An intellectual debate

25/1/12

Background music: The Squirrel Nut Zippers. How did I not discover this band sooner? It's Gypsy-Jazz-Klezmer-Punk!

"What is happiness?" The philosopher asks
"Mere chemicals," declares the scientist's gasp
"But why?" asks the romantic, the punk, heathen
"These chemicals exist with purpose, reason"

"And what of our miseries, chemical row?
Depressed without reason nor season in stow?
Do our harmonies light without any true cause?
Or call true emotion which flows without pause?

"Jealousy and frustration with those we love-"
"Does that have reason?" calls the lover above
"Loneliness and sadness is caused by our flaws-"
"Actions like those act to call us into war!"

"We'll kill him!" cried jilted lover asudden
"We'll set ourselves free of this terrible spell"
"If we can't be happy, be free and be well,"
"We'll rot alongside him as we serve in hell!"

The logician laughs at the mad lover's quip
"You'll do none of that while I am on this ship-
"These emotions are evolutionary guides-
"You'll pay them no heed and go on with your lives

The anarchist; rebel; broods quiet aside,
His posture communicating aloof pride
"What we need to do," comes his new reflection
"Is give happiness a critics inspection"

"Lover, will you find true happiness at war?
'Cos in the future, god knows what is in store,
Your lady's return may be later than hoped
But maybe you'll find she is pipped at the post"

The logician claps for the punk has seen reason
The lover content to persist for the season
And with contention from both the left and the right
The neural landscape goes to sleep for the night
________________________________________________________

I love writing things set within the mind. I blame Psychonauts. I have no idea how I settled into vagely Seussian verse though. The "rot alongside him in hell" bit felt like writing a power metal song.

Today's piece was brought to you by an anonymous motivator, whose comments on the quality of my work made me want to do more. They may also have been an influece on the content of the piece. Or, they may not have. I'm not really sure, to be perfectly honest.

I went to Uni to enrol; it was cool. The people in my course all seemed smarter and wealthier than me. Eh. I don't seem to fit the mould for a Commerce student though. I protest like an Arts major, drink like an engineer, and lie my way out of things like a law student.

Oh well, lets see if I can get something new written more quickly than last time now.