It can linger on long after the scientific theory it’s based on has been superceded. So the earth/water/fire/air elemental theory lives on as metaphor. People still use the simplistic “left brain-right brain” to describe styles of thinking. At some point a scientist said “we only know what 10% of the brain does”- this was twisted into “we only use 10% of our brains.” The scientist’s description was misunderstood to be a complete explanation. The misconception lingers desite being well refuted by our ever more detailed mapping of brain function.

Using scientific concepts as feedstock for metaphor is appealing because it lends a sciency air of authority. “Quantum” anything- it must be cutting edge! But more often than not, the implications of the metaphor are not supported in any real way, or even contradicted by, the theory. Metaphors, of course, are free for all to do with as they please… but false appeals to scientific authority are not due any respect whatsoever.

we grew into

the stew, the slop

the sunny pop

improv brought the son and pop

together

we wailed

we blew, we felt

the pulse, the swing

the other thing

we couldn’t put our finger on

whatever

we tripped

we fell into

the clue, without

the nagging doubt

credit for mistake as

variation

fun with what

you can’t pin down

take a stab

intrepid, glad

to play it as we make it up

together

in atmospheric light distortion

there’s a deep encoded old proportion

a fleeting pareidolic actor

a mottled modeled social factor

inject illusory corpuscle

and flesh it out with mirrored muscle

tense and then relax the flexor

in a momentary facial texture

(hui:)

anon anon anon anonomously

not unhappy we will be

A to B to see the dots and edges free-

ly floating zero g

from the basement to the attic

pick out voices in the static

filter friend from foe fanatic

and attend to what is most dramatic

midst the bubbling public gather

in the humming, hubbub, buzz and blather

sifting, lifting bits of meaning

listening for a glistening gleaning

in the sand or on the beaches

does the tide intend to teach us?

in the meadow or the clover

was it we who rolled it over?

in the trees or in the forest

crackling twigs and leaves implore us

better to be lost than beaten

better to be fooled than eaten

from radical plate

meta note duo

you detonate

metal placid armor

felt tips and tops

     spud nap unit maps

     spam tin up and ups

~

anal prod radio

verb mitten net

timbre void ardor

plan a

~

(self fawning is sign in waffles)

buried

cold mud volcano, green on the ocean floor

extrude under pressure, in formation to ignore

out of the silence, a vacuum to avoid

grace under pleasure, we’re only humanoid

no mastermind behind it all

ideas arise, fighting words fall

riverbed footprints in ancient pursuit

remember the monster, we shake in our boots

erosion of morals, huge bodies of work

buried in thought, we bubble and perk