a mamaist negotiation

          You're now entering a different world, the shadow world.

                 Oh, no, not again. Please…

          Look. Do you want to talk about all the things you can't 

          do, or the things you can do?

                 But what is it I'm trying to achieve?

          Equiliberty.

                 You mean equilibrium?

          Whatever. Here you never know what you're going to  

          find.

                 Chaos? Chaos can't be beat but orderliness has its 

                 satisfactions too.

          Quit staring out of your peep hole! It’s time you give  

          back to people! Besides, you're not after information 

          here, which is unchangeable, and deals in death.

                 But sometimes...you know... I mean… it's so... you 

                 know...that it can drive one nuts. Were it not for 

                 my uttering banalities I wouldn't have any means 

                 of keeping myself together, and that's the truth!

          I wouldn't have made it harder for you if I hadn't 

          thought it would be easier. 

                 But… what do I have to give?

          A universe... yourself... Don't you see? What occurs here 

          has consequences in the far reaches of the cosmos.      

                 I don't buy it!

         What this is, friend, cannot be bought or sold.           

                 But I can't find any footprints... where are the 

                 footprints?

         You've walked in lots of different shoes, you've worn lots  

         of different hats. Why do you have to be like so-and-so or  

         such-and-such? What's wrong with being whatever your  

         name is? 

                 But won’t I stand out like a sore thumb!

        Didn’t you always want to be outstanding? Just follow your 

        desire for being none other than you are.

                 Look, this seems to be getting us nowhere! Do you 

                 mind if we change the terms of discourse?

         Oh, so you want rhyme? I'll give you rhyme!(But not this  

         time.)

         You want rhythm? I'll show you how! 
        (But not here, not now-- it's too lowbrow!)

         Yes, the whole world's a pun! Ain't it fun?

         The River of Ha-Ha flows under the Bridge of Ho-Ho 

         out into the Sea of Hee-Hee

         where everything's new under the sun!

                 Yes, er… that’s all well and good but what I'd like  

                 to know is why we are even talking about this?

         The question is, why aren't we talking about this more 

         often? To live is to head out on an unmarked trail. If you 

         read the signs they’ll all add up to one thing: stop 

         searching for the perfect world, and love the world you’re 

         in.

                 But with all the pain we inflict on one another, 

                 how does one cope?

         Now you’re talking! Welcome to the long haul! You forgive 

         and go on. How else can one go?

                 To be broken?

         Yes.

                 And broken...?

         Yes.

                 And broken again...?

         You’re right on the money, but none the wiser.

                 But I feel delirious! I mean, it seems there's a fine 

                 line between being casual… and being a casualty.           

         What is groundbreaking, it’s true, can be heartbreaking.  

                 You mean, the impossible--it's being done?

         Don’t you see? A human being means waking up. You 

         gotta dig deep, to where things sing.

                 But one feels, in the singing, so... exposed!

         What's being made open is the fact that so much is 

         hidden. What one becomes is, to say the least, pretty hard  

         to come by. 

                  But what can one do to make things better in the 

                  meantime?

         One's choice of words shows that one is listening--which 

         has the effect of raising the level of the other person’s 

         capacity for listening. 

                 But sometimes it’s hard to see anything good. That 

                 is, when you read between the lines there may be   

                 nothing but these slithering, hidden meanings!

         Look, nobody's asking you to ruin your life with bald

         statements.--we're talking twists and turns here. If you  

         look carefully there's a pattern that surfaces. That's  

         the stage you're at--finding the pattern.              

                 Yes, but, oh, how I hate snakes--slow and without 

                 sound…. I hate the way they move!

         You seem to be enjoying it.

                 But I'm talking straight here!

         Okay...But you just oinked!

                 …I did!

         And you just hissed!

                 …Really?

         Now you're cooing!

       　　　　　…Ooooooh! 

         Doesn't talking this way make you feel free?

                 Yeah. Free as a caged bird…　It's good of you, 

                 though, putting up with all that I am.  

         Don't sell yourself short. You're a real gem, two sides of a  

         rare coin, the genuine article. 

                 Thanks. Can I have the receipt?

         You’ve got it.

                 I'm… er… afraid the change isn't enough.

         Don't mention it. You have so much more to give. …Now,  

         If you don’t mind, I'd like to stay and argue with you 

         some more, but you know what they say.

                 No, what?

        You can't argue with success.

                 Wait. Before you go, what do the words "be quiet"  

                 say?

        Can’t you hear? They say ‘bouquet’… 





Botsford, Alan. A Book of Shadows. Katydid Books, 2003.