Capturings

Written By: F. John Surells

Gosh, it’s strange how diversely unstructured thoughts often seize our consciousness. And for those who consider themselves writers in any format (prose, poetry, plays, etc.), this surely presents a dilemma, because as most people are aware, passing thoughts are often also fleeting thoughts; and if they’re not immediately “captured,” they may “disappear,” and perhaps forever.

And I guess the words in this discourse are examples of the phenomenon spoken of in the preceding paragraph. I had my friend Pierce Gates read them, and he said this about them: “This written piece reminds me of how often I fantasize about meeting a beautiful princess who says she’ll love me forever, and then places a crown on my head.”

“Well,” I said in response, “good luck with that Pierce. But to my own fantastic lady (Lady Poetry) I say ‘I’ve never known a love such as yours. Yet, I’ve always known there’s usually a large difference between those who would express dictates of conscience and those who’d have mankind suffer under various types of dictatorship.’ ”

But then Pierce said “John, you’re always so preoccupied with difficult matters. And I’m going to ‘answer’ these words you’ve just written should they indeed be published.”

And I answered his promise of an answer by saying “Well, go right ahead Pierce. But no matter what you may say or do, I’ll always affirm that all who possess such dictates as might someday help mankind, deserve to have them disseminated and learned from. And personally, I know I’ve ‘grown’ from other people’s ‘expressed goodness of purpose.’ And I’ve basked in the warmth and enthusiasm which those expressions have provided me.”

And oh, despite what I said to Pierce, today I still must be a faceless man whose soul lies in wait upon all that’s real just now, and all that will surely transpire, though some say it won’t. And my respect, honor, and love I pledge to all that’s poetically constructive and well stated. And where would I be today if in years before I hadn’t known such an elegance of truth and logic, as well as such very helpful, yet unabashedly real words.

And yes, they were real words. And their reality was a shocking concept to me, and I’m sure to many others who believed one couldn’t really possess or utilize a poetry that’s “real.” But in an environment of complexity, must not one starkly and penetratingly communicate? Yes! Undoubtedly yes! And such communication is possible within poetics. I know that. Yet, I wonder if it’s possible without it?

Nonetheless, Lady Poetry you can capture and confer immortality upon mere passing thoughts! And you can inscribe them within the great book of eternity. And that book resides in heaven, yet is accessed here on earth through realizations generated by minds artistic.

And artistic minds can surely “take care of business” just as well as those which aren’t necessarily creative; but maybe they don’t always do that. And maybe sometimes all mortals, despite all tendencies possessed within their beings, fail to adequately defend their lifestyles. And if that’s true, then no doubt legacies will be compromised.

But if F. John Surrells ever leaves any legacy to mankind, please let it be that he did only what he felt was right and necessary, and left others to do the same. And let the discourse of the future show that Mr. Surells believed one shouldn’t break the imperative and constructive laws of God and man. And let those who possess temporal life in the future admit that Mr. Surells, upon his demise, bequeathed to humanity all the various liberties which, during his lifetime he utilized and enjoyed. And may all he constructively “dictated” to humankind, either through words or actions, be of service to humankind. And may humankind always, through the use of caution, moderation, and common sense, remain free of any suppressive dictatorship.

Oh, and while I still have the stage here, let me also quickly say I always appreciate it when someone deliberately misspells the word professor as proffessor. Many of those who hold such positions of learning deserve a grade of double F in my opinion.