Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The Tao of Soul Dancing


the image borrowed from comp.dit.ie

The Tao of Soul Dancing

“When I let go of what I am, I become
what I might be.”--Tao Te Ching.

Yin & Yang forever,
inseparable, fusion,
purity, wholeness.

Yin Ubal & Yang Adret used to meet for lunch dates during the
work week, on a bench in the park when the sun appeared, & in
a dark corner of a coffee shop when it was cold & overcast.

Yang: I believe that a prime principle in nature is that opposites
attract, achieving balance.
Yin: But hey, you do understand that they also clash, can become
mired in conflict?
Yang: I love the Spring, when fecundity is prevalent, when blossoms
precede flowers & leaves & growth.
Yin: Sure, unless there is a drought, monsoon, tornado or flash floods.
Yang: Does it ever bother you that we are always referred to as yin &
yang? It bugs the hell out of me. Just look at the Taoist symbolism. I
am always on top, or on the left, always prominent.
Yin: Typical male, consumed with illusions of control, obsessed with
being top dog, first in line, the ersatz master.
Yang: Perhaps, but it just seems odd to me. Yin & Yang is an oxymoron.
Yang & Yin could be just as facile of a term. 
Yin: Do you have difficulty putting a hat on that blockhead? We will always
be yin & yang because that is a irreversible binomial.
Yang: Pretty rigid thinking there, sweet-cheeks. Under the right circumstances
AB is comfortable being BA.
Yin: What is the real issue here? You dominate most of the symbols, but not
the terminology. Didn’t your mother ever teach you about sharing? Besides,
“Yin & Yang” is just easier to say. 
Yang: Well, I read the other day that it is more just traditional usage than
inviolate mandate.
Yin: Where, in the Farmer’s Almanac or the Police Gazette?
Yang: The OED informs us that “yin & yang” was a term popularized in
1671, when Chinese society was matriarchal--that “yin-yang” became
more common usage in 1850, and that “yang-yin” came into vogue in 1959.
Yin: That Eisenhower anomaly went out of style in 1962 when JFK was 
President, like the Edsel. Come on, Yang-Yin is just clumsy on the tongue,
like mouse & cat, and chain & ball.
Yang: Are you aware that in the I-Ching, I am referred to as the solid line,
& you are always depicted as the broken line?
Yin: That is just more codified sexism, created by priests. Real men learn
about the sweetness of treasures found in the empty spaces.
Yang: I am the dawn, the sky on fire, the shatterer of shadows,
daylight spreading over half of the planet.
Yin: I am the softness of twilight, the dark side of the moon, molten
lava rushing into the blackness gathering on the horizon, the shadow
ballerina, bringer of midnight, the duchess of darkness. 
Yang: And yet we are connected at the heart, bosom companions,
spiritual soul mates.
Yin: You mean it’s like our perpetual fusion in perceived physical
matter helps to enable us to be co-creators, bringing the spinning
chaotic world into a semblance of balance?
Yang: Yeah--what you said.

Yin is dark,
wet, soft, yielding & passive,
moonlight, vaginal, feminine.

Yang is fire,
hard, hot & dry, aggressive,
phallic, solid, focused.

It’s just me & my
shadow, infinite tango
in sun or moonlight.


Glenn Buttkus


Would you like to hear me read this poem to you?

20 comments:

brudberg said...

I really like how you brought out the yin and yang into a real argument here.. maybe that is what's needed to really comprehend the balance here.. the description on what they are is really wonderful...

X said...

I could argue typical American or typical human, with the need to control. I like the conversation style of writing in this, almost play - like. Made it easy to see them sitting there. We do tend to try arguing much of anything into a box of our own definitions. It is interesting how they change over time as well. Go out of style, or become more. The treasure of empty spaces - that was a cool line that left me room to ponder. Infinite tango for sure, as does one need to be dominant? Arent they both required? Against, the human need to have someone in charge (preferably us - unless we just like tossing rocks at those in power). Balance - ahh.

Wolfsrosebud said...

felt the struggle in this poem

Marina Sofia said...

Ha, ha, ha - this made me laugh... The pretentious nonsense I had to hear about yin-yang during my student days (I was in the Oriental Studies Dept.) nearly put me off the whole Taoist and Buddhist philosophy. Including a fellow student who only dressed in black and white - because of yin-yang.
I love the energy and barbed dialogue in this one.

KB said...

Well Glenn it all comes down to this or that I guess. Quite an interesting dialogue. Well done. >KB

Unknown said...

The treasure of empty spaces...too many times it seems we have to fill every blank space with something. I think our country is on a tear to deplete the county of green spaces and put up nail shops and big box stores. Good argument here.

Unknown said...

Outstanding my man. Who knew yang & yin had so much to say? gee, they're right yang & yin just sounds clumsy

Katie Mia Frederick said...

Ah.. yes the entire earth is a ball of confusion of Yin and Yang..
where material reality of west of Yang.. meets contemplating
Eastern ways... Where the human mind and body becomes
balancing Yin and Yang.. is igniting a passion
play of flesh and spirit alive as fire and love..

I Just imagine the earth dividing
Yin and Yang.. in east and
west hemispheres of being
like the
mind and
body
dividing
not yet
balancing
as one..

Ah.. humans
as neurons and
the earth as brain..
Put it all together and
what will come next..:)

Grace said...

I specially admire this part as it shows the contrast of the two:

Yang: I am the dawn, the sky on fire, the shatterer of shadows, daylight spreading over half of the planet.
Yin: I am the softness of twilight, the dark side of the moon, molten lava rushing into the blackness gathering on the horizon, the shadow ballerina, bringer of midnight, the duchess of darkness.

Yet there is always a connection between the two, at the heart ~

Thanks for joining in Glenn ~ Have a good week ~

lynn__ said...

You don't have to be Taoist to appreciate the poetry, dialogue, humor, and exquisite balance of your dance here, Glenn!

Glenn Buttkus said...

Damn, I love computers--this is the second time that I somehow made an error trying to work with Sound Cloud. I can do the recitation copy again & post that, but in the editing phase, I am not allowed to delete the "bad" one. I'm sure that there is a way, but my luddite problem solving skills leave me clueless. Meanwhile the posting looks trashed up; sorry about that.

ayala said...

Infinite tango indeed. Interesting and creative piece.

Victoria said...

You took this far beyond description into an extended metaphor. The yin/yang works so well.

Cora said...

You are so awesome. I love this.

Anonymous said...

Two sides of the same coin, but even though they are part of the same, they are so different. Viva la differance!

Dell Clover said...

I especially like the "me and my shadow tango"!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Wow, from title to closing lines, you had me utterly engrossed. A stellar write!!!!! May the Tao of Soul Dancing continue!!!!

Truedessa said...

The infinite tango in sun or moonlight...the two sides of one meet in twilight for a glimpse of wholeness...is that possible? Anything is possible, thanks for letting me eavesdrop on the conversation. Delightfully intriguing...smiling..

Kathy Reed said...

Sometimes we are out of balance; there are two sides to every story; love and hate are opposites? Really, how intricate the dance, how mathematically interesting yet yin/yang
for me has a mystique about it and I beg to be different..not the same...now I'm lost?;)!

Anonymous said...

Glenn - when I practiced Kung Fu a lifetime ago, our instructor used to say that after practicing tai chi to achieve balance we should be neither happy nor sad, but just be.