I think that Optimism is the attempt to break the cycle of thinking that follows; “It seems like the more and more I understand the world, the less and less I like it.”
So, let’s hear from Optimism on:
- Reflexes
I think that the brain’s autonomy over the physical body is a conscious act of self-hypnotism. Instinctual reactions are not controlled by this brain-consciousness duo, and therefore release the brain’s control, providing a single moment of freedom as your response to your environment passes through the nerves in your spinal column.
- Magic
I think that every form of media aimed for consumption by children is used to perpetuate the belief in magic. This is in order to keep reality at bay for their psychological protection. Realities must then be administered in small doses, over time, in order to provide an inventory of mock-experiences to refer to for their future welfare. This is all done so as not to disrupt the will to live.
- Genesis
I think “The Story of Adam and Eve” is the first human attempt to record the story of human consciousness—the moment man suddenly became aware of his own mind. However, upon writing the story of consciousness, the mechanics of it could not be fully understood by the one perceiving it, so s/he made an analogy as best s/he could, and it stuck.
- God
I think that theism is a side-effect of the fact that after we started to try to define consciousness, we became afraid of our own power. So, we had to give it to someone else.
- Robots
I think atheists are not exempt from this kind of story-telling, for the same train of thought as the last (on God^) could be applied to “the fear of robot-consciousness”: that the technology we create might become more intelligent than us. (Incidentally, this is a common sci-fi plot).
- Immortality
I think that the meaning of life is that we possess the drive to continue surviving. That would mean that the only reason we have not cracked immortality is because, if we could cheat death, there would be no reason to continue surviving. The meaning of life is the fact that we possess the will to live.
- Heartbeats
I think that life is every moment between eternal death, temporary consciousness, and eternal death, so, not coincidentally, we represent a heartbeat using a spike in the flatline.
- Optimism
I think that optimism is a drive to stay alive by trying to understand the world, and admire it too.
by k. armand
Isn’t it beautiful
that we can wear ugly constellation leotards,
and our classmates can point
at our kitschy starry legs
and stare and whisper and make fun,
and our mothers can buy us new pants
and they can be normal pants
and we can be given an opportunity
to be as normal as the pants
but still, we can wear the ugly constellation leotards,
and somehow
in the infinite cosmos
we can find someone who wears a constellation vest
who will join the stars with us
and make Orion’s belts
and wonder at how
in all of that
we found each other.
you leave crumbs everywhere you go
so i become increasingly concerned
that less and less of you
comes back
each time you leave
I know it’s running around in there
Somewhere in my ribs,
your
faith
in me.
I know it’s in there. Just can’t
quite
catch it.
Marketing proposition for
University of ‘Merica
MFA Dissertation:
“Cheese legs for
the hungry owners
of Barbie™ dolls”
I wouldn’t want to be in the inside of your head
when those things come out of it.
You are stirring at the burner
belt pressed against the oven door
I step up beside you
pick at the seam of your jeans
so you lean in
push the hair from my neck
The burner gurgles and spits
acrid bubbles sizzle on its coil
as it spills over
unwatched
we sit on thick upholstery and
talk about Gary Bucey
and ivory teeth.
push back the coffee table
we flip cards,
I win, you lose, you win, I lose
someone mentions death,
oh,
you say,
that.
we just shrug and roll
our tongues across teeth
and talk about childish
tropes
like the damsel in distress
all we have to do is
count the seconds between
match cuts
to know how long we’ve been
grinding, clenching, tapping, avoiding.
(I still want your teeth to sink
into my arm
like you promised)
rats / mice
ires are cast
at a crise
aim, act?
sit, stir.
arms: ice at mist.
set at a tie,
remit cast aces.
I’d like
to set up a blanket fort in the corner
of your brain
and watch your thoughts play out
like hand puppet shadow tales
on the flashlit sheets.
Let’s
hold a funeral rite
for the sandy night,
make
fulgurite
with claps of crafted light,
and crystalize to new heights,
the gray things,
made fresh and white.
Ignite our renaissance
at burial site,
Re/creation:
our birth right.
