Freedom can be found along the river. I just need to follow the water north. Across a certain line, they deliver All who may be seeking who have come forth. I know that my man will search for me there, But it is my only form of guidance, And it is within its rushing flow where I can find a road map that gives a chance To a diff’rent life than the one I live. It is a life where I can have a voice, And where all of the options that they give, Allows me the right to make my own choice. It is a journey that may take me years, But it is worth facing all of those fears.
We stand at the edge of our precipice, Shouting our concerns over the canyon. We sit and wait for our message to kiss Ears of those who stand on the other one, But I do not think they are listening Because they are over there making noise About what they believe they are missing, Claiming our ideology destroys. If I could only get my voice louder Maybe they would listen to sound reason, But it looks to make their discourse prouder, Speaking of what can only be treason. I wish they would quit with all their yelling, So they could hear what it is I’m telling.
These are the things I cannot ignore, And even though it is not every day, There comes a time I have to close the door, And battle against the on-coming fray. It will allow me to, one day, emerge, And give you all me remaining time. It is not you I am trying to purge, But rather this piling mountain I climb. Some day, it will also happen to you, And I will try not to create a fuss. It is just something we all have to do. Even though, we hope it may escape us. Welcome to this modern society Where valuable time is what we pay.
Who is telling you that I am a sheep? Do you listen to what he has to say? Does his ideology start to seep Into your “original” thought ev’ryday? Can you tell me that your thoughts are your own When you pick them up from memes on Facebook? Or is your anger just an overblown Reaction to catchy sounding hook? Is it me or his short leash that you fear? How often are the words of your master The repeated ones I actually hear, Claiming I’m the one that is the bastard? You are far from the enlightened people, Just because you repeat the word, sheeple.
How can you look at what is happening, And then run to your alternative facts? You need to wake up from your fake napping, And look at the ways your argument cracks. The heat is not going to disappear Based on what you perceive, wish and hope. There is a right group of people to hear, You left behind to listen to a dope. You may want to crawl out of that pocket, And grow up to be the size of a man; You will see the future and protect it; Instead of grabbing what money you can. Will you continue to live with your greed While watching the land of the nation bleed?
Why do we no longer want to collect When we can find it at our fingertips? Does it allow a level of respect When all we do is scroll through YouTube clips? I prefer to listen to scratchy sound As the needle slips into the small groove, And the motor spins the record around, Providing the room a moment to move. Each song was designed to play to the next, Building up this great epic event. We follow along with liner note text Until the forty-five minutes are spent. This digital age is a bitter pill For us who treasure our stack of vinyl.
I tried to untie your Gordian knot That you have called your organization. I found this activity I have sought Was one of a futile desperation. I have decided to leave it alone, And move on to a new destination, But you do not like the progress I’ve shown, Wishing for its old manifestation. So I am returning to you the mess Knowing you comfort in its creation, But as I leave, I would like to confess It’s built from a lack of motivation. Whenever you jump on the latest trends, You will never tie up all the loose ends.
I will introduce you to the question, But I don’t know if you’ll get the answer. I’ve been searching over all creation, And my quest will continue to endure Until I understand the inquiry, And generate an insightful response. With frustration filled with too much fury, My exploration does not hold a chance. I just need to listen more to my heart By looking for what I’m trying to find, And I fins the best way for me to start, Turning out the noise playing in my mind. The method I present is what is best As it’s not about teaching to the test.
Should I fear the future, its coming pain? I know that it is unavoidable. I must face the necessary refrain If I wish to make my life bearable. Are you willing to make the sacrifice If it will grant you certain liberties? A night time of discomfort is the price To break apart the year’s eternal freeze. This may not really sell you on this shot, To do a deed that’s so amicable. You will find that the horror that you fraught Should not be deemed being so terrible. You can think of it as your civic duty To the American society.
It is hard to believe that a short two months ago, I sat at the Bangkok airport with all of my bags packed, getting ready to head back to the United States for the first time in two years. As for most people around the world, it had been an interesting two years, and I was excited to get back to see the people I loved. It was going to be a little different from other trips back home because the threat of the pandemic loomed large over everything everybody did, and I was also going to go through the process of moving to a new country at the same time.
Despite all of this fear that was plaguing the world, there was still hope. A vaccine had become available and people were starting to take off their masks to get life back to normal. We were a little worried when we first started looking at coming back that we would have a hard time finding a shot, but by the time we landed in Portland, Oregon, there was enough vaccine in the United States to where we could walk into a local Target and get a vaccine without an appointment. We also were able to leave Thailand just in time. The numbers have skyrocketed in that country for the first time ever with the latest numbers showing over 17,000 new cases just the other day, and it does not look like it is going to slow down anytime soon. I feel for all of the people I left behind in that country, and I worry about them as they struggle through another school year. I hope that they can get things under control soon, and find a place where they can start easing up the restrictions that I got to enjoy while I was living out there.
As I went through my stuff in storage, my sights switched over to Jordan to see how they were handling this crisis. The numbers there a lot lower, but there has been a new creep up that I will keep an eye on. I also look at those numbers for overall vaccination, and though Jordan is not in a place where America is at, they still steadily move in the right direction. It gives me hope for the next year that it will be closer to a normal school year as opposed to the last two, and I will also be going on a new adventure in a new country at the same time.
The summer was still a great time to catch up with friends and family, and meet new characters along the way. I always find myself falling into that comfortability that it means being an American in America. The old relationships feel like we pick them up right where we left them off, and the conveniences that we have come to crave while away are once again taken for granted.
But we were able to discover some new ways that America has evolved as well. I remember being excited about the movie, Chef, right before we started our overseas adventures, but thinking that the land of food trucks that it described was a little taken out of context. There might have been a couple of places where these existed, but there seemed to be more of them during our return visit. It almost seemed that this was the preferred way of dining out, but summertime and Covid might have had something to do with it as well.
That didn’t stop me from searching out the more traditional way of eating out. Of course, I hit my fair share of Mexican restaurants while in Colorado because I needed to get as much green chili as I could. This is my favorite of all food groups, and everybody I meet who has ever eaten green chili understands my love for it, yet I am still confused as to why it can still only be found in three of the four states connected with the four corners region. It makes coming home that much better because I get to have this food again. I still do not believe that I got enough on this trip out, but I still enjoyed what I had.
I also love being able to see the beauty of America every time I am home as well. I am really lucky to be associated with what I consider to be two of the more beautiful states, Oregon and Colorado. I love seeing the mountains and forests that both of these places have to offer. Though I have seen some beautiful and amazing sights all over the world, my heart always returns to the mountains and I don’t think of any place better than these two for me to connect back with them. I was able to spend a good amount of time in them in Oregon, and I wish I would have ventured beyond the foothills during my stay in Colorado.
I was still able to make it outside quite a bit and enjoy the majesty that is Colorado. Whether it was taking long walks in many of the green spaces that can be found in many of Colorado’s neighborhood, or going out to Chatfield Reservoir, I was able to spend a lot of time outside. This is not something that is as enjoyable in a more tropical climate, and there are times of the year where Colorado is better spent indoors, but I was out here during the summertime and this is the perfect time to be outside there.
I was even lucky enough to experience some of the wildlife during my trip. During the last couple of years, I had run into what many would consider exotic animals, with Thailand filled with many types of monkeys, tropical birds, and a variety of reptiles, and snakes. But this is only a matter of perspective. From the other side of the world, a herd of deer or elk is just as exotic as a monitor lizard is to the people of America. Being deprived of this view for so long has made it exciting once again, and I enjoyed it every time I came across the usual herds of animals that I grew up with.
Not everything ended up in taking me to the great outdoors. There were a couple of stops that showed me other great things that America had to offer, and they were not always Target stores. The greatest had to be the new U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs. It was nice to get out to museums once again, and though I had to spend my time in there wearing a mask, I have been doing it so much lately that it no longer bugs me. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon and a great way of celebrating the Olympics this year.
It has been great to get back to America, especially after two years away, but nobody can spend their whole life in rest and relaxation. Like an international school teacher under normal circumstances, I have to get back to the country where my work is, and I am complicating the process by changing schools and countries to Amman, Jordan. So I have packed up my bags, eaten those last meals, and given those last hugs to family and friends, and I have headed off the airport. I am confident that the world is moving in the right direction, and I will not be forced to stay away for as long this time around. So as I head off to a brand new adventure, I say goodbye to America, and guarantee I will be back soon.
John Collings 