MEDITATIONS ON A PARK BENCH Options

[Psyche]

THIS POEM IS INTENDED AS A PARODY OF RENÉ DESCARTES, THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHER WHO EMPTIED HIS HEAD OF ALL LEARNED IDEAS AND BASED HIS SYSTEM ON "I THINK, THEREFORE I EXIST". NONETHELESS, HE DID NOT INCLUDE GOD AS AN IDEA IN HIS HEAD, BUT "USED" GOD AS AN INDEPENDENT, OMNIPOTENT, SUPREME BEING WHO WAS TO BE THE GUARANTOR, ACCORDING TO DESCARTES, THAT NO EVIL FIEND WOULD DECEIVE HIM WITH LIES WHILE HE PROCESSED HIS OWN THOUGHTS AND ESTABLISHED HOW THINGS ARE IN THE WORLD.
THE "WRETCH" MEDIDATING ON THE PARK BENCH IS SCEPTICAL ABOUT GOD NOT BEING JUST AN IDEA IN DESCARTES' HEAD, THEREFORE HE PICTURES A DIFFERENT SORT OF SCENARIO, OF A MAN WHO CAN DESTROY THE UNIVERSE BECAUSE GOD IS, IN FACT, INSIDE HIS HEAD... NATURALLY IT'S JUST AN IRONICAL VIEW OF THE PHILOSOPHER, AND THE MEDITATOR ON THE PARK BENCH IS MERELY A DEJECTED WRECK TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A FEW THINGS, WITHOUT MUCH CONVICTION. (Thank you, Nina, for pointing out that I should make these clarifications).


MEDITATIONS ON A PARK BENCH

Cogito, ergo sum...?*


I am my thoughts,
theories that I trace in my mind’s eye.
When the thought that I am dies,
the universe will die too,
because it’s my own peculiar notion
that God is the guarantor of all existence
and that no fiend shall deceive me with lies.

All common sense
(lies as well, I suspect),
is like binary noughts and dashes,
chips in a machine that is my brain,
a digital domain
for data stored in gigabytes.
Maybe with some odd masterly flashes
of true intellect.

My mind, a profusion
of grand schemes and bagatelles,
somewhat less than genius
but not quite delusion.
Ball-point pen poised above a scrappy notebook,
I cogitate wildly about the bum deals
man and history proposed -
mainly a bunch of flops
and maudlin ideals.

So here I am: a wretch sitting on a park bench -
nice folks make a wide berth of the stench.

With a broad brush I dip
my thoughts in green and red and orange paint.
I aerograph the world’s wealth
on my private Cockaigne,
wickedly flipping
all and sundry to a virtual death.

People maunder by in assorted attire.
I wave my handkerchief
and wait to die.

By Psyche.

* Latin for "I think, therefore I am" (or exist). René Descartes, French Philosopher, 1596-1650.


© Sylvia Maclagan, Buenos Aires, Argentina., 2006.
All rights reserved.

[Guest_Nina_*]

Hi Sylvia

For some reason you posted this twice. I have deleted the other thread but it can be retrieved should you want.

Nina

[Guest_Nina_*]

Hi Sylvia

A very reflective philosophical poem which demands some thought by the reader.

A few of my humble thoughts for you to consider and reject.

[add] {delete} comment

I am my thoughts,
theories that I trace in my mind’s eye.
When the thought that I am dies,
the universe will die too, ...surely only your universe will die. The universe itself has been in existence for millions of years and no doubt will continue for millions after I'm dead (unless we destroy it just as we are Planet Earth)
because it’s my own peculiar notion
that God is the guarantor of all existence
and that no fiend shall deceive me with lies. ... but does God exist or is this a lie which has deceived many for thousands of years?

All common sense
(lies as well, I suspect),
is like binary noughts and dashes, ...because you throw lies into the sentence, I keep wanting to read "is" as "are". I'm not sure which is right.
chips in a machine that is my brain,
a digital domain
for data stored in gigabytes.
Maybe with some odd masterly flashes
of true intellect…hmmm. ..I'm not sure that hmmm works for me. I feel it lightens the message.

My mind, a profusion
of grand schemes and bagatelles,
somewhat less than genius
but not quite delusion.
Ball-point pen poised above a scrappy notebook,
I cogitate wildly about the bum deals ..again I feel the slang "bum" jars. Perhaps instead "poor"
man and history proposed -
{mainly} a bunch of {flops}[failures]
and maudlin ideals.

So here I am: this wretch sitting on a park bench -
{nice folks}[good folk] make a wide berth of the stench.

With a broad brush I dip
my thoughts in green and red and orange paint. .. brilliant imagery
I aerograph the world’s wealth
on my private Cockaigne
and wickedly flip
all and sundry to a virtual death.
People maunder by in assorted attire[;]
{and} I wave my handkerchief
and wait to die.

Nins

[Psyche]

Sorry Nina ! I'm just getting used to the new forums, been away for at least a month, doing some office moving. I'll probably make lots more mistakes !!!
Thanks for fixing this blunder and also thanks so much for critting my poem. I scanned your comments but must fly now, will get back to you asap. and see what I can edit.
It's 10 p.m. in Buenos Aires now !
Hugs, Sylvia

[Cleo_Serapis]

Sylvia

I'l be bck too soon to read and comment (I, myself have lots of catch-up to do).

Lori

[Guest_ohsteve_*]

Silvia, I think Nina has done a good job with the critique and as I am not a very good critiquer I will abstain...I thought this very deep, and it touches on points most of us have pondered ( at least those of my age have..lol) more than once. This was a good a point as any in the philisophical realm of things that might be.
Steve

[Psyche]

Hello Nina !
I'm very grateful for your comments because they help me to "get things across" more effectively. I may change some things, to make it clearer. I just added the translation of the Latin epigraph, just in case.

I wrote this poem quite a long time ago, when studying Philosophy. It's really a parody of the French Philosopher Descartes' mode of starting off his system of Philosophy, based on the famous "I think, therefore I am". On the other hand, I'm personally convinced (and quite a few investigators would agree..), that Descartes' writings were full of more or less hidden ironies & sarcasm directed at the Theologians of his time. There's a legend that says he sat inside a chimney, meditating, until he'd managed to remove from his head all the bull.... he'd been taught in University, which of course was ruled by the Christian Church. He also decided against publishing his Opus Magnum called "The World", after seeing what happened to Galileo.

You've rightly pointed out that only the "thinker's" universe will perish !! But the trouble with Descartes' proposition, is that he actually put God outside his own personal thinking, as he was a believer and he considered God the guarantor that he wouldn't be deceived by any evil genies (by this, you may "read" the Theologians of his time, who instructed him at University).
In reality, he put God after himself, God comes in later, as a guarantee.

But my parody intends to show that God is also a notion in Descartes' thinking; God is an idea that doesn't exist of itself, but per force must be in the thinker's mind. I'm not discussing the existence of God, I simply parody this philosopher's fundamental "platform", on which he then based his entire system.

The "Meditator on the Park Bench" is a wicked Descartes who can annihalate the Universe, since God, being the Guarantor of all existence, is really only an idea in the poor wretch's mind. I suppose he's only playing at being so powerful, of course; he's poking fun at the real Descartes.

Seriously now, many philosophers incur in this problematical "thinking in circles", which we also call "solus ipse" ("me alone"), or solipsism. An example is Hegel, who declared himself "The Eye of God", therefore having the power to observe his own system of philosophy "from the outside"... otherwise how could he know that it was correct?!

All common sense
(lies as well, I suspect),
is like binary noughts and dashes

I believe it's correct to use "is", since the previous line is between brackets. But I'll try to make it an easier read by changing something or other, thank you !!

I shall also remove "hmmm", see what else I can come up with !! I prefer to leave "bum deals", since this guy is a homeless wretch, probably sleeping nights on the park bench. I think it fits in with his cinical character, even tho' he may be a homeless intelectual, one who's dropped out of society and has picked up the street jargon, OK?

Oh dear, thank you so much Nina for going to all this trouble with my poem. I'll take steps to remedy the obscure bits....
Hugs, Sylvia :-)[b]

[Psyche]

Sylvia

I'l be bck too soon to read and comment (I, myself have lots of catch-up to do).

Lori

Hi Cleo !

Thanks for dropping by in spite of being so busy ! I look forward to your comments, any time !
Hugs, Sylvia

[Psyche]

Silvia, I think Nina has done a good job with the critique and as I am not a very good critiquer I will abstain...I thought this very deep, and it touches on points most of us have pondered ( at least those of my age have..lol) more than once. This was a good a point as any in the philisophical realm of things that might be.
Steve

Hi Steve !

Love to have your visit !! I'm not a good critiquer myself, either, but will visit your poetry asap to comment. I've been away and have so much to catch up on, but it's REALLY nice to meet old friends again in this forum...

I shall also try to make my poem a little clearer, or perhaps I could add a line or two at the top, explaining that it's a parody of Descartes. Seems easier !! haha....

See ya,
cheers, Sylvia

[Guest_Nina_*]

Hi Sylvia

Heavy ideas. I have never studied philosophy nor read anything about Descartes so your parody went way over my head. I think it would be useful to put explain that it is a parody and summarise his philosophy about God.

His idea does seem to me somewhat delusional. God being an idea in his head makes me think that he believes he is God and omnipotent. No doubt I've misunderstood.

Anyway thanks for trying to explain.

Nina

[Psyche]

Hi Nina !
Thanks again for your advice. Yes, I'll include a couple of lines at the top to explain that it's a parody of Descartes. I don't think I'll go into details about his Philosophy !
Hugs, Sylvia :-)

[Psyche]

Hi Sylvia

Heavy ideas. I have never studied philosophy nor read anything about Descartes so your parody went way over my head. I think it would be useful to put explain that it is a parody and summarise his philosophy about God.

His idea does seem to me somewhat delusional. God being an idea in his head makes me think that he believes he is God and omnipotent. No doubt I've misunderstood.

Anyway thanks for trying to explain.

Nina

Hi again, Nina !
Well, I don't know, I'd certainly find other disciplines than mine difficult to understand too... heavy ideas !! haha.... :-)
Thank you for suggesting I put an explanation at the top. I already did that and hope it clarifies a few points. I don't intend to summarise Descartes' philosophy about God !!! Wow...
I think I'd claim payment for that !!! Loriiiiiiiiiiiiiii.....??????!!!!!
Let's see, Descartes really wanted to keep God out of everything, but way back then, it was impossible, since all Universities functioned in the monasteries and other theologians' institutions. In fact, men had to be clerics to be able to study at all (women were not allowed in). ALL STUDIES were overseen by theologians, and the Inquisition ruled supreme on everything to do with Nature, Man and the Cosmos. It was pretty dangerous to write anything at all !!
Descartes writings did not go down well with the Theologians and he had plenty of trouble during his life. He died fairly young, in Sweden, where he'd been summoned to teach the Queen a bit of Philosophy. She'd call him to her boudoir at 5 a.m. and it was a terribly cold winter, so he caught pneumonia rushing along the cold passages of the Nordic castle.... :-(
Well, that's all !!
Thank you and hugs, Nina,
Sylvia