UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Culture wars
begun long ago
and no one cares
living in the moment
ignoring the past
 

You did not ask for 
this war
I did not ask for 
this war
yet here we are 
stuck on the front lines
drafted by those we did not vote for
 

A war fomented by the news media
shaped by the influencers on the internet
and social media:
Systemic Racism
Economic Injustice
Gender inequality
Public Shaming -
the cancel culture
Everyone’s a victim
We consume victimization like our favorite foods
 

We digest our own destruction
21st Century Ouroboros
vipers all
 

We ignore the shit that comes out the other end
We stubbornly refuse to clean up (it’s up to the other person)
We obsessively and repeatedly fuel our consumption of outrage
 

The scales have tipped
As a species we are tilting at windmills
in our self-prescribed delusion
 

I did not ask for this war
You did not ask for this war
And the question is not IF we should fight
But HOW we should fight
 

Military wars always kill
Culture wars are fought for control
Control of your mind
Control of your freedom
Control of your expression
Control of your creativity
Control of your religion
 (even if you have no religion)
Control of your education
Control of your own body
 
Fingers point everywhere
but no one cares that 
when you point one finger
at someone, or something else,
three fingers point back to you
We will never agree
so we might as well learn to live together
 
And the question is not IF
we should fight
But HOW
we should fight
How should I fight this war 
that I did not ask for? 
 
It seems an impossible dream
to fight a war 
with love, compassion, grace & humility
when all around you 
is blame, blind rage, raw hatred 
and venomous pride
Love, grace, compassion and understanding 
does not require agreement
 
Jesus didn’t die for any one person’s sins
Two things killed Jesus Christ - 
Politics and Religion
Their control was threatened by the gospel of peace, love and freedom
"You see, control can never be a means to any practical end...
It can never be a means to anything but more control...like junk..” (1)
“Is Control controlled by its need to control? Answer: yes.” (2)
 
The way to win this war is to give up control
to lose control
 
The death of one is the birth of another
Change is coming that we cannot control
Change is here 
Change we can shape
“I awakened to the cry
 That the people have the power
 To redeem the work of fools
 Upon the meek the graces shower
 It's decreed the people rule” (3)
 
We must surrender this culture of complaint
and realize we will never be able to control others
we can only control our selves. 
“Just Do It!” (4)
 
Let the lion lie down with the lamb
Let the darkness meet the light
Let hell and heaven merge
in the forge of life on earth
to burn off the dross of our misgivings
revealing yours and mine
shining gold dream
“The siren and the ecstasy, … the one in front of me
 New gold dream” (5)
 
I did not ask for this war
You did not ask for this war
But we CAN end it! 
 
Will We?
 
“And the mercy seat is waiting
 And I think my head is burning
 In a way I'm yearning
 To be done with all this measuring of truth
 An eye for an eye
 And a tooth for a tooth
 And anyway I told the truth
 And I'm not afraid to die” (6)
 

1    quote by William S Burroughs from NAKED LUNCH
2    quote by William S Burroughs from AH POOK IS HERE; AND OTHER TEXTS
3    lyric from PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER by Patti Smith
4    slogan from Nike commercial
5    lyric from NEW GOLD DREAM by Simple Minds
6    lyric from MERCY SEAT by Nick Cave

And now the answer to the question asked in the title of the photo above
"Hello, It's Me" by Todd Rundgren from his album Something/Anything?