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Choppin' Wood Blues

In response to a very dear, and loving person I've only encountered in the past year.  It is the challenge of life not to lose the love and slip into despair.  After reading an introduction to Buddhism recently, I wrote these words.

While I believe all religion boggles the mind with all of it's mystery and illogical principles, Buddhism isn't any different.  It does have some things I appreciate, like being detached from things that bind.  To me this is akin to Christian forgiveness.  To release the grip your heart may have on either those you feel have done you wrong, or for the things you feel you have done; we call these things "sin" which is not a Buddhist concept, but releasing those holds is to be detached. 

As you will see from these lyrics, they are hardly of detachement, but after reading some quotes from Elie Wiesel about "indifference", I felt inspired to emphasize our seeming inability to release in this verse I call "Choppin' Wood Blues".



My wife done up and lef me
Wit fo' children and the dog
I said, "Don' let the screen do' hit ya"
But, you can trip right on that log

Don't care what you been up to
Just please just go away
Don't care who you been seein'
This fire is here to stay

I got the blues...
Those choppin' wood blues...
I got the blues
Those choppin' wood blues
I got the blues...
Those choppin' wood blues...
I got the blues
Those choppin' wood blues

If your neck lays there bare
When the kids have gone to sleep
I'll be out for some more choppin'
And, the dog won't say a peep

If you're gone when I get there
Good riddance anyhow
Save me a whole lotta trouble
'n disappear from here right now

I got the blues...
Those choppin' wood blues...
I got the blues
Those choppin' wood blues
I got the blues...
Those choppin' wood blues...
I got the blues
Those choppin' wood blues

If the po-lice should come by
Before the crack of dawn
They'll have to do some searchin'
In the bowels of the hog

If only we had more of 'em
We'd nevera named that pig
You can put some lipstick on it
But, a pig is still a pig

If we only had more of 'em
The bones would be all gone
I wouldn't tell a soul
'n that dog won't make a sound

He's such a hound...

I got the blues...
Those choppin' wood blues...
I got the blues
Those choppin' wood blues
I got the blues...
Those choppin' wood blues...
I got the blues
Those choppin' wood blues

...

You gotta love the BLUES?!? Let fiction be fiction, and fact be fact. I think I could sing this one from the top of a stack of firewood! They say the opposite of love is indifference, not hate. So, what is hate the opposite of?

On a quick web search, it says the same. The opposite of hate is indifference. So, does this mean love and hate are the same? It's not that they are the same, except they are both feelings. It really boils down to the opposite of everything being indifference according to Elie Wiesel...


“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.”

― Elie Wiesel

...

Whether this be accurate, or not, I'm not sure, but in the end, perhaps it will all amount to nothing, or NOTHINGNESS, the great un-attachment. Both love and hate require attachment, whether it be physical, or emotional, or both.

So, the real question is, "What are the BLUES?" Definitely attachment, but true Buddhist don't dance unless it is to mantra. This is America, and we dance... even if we have the BLUES!!!

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