Caging the Intellectual Bird

“The binary world has given
radiant wings to knowledge
and information. Those who
support the infringement of
cyber freedom cage the
intellectual bird.”

••••••» Felicia Lujan
••••••» 4.30.2013

Inspired by Poison

~Cover of my new comic book~ Batman & Poison Ivy~ Her mind controlling pheromones don’t work on him.

Poison Ivy has been my favorite super villainess from DC Comics for a while now. Last weekend I couldn’t resist picking up this new comic book which features Batman (the super hero and Dark Knight) and Poison Ivy (the super villainess with a PhD). Batman may be immune to this toxic woman, but he still played some part in her story. I used a page of the comic book on my security badge for work. Of course it was just a picture of the queen of green~ no Batman.

As a writer, I can’t help but dig that the Poison Ivy character was inspired by a short story written by the great Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864). I learned that last week. Hawthorne is a classic literary hero, but I had never read his short story **Rappaccini’s Daughter.** Tonight I discovered a copy of the story in the Electronic Text Center with the University of Virginia Library. Of course I read it and it is an awesome story! Wow… Just wow… I love Nathaniel and I love that this story inspired the creation of Poison Ivy. Now I see her as a good symbol for me.

Following are a few of the excerpts I found particularly powerful.
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“Soon there emerged from under a sculptured portal the figure of a young girl, arrayed with as much richness of taste as the most splendid of the flowers, beautiful as the day, and with a bloom so deep and vivid that one shade more would have been too much. She looked redundant with life, health, and energy; all of which attributes were bound down and compressed, as it were and girdled tensely, in their luxuriance, by her virgin zone.”
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“Night was already closing in; oppressive exhalations seemed to proceed from the plants and steal upward past the open window; and Giovanni, closing the lattice, went to his couch and dreamed of a rich flower and beautiful girl. Flower and maiden were different, and yet the same, and fraught with some strange peril in either shape.”
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“Approaching the shrub, she threw open her arms, as with a passionate ardor, and drew its branches into an intimate embrace — so intimate that her features were hidden in its leafy bosom and her glistening ringlets all intermingled with the flowers.”
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“For many days after this incident the young man avoided the window that looked into Dr. Rappaccini’s garden, as if something ugly and monstrous would have blasted his eyesight had he been betrayed into a glance. He felt conscious of having put himself, to a certain extent, within the influence of an unintelligible power by the communication which he had opened with Beatrice. The wisest course would have been, if his heart were in any real danger, to quit his lodgings and Padua itself at once; the next wiser, to have accustomed himself, as far as possible, to the familiar and daylight view of Beatrice — thus bringing her rigidly and systematically within the limits of ordinary experience. Least of all, while avoiding her sight, ought Giovanni to have remained so near this extraordinary being that the proximity and possibility even of intercourse should give a kind of substance and reality to the wild vagaries which his imagination ran riot continually in producing.”
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“He made a step towards the shrub with extended hand; but Beatrice darted forward, uttering a shriek that went through his heart like a dagger. She caught his hand and drew it back with the whole force of her slender figure. Giovanni felt her touch thrilling through his fibres. ‘Touch it not!’ exclaimed she, in a voice of agony. ‘Not for thy life! It is fatal!’
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“By all appreciable signs, they loved; they had looked love with eyes that conveyed the holy secret from the depths of one soul into the depths of the other, as if it were too sacred to be whispered by the way; they had even spoken love in those gushes of passion when their spirits darted forth in articulated breath like tongues of long-hidden flame; and yet there had been no seal of lips, no clasp of hands, nor any slightest caress such as love claims and hallows. He had never touched one of the gleaming ringlets of her hair; her garment — so marked was the physical barrier between them — had never been waved against him by a breeze.”
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“Farewell, Giovanni! Thy words of hatred are like lead within my heart; but they, too, will fall away as I ascend.”
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The Nymph Calypso and Her Stone

The back of Odysseus as he turned from Calypso.

An epic poem by Homer made a mythical woman named Calypso infamous. Scholars have concluded that Homer’s poem The Odyssey (free e-book link below) was written off the Greek coast of Ionia during the latter part of the 8th century (BC). In the poem, Calypso was tragically intrigued by her legendary stone named Odysseus who washed ashore from the Ionian Sea. This poem was laced with temptation, seduction, and diversion. This makes it a classic literary piece, and so begins the Greek myth of Calypso and Odysseus.

Calypso was born to the Greek Titan named Atlas. The mythical Oceanides sea nymph lived on the island of Ogygia. Calypso is said to have had an enchanting voice. She lived in a beautiful cave near the sea. Some scholars and historians believe that the island of Ogygia was a myth, while others think it was actually located in the western Mediterranean Sea. Calypso has been seen as a negative symbol. She has been seen as a symbol of that which diverts men from their goals.

Odysseus was a legendary Greek man who was King of Ithaca. He was a hero in The Odyssey. Odysseus drifted for over a week in the sea before being rescued by Calypso. The king had lost his army and his ship after a battle with “monsters” from Italy and Sicily while returning home from Troy. After floating in the sea for 9 days, Calypso pulled him to shore and decided to keep him because she “became enamored.”

For between 5 and 7 years, Calypso refused to let Odysseus leave her island. Many scholars doubt that she actually forced him to stay and that she probably enchanted him with song. Others think that Calypso held him prisoner or hostage on her island. She offered Odysseus immortality and eternal youth in exchange for his everlasting love. The hero refused, though eventually the two made love apparently against his will.

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“Promise” featuring
Calypso and Odysseus
by Jan Styka
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It is natural for me to want to look at the woman and man in this Greek myth symbolically. Homer must have realized the symbolic power of these individuals. Odysseus is the stone. He is the hard, positive symbol of this myth while Calypso is the soft, negative symbol. The nymph is but a mere diversion in a mission for the greater good. In essence, this myth captures Odysseus as a classic hero with a noble cause, while Calypso is simply an unwanted muse who spurs distraction.

The golden kiss and enchanting voice of Calypso.

It is also interesting to see how scholars have studied the etymology of both names. The origin of the name Odysseus has been connected to two phrases amongst others. Odysseus means “he who causes pain” or “the one who is wrathful.” The name Calypso means “to cover, to conceal, to hide.” Etymologicum Magnum says that the name Calypso means “concealing the knowledge.”

In the end of this myth Calypso releases Odysseus on the sea. She does so against her will so that he can return to his wife Penelope in Ithaca. She had no choice but to do so even though she herself had become enchanted.

**Free E-book** The Odyssey by Homer courtesy of Project Gutenberg

Punishment

The Punisher

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Demolition of this helpless
soul. I Marvel at your force.

Expert tactics~ stealth and
arms, the pain will take its
course.

Reconnaissance~ the mission
is clear. Do not take prisoners
of the heart.

Highly trained to fight the
war~ I should have seen right
from the start.

Unarmed combat~ Dance with
me, and infiltrate the enemy.

Tolerate the pain~ then take
a breath of my weaponry.

Vigilante just do your will,
but camouflage your soul.

Master marksman~ you
aim to kill and this mind
does take a toll.

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by Felicia Lujan
1.24.2013

The Punisher~ “Bloody Valentine” comic book cover.

Demi~God

•Artwork by Boris Vallejo•

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Half a spirit in the sky
and half to roam my land.
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Demi~God of myths unknown,
just take me by the hand.
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Power far beyond my grasp,
yet still clutching to the core.
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Approach the gods, offer my
heart and consume me with
your lore.
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This duality in my hero
thrives and it does make
a mortal weak.
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Deny the seed of strength
within to reap what it is we
seek.
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Divine is light compelled by
dark, just a servant at your
call.
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Subservient to a celestial
being who will refuse to
take it all.
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by Felicia Lujan
January 5, 2012

~•Dark Descent•~

9:30pm~
I am up in the air right now, and making the great descent into Albuquerque. Flying in the dark, fog, and rain was a little scary. The flight was delayed by an hour due to fog and problems with the weight of the plane. Almost home. I received several text messages from caring members of my family when I got into Fort Worth. Apparently Santa Fe received her first snow of the season today. Following is my “in flight” poem about descent.

11:57pm~
Arrived in Santa Fe at about 11:30pm. There was black ice and snow here. I have heard that there was a fatal accident. There was a detour and I ended up stuck in traffic.

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~••DARK DESCENT••~
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Once I soared above the
distant lonesome twinkle.
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I danced with moonlight
until my feet could sing.
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My wings were soft~ each
feather kissed by the sun.
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There was a time when I
could fly beyond the night.
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My wings were bright~
each feather colored by
a rainbow.
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Chopped air has crippled
my fall from stars and sky.
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Tangled in snow filled~
empty clouds~ I’m heavy.
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A dark decent~ a steady
fall toward the frost
bitten earth.
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~•••••~•••••~
by Felicia Lujan
December 9, 2012

¤ A Broken Bone ¤

~~The Wishbone~~

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A wish for just one bottled
flame capped with hope and
sorcery.

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Though the glass will break,
I’ll try again. Just leave one
wish for me.

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A wish for moonlight and
the smell of rain so I could
lock the memory.

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Though the clouds move in
and drops don’t fall, just
leave one wish for me.

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A wish for five more words
from you before you break
eternity.

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Though the wishbone is
broken, I’ll ask again. Just
leave one wish for me.

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by Felicia Lujan
11.20.2012

~Kill Switch~

 

~KILL SWITCH~
Original poem and digital composite by Felicia Lujan
Composite features seven layers and six images including: labyrinthine circuit board lines; an Ethernet switch; a blue light; a sugar skull; a blue rose; and the number one doubled. “A kill switch, also known as an e-stop, is a security mechanism used to shut off a device in an emergency situation in which it cannot be shut down in the usual manner. Unlike a normal shut-down switch/procedure, which shuts down all systems in an orderly fashion and turns the machine off without damaging it, a kill switch is designed and configured to a) completely abort the operation at all costs and b) be operable in a manner that is quick, simple (so that even a panicking user with impaired executive function can operate it), and, usually, c) be obvious even to an untrained operator or a bystander. Many kill switches feature a removable barrier or other protection against accidental activation.”

~KILL SWITCH~

______________________________

“All systems failed,” molten overload~
smoke clouds my eyes so I can’t see.

Shatter my sky with electric sparks
until I writhe with needless agony.

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Technologist~delight supreme~ the
bits and bytes eat an ever shrouded heart.

Penchant one please hit the switch, flesh
on my knees gone from the start.

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Only heat can melt away frostbitten
dreams of eternal sleepy nights.

No earthly tribute would ever satiate
or bring my face into the light.

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This debility a poison true,
every wire flushed out with pain.

Intangible~ you should reach for it.
Hit the kill switch~ keep me sane.

_____________________________

by Felicia Lujan
October 19, 2012

~Undone~

~Undone~
Original poem and digital composite
featuring a corset by Felicia Lujan.

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Liberate my painted~ moonlit soul

unlace an ocean and the deep.

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Release the bosom~ pull on strings

untie the knots while I’m asleep.

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Loosen a strand of needless time

undo the need to have a key.

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Open me up~ corsets breed the weak

unfasten these ties and let me see.

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Alter the fit and change the mold

I will promise to deflect the sun.

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Free the wings secured by twine

for it is time to come undone.

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by Felicia Lujan

October 14, 2012

Who Needed the Last Rose?

Every year I cautiously watch the last rose of summer. She is always there waiting for me when I say goodbye to the day and head home. The rose is one of my symbols. Maybe she waits to be plucked or maybe she waits to fade away into the darkness of winter? Over the years I have come to love her. When l leave work I pass her by~~ offering her water~ leaving her a drink~ enjoying her beauty~ maybe even touching her. Yesterday when I left work I was sad to see that she was gone. The last rose of summer did not die a natural death. At first I was upset when I witnessed the green, bare stub. The glory of summer was gone~~ removed~ detached~ and absent. Once I was over my loss, I realized that someone obviously needed her more than I. Maybe someone needed to cup beauty? Maybe someone needed to tell someone else they were loved with the last rose as an offering? Maybe someone gave her to a sick mother? Maybe someone really needed her to come undone petal by petal~ to find out if someone else loved or loved them not? I do know that the last rose did not have her chance to embrace the cold. She will not see Old Man Winter this year. Maybe it is better that way? I don’t know what happened to the last rose? Whatever happened, I know she was plucked because she was needed~~ and I do think that is beautiful.

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Into My Eyes

~EYES~ photo I took at the Def Leppard concert on September 2, 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Take a trip into the great abyss~ my eyes~ a portal through which you may cross and never return.
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Take a trip and lose yourself for a moment~ these eyes~ a window you may open to feel the wind.
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Take a trip through unknown lands~ brown eyes~ an earthiness your toes have never known.
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Take a trip over rainbows, through the clouds~ blinking eyes~ refocus and flinch, they welcome REM.
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Take a trip~ iris and pupil engrossed~ dilated eyes~ absorb the light and night and stars.
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Take a trip~ unplanned, schedule free~ my eyes~ a portal through which you may cross and never return.
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by Felicia Lujan
September 10, 2012

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Skin and Stars

*****~SKIN AND STARS~*****
Digital composite by Felicia Lujan
Composite includes five images~ one image of a woman, one
image of space, one image of stars, and two images of hair.

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Your memory~it is forever
tacked to perplexing luminosity.
A bright string of stars signed
on soft tissue~left by gravity.
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Even the complex constellations
have nothing on this skin.
Thermonuclear fusion~creating
places astronomers haven’t been.
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Release incalculable energy~
feel it filter down my spine.
Traverse inside and then radiate
becoming lost in time.
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Supernovas amaze~injure my
mind while they leave a mark.
Observe this spectrum if you
can~it will brighten up the dark.
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Binary~gravitationally bound
~comprised of not one but two.
Orbit around me~leave a tinge~
this skin was made for you.
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

by Felicia Lujan
September 3, 2012

A Rose and Caviar

This piece is an exploration of value. So many of us are
obsessed with having expensive things, yet we fail to
recognize those things which have true intrinsic value.

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I should be soaring away
with my head tilted slightly
toward the gods, feeding on
the caviar of Shakespeare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Laurence Olivier
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*****A Rose and Caviar*****
Digital composite includes one photograph I took of my hand and a rose, as well as “gold” beads which are symbolic of caviar or riches. The rose is a symbol of many things. I am also wearing gold “caviar” nail polish (Britney ).

A ROSE AND CAVIAR

Sit and feed on caviar. It does not
give breath to unhinged dreams.
She asked him just to keep the
rose and all of the finer things.

 

Finger sparkles as he may, never
revealing diamonds in the rough.
In her hands she holds the clouds.
That has always been enough.

 

He will lick the sun before he sleeps,
still the gold he will not taste.
She values pleasure above all things
and heart she will not waste.

 

What she wants is never for sale,
but it’s worth currency unreal.
In her soul the rapture remains,
so she wants for him to feel.

 

She would sit and swallow caviar
hinged to everything she heard.
He asked if she would keep the
rose if it was simply just his word.

 by Felicia Lujan
August 25, 2012

~~Inside Out~~

~~~~~Inside Out~~~~~
Original colored pencil drawing by Felicia Lujan
~~~~~July 2012~~~~~

Behold red stitches for they have
popped ~ reveal an oasis from within.
Great saboteur tether hearts and
stars ~ this is your greatest sin.

Furred with gimmicks, the basting
did give and yanked me inside out.
Outgrowth of feelings ~ emptiness,
fatuous without a single doubt.

Orchestra of nothingness meant
to rip my hearty chest apart.
Laconic one ~ zigzags were
gone right from the very start.

Redoubtable ~ the fire is strong,
flames burn batting while I shout.
There is no need grand saboteur,
but just to jilt me inside out.

~Felicia Lujan~
July 2012

The Loudest Silence

**********~The Loudest Silence~**********
~Digital composite by Felicia Lujan~
Created using three images including
an image of white noise, an image
of binary code, and an image symbolic
of communication.

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A deafening stillness- static- feels
like one thousand needles in my ears.

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Thunderous- the white noise is thick-
the deaf could hear a tongueless cry.

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Blasting soundless waves- my senses
burning to hear through this silence.

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The atrocious- a quiet roar builds,
then claps, then shrivels away.

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Excommunicate- hear the loudest
noise blaring while binary disappears.

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by Felicia Lujan_7.7.2012