I Become One Read online



  I Become One

  Poems

  by KM Sharp

  Copyright 2014 KM Sharp

  Cover art by Robert Bram Silvey

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Dedication

  To Mother

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to personally thank the following people and organizations for their inspiration, encouragement, support, generosity and kindness. Sweet Bobby for his amazingly beautiful cover art and unconditional love, my awesome mentor The Dressel for helping me find my voice, my Family and Friends and fellow Poets and Writers. To the (Un)Stable Writers for helping me hone my writing skills and to Amanda, Matt and Ben for editing lots and lots over the years and Arielle for last minute final edits. To the St. Louis, Los Angeles and International literary, music, video and art communities for being so welcoming. Dressel’s Public House, Atomic Cowboy and Saint Louis Regional Arts Commission for providing free venues for poetry shows and events. To all of the hosts, participants, and audience members from Poems, Prose and Pints, Voices from the Underground and 100 Thousand Poets for Change. To all those individuals advocating and promoting positive change, equality, sustainability and peace—your work has influenced me greatly. And a special thank you to Swathimaa for offering to sponsor this project and to the precious Trees for providing the lovely paper that these and many other poems were originally composed on. This book would not have been written without all of you!

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  Into The Sea: Confessions of a Cruise Line Pirate

  Liquid Lies

  Where are the Bees?

  Children of the Chemical Wars*

  Stop Fighting!*

  Operation Green Thumb*

  About the Author

  *These poems appear on the 100 Thousand Poets for Change website and has been archived by Stanford University LOCKSS Program (2011-2012)

  Preface

  In light of all the serious environmental issues we, the global community, are facing today, it is easy to sit back and watch as the world falls apart around us and to become engulfed by an overwhelming feeling of despair and helplessness. But, instead of giving into this fear and destruction mentality, I have chosen to use my voice, words and experiences to bring awareness and to promote change. I write these poems, not as a finger-pointer, but as a tool for awakening my fellow human beings. In hopes that perhaps this awakening will bring about understanding that we are hurting our SELF in the process. When you rearrange the letters Earth, it spells Heart—our true essence lies in the Heart. Therefore, the Earth is within us. This is who we are and it is important to remember that we did not come to this Earth, we are of this Earth=ONE. Mother Earth birthed each and every one of us but we never actually left the womb. We cannot breathe without the air and our bodies are 50% to 75% water, we cannot survive here without the plants, trees, animals and bugs and yet somehow we have forgotten all of this. We are choosing to destroy each other and the very delicate ecosystem, our own Mother-Self who is keeping us alive. This disconnection from Nature has left us all feeling as though something is missing deep within, as though we have lost a part of ourselves, and that pain resonates in the chest and we touch this place at the Heart center with our hands to comfort when we hurt. We keep frantically searching to find something to fill this empty space or heal the untouchable wounds and yet everything we are looking for has been right here all along. All you have to do is open your eyes, walk outside and feel the soil under your feet, feel the gentle wind on your skin, cool water from a river flowing through your fingers and the warm sun on your face and you will remember—all of this teeming life is you--all of this is literally inside you. You are not on the Earth, YOU ARE THE EARTH. Once we realize this, each of us as individuals can make personal choices and changes in our own lives. Out of this knowledge comes a form of empowerment and we can embrace and harness this transformational power that we have always had within us to create heaven or hell here on Earth. Then one by one, we can begin to plant the seeds, grow and bloom just as our ancestors did before us. Through this process the I and We will eventually merge into ONE again and, from this Open Heart, the true teacher within will step forward as a brilliant LIGHT exuding wisdom that flows MOTHER=EARTH=HEART=SELF=ONE. Forgiveness, Love, Compassion, Generosity, Gratitude, Peace, Joy and unfathomable Beauty will begin to flourish, nourish and heal and all will BE. And it all begins in you…

  Into the Sea: Confessions of a Cruise Line Pirate

  I sailed upon a cruise ship that floated on the ocean

  We always seemed to make a bit of a rippled waved commotion

  When the Captain’s wheel spun in a circular motion as we sailed

  Into the Sea

  In the Caribbean Islands we dumped our oils

  Throughout sand and water we spread our spoils

  Covering animals and land flowing like black coils

  Into the Sea

  Cruising the Ocean playfully under night’s moon rounded dish

  We would drink, smoke and fornicate over the salty fish

  Screamed into the dark--yelling our wants, hates and myths

  Into the Sea

  We ate and drank until our bellies exploded

  Dumped our liquored waste as septic tanks imploded

  Without any thought as it settled and eroded

  Into the Sea

  We wrapped presents of trash in colorful cloaks

  Tossed in containers we didn’t want to clean or soak

  Discarded--never to be seen as it sank into the dark watery smoke

  Into the Sea

  In Canada we trolled forbidden waters and broke the maritime rules

  To peek at Nature’s being, something we’ve never understood=fools

  We thought it was impressive and seemed like it would be “cool” as we sailed

  Into the Sea

  We fished the cold waters until we had more than we could ever need

  Threw to the birds what we no longer cared for--they devoured our feed

  Then they too brought it back and dropped it

  Into the Sea

  We destroyed the deep underwater life, we did not believe even existed

  Upon discovering the damage we caused; we still partied with drinks double fisted

  Consuming with appetites galore which we no longer resisted as we sailed

  Into the Sea

  In Alaska we cruised by the glaciers

  Applauded when pieces fell off like wafers

  Unaware of global warming--that we were the initiators as we sailed

  Into the Sea

  In the Gulf we threw leftovers and sewage overboard

  Pouring out what we wanted to disappear after years of gathering hoards

  Memories and pictures of futures fell like leaves and boards

  Into the Sea

  Our anchors scraped and scarred the ocean’s floor

  We tossed sand and soot into the faces of those who lived on the shore

  We danced into the night as the engines turned and roared as we sailed

  Into the Sea

  We crushed reefs, habitats and homes

  Places of peaceful water born creatures, we couldn’t just leave alone

  In many ports we docked, anchored and without fail we set sail to aimlessly roam

  Into the Sea

  Liquid Lies

  Where are t
he Bees?