizzy, it feels real and paralyzing, to combat this over the years I have tried to rationalize the options, I’ve looked at a myriad of religions, none fit (for me, if they work for you, I have no problem with that and am happy for you, genuinely), there was a time I settled on just knowing a few things:


 

-I do/have actually existed
-all humans great or garbage have gone down the same path
-matter is not created or destroyed so regardless some part of me goes on, in some form
-we know very little of the universe as smart as we think we are, so there is volumes of knowledge out there to explore

 

assorted color led lights
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Sometimes this has been enough, sometimes not, because even if I, my atoms, my molecules, my materials become something else (or more perhaps… or less more likely), even if I become something else my consciousness, the ‘me’ is gone, and that is what rattles me to the core, it always has, and I don’t understand how most people are not the same, afraid of this dire outcome, this inevitable end, for all time, perhaps it is better that way.

 

focus photography of sun
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So that brings me to tonight, and the term ‘afterlife’, and it made me realize that yes, vast nothingness is a possible outcome, but so is a phase of life we just do not understand, call it a vision if you like, I call it a picture in a dream I had, I imagined that upon my death, my body opened up like an egg, and a form of myself burst forth like a blue phoenix (I can not explain the particulars, I am just reporting them), a blue phoenix with a long tail like cosmic dust, as if you grabbed a nebula and pulled the cosmic cloud around back and forth, and the phoenix raced forth to explore the universe, no longer what we consider human, a higher form, I felt that is what we are meant to do, to discover the universe, in all the corners, in a different dimension, soaring among the stars, it felt calming and reassuring as if it came from some other source than my brain, is that likely? my logical self says no, but my logical self also can say that I do not have the knowledge to really make the call, there are many things we don’t understand in this life, we don’t remember being in the womb, but certainly were there for almost a year residency, then we had this phase of life which we are living in now, perhaps the next phase is the same way, this may be just another gestation period, different than the previous but no less real, and then the next birth happens, or evolution of our being, into something else, would we look back to the previous phase and look to talk to it ? perhaps, perhaps not, based on looking at this experience of life.

analysis blackboard board bubble
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Is this an answer? no. Just something that occurred to me tonight, something floating through my mind (as it is always working on the puzzle of this life). My fate will be the same either way, but sometimes there is an outcome we may not have considered… and I surely will still ponder on the subject, well, until the answer is quite apparent, and I am quite gone, either moving on or moving never lost to forever. I prefer to hope for the next phase of life, not afterlife, the next-life, the next phase…

Music to ponder the universe and all existence…

Carbon Based Lifeforms – Derelicts

As usual, all feedback is appreciated…. this one is a little out there, but, so are we, floating on this little blue marble at the edge of a galaxy among countless, beyond countless others… 

ghosts…

ghosts…

adult black coat conceptual
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I turn, in a flash
I see things that do not exist
memories and flashbacks
of this
from when you were alive
as if standing right there
by my side
can not feel more real
as these thoughts are mine
not tangible with hands
or reason stretched
inside it curls and throes
the emptiness your absence exposed

music to groove by >>> Lusine – Turn Back

this piece was originally written december of last year… edited with inspiration tonight…

dancing in the rain…

dancing in the rain…

silhouette and grayscale photography of man standing under the rain
Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric on Pexels.com

(music for this post.. just trust me already would ya…)

another long standard (read: stressful) day @ the office, I wanted to sit out on the old porch tonight and muse to transport my mind off-world or on-world just somewhere else, the weather, on the other back hand slap, had other ideas, and decided to mess heavily with my commute with continuous walls of rain, so I was burned out by the time I arrived @ home night, much later than hoped, and drained, so I decided what the hell… remember the scene from Shawshank where Andy crawls out from the tunnel? yeah, something like that, I happen to love thunderstorms, the pageantry, the power, the light-show, so… I stepped outside, barefoot as I am known to do these days, and frolicked in the rain like a silly spun child, pouring rain that began to pour more so as I go, so what if I get soaked to the bone, what does it matter, why did I ever care about rain on my shoulders, or hair, or else, I found myself splashing about the puddles on my driveway, still quite warm from a 90 degree blazing sun day, and on the lawn, much cooler, grass reaching up and flooding the gaps in my toes, somehow being barefoot and about outside in the world is a taste of free range, I have been doing it quite often as of late, just not in a torrent of near blinding rain, I twirled around a bit under the street light like a top, hands out, palms up, forgot about any dirt or grit that might be about, pacing slowly pacing on my lawn, flexing my toes like talons to pick up all the sensations, so this is Barry? I thought to myself, how do you do sir, heard a good deal about you, long way to travel just to see New Jersey from the Gulf, but he won’t be in town but for the night, so I say adieu and goodnight, soaked to the skin, I feel refreshed, renewed, relaxed, a localized baptism,  experience, why did I ever run from the rain in the past? and why did it take me so long to reconnect to such simple pleasures, kicking around in a puddle without a care of consequence, letting go of all my adult trappings, washed down to the curb, next time I think, however, I should throw on a bathing suit… my knickers are sticking…

(this post is part of my porch project… perhaps you have heard of it…)

Flash update (2AM), just walked the dog, Barry is just clouds now, the sidewalk is still cold, the driveway is still warm (oddly), and the lawn…. damn I just paced back and forth 50 times… it does not get old…. the spinning in the non rain though… eh, not as cool…

silly thought for the day…

silly thought for the day…

assorted color sequins
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com

this is the weekend, I need to take off my serious hat for a moment, I drive past this one mega church all the time, they have various signs they change on a regular basis, and I must admit some are amusing, today, for whatever reason I thought of something for myself…

If was to own a church, I would call it The House of the Rising Son

struck me as funny, so I will probably be struck down by the powers that be shortly…

Housekeeping!  I did a bunch today, totally updated my Collections and Series page, and also got my Porch page up to date (it has been a year… holy shit!)… man, it is hard work but worth it, screw the king’s men, they don’t know how to put me back together again… it is up to me to eat the elmer’s and piece things back together, thanks for being around to check it out… and the rest who aren’t…. ah, you’re missing out…

morality is easy when no one is looking (a poem)

morality is easy when no one is looking (a poem)

silhouette of person
Photo by Raman deep on Pexels.com

star
into the sky
and I did catch a streaking star
I could not gauge how high how far
so frantically I searched
for a sacred wish
not wanting to indulge in the selfish
needs of immediate intent
but is that not the first instinct:
a wish for more wishes
a wish for fame
money beyond riches
eternal domain
the love of women
the lure of flesh
all manners and perversions
entwined in sex
the consummation of all sins
or-
will pure light come forth
and may that be my guide
let now the wish be
for the life
of another.

because it reminded me of my last post…

because it reminded me of my last post…

birds flying over body of water during golden hour
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

love is on a flight, on wing
what is this feeling
I had known to forget
all in the sudden
all possible seems to reveal
and in my heart revel
’tis true!
hearths know their purpose
tend the fire still
even from the silence of neglect
the bricks reflect coals
dancing again
pulsing
in radiance
pulsing
in the rekindling
of spirit


notes: I wrote this back in March, altered a little bit tonight I must admit (wink), my mind works strange, thanks for all reads and eyes, I only hope to light a light because I am only here so long, and can encourage others to thrive!

is hope a candle, a star or the false light of human kind?

is hope a candle, a star or the false light of human kind?

candle with light
Photo by Anugrah Lohiya on Pexels.com

(musical recommendation for reading)

even the universe shall have an end, hard to conceive of, I know, are we just the microcosm of what our science perceives, of course we all wish to expand our experience into infinity, the eternity of time, when all the while we know all things have an end, even this, maybe our concept of hope lies in the loop, of coming back around again, after all, matter is not created or destroyed, all matter that is going to exist exists now (as far as we know more or less), matter just gets repurposed like that half an oak barrel that is now a feature in my garden (ok, maybe not the most elegant example), but this combination of matter (me), this particular one wishes to persist even with the knowledge, the certainty that I am just a place holder for something other, how can I look hope in the eye with that and seek truth,

how or why can I harbor hope…
but somehow… but somehow…
…I do.


sky sunset red romantic
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music tonight… Tycho “Japan”, I will admit, I am a total fanboy but I think it is warranted and I have been touting his work for years, he works in multiple mediums not just music…  the one link on top is the vocal version, this is the “instrumental” version (modern instruments that is… electronic), I just dig it, it scratches all my itches.

a quote about heroes…

a quote about heroes…

city sky france flag
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“if all the heroes of the world should rise again…
there still would not be enough of them”

 

 

who wrote it ?  me. again this was not on purpose for memorial day but perhaps the muse thought it so…

music? one of my fave underrated bands comes to mind…

>>>>> Warrior Soul – Hero

they had a string of three albums that was mind blowing, they had big label support but for whatever reason they never broke big, they had a unique sound, unique front man, I’ll never understand why but those that loved them truly did, as usual comments and likes are appreciated, this is all my original content, this is me, some guy in new jersey, the garden state, who does… appreciate any and all eye balls, I am convinced there are people out there wired like me, I am certainly not mainstream, I gave that up a long time ago…

a prayer for the fallen…

a prayer for the fallen…

american back view burial cemetery
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“a prayer for the fallen,
for they shall not rise again
a moment for the forgotten
so we shall know their acts remain
to those who came before
to those with which we leave,
a prayer for the fallen,
with these words may you take heed
let now the world’s foundation
build inspiration from their deeds”


notes… I did not plan to write this, I wrote it a few days ago but it seems apt for Memorial Day.  I have no military in my family and in fact it seems discouraged (one day I will write a missive about that), what is more noble than sacrificing yourself for others to do nothing (or something) with their freedom? sure, is every soldier a pure soul ? no.  but there are those that are literally on the front line battling for our right to blog here on wordpress and other such trivial pursuits (as much as I think art is important, it is, without warriors would we even have the chance to express ourselves ?).  I know it is trite to say Freedom is not free… but it is not, I am in the debt of those that came before to give me a life where I can explore the world via my mind and my art, thank you, the unknown, the nameless, the creator (whatever that may be), every free breath is a gift… goddamn I have to remember this.. I have to motivate myself further… life matters… life matters…

optimism, the muse, and easter…

optimism, the muse, and easter…

backlit clouds dawn dusk
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

rise

the sun must rise again.
for belief is life in the blood
as loving hearts contend
this perpetual motion resists
against the gears of night,
for -the sun -must -rise.
to breathe life
into that good hope
the singular line of light
to spark in the stirring
of the being, of the living
for again,
the sun -must -rise,
comfort to the children of men
generations seek wisdom
the good will to bend
up against that death
for there within is strength
resident in that good light,
and the Sun. Shall. Rise. Again!


person holding blue ballpoint pen writing in notebook
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notes… I wrote this on saturday actually, it did not dawn (hah hah pun) on me until later that it could be taken in the context of Easter, this was not intentional, perhaps the muse felt she had to guide my hand, as I say often inspiration is a strange sensation, it feels like possession (in good way, not in a head spinning vomit way), this one wrote itself, this final version is barely edited from my original scribbling, one of those that you write an just immediately feel good about, which means I will probably get zero to three likes on it… lol, anyhoo, this was really (to me) about optimism, sure I could quote Annie “the sun will come out… tomorrow”, ok, that is pretty much the same sentiment, and I am not half as cute, or a ginger

crowd in front of people playing musical instrument during nighttime
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music, I make no bones about it, my favorite band ever is King’s X, a band that was ground breaking before anyone knew anything about anything, that’s all, in this PC world of today they would be heralded as lions and pioneers for so many reasons… enough preaching, here is a song of their first album from back in 1988… damn, I was 15… the vocals, the rock/metal edge, it made me pick up a guitar for the first time, and want to sing (which I most certainly can’t)…

King’s X – King

thoughts, comments, random gifts, Game of Thrones gear… it is all appreciated.. be well, smile… for no reason, just grin.