Gazing into the distance the weary traveller focuses on a shimmering wall of text. An affirming lighthouse in the starvation of this desert, or a simple mirage, cruelly ephemeral? Well, I shouldn’t be making promises regarding “cruel ephemeralness” but alas, what you see before you is no false image. The text anyway, no promises on the “false” image I may or may not be presenting otherwise. At least we won’t desiccate, given the time we may even evolve, no promises. I, personally will be crawling back under my shady rock, post-post. For now though, let’s drench our brains. This pool hasn’t any chlorine and relatively minimal urine, so let’s dive in!

An observation I stumbled across the other day… first of all, to preface, I’m allergic to wasps, cool story, I know. Chilling upon the deck of a family member last week, (Hi mom!), I was so approached and it was opined that we’d all prefer I not descend into anaphylactic shock. A common term and frankly sentiment. My question however is this, why is there no anaphylactic awe? Has no one ever paused to think, “goddamn that wasp/ peanut/ miscellaneous allergen is acutely dangerous to me/ them”, or, “goodness my/ their throat closed up with unnerving swiftness”? I think anaphylactic awe, while maybe overly pragmatic and perhaps a touch callous in the post-game analysis is a valid and underdescribed emotion within the moment. Medical community take note! I’m not sure of what exactly as this has zero impact upon anything other than as a mental exercise. At least we’re exercising?

An aside, my spellcheck app is fucking up big time here, flagging more unnecessary corrections than an FCC employee on a power trip. So, I’m free-balling the spelling/ grammar and such today so please forgive any glaring misrepresentations of my competence. Another false image washed away in the mind-flood. Alas.

A fun analogy; dopamine is the brain’s GDP. It doesn’t matter HOW even one more micro-unit is produced, the horrifying externalities potentially involved, like GDP, more is always better. One more pair of shoes from Factory A, while dumping god knows what into the adjoining water system, is always superior to one fewer with no pollution. One of the many reasons GDP is a fucked up metric but we can save that for another day. Dopamine is similar, more is always better, even if you destroy your body and/ or mind in its procurement. I’ve even heard it described as, “the molecule of more”, in fact, there’s a decent book of the same title by Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long. Neat read. I merely desired to build that parallel and let our consciousnesses consider what, if any, the impact(s) might be on ourselves. If GDP is flawed, and it is, then surely acquiescing to the dopamine reward system is as well.

And finally, musing aside, let’s poe it!

“Cost and Found”, April 4, 2022.

An unassailable swamp

A ceaseless peace-less bog

Circumstance and zero pomp 

Perpetual peak slog 

Breaking through arcane threshold 

Takes efforts shared among 

Former champions enrolled 

Endless heroes unsung 

Those who perished ‘long the way 

Lost and worse forgotten 

Still their sacrifice just may 

Repair sins begotten 

Thus moving ahead recall 

The many left behind 

Our past consciousness cabal 

Their legacies declined. 

It was a veritable impetus parade in terms of the preceding piece’s origins. And frankly, I’m not feeling adequately maudlin to get into them today… so, let me instead thank you from the bottom of my cholesterol-ridden heart for your continued visiting and readership. I am indeed blessed to have each and every one of you here. So, thank you. May all your shocks be positive, (or limited to AS/AD models), and your “awes” genuine and life-affirming. Don’t worry if you’re unfamiliar with the AS/ AD models, like any economic model they aren’t applicable to the real world and are therefore irrelevant outside of a textbook or more importantly, final exams.

Happy Trails and Waggy Tales, my friends,

May happiness dog your every step,

Alex Blaikie (He/Him)

Categories: author comedy funny new original philosophy poem poetry writing

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dReadpoetssobriety

A fractured mind held together by cellophane and some used tack.