I was just talking about Pinsky and his The Stuff of Thought the other day on another post. Wow, when I say I look forward to reading more from you, I really mean it. Write often, post often, and I'll be here as often as possible. This is a discipline that truly interests me.

I'm someone from the writing/literature realm who likes to read psychology and cognitive stuff, and it's true that people still are caught up in this bias toward "plain speaking" and avoiding "wordiness" or "floweriness" (in my field even).

I think this is a great subject to explore because the metaphorical isn't just a matter of embellishing, but a fundamental way of relating to the world, and a powerful one that can be a tremendous resource. In my own experiences in therapy and recovery, metaphors can be a way of entering into a new way of thinking, of getting outside the limits of how I have seen things in the past. I'll look forward to reading your posts!

TRAIN PLATFORM

I feel small climbing the stairs
to the elevated track
stepping over broken ketchup packets
french fry wrappers
kids' litter dropped by
catburglers who
steal scenery. Is my
train coming?

Yet there's a foolish gal
who built a house nearby
who endures the clickety-clack for me
gives me solace, for
with the sun at my back
my shadow's on her roof, but then

to let the sun climb with me
the morning clouds do stay away
on many days of huff and puff

In Spring at last
I last until
my shadow's on her door

Tomorrow I shall be her Sun
who crosses streets to knock

I speak the language of the right brain. I use pattern substitution with it to simplify complex problems. I would never think of using flowery adjectives or adverbs because they would add complexity when I'm going for simplicity. It works well. Recently, I took the Hero's Journey. I didn't know that was what it was. I wrote a poem and researched diligently. I found my answer by comparing the poem with the daimonic (see wikipedia.) The fall from hubris, catharsis and liminal world are all in the poem (written before I found the left brain language match.) Here's the poem if you are interested:

Emancipation Day!
A Professional tortured soul
Fighting every day to endure
Clever at running from agony
Midas Touch Sewage Engineer
Turning negative garbage into gold

I believe it was a big conspiracy
My house of many cards collapsed
Every one of them fell straight down
And I found myself stuck in the pit
Alone with no escape to be found

Stubborn-willed, self-sufficient atheist
Would I call on Him to save me
From the place that knows no Joy?
The longer I stay the deader I become
No alarm clock loud enough to wake me.

How can it be only two months in here
Already no dreams left that matter
Stay any longer my mind might shatter
This is a conspiracy. A set-up I tell you!
What the heck. It’s worth a try.

Begrudgingly acknowledge I have a soul
Agree the body can not live without Joy
Call upon the Blessed name of the Lord
To get me out of this dark unholy place
Deliverance, Pure Joy, and Bliss!

Bliss causes the Kundalini Genie to awaken

So you believe! Then prove your Loyalty!
As I got down on my knees in submission
I took the knife and sliced open my own chest
Diced up my lying heart and offered it up
Layer by Layer. Piece by Piece.

Hey, it wasn’t easy for a Midas Touch Sewage Engineer
to surrender all the angst to the Genie of Kundalini!
Tortured Soul. Freed Soul. Emancipation Day!
Stormy skies turned into Sunshine and Rainbows
Burned to ashes but an opportunity for happiness.

How does one live without angst?

And by the way, I returned from the Hero's Journey with this boon:

Duped
My ego is a dupee and a duper
And its joke has been on me
I played my part just super
And I even paid a fee

I see it so clearly now
I purchased many lies
Built identity on them wow
They gave me lows and highs

Running toward or running from
Such agony it would cause
Looking for something to numb
The pain to put on pause

It might sound a bit insane
Or extremely paranoid too
But I will not trust a brain
That doesn’t know what’s true

I spent my first life running
Running from the pain
I’ll spend my next life fighting
Fighting to be sane

What would the world be like
If each one did their part
Told the ego “Take a hike”
And listened to the heart