Wednesday, May 25, 2011

A Discourse and Philosophy on Perspective

At any given moment, in any given location, an event happens. In fact, events happen everyday, in every place.  There are magnitudes of depth-filled detail, going on, every second, of every day, just in the space you occupy.  All you have to do is open your eyes, and you will see some of them.

With events, comes perspective, or point of view, however you wish to call it.  Each incident, event, situation etc.. breeds unlimited perspective. We should take part in constant discussion, with others, with ourselves.  We should compare our points-of-view.  Go over them continuously.

Perspective breeds knowledge. Knowledge breeds community.  Community fosters understanding.  Understanding plants the seeds for change.

With perspective there are no right or wrong answers.  In fact answers don't exist.  We only have solutions, an infinite amount of them.

Instead of looking at things so finitely, evaluate in relation to your own perspective.  No matter how different your point of view may be, they are your perspectives.  Take ownership.  When someone looks at things similarly consider your perspective affirmed through another.

When someone's point of view differs from yours, do not play games of argument, simply understand a differential exists between your viewpoints.  But don't stop there.  Examine those perspectives, how did it arrive?  What can you take from them?  Learning never ends.  Neither should understanding.

Two cars, at full speed,
The screech is heard and they collide,
Where you may drop to your knees,
Despise and descry, " Oh, the humanity,
What a day of infamy, such is the tragedy of
The fragility, the unsuspecting & unknown nature of life,"
I however think alternatively,
I see two unlike, yet similar objects attract,
Creating something different in the wreckage,
Twisted, mangled, converged and committed

In such a case, you may claim insensitivity has a stranglehold on me.  I may claim you may be right.  I might also say, I choose to see the possibility, even when surrounded, seemingly, by the end of light.  Do not criticize others for thinking, viewing, things alternatively.  Accept, the balance your two positions take, and together take flight. 


A forest filled with flame and fear,
Smoke forcing the surrender of the air,
Quality of breathability’s forfeiture is slow,
Spreading, wildly, uncontrolled,
You may be unnerved, as the damage sears and scores,
Shriveled foliage atop, the once wooden, now charred floor,
I however, see the spread of warmth,
And the possibility for change to sprout
From a now fertile land,

When points delve deep enough, bluntly they become.  When witnessing the world through darkened glasses, shaded images are sure to come.  In a scene of calamity, be the one, if so you see, not as uncaring, but as the shoulder, as the disruptor of the darkening.


You see a murder,
I see the gun,
You see the expiration,
I watch the pool that’s begun,
                           Rippling, coveting the ground below

You see a doomsday tree,
I see another ring to be,
You see specters in the air,
I feel the breath of spring on napes so bare,

When you see pain
I see limits to test me thoroughly,
How far?    Will the outcome change?   Has another method appeared?
What to do?  Will you be their for the highs and lows?

Questions will arise.  Perspectives will change.  Some will try to force their vision.  Do not let them change you.  Listen to what they say.  Offer your vantage too.  Even if their heat boils.  Simmer still as they recoil.  Allow words to pass before actions make, a bigger differential between the two of you.  Be quick to observe.  Be intent on processing what you see.  But be quicksand, sinking slow, when it comes to labels, when it comes to condemning.

When you see a newborn, in its mother's arms,
Breathing life for the first time,
Ignorant in its innocence,
You feel her love just the same

I see the long life ahead,
All the happy moments yet to come,
All the sad strokes  and failures from,
All the experience it will share,
Loving embraces,
Disgruntled faces,
But most of all,
I see a sea of aquamarine,
And its swelling waves of possibility

You may agree, yet expound.  You may be the toll with which a shared philosophy must atone.  You may hold the words, so soft and sweet, enough cloud on tongue, enough to solace me.  I believe, but that's just me.  You have every right to disagree.  

I see a leaf,
Floating in the air,
Meandering, enjoying it's wafting course,

I smile,
When you see the leaf,
As falling down,
From a withered branch,
I never saw,
Yet as you speak,
It's like I've always known. 

Perspectives, make us each unique.

Perspectives & Points of View,
May be the only freedom we can truly own.

6 comments:

  1. wow...nice romp poetically...and perspectives for sure make all the difference, any one is no less valid, i do find it interesting the things each of us see...now if we only took time to share them we might gain a fuller understanding...

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  2. Really enjoyed this philosophical creative piece, truly interesting and challenging, loved the mix of poetic prose wrapping around the pure poetry. Thank you for taking the time to create such a unique and thought provoking piece of art. A wonderful tolerance for all perspectives speaks very eloquently in your words, unfortunately, such humanitarian rationalism (hope that makes sense, it does to me!) is rather lacking generally, as you clearly know!

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  3. Holy Smokes Poet! This is an amazing post if my perception of what I am reading means anything. Every single thing that is, was and will ever be, is subject to each and every individual perception of each and every soul that is, was and will ever be...at least we met in the middle when it came to things like colors but...do you see blue like I see blue? So...rather than write a response as long as the piece that inspired it, I will simply say, BRAVO...

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  4. Brian, thanks for taking the time to comment. I see your comments on other sites and feel honored to hear from you. I would also like to apologize for the delay in response, I had some trouble getting to the computer most of yesterday.

    Perspectiva and open lines of communication is something I feel strongly about. In fact this piece started out as one of those philosophical pieces I write much of, that I rarely post. But in reviewing it, I thought It needed to be shared. It was not intended to be as long as it became, but I kept having this unfinished feeling with it, still do actually.

    But I do feel if more people would express themselves, for who they are, and what they see, a better human understanding would result, and quite possibly a tapering down of many of the ills we deal with in this world could be the result. Thanks again

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  5. Velvetina, thank you so much for your response. It means a lot. I admire your work very much. Your point on Humanitarian Rationalism makes a lot of sense to me. I hope one day we will be a more open and expressive society. Tolerance, so many believe means you have to agree, but I feel it only means you have to, or should, be willing to listen, and gain an understanding for why views are what they are. If we could I feel we'd be a lot better off for it. The great thing though is that things can change in a heartbeat, and change is what moves us forward. Hopefully this will be the case here. Thanks again.

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  6. Natasha, Thank you so much for the response. I was wondering how many would catch that part of the piece. Everything is up for debate. Who is to say what we've been taught all along is the correct point of view. I don't believe that, I see it as just another viewpoint to be looked at and understood. Many people have done examinations like this over the years throughout history, but even so, what is good for the goose... The way the mind works is something I'm fascinated with and I think this ties in to the piece as well. I heard someone say before, who i can't recall the speaker, that some of the greatest minds throughout history are the ones we've never heard from. I think that point has merit, and could be completely correct. Thanks again, i'm really glad you got what you did out of it. Thanks.

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