SEA GYPSY NOCTURNE # 1

 by Ray Jason          

            In a far anchorage of the Archipelago of Bliss, the thick tropical night heat had glistened my little ship.  As I came on deck, I was delighted to find her shimmering with moon glow.  A single night bird was calling for a mate - or perhaps it was just saluting the almost unbearable beauty.

            I was carrying a pitcher of water to pour over myself with the hope of cooling down enough to go back to sleep.  After dousing myself, I stood on the bow and smiled - knowing that I was the only human in this silver-tinted lagoon.  The night bird fell silent.  Maybe it had never seen a naked man glistening and shimmering in the moonlight.    

            I sat down, and my dampness merged with the dewy deck.  Sleep no longer appealed to me.  This was one of those transcendent moments that only a fool or an empty person would fail to savor.  Such a night must have inspired the many immortal classical music geniuses who had composed “nocturnes.”  The idea of writing a philosophical nocturne suddenly intrigued me.  Ideally, it would be poetic and evocative and broad in its perspective – illuminating the grand sweep of the human horizon.       

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A LITTLE HOPE FOR THE YOUNG AND THE LOST

by Ray Jason        

           Perhaps you awaken in the midnight stillness and find yourself lost in the labyrinth of an elusive but disturbing dream.  As consciousness returns, you realize that it is not a dream that is troubling you – it is the reality of your life.   You suddenly realize that the modern world is not providing you with joyous possibilities.  Instead, it is ensnaring you in a digital desert.

            You recognize that your 1,243 Facebook friends are actually 1,243 Falsebook strangers.  And you are forced to acknowledge that you hardly ever see your real friends - unless it is their image on a handheld screen.  You wonder why you feel so isolated and alienated and ALONE - in a world that is supposed to be so connected.

THE VOTING DELUSION

by Ray Jason         

         This November, I heartily encourage all Americans to exercise their civic duty by going to the polls and voting for one of the dignified Presidential candidates that have amazed us this election cycle with their wisdom and compassion.

          
          Got ya!  APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!

         
          Unfortunately, this is not a laughing matter.  A large segment of the U.S. population is now very aware of the fact that our political and economic systems have become totally corrupt.  And yet these knowledgeable people still cling to the delusion that this tragic state of affairs can be changed by voting.      

          Every once in a while I gently attempt to discuss this topic in “polite company.”  It is astonishing how ferociously these “polite” people defend the myth of the ballot box.  And so in this essay, I will strive to disabuse these well-meaning citizens from this idealistic concept, which has been relentlessly programmed into us since grammar school.  I assure you that I received the same brainwashing, and I once believed in the power and nobility of casting ballots.  And indeed, voting probably did “make a difference” at one time. 

But the world of power politics has changed drastically.  I contend that voting is not just meaningless in our present situation, but that it is actually harmful.  That is a pretty bold and provocative statement, but I will now do my best to defend this contrarian belief.  I will strive to do so in a concise but comprehensive manner.