i 'Wrote' To Nikki Giovanni... (but she doesn't do e-mail)

3 years & 4 months ago...

[Professor] Giovanni,

My name is George Cooley. I am a 22 year old alumnus of the College of Arts and Sciences (I majored in Economics). This past year I was teaching mathematics (geometry and trigonometry) at Orange County High School... when I started to see something in the numbers- my country is lying to me... I know nothing about writing or poetry, but I know I want to write and see as much of the world as I can. I have a message that I feel needs to be heard but know nothing about getting published... Here are a couple of samples:


"Revelation of Trinity"* / 2006
* revisited & restructured

i...
i am..
i am Christian.

i am Muslim...
i am Buddhist..
i am Catholic.

i am Jewish...
i am a Taoist..
i am

above all...
an Anarchist..
Never an atheist.

i am Human...
i am not God..
But i am.

i know God...
i exist Because i am human..
But i feel only my thoughts.

God has a plan...
i cannot know it..
i cannot see the future, i know it.

i am Human...
The Day will come..
i will leave this Earth.

i do not know Where i will go...
i will be a Sacrifice to God..
For God.

i am God's Slave...
God is my Master..
God loves me.

Until i am gone...
i am here..
i, i, i.

You...
You are..
You are here.

You and i are simple...
Simply here..
We.

We are...
We are simple..
We are simply here.

i, You, We.

We are here...
When we are gone..
We will be There.

Trinity.



"The End" / 2000

To everything there comes an end and for this end it's time
And to the end I shall lend an ever-so-thoughtful rhyme
Never in a million years did I dream today was the day
So soon it came with so many tears- I wish that I could stay
But stay I can't, I think you agree, for reasons that are clear
Your heart no longer belongs to me and this is what I've feared
For far too long, as I see it, I have not slept or eaten
And as difficult as it is to admit, I believe that I am beaten
I've been defeated by another- he is obviously quite great
For if he makes you happier, this person I cannot hate
I do not want to leave you now, at least you aren't alone
As much as it hurts I cannot allow my heart to turn to stone
Right now my heart is ailing, I must look to the heavens above
And I must keep hoping that one day I will again know love
If I don't it's just as well for with this pain it's tough to cope
And never again will I have to tell a story of shattered hope
The end is here and I must go, I've wasted so much time
And from these words my feelings flow for this ending in a rhyme



"Invisible Hands" / 2006

Ironing out of the stock market? Irony? No...
I'm only stealing your words
When I still lie I steal in to instill steel
Into your words... I'm so sorry I stole them
A man... stealing... a thief? No... only a man of steel.
I am not sorry. Your words must be heard
And understood. We must convince...
No, I'm only a convict rapped in a still lying
World. A body that lied to me because
I was lying to myself because this O circularly
Succinct world finally sank in- I was lied to
Irony is having to lie to ourselves to
Convince ourselves that we are still living
Or are we? I do naught know anything anymore
But I will be happy to try to explain
That I am. More succinct (Maybe?)
I see a world so torn with war
That I feel like starting... World War III?
No... a world warring for you and me... towards freedom.
Iron. Irony. Iron? No, only me
Lying. You are the irony, too. We are the irony.
Let's end World War III. I am tired of
Lying to you and me. I ran to flood
A marketable stock market? Let's flood
It with oil and stop being so dependently
Independency. Deepend on me. I am Adam
Smith's invisible hands steeling your world
A way... out of world war... free
Markets? Ability? Out of oil?
Oily Irany, won't you say you can see?


Perhaps you won't appreciate my poetry... and perhaps you will. I figured it was worth a shot. I want to be heard... I am not interested in being published, but I know that I must be published before people will read me. I am angry with the world. I want to change it. If you have any advice that you can give it would be much more than greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my words.

Sincerely,

George Cooley, III

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Comment by susan chandel on July 17, 2010 at 5:04pm
Well George, in the poetry world you can go to poetry venues in most major cities and be heard. Look it up in the local alternative paper or ask in any local book store. Look for poetry on face book.
Comment by Stephanie on February 3, 2010 at 8:36am
Dear George
I enjoyed your poetry, especially the first one which was easier to follow and read, being shorter and more concise, I thought.
What I really like is how strongly you feel about what is a passion of yours, at such a young age. This is something that could really be developed in time, and even though you are young, you have to work hard on it to get out into the world and to be read. There is great competition everywhere, but passion is a force that is YOURS and what YOU have to say is personal...only YOU can say YOUR words.

Keep writing as much as you can, and if you are able, compete in some competitions for young writers. Also meeting other young writers would be inspriring.

Poetry can have great power to people who are looking for something to inspire them....you can have great influence on making people see things that they don't normally see.
Good luck in your writing. It was a pleasure to read a young man's words, and to feel your passion.
Thanks
Stephanie
Comment by gcool06 on December 19, 2009 at 7:07pm
personally, i don't believe God is human. the way i see it, billions of humans are unlikely to be wrong about there being a greater power. it's tempting to say that they believe this simply to make themselves feel better about the world around them, but i don't think religion is about feeling better about what's around you but instead what's inside of you. If God isn't human, though, she / he / it is still alive, aware and 'active,' thus sharing with us life, but not likely species. That's all humanity is, right? A species of life? Or does our ability to choose to destroy or nurture what's around us make us superior? It would seem to me that it does not...

so if God is a superior being- or at least a being with superior intentions- then God is seperate from us as humans. in species, that is, but not in life. when asked, God is capable of directing us through difficult (even the most difficult of) circumstances. does this prove omnipotence? or simply improved perception or awareness? is omni-perception a better word for God's power to be where God is called, or is God just there, always? When God comes, does God not come with instructions for us, no matter what form they may take? Are we not better off to follow these instructions given presumably superior intentions and perception? What happens if we don't?

I do see your point about the word 'slave' (and am also aware of the connotations), but based on the definition and context, it seems to me that 'servant' and 'slave' are interchangeable. The arrangement is about trusting a superior being's superior intentions. we have a choice to obey, but so do slaves. we don't get paid. we often do not receive the fruits of our labor immediately or even in the same form we expected. almost never in the same form as our investment unless we boil it down to the most basic- Love. if God is what God is claimed to be, then everything in our lives is a result directly or indirectly of God's intervention. not necessarily in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us... whether the influence is traceable or not.

i guess the main point i was trying to make with this poem is that i believe the world is far simpler than we try to make it out to be. the world is about survival- not of any individual but of species and of the system as a whole. given our impact to date, are we not inferior? No matter our intentions, we typically end up disrupting, disabling and destroying not just life but entire other species (not to mention an entire planet). Should we not follow the instructions of a being with superior intentions and perception? Does God favor humans or is it more likely God will ultimately ask us to exit stage right given our failure to adhere to the primarily rule of Earth's systems- sustainability (vs. the survival of individuals and individual species)?

Free Will is only free if it does not lead to self-destruction. at the moment we seem to be en route to self-destruction given our trajectory... is this our Free Will?
Comment by gcool06 on November 26, 2009 at 3:59am
i appreciate the feedback... i will work on it. thanks for reading :)
Comment by Daton O Fullard on November 26, 2009 at 2:52am
Hello George..I have read your thoughts..Felt a little of your passion and been allowed to see and understand some of your feelings..While being one who uses The Art of Poetry and Prose..As a tool to express ones thoughts and feelings is such a wonderful thing to be able to do..It is also a great responsibilty to bear and share..

You say your wish is to be heard..Then if this is so..Seek first the Quiet Counsel of Silence Reflection Contemplation and Wisdom..Which if they all should desire to choose you to be there Student..Each will give you rare unspoken words and thoughts..Full of Light and Life..Such Gifts that are badly needed to feed those with Starving Heart Spirit and Soul..

You say you do not want to be Published..But then you say in order to be read you need to be Published..
Writing Learning and Giving is truly some of the Greatest gifts..We as Humans have in our possession to share..Concern yourself not with being published nor with even being read..But focus instead on whether what you have to give or share is something anyone really needs or wants..

If what you write meets these stringent criteria at minimum..Then the other things will soon manage to take care of themselves..In their own time..In their own way..You say you are angry with the world..What has the world done to create your anger..Nothing..

It is by your own choice..You are the one who chose to give Anger a home..Allowing it to move within your Heart Soul Spirit and Life..It will not serve you for it needs your embrace and cooperation..In order to exploit your weakness in order to further distribute it..You say you wish to change the world..Before you can attempt to change the world..First youwill need to begin to change yourself..

An desire first to become the Living example you wish others to see..For if in you this example shall come alive in you first..Perhaps through your own example..Then maybe others will want to become such Lights..As you have shown them..Creating in them their own desire to become Lights as well as better Human Beings..

Poets can change many things..But only when the Voice of The Creator of each one of us..Teaches us through the Light of the words..He alone is capable of placing in our thoughts first..Then placing them so very carefully in the privacy of Our Hearts and Our Lives..

Hope this helps sharpen your perspective a little..Just a few observations I thought I would share..
Your Brother in words
daton

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