Absalom's lovushka

The trap is set.

What trap?

Lovushka.

I’m sorry – le what?

Lovushka. The trap. It’s Russian.

Oh, very nice, I’m sure – but I’m still none the wiser.

Everything they do to hold onto power, to strengthen their grip is going to do the very opposite.

What on earth are you on about?

Their base assumption is their undoing.

What base assumption?

That there are immutable constants.

Immutable what?

Constants.

No, I still don’t follow.

Things they take as absolutes, things they refer to as constants such as gravity, the speed of light, the supposed vacuum of space, not to mention the fabric of reality itself.

Could you kindly draw breath, Absalom, and explain what’s going on? One minute you’re talking about catching “them” – whoever they are, the next you’re discussing the laws of physics as if the two are related.

Naturally, everything is connected, Morgan.

Er... perhaps you’re right, theoretically, but this trap you’re talking about – it sounds somewhat fanciful.

Yes, until you realise that we’re part of a metareality – that the actual characters on the stage – the movers and shakers in your world – are neither here nor there.

Neither here nor there – you say? Tell that to the President who just started another war killing dozens of innocents.

Tell him yourself. In metareality he’s here, not there – he’s present as an aspect in you, and can be dealt with directly – magically if you like.

Well, no, I don’t like, Absalom. You know how I feel about magic. I want nothing to do with it.

Naturally, no more than I do – if by magic you’re talking about manipulating reality – but if behind that awkward, foolish word is the knowledge that each of us is actually the epicentre of reality, the ground zero of whatever is going on in the known world around us – then it behoves us, does it not, to take responsibility for our state of affairs.

You mean I’m supposed to be responsible for what some lunatic politician is doing to another country?

I don’t see how you can fail to be either responsible or complicit, once you step back and simply observe the nature of things.

The nature of things – as you put it – is I’m sorry to say, that “shit happens” and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Yes. The reality you’re taught to believe in is one of disempowerment and helplessness.

And you think there’s an alternative?

No.

I thought you just said...

What I think is irrelevant. The alternative is not, in fact, alternative.

But – you’re making no sense.

Assuming things are real, assuming things matter is the alternative reality which you and so many of us have chosen to believe in. It requires you to identify, hook, line and sinker with the story, the version of things you’re caught up in.

Oh – so this is all just fake reality – you’re saying?

Kind of.

Kind of what?

Kind of don’t you think it’s time you took a deep breath and stopped sucking at the teat of the thing-me-thing.

Ew yuck. That sounds horrible. I’m not sucking at anyone’s teat, if you don’t mind.

Not knowingly – and yet everything you say and think seems to indicate you are.

Look – I’m just being rational – unlike you.

What’s rational about seeing reality exclusively in terms of things?

Er – sounds pretty rational to me.

Bearing in mind that you yourself are not a thing – that you’re a stream of consciousness – and that your stream of consciousness never was, nor could be limited to any one exclusive arrangement or configuration of things. In other words, you’ve always had the right to turn your back on things if they are no longer serving a greater good – no longer in accordance with nature's law.

How? Am I just supposed to yell “not playing” like a disgruntled child and walk away from reality – as if that’ll make a blind bit of difference, or perhaps commit suicide?

You could try exercising your constitutional rights, for a change.

Constitutional rights? You’re kidding. I’m British – since when did British subjects of her Majesty have any constitutional rights worth speaking of?

We’re not talking about pieces of paper or legal documents – Morgan.

No? Then what?

You are a state unto yourself. Fundamentally – you are the state.

Like I’m some kind of sovereign man – is that what you’re saying? And I’m supposed to get myself arrested by standing up and unilaterally declaring  independence from the rest of society? Not interested, Absalom. I don’t wish to pee on your bonfire – but the system is rigged and they ain’t on the side of self-determination, liberty or metastuff

Stop. Why not consider, for a moment – the nature of things – the real state of

What?

The real state of

What? I haven’t got time for dramatic pauses and incomplete sentences. Either say what you want to say or

When you were constituted – there is a kind of founding document – a charter or constitution which precedes any legal document you’ll ever find here in this wonderful world of things.

Show it to me.

I don’t need to.

You do – otherwise I ain’t playing.

You are the constitution.

How?

Because in order to become flesh and blood, certain protocols are followed, certain legal requirements have to be observed, and like it or not, the whole of what is referred to as “the law” here in this world, is but an offshoot, merely rests upon the fundament which you just happen to constitute.

So what? I’m supposed to stand up in court, or in Parliament if they’d even bother to let me in, and declare my special status?

As I said, Morgan – you owe them nothing whatsoever. Their house of cards is not your responsibility. You simply have to decide which game you’d rather play – which set of rules you’d prefer to adhere to. Either theirs – which are always changing, and as you’ve probably figured out by now, are based on the principle that the House must win, at all costs – and you ain’t the House – or you could go back to the constitution you unknowingly embody, which they can’t touch or rewrite without unleashing the magics of state, collapsing the house of words they've woven onto your state, which they currently occupy and claim to rule by right.

How?

By wanting it. By realising that everything happening in the world that upsets you – is in fact your responsibility. It cannot happen without your complicity. You have empowered them to do what they’re doing – and no one else.

Well, I disagree. I think they’re a bunch of opportunists at best, or sociopaths who can’t be controlled.

Yes. That’s how things seem – until you see beyond things, until you think beyond thought.

How on Earth are you supposed to think beyond thoughts? That’s a contradiction if ever I saw one.

By returning to first principles – by revisiting the founding moment – the inception point of this great enterprise you embarked on.

And how am I supposed to travel back in time to something that happened many years ago?

Your breath is the vehicle. Every breath you take is your first and last – by definition – unquestionably. Every breath connects your alpha with your omega. Every breath is, in fact, the entirety of your life spiriting you back into the next iteration, the next thingification of what you be in this moment.

Oh

Every breath is where infinity washes up on the shoreline of finite reality – and you, apparently, are the beach, the surf, the breaking waves – averaging the sum of your parts in a constant wavelike motion, rocking back and forth, snaking along the seafront, adding critical mass to what is otherwise a shell game. Until your perception enters the arena, nothing matters, no one cares. You tip the balance, adding moment to every thing.

Oh

And in this moment now you can either fix yourself to the ship’s mast and try to steer a course towards an envisioned future somewhere beyond the horizon, or you can ignore the siren things demanding your attention and hold your peace instead, sensing, watching, knowing how all flows from a deeper state that is neither negotiable nor subjectable.

Absolute?

Yes. You see there is one absolute – there is one constant in spite of all those breaking waves – and it ain’t anything out there in this or any other physical reality.

But surely...

You think gravity or the fabric of things itself can be determined absolutely – can be fixed as a constant? Try it and see.

But didn’t you say that’s exactly what we did?

Yes. Oh – they even tried to fix time – building wonderful atomic clocks – which are supposed to never lose or gain more than a millionth fraction of a second. Well I have news for you.

Don’t. You’re freaking me out. I need to believe the ground I’m standing on is solid.

Even if it means people or children have to suffer – as your rich nation bombs the rest of the world into cowed submission.

Like I said Absalom – that’s just a few unfortunate sociopaths. It has nothing to do with constants.

Try it – Morgan. Try it and see. What have you got to lose?

I have better things to do than engaging in dubious magical rituals. It’s morally repugnant.

No more so than pretending you’re not responsible for the mess that’s going on in the world.

Enough. You’re clearly insane.

You’re right.

Oh.

I am insane – and I’m weird – and I’m definitely evil.

Oh – I’m not sure I believe you. Evil or insane people tend not to admit as much.

Well, if I’m not then tell me how you explain this...

No – you’re not going to... Oh God

Cluck cluck cluck
cluck cluck cluck
cluck cluck cluck
cluck cluck cluck

Stop – I beseech you.

Cluck cluck cluck
cluck cluck cluck

cluck cluck cluck
cluck cluck cluck

!?%*&>/#^§!!!

Now look around – what do you see?

Oh my God Absalom – how did you...

Do you believe what you’re seeing?

Of course I believe it – this fruit – it’s real – I can pick it from the tree – those birds – how beautiful – look – that one’s flying towards me – it’s – it’s perched on my hand

A moment ago – where were you?

I... I’m not sure.

You can’t remember?

I’m – I don’t know.

Do you like it here?

Like it? I love it. I’ve always loved this place.

But you only arrived here a moment ago.

Did I? I feel like I’ve been here all my life. Oh look – that’s my family over there waving at me. I must go and join them – they’re off on a hunting trip.

How do you know?

How? How could I not know? I’m in tune with them. We think with one mind. How else?

Imagine a world where people weren’t in tune – where they were afraid of each other – where they were always suspicious of what other people were about to do.

Oh – that doesn’t sound very likely. Why would people want to live like that?

I suppose it must be beneficial in some way.

Look Absolomon I really have to go. Come with me – you’re welcome to join in – the hunt will be fun – it always is.

Ok – just give me a few seconds.

Cheep cheep cheep
cheep cheep cheep

cheep cheep cheep
cheep cheep cheep

Welcome back Morgan.

What on Earth?

Which is more real – that world or this?

Oh my God – how could you do that to me?

For he on honey-dew hath fed, and drunk the milk of Paradise.

That’s exactly the feeling. Your words?

Coleridge.

So how could I have got so entwined in this pale version of things?

How indeed? Things have a deeply seductive power, do they not, to take a hold just as soon as that critical element of fear is stirred into the witch’s brew.

Witch’s brew – you’re telling me.

You see, do you?

Of course I see. There has to be a kind of binding magic at work here in this painted version of reality.

Yes. So as you see, we need do nothing to puncture the balloon – nothing more than bringing forth the simple truth, the real magic within – by stepping back onto the corner stone – the foundation stone of this particular constitution. From that point, from that moment, all this is breathed into existence – only as long as we continue to give our breath, our thoughts, our thinging thing to it, to them, to think things assuredly.

And that’s all there is to it. You’d think we’d have figured this out long ago.

Ah – but in our heart of hearts we’ve always known that we could invoke the simple truth, the fundament, so there’s never been a great sense of urgency.

We always knew? But this is so obviously distorted, polluted, fake, even um... evil – if I can use that word.

Go ahead – whatever you like – but deep down, deep within the bedrock of the stories we’re enacting, we’re masters of the epic tale, are we not – a tale of losing our way, of forgetting who and what we are, of sinking into despondency and hopelessness, of degrading to the point that we become no better than the things we find ourselves wedged between, things we ended up serving.

It’s like a nullification of the soul, of all that is true and bright – and yet we do it – and yet we breathe.

For we are masters of the long breath – taking our breath down into hell – establishing a deep, powerful column of contrast, of darkness, of smoke and fire, a weaving of that all present, insidious fearfulness into the fabric of things, shape and form that we unwittingly materialise.

And you think the lovushka is set?

Of course. Such is the nature of the beast, is it not?

Yes, I suppose it is. Like short selling on the stock exchange – you have to buy back the shares you sold to close the trade – to make the profit.

The worm, the tide must turn. That was always there – baked into the cake from the very inception of this progression into ever more diluted, ever more extended thingfulness. A masquerade of things substituting meaning.

Yes – I suppose you’re right – a masquerade. Suddenly I feel a burning desire to act – to play. Something tells me I can confound the very boards under my feet – change the state – flip the fabric of reality – the scenery of pain and cruelty by playing the part I’m secretly itching to play, itching to be.

Ah – you’re ready to unleash the magics I see. To let the delicate balance of beach and surf, wind and wave shift into another octave of being.

Follow me – I’ve been itching to do this for years – though I seem to have suppressed the urge, one two three one two three one two three one two three – ah – there we are – a moment between worlds – see that one over there?

The old man?

Yes – but look more closely.

Oh – I see what you mean. The angry old man. Who is it?

Don’t you know?

Well – I have my suspicions – but something seems to be inhibiting me, strange to tell.

Yes Absalom – you too have need to let go of deep rooted fears. Breathe yourself back into the gaiety of this moment – one two three one two three one two three one two three – nice and slow...

God? You don’t me to say...

Yes, even God was caught up in our pain and turning away – as you see – and from that pained beginning everything naturally flowed to where we find ourselves constantly at war...

But I’m not sure I like the idea of blaming God.

Oh, we’re not blaming him. He’s an essential part of the score we’ve been following – the song of sorrow we’ve sung for aeons – searching out every possibly variant. God made this possible – but deep in your heart you saw, you felt, you know

That God and I – la la la dum di dum la la la dum di dum

Nicely put – so much better than clumsical words.

So let us go dance with the Lord Creator of this glorious mess

Let us go back into the Lordlessness of breath – where all is One – where sorrow is but an aspect of joy and

be be be

pausing for wordless word

be be be

to manifest

be be be

silently

be be be

loud

thanks to God and all the Godlings who we’ve had on stage playing their lordly roles of pointed farce – we couldn’t have done it without you – and feeling you back in the breath of all that is One – the waves are complete and the great computer or material reality delivers its final count – the number we’ve all been waiting for – the number the entire universe was set up to calculate – the number that was always present – always hidden within or hiding behind the numberless nought.