Why Write?
Why do I write? Well, let me explain. You see, the artist loves the world, which is good. But the artist also has a problem with the world, which is not so good. Or so you may think, when at first you hear the idea.
We are the Cassandras and the Jeremiahs – the prophets who will never be heard. Yes, that’s right, the first thing you have to understand is that we are on the losing side. So, you may say, why, if you are losing, do you trouble yourself to speak? Why be angry with the world when you can simply go with the flow?
But going with the flow is the very reason we are angry! Because going with the flow, as you like to call it, means going to hell. So there is always a reason to be angry! And this is it. To save us from hell. But, you say, what about non-violent communication? Ha! Listen, I will take your non-violent communication and shove it back down your throat! You know why? Because with your gentle words you make it seem like there is a choice. You do your thing and I’ll do mine and we can all get along! The nice, liberal, tolerant nonsense! That, my friend, is the road to hell!
And now you are telling me you do not want power-over. Power-over is the patriarchy; there should be power-with. But you do not realise that people are deeply in love with power. When you ask them to relinquish their power, you ask them to kill their souls. It is only us angry prophets, who know they are on the losing side, who can tolerate this lack of power. We are, you might say, power-under, who challenge the status quo, power to power.
And now you are asking me about equality! Think of the tango! And what is the tango about? Sex and death! That is what it is about. And that is what life is about – only those two things that control all of what we do. So there is always a hierarchy my friend, the winners and the losers in this game. To ask then for things to be equal is to ask for the impossible. But of course, we long for fairness! So how do we resolve this conundrum? Acceptance, you suggest? A broken and contrite heart? No, I tell you! Remember we are power-under, not worm under or doormat under. So we will take up the broken things of this world and shove them in the faces of those who have the power to change them!
And what of freedom? The powerful will always offer you little dreams of freedom because they know that is what you want. But what they mean by freedom is the freedom to go with the flow. And we know that is the road that leads to hell. Real freedom is to challenge power and that is something the powerful will never accept.
So do I have hope? No, of course not! There is no hope! Didn’t I tell you that we are on the losing side! The only hope I have is that there will always be other losers with the courage to take a stand – for art, for soul, for true freedom!
What’s that I hear you say? What about the sacred? What is it that I have been trying to tell you all this time? This is the sacred! Think back to what I said right at the start! We love the world. But we have a problem with the world. We are angry with the world. That, my friend, is the sacred - the grace that is given and the grace that is ours to give.
