Atop The Cliffs - Occidental Poetry Journal

A few people have sent me this from an account on Twitter that posted these. My comments: Nietzsche was of a different age than us - he says modern he means contemporaneous with himself. My question to the reader is - perhaps we have regressed? Is the role of the poet still what Nietzsche claimed it was or have we fallen back and the poet must serve another role before we advance forward again?

Weaponize your survival. Only a fool or coward rejects the use of weapons in the fight for survival. The 'noble pacifist' is a stain upon his ancestors as he absolves himself of the duty to survive. Technology is not 'neutral' but to reject it is to live as the Amish. Dependent on the good will of the men with guns. There are technologies that I may habor doubts about, it is healthy to limit screen time for example, but to abandon it would be foolish. It is dangerous to abstain completely as these are now weapons we must use for our survival.. This has become my position on new technologies like LLMs.

Remember. Night of the Long Knives happened for a reason...

Who would have thought Sargon would be this based?!

This is a thread worth reading if you want to understand the level of technological control possible today - LLMs are only going to be used more and more to make these tools better and silence dissenting voices and put them in a silo. https://twitter.com/treblewoe/status/1743069951529742370

Names in Ink “‘Marriage is one thing... but a tattoo is permanent!’” From a Reader’s Digest anecdote I saw a man with four tattoos: One “Karla” underneath the place Of paint rolled in three streaks of blues, Each trace of exes to erase. When Karla saw herself replace The women’s names inscribed in ink (Cassandra, Jessica, and Grace), I wonder if she stopped to think... One day, their hearts won’t be in sync, And his commitment’s not too strong. Hence Karla’s name within a blink Will be rolled out and moved along. Too few these days can see the wrong Or what the world is forced to lose When marriage doesn’t last as long As people’s names in old tattoos. -Joshua C Frank https://www.atopthecliffs.com/poetry/2023/12/14/names-in-ink

If you wish to know a man, his reaction to art is perhaps most revealing of his character and temperament.

2024 is the year to break out of echo chambers. Push yourself and reject the comfort that holds you back. Reasons to say no, reasons to put it off, reasons to snipe and critique. Don't listen to the lonely parasocially bitter people who talk about the same things day in day out.

Hallowed Halls It felt like a dream, That time I almost died. Cast off into an ether I slowly cried. Then the mists were parted, Golden light bathed my skin, Faces appeared Of my near and distant kin. In a hallowed hall they were gathered Smiling, crying, the mead flowed forth. I held aloft a cup, Saluting towards the north.

Class is permanent, form is temporary.

On the one hand New Year is a communist celebration often elevated in societies which are stuck in a Hegelian progressive mindset with little to no reverance for the past. On the other New Year is as good as any other arbitrary point to make meaningful changes to better your life and those of the ones you care about...

Yule Nights This Yule's Winter is quite dreamy: Woods whisper in my ears 'bout all the nights long, and heavy On my heart, as cold nears... Yet I love the snow dunes and gales, Frozen ghosts and wraiths, How they trap souls in their tales Of beauty one seldom sees... I can only hope to catch a glimpse At the true Winter's dream; As the last Sun sets in the distance, My passion writes in sleep.

South Africa popped into the headlines recently - they have filed a genocide case against Israel at the World Court. Their Rugby team also won the Rugby World Cup earlier this year - you may not be a sportsbro but it's likely the third (or 4th) biggest/most watched sporting event in the world after the Olympics and the Soccer World Cup (and maybe Cricket but that gets an boost from the population insanity of the Sub Continent) Yet it is also a failing state/failed state. This article is well worth a read https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-south-africas-brave-new-world The music can continue to be played for a long time whilst collapse is all around...

Flying internationally in this day and age is the best example of anarcho-tyranny. The middle classes are forced to endure repeated security theatre, multiple document checks all while knowing illegals are streaming across borders unchecked. The upper classes of course fly private.

European excellence in small arms. RIP

“The sweet vision of the Holy Grail Drove me from all vainglories, rivalries, And earthly heats that spring and sparkle out Among us in the jousts, while women watch Who wins, who falls; and waste the spiritual strength Within us, better offered up to Heaven.” — Alfred, Lord Tennyson, ‘Idylls of the King’

https://www.atopthecliffs.com/poetry/2023/12/19/whispers-of-greatness by Trevor Riedl