Ennui: A poem, an explanation, and a Christmas stocking stuffer!

Ennui:

When sad eyes greeting

Upon first meeting

For a moment, feeding

My faintest hope

That in your mind

I should find a sign

Of a bit of depth 

Beyond surface trope

And repeat this dance

In helpless trance

For faintest chance 

A thousandth time

Until then, my unmet friend

I but hide my loneliness in rhyme

What's on the surface 

I find wholly worthless

Seeking instead the marrow within

But finding there

That blank drooling stare 

The redundant shallowness of men

But here, a spark

Halt and hark

A rare soul which stands awake

To teach and learn

Beyond words (Discerned) 

Who sees what's real 

Through all that's fake

The ability to read people through compassion and empathy has gotten me through a lot in my life. I'm terrible at surface-level relationships. I love to cut through the BS and get to matters of substance, and over time I've discovered that I can tell within only a few minutes which humans are of a similar mindset. Throughout my youth, I internally referred to the quality as "sad-eyes," and applied it mostly to the opposite gender. I thought that girls with sad eyes were more often than not the ones that could hold something of an intriguing conversation. They were most often able to relate to my languages: poetry, empathy, observation, and a real need to overcome obstacles and pain. 

As I grew older, my classification of people began to change. I started to put people into groups: either "Roman," or "Greek." Greeks viewed the world with a questioning mind, always wondering why things are the way they are, or how to best interact with the world around them. The Romans (not sad-eyed) were convinced that they had all the answers, and had no desire to learn from other environments or cultures. 

These days I know that everyone has a journey, and that we should try to connect to all people, whether because we can propel them forward in their way of thinking, or because they can teach us something. Still though, there are those rare individuals that I instantly let my guard down around. Are they intellectuals, or feelers? Does it have something to do with archetypes or Myers Briggs tests? IQ's? For awhile I even considered reincarnation and that my soul/consciousness might be connected to the people from a previous life. I still don't entirely discount that as a possibility. In "Many Lives, Many Masters," (Buy it here) Dr. Brian Weiss recounts his experience with a regression-therapy patient who, under hypnosis, recounted events with astounding historical accuracy. The events had happened hundreds of years before her birth, but she recounted each memory with an eerie personal connection. I've thought about people in "calibers," or "distance from enlightenment." For awhile, I classified them as "smarter than me," or "less smart," which was a gross oversimplification. Ultimately, what matters is that there are people out there who can look into our eyes and see us for who we are. They can appreciate our journey thus far, and can journey with us into the future.

I don't have the answer to why I connect to my "soul group", but I'm in a place where I no longer really need the answer. The poem above is one dedicated to the people in our lives who "get it." You can refer to them as "woke," or as "kindred spirits." Whatever synonym we choose to use, the bookmarks below would be a great way to let them know that you respect their intelligence and perspective. You can pass along a link to this blog to show them just how much they mean to you. Life hack: they would also be a relatively cheap and meaningful stocking stuffer. We can arrange a paypal payment and next-day shipping. :)


The price is $3.50 for one, $10.00 for three, or $30.00 for a dozen. The bookmark and tassel colors are customizable, and if this particular poem isn't for you, I've written hundreds and will slowly be including them in future blog-posts. You can order by commenting on this blog, emailing me (here!), or shooting me a Facebook message. Order within the next couple of weeks for delivery before Christmas!

Thanks for yall's support, and feel free to subscribe and share. Much love!

                                                                                              -The Bard

Happy Thanksgiving!

Greetings all: As you can see from the pictures below, we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving a little differently this year. We traveled to the mountains for some time in the serene outdoors. There was a surprising amount of traffic in the Smokies, which both restored some of my faith in humanity and caused us to modify our plans of finding solitude in nature. Instead of a ten mile hike to Mount Leconte (which was absurdly busy), we visited Clingman's Dome, which was both beautiful and tainted by humanity. As we looked over the extraordinary mountain range which is so pivotal a place in both our lives, we heard the annoying mosquito-buzz of a drone flying overhead. We breathed the fresh, cold, crisp air, and noted the subtleties of a popcorn flavored vape and cigarette smoke blended within it. A would-be alpha male prodded his wife up the trail, teasing her because her efforts in playing tennis weren't enough to help her keep up with him. Prick. 

I looked away from humanity to the nature beyond them, ashamed of what masculinity has come to represent. Do you really think that the complete strangers you're surrounded by are that impressed by your ability to walk? 

In the end, we didn't spend any time at all at the lookout tower of Clingman's dome, which was packed like a sardine-can full of people who had no respect for nature. Disgusting arrogance. People who try to conquer their surroundings instead of exist within them. We tried to let go of our resentments toward the "leafers" and tourists, who were in the mountains for reasons which completely confound me. For us, the mountains are a place of magic and healing.

 I elected to study my human instead of the rest of them, and in moments like the ones below, found her doing the same. Thanksgiving.

Ultimately, we were able to find the serenity we sought and spend a quiet day together reflecting on all that we are thankful for. I recounted a fact that I've learned many times, which is that, while many people enjoy pretending that their primary role in life isn't to be a cog on the wheel of capitalism, very few people live the lifestyle of seeking life's greater secrets in nature. 'Twas destiny that led the Bard to the Gypsy, and both to the path less traveled.

Every day that I spend finding the lost language of nature reaffirms my life mission: to provide for my family while helping others to find that same peace. To build a community of seekers who, together, can become the best version of themselves. 

Near lunchtime, we traveled across "The Missing Link," which if you aren't aware of it, is definitely worth checking out Here! It's basically a portion of roadway which is built into the mountain side. A number of issues (primarily government funding) has delayed the road's completion for well over a decade, but it was completed this month! The drive was beautiful and, given that societal expansion is basically inevitable, we found that the construction was respectful of the natural beauty of the Smoky Mountains. 

To pay respect to our mountains, I purchased the following hat, available only to members of the Great Smoky Mountains Association. The association contributes to the preservation of historic buildings such as Mingus Mill. It also contributes to the protection of natural habitats for plants and animals such as the Hemlock tree and the Black Bear. For more information on the Great Smoky Mountains Association, visit This Site! Amanda got a super-soft hoody which "was so soft that she was tempted to force me to strip my shirt off in the cold just to try it on." 

Here are some of my favorite photos from the day:

After spending a half a day in the mountains, we stopped by my parents' house for a Thanksgiving dinner and some of the best company anyone could ask for. We shot guns (responsibly), and road four-wheelers, and further reflected on the things that have made us who we are today. 

Thankful beyond words for the lessons I've learned in this life, and for the people I've learned them with. To the Gypsy: Thanks for another adventure, and for speaking all of my most reserved and complicated languages. Happy Thanksgiving, folks! 

-The Bard

Introduction

By way of introduction, if the following photographs speak to your soul, this blog is 100% for you. You can expect to see beautiful pictures of nature, and follow the journey of a couple who aspires to achieve their dream of owning and operating a campground, where they can help tired souls find peace and healing. 

I'm a poet, self-published author, and writer in every sense of the word. My life's aim is to help folks who have experienced trauma on their path to healing - a path that I myself have walked for many years. As a veteran of the Navy Intelligence community, I came to face to with issues like human trafficking, religious extremism, tribal tensions, and government corruption. Nature has always been where I find serenity and peace of mind. I've fostered abused children, experienced divorce (both as a child and in adulthood), and lost too many people that I held dear. I've spent time in the Horn of Africa and Central America, joined a "secret society" /G\, and learned the art of asking questions and truly listening to the answer. I'm a father to a perfect daughter, and a man who spends more time contemplating the nature and philosophies of the world than anything else.

Amanda is a paramedic and raft guide who has seen her fair share of trauma in the world. As a first responder, she's been the first to arrive at suicide scenes, animal attacks (on children, in the worst scenarios), and domestic abuse situations. She is a huge proponent of finding solace in nature, and even creates natural remedies for ailments both physical and emotional. Amanda is a sucker for animals of any kind, and will shamelessly approach even the roughest looking of strangers for the chance to pet their puppers. Best of all, she's my partner in crime, as long as I can keep up with her pace on the trail. 

You can purchase products associated with my writing and Amanda's essential oils and remedies in our store, The Tinker's Wagon. You can also sign up to receive email updates of our posts. The blog will feature our photographs, music, and art, and will appeal to like minded seekers who are on their own path to self-betterment.

We're always open to learning from like-minded individuals. Don't be scared to Contact us!       

If you like what you read/see, it really is encouraging to receive a small comment or message as feedback, and please feel free to share with your fellow seeker-friends. <3 

-The Bard