In a session the other day we were asked to do a five minute free write imagining
the world in all its beauty; what do we feel, what do we hear? After we put
down our pens we were then instructed to take out the negative parts in order
to fully embrace the beauty. I recoiled. A woosh of irritation in my belly. I
believe as humans we’ve done such a terrible job at understanding darkness,
leaning into darkness, integrating/processing darkness; instead we repress,
ignore, bury, bypass, deny, blame, point fingers and then surprised when our
own deep shadows are reflected back to us through personal conflicts; or
surprised when war breaks out in ourselves, communities, the world. We want to
charge it to evil, wickedness, demonize and moralize. Good vs evil.
What is negative for some may be acceptance for others; may be a path to
understanding more and more deeply our human condition, personally and
collectively. Thousands of people must buy into war in order for war to happen.
It is not just the working of one evil man, it is the working of history, of us
humans longing for purpose and belonging and connection; it’s the working of
neglect of our children and youth’s minds, psyches; it’s the working of systems
that distract us from going deeper into our own selves, the good the bad and
the ugly; it is shame spilling, exploding all over the place, collectively
building momentum for thousands of people to buy into war, buy into destroying,
eliminating another nation.
The five minute piece I wrote got carved down to:
In a beautiful world
I feel and hear
the glorious rhythm
of a world without humans
the chorus of a million joyous birds:
‘they’er gone,
gone.
gone,
gone.’