You are the fourth nail
dull, twisted and corroded
piercing the watery heart
pushing through the spine
splintering the wood
delivering the poison like
a Golgotha adder
dancing on the stone and
kicking the crown
Your rituals are performed in
robes dragging the ground
The work of your hands betray
you like a whore bride
The children starve while
you eat the lamb
and lie with the calf
I never knew you.
— © Rick Baldwin
He pushed the
bent, iron poker
into the coals
the way a man
pushes his words into
a conversation he
knows nothing about.
Mindlessly scooting
the scorching chunks
against each other
like Minnesota Fats at
some volcanic
billiards table.
She placed the
last cigarette
in her lips and lit it
with a strike of
his glare.
Her fingers scraped
the remaining
bite of honey biscuit
breakfast from the
saucer and set it
on her tongue.
“There’s chicken in the
fridge from last night.
I’ll be late again.”
She grabbed her purse
as a cable car passenger
pulls the emergency cord
when going one stop
over.
He clutched the
poker like a
handbrake.
The house smelled
of stale smoke
and country ham
just as he imagined his
grandmother’s kitchen
would have smelled
had she lived past
twenty nine.
“Too damn early,”
he thought.
Fireworks splattered
the air when the poker
smashed into the
smoldering stick.
The front door
slammed and his spit
sizzled as it hit
the ash.
— © Rick Baldwin
The scant, gray room
Where you forced me to live
Me, like a fox
Silken, amber fur
With hungry teeth
I imagined escaping you
That cool, spring morning
In our Swiss train station
Your heels knocking in echo
And I afraid of the machinery
You asked, “Why do we do
The things we do?”
I kissed your nose
Like tasting a hen
I gave my ticket to a boy
He boarded without bags
My gloves felt too tight
Black, like your hair
And smelling of blood
— © Rick Baldwin
Where is Consciousness? Where is Spirit? Where is my Apple Pencil? (Hint: “Right in front of your face, dumbass.”)
Lots of things are right in front of our face and we can’t seem to find them. Spirit? Consciousness? Where the heck are they? In this video, I explore a new way to think of these essential life essences. Try it if you want.
Human life is characterized by duality, which defines our distinct nature. Our spiritual heritage, particularly the Biblical narrative of “tasting the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” places us firmly within the realm of mental opposites. While it may be impossible to completely transcend this duality, through spiritual insight and intuition, we can rise above it and begin to perceive the true Oneness of existence. This Oneness is our essential nature, and it can only be experienced through transcending the limitations of the human mind and engaging with the spiritual dimension.
From a personal perspective, I find the term “God” problematic. Not only is it a deeply loaded word—since each person holds their own conception of what God represents—but it also reinforces the dualistic framework. Once something is named, it is distinguished from everything else, which brings into question how something infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient can be separate from anything else. If God is truly infinite, there can be no “other” to distinguish it from.
That said, as human beings, we can still use our dualistic thinking as a bridge to Oneness. In fact, aside from pure inspiration or intuition, this may be the only practical method available to us for experiencing that Oneness. Thought, in this context, can indeed lead us to a state of no thought, just as the ego can guide us to the moment of ego death. Personally, I have found that meditating on the word “God” can, at times, lead me beyond the word itself to a direct experience of Being. In these instances, the name has served as a useful pointer, guiding me to a deeper state of awareness.
In some cases, I have discovered that different names for the same “Being” enhance my understanding or experience of it in various ways. Below is a list of terms I consider synonymous, each pointing to the same ultimate reality:
There are undoubtedly other names that could belong to this list, and you may have your own preferences. For example, while Jesus frequently referred to God as “Father,” I find that this term doesn’t hold the same level of ambiguity and universality for me, though it may be meaningful for others. The essential point is that when contemplating Truth and Being, switching from one name to another can sometimes deepen our meditation and understanding.
For instance, someone who does not identify with religious language may find the phrase “I am one with God” challenging, but may resonate more with “I am one with Life” or “I am one with Energy.” The meaning remains the same, but altering the language can open the mind to a fuller experience of Truth.
I recommend creating a mental repository of synonymous terms that you can draw upon when you find it difficult to connect with a particular concept of Being or Reality. Experimenting with these variations might reveal the key to unlocking a deeper understanding and a richer experience of your own spiritual truth.
This is a sequel to my last metaphysical ramble video. I had some new insights about the NOW and thought I would share. DO NOT watch this video unless you watch the previous video. It’ll mess you up forever and I don’t want to be responsible for that. You’ve been warned, dude.
If you find this in any way interesting check out my podcast, Apocaleptic. It isn’t really like this but you still might enjoy it.