The whole world's waking up. Don't I wish. [static]

[jackshoegazer]

I'm half-way through a bottle of shiraz and snacking on pure milk chocolate. I don't know if I'm French or a woman.

Just kidding.

I've been in the mood to write, but my mind keeps changing stations, flooding my message centers with an odd flickering of Bright Eyes and System of a Down lyrics, so both poetry and prose are tainted and unattainable.

Let's see if we can overcome that little obstacle:

Against All Odds

When the dust builds up and the decent kicks in,
A flashlight flickers a million miles above me,
Cutting through flesh like skin on milk.
A talent of monumental proportions,
Sifting the dead like ashes on cheeks,
Pointing my way to the end that needs.

Certain glands produce a throbbing temple,
Ringed with reeking racks of sacred cow,
Whose only crime was an archetypal tear.
Has-beens stand at the door for their food,
Handouts beckon like ants on parade,
Castrating bulls for pity's sake.

The solution clasped in the palm of my hand,
Indentured servants of genetic paths,
Shine like the sun as if on demand.
The last triplet of Charles Lindberg dies,
Grasping its throat while screeching for air,
About flashlights, paths, handouts and cows.

Almost the end, I wish it were,
But one more to say, my soul's last word,
Is like a piano with three broken keys,
Whose off beat chords rock a rhythm,
Almost but not quite,
As unique as me.


Well that wasn't so bad. And those songs are still there. Like the ghosts of Robert E. Lee and David Lee Roth. Yes, I know one of them isn't dead, and that's the scariest thing about it.

Playing the role of eccentric barber, I cut my hair today and it turned out well. And when I say barber, I mean one who cuts hair, not a medieval surgeon.

I see there is a New Moon on Wednesday. This may call for another fasting ritual. I haven't performed one since September, and I think it's about time.


I want to rock a poetic whimsy-
Dancing with toes on carpeted grass,
Fasting on tea with honey above,
Purge my secret yearning for love.


All poetry has been cut in case my drunkenness has diluted my talent and discernment for quality.

Remember that harmony begins with harm, there's a lie in every belief, and the first three letters in funeral are fun.

This concludes today's station broadcast.

[/static]

Comments

[tecknovore.livejournal.com]

What sort of fasting rituals do you partake in? I'm curious since I have a regular fasting schedual and am curious how others approach it. And when you say fast, what does that consist of? Just water, or nothing at all, or?

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I did my first one last September, it's in my LJ. Mine consist of 3 days, 72 hours exactly, the day before, the day of and the day after a New Moon. I eat nothing, only allowing myself tea with honey and water. I also abstain from any intoxicants and anything sexual, with others or all by my lonesome. Add some general cleansing magick and that's my basic fasting ritual.

[tecknovore.livejournal.com]

Tsk, tsk, tsk...tea and honey, what a cheater. You should try sticking with straight distilled water if you really want to give your digestive system a break. You don't need the tea or honey, all it is is a psychological crutch against the strong urge to experience flavors after a prolonged period of time. I'm not trying to preach, well maybe I am, I just don't get the trend I see where people 'fast' and report ingesting all these different food substances during said 'fast'. Whether it be fruit, tea, gum, whatever, it seems to defeat the intent of complete deprivation. And it's not because of health risks, since I personally have gone 11 days intaking nothing but distilled water. I did lose a lot of weight, but that was the intent that time rather than spiritual. Now I just fast for at least 24 hours once a week, every week, and go on periodic longer fasts as I see fit. Either way though, it's better that you do what you do, than not do it at all, so good luck. Have you thought of doing the same ritual every new moon? I bet you'd reap a lot more benefits, spiritually and physically, if it was a more regular scheduled part of your life. Thanks for the info.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I've contemplated doing it every new moon actually. I've not been able to convince my body to go along with it, however, I'm still trying.

The first time, I ended up sleeping a lot and I resported to tea only because it seemed to trick my stomach into thinking it had gotten a meal. Eventually I want to get to the point where, depending on the focus of the fast, I will ingest certain teas which are symbolic, and/or known for certain effects.

When I was about 13, I attempted a 7 day fast and sleep-deprivation experiment and ended up dry-heaving and hallucinating for an extra two days. I barely remember the later half of that week because of the intense effects I was experiencing. Just water for the whole time. This time, I decided to start smaller and wrok my body towards higher and better.

[tecknovore.livejournal.com]

I can say with relative certainty that the sleep dep most definitely had a hand in the hallucinations and quite possibly the dry heaves. The heaves could have been caused by the fasting though, since my mind has played plenty of different tricks on me to try and get me to consume something. From headaches, to drymouth, to stomach pains, you name it. You're right though starting small is a good way to get used to it, though I am from the school of jumping into cold water instead of working myself in. Different strokes, right? Are you sure it's your body that needs the convincing and not your mind? What leads you to conclude it's your body?

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I'm quite aware of the mind/body dichotomy and have become quite adept and determining where such signals are coming from. For instance, when I was fasting, I would, say, making a bowl of cereal for my son and I'd look down and catch my hand grabbing a few morsels of cereal and raising them towards my mouth. My mind was oblivious at the time of this action. My body was just naturally trying to feed itself.