In ancient Celtic societies, music and poetry were the basis of community.
Badbard
I have written about Badbard before .
I met him here on Substack and we got to not know each other better on www.buymeacoffee.com, which I like a lot because it gives me the opportunity for personal one-on-one engagement with people.
I like that personal thing.
At 78, every day is personal discovery. One day, I might find out who and what I am — and all the friends I have made writing on Substack and all my coffeebuyers with whom I get dialog help me in that journey. Badbard among them.
Mind, you at my age, “journeys” are not what they used to be. Not around the world to a war zone anymore. Maybe a couple of blocks to a supermarket.
Fulfillment
It is all about “fulfillment”
I understand that this “personal” approach probably makes me look less “professional”. But it fulfills me more than power (which I never had) or money (which I had a lot of until I lost it).
I used to write only on under pseudonyms, usually my nicknames — the Oracle, the Magician, and so on (not “Zombie”) — since I worked as a spin artist, media consultant, analyst, and fixer in a wide range of fields with many different clients, including almost every Japanese ministry and all the big names in Japanese business.
As a “gaijin” here in Japan— that is, as Outsider— the Japanese will make you privy to a lot of things they might not show others. So, ironically, I see both outside-in and inside-out.
That “access” meant I had to be careful about my personal opinions. I was “professional” in those days.
On the other hand, I need to vent those opinions — so I wrote a LOT — under pseudonyms.
Not anymore. Even though, writing “personal” has gotten me blacklisted by some companies here in Japan.
Thank you Jonnie!
No matter, people like Badbard, and others, make it all worth it.
Badbard (Jonnie) is very sick. His doctors have taken him off chemo’ because it no longer works and just causes damage. His condition is deteriorating. But he keeps on writing. He is an inspiration. Please pray for him.
His site is
https://www.badbardpoetry.com/
And you can find him on Substack too. So visit please. Message him. Show him support. At the end of the day— it is the small things that are biggest.
The poem he sent me the other day…..? It touched me.
Yes, we must “we must review and forgive ourselves”. Me, especially,/
Unfulfilled (by Badbard)
Looking back I never asked myself
If the path felt good
Like a moth I’d be bouncing off the walls
Hiding my confusion under the hood
Now I’m old and the waste and mess
Make it clear for me to see
That whatever it is I thought I was
Could never come to be
We must review and forgive ourselves
Before we leave this life
Of the ignorance and misunderstanding we spread
Or it will dice us like a knife
We should strive while we’re alive
To be our own guiding mother
Lest we fall and take it all
From this life to another
Love ya’ Jonnie!
I'm sorry to hear about Badbard, but coming off the "acid juice" is a good thing - his body is acid and when does it make sense to add insult to injury? If he'd be up to the challenge there are ways to maybe get past it - like cutting out all the crap foods, going alkaline in the diet, lots of hydration, lots and lots of raw fruits and veggies that are cleansing and energizing, and some supporting herbal tinctures. It doesn't have to be the end, unless it's pancreatic and he's waited too long, but hopefully he's willing and hasn't waited so long he's just plain ran out of time. He shouldn't give up otherwise though, seriously, the body can repair and reverse adverse conditions if we create the right conditions for it to do so ... it was designed to self-heal. There's a toe video I could share with him as proof of the body's ability to heal - it was scheduled for amputation along with the part of the foot, but it has completely regenerated and there are photos for the stages of repair it went through - kind of awesome. I'm not soliciting a client here - wasn't my toe, wasn't my protocol.
Magnificent homage. And his poetry is so deep and real! Thank you for the discovery.