I. MONEY
Give it to me. now. more. bigger. better. i want everything. so rich and awesome. you swallow. the banks have what it takes. my wife has it every day. unlimited power. you want it? only figures count. you’ve got to take this or i’m not going to pay you. open your eyes. you see? you’ve blown it. it’s really hard. you haven’t properly achieved. you succumbed to matters of virtue. your potty isn’t full yet. irreverence. don’t shit into my ferrari, honey. step up the gear, mate. let’s rock’n’roll. grab those opportunities by the balls. there’s nothing left. no fruit juice in the morning. no pain. no gain. more fun. more mon’. no mores. more whores. more return-of-investment. at the end of the day. more love.
tttccchhhhhhhhhhhcccrrrttttttcccchhhhiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzshhhh-trrcchhh …
It’s a lot of fun for us Children to build our Castles in the Sand. It’s the main thing we’re doing in the Sandbox. Since there’s enough Sand in the Box for everyone – the clay of reality – we never need to concern ourselves with matters of resources. Besides, most of us value ideas over size anyway. We’re always happy coming up with new things for our Castels. And we’re always proud finding a way to make it all real.
The Worms underneath work also away very meticulously. They dig holes in the soil, sometimes roll balls in the mud. But they’d also do something very peculiar. Whenever they stick their heads above ground they pause, entering into some kind of tranquility. Somehow they feel that this is the only way to perhaps, one day, rise from being forever stuck in the mud.
IT IS ONLY WHAT WE SPEND OUR TIME AND HEADSPACE ON THAT PURHASES REAL CHANGE
II. LOVE
I’m yours. you’re mine. we’re fucking flying. our hormones are holding hands. let’s get this mortgage together. a capsule in space. bliss beyond conception. feed me. come inside. be my vessel. my vehicle to happiness. fullness. merging. creating a future. making me see. escape route. salvation. my personal jesus. my one and only. my real self. homecoming. all i ever wanted. let’s get pissed together while falling asleep in front of the telly. your rosemary breath next to me. your beautiful face in the morning. why me? hitting the jackpot. my friends are all jealous. from solitude. what money can’t buy. the heart as a butterfly. a descending bird on your naked, soft shoulder. mellowing out. until death us part.
rrrrrtatunnnccchhhhggggnnnnnnnnnrrtccchhhhrrrrrttcchhhhhhhhhhzzzzzzzznnnhhhhh …
Whenever we Children aren’t working on our Castles we often like to visit other Children’s Castles. Some of them might as well be absolutely beautiful. We’d then fall completely in love with them. We’d tell the builder, “I’m so much in love with your Castle”, and they might say, “thanks”, and smile in return. Perhaps they add, “I’m in love with yours too”, showering us with a tingling sensation of bliss. We exchange. We feel blessed. We’re happy.
The Worms underneath meanwhile dig their holes also sometimes in pairs. They’d slowly find out where this leads them as it creates both a more individual, yet also more shared reality. Every now and again they’d stick their heads into the Sky, relax and chill as a unit. They feel it makes sense to try and rise into Heaven like this, together, while only the Stars are watching.
AS LONG AS WE ARE TRUE TO OURSELVES WE WILL ALWAYS FIND OTHER TRUE, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
III. MEDIA
Headlines. news feeds. information stream highways. don’t you know? have you heard? success stories. truths and lies. the collective memory. bypassing the brain. but first those messages. don’t you believe? that will be expensive. you’ve got to get a subscription. don’t touch that dial. the other station. her breasts cannot feed you. trust me. we’ve worked really hard to come up with this. the torch of truth in the darkness. relax. don’t let subliminal messages undermine your ability to think clearly. you must change your way of life. we don’t control your mind. you better behave or we’ll take everything away again. via direct debit. live in the first row. your cinema ticket to heaven. let madness and entertainment commence.
tttttccchhhhhrrrreeeeeeeeeeeccchhhhhhhhhhzzzzzrroouutchggnnhhhgnnnfhhh …
Whatever we Children see and hear in the Sandbox, eventually creates our collective memory of shared experience. It exists as the empty space between ourselves and all others, containing our mutually consented Reality. Being inhaled and exhaled by everyone at all time we’re very much enjoying the process of consciously shaping this Ether. Like a giant brain enveloping us, whose nerve cells we are ourselves and our Castles.
In Wormland underneath it is the soil itself holding all Worms firmly together. It irrevocably surrounds them with their self-created and ever-changing framework of Existence. Above the soil, the open Sky is yet another strange framework, albeit entirely unknown. Stretching their heads out as much as they can, they’ll perhaps be able to immerse themselves into whatever This is.
THERE IS AN INVISIBLE INTERFACE BETWEEN US WHICH INTRINSICALLY BINDS US TOGETHER
IV. POLITICS
Complicated society. the end is near. money makes the world go round. you and me. we and us. let’s change this ugly world. a glorious nation. years of suffering. party potency. power is cool. fuck the party. muck the farty. atrocious scenes. tormented souls. money makes the war go on. i shoot you. the talk show. this is the wrong answer. head slapping. painting by numbers. raising cucumbers. the pinnacle of society. reaching new frontiers. milking the cows. herding the sheep. sex on demand. our great children. priceless laws. justice and order. an invisible labour force. the busses don’t work. high unemployment rate. ego inflation. a just and fair banking system. the medal of honour. the general public. the gist.
tttttzzsssssssggrrrrrrrrrrrrindhhhhtttttttrrrhhhhhiiiiiieeeeeeeeecchhhsshhhtrmmphh …
We Children have usually a strong opinion as to how best to place our Castles into the Sand. The way how they should be and the purpose they serve are fundamentally political decisions. Have we always been honest with ourselves, our castles will turn out just great. If perhaps not, then everything we’ve built so far is bound to one day collapse, simply not work anymore. We’d need to try again, build from scratch, a more truthful and solid Castle.
The Worms underneath, meanwhile, find themselves digging their holes into certain directions all the time. A framework of complex tunnels and caves would slowly evolve. The more conscious the Worms are about this, the less random this reality unfolds. Yet either way, as outbursts of Nature are constantly lurking, they’d need to eventually rise above this strange place they’re forever doomed digging in.
IT IS ENTIRELY UP TO US TO DISCERN, DEFINE AND DECLARE WHAT WE MAKE OF IT ALL
V. FRIENDSHIP
I’m with you. don’t leave me. you’re not alone. can you hear me? what have you been up to lately? peer pressure versus health benefits. i need you very much. let’s play some games together. what do you want? why me? what happened to you the other day? i bite when fed from your hand. please regard me as your enemy. i’m not jealous at all. it’s just my mother and father issues. there is nothing personal between you and me. brothers and sisters. fuelled by anger. i really admire you. we’re a unit. we will help each other forever. let’s do something silly together. domestic violence. anti-social behaviour. your insecurities are driving me mad. get off my chest. competitive twat. slick like an eel. but loyal.
ggggggnnjjnnnnnccchhhhhrrrsssshhhhhhzzzzzznnnnnnnnffffccchhhhhtttratacchhh …
We Children always want to meet other, sometimes new Children in the Sandbox. We’d then chat and play, have boundlessly fun together. Not only does it make us feel alive and cheerful, it also fine-tunes our innate sense of Reality. Exchanging ideas and emotions allows us to understand ever more about our mysterious journey. About each other. And as soon as the sun goes down and candlelights flicker, we’d open up even further.
Worms underneath have lots of fun, too, as they roam through the soil in a team. Sometimes they’d watch the Sky together like this, which is absolutely not the same as to watch it completely alone. It’s such a profound experience of living that they’ll often start to have a dance altogether in order to celebrate it accordingly. Moving and grooving to the rhythm of the Stars. Synchronising.
THE ONLY TANGIBLE REALITY THAT WE HAVE ARE THE PEOPLE AROUND US
VI. CULTURE
Hapless fashion victim. i love myself. give me a bite. firmly rooted into what you call art. the art of existence. obliteration. pretentiousness is only a word. i have what it takes. my brush strokes can make you cry. my senses can’t stop being excited. you should be younger. you should be thinner. you must let me in on this. what are you aiming at? they’re just chop sticks. glossy lifestyle magazines. oil or butter? wasabe on beef burgers? cream on your ants? no hope for new generations. can you visualise your future online? call it a day. or a cocktail dress by night. in the end. you better watch it. the latest show in town. we can make you happy. creative. just relax and let the botox do the rest.
ccchhhhlllllgggnnnnnwwwrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhzzzzzhhhhhhnnneeeccchhhhhhhupppgghhh …
We Children always have a certain style when it comes to building our Castles. We’d carefully tailor them according to how we want to come across with other Children. We’d want our castle to look like us, like what we feel we represent. But at the same time we’d like to be inspired by other Children’s Castles, too, take a good look and perhaps one or the other new things on board. A virtuous and artful blend sharpens our contiuous self-presentation.
Underneath, the Worms have also a style. It’s simply the way how they’d dig and crawl along in the dirt. Each Worm’s style would define how well their place can withstand any sudden change of environment. Although their main aim is, of course, to rise above all this mud. They’d therefore spend most of their time usually on the surface. Over time, they’ll define their very personal style of self-cultivation.
WE ARE ALWAYS EXACTLY WHAT WE DEEP DOWN FEEL ABOUT OURSELVES
VII. CAREER
Higher, higher. no time to despair. i’ve got no attitude problem. do you really think you’ve got what it takes? ambivalent advancements. transgender mutation. whitewash. harnessing greed. renegotiating contracts. balancing sheets. got it? get lost. here i come. you have to keep moving. the sky is full of possibilities. the pacemaker indestructible. honourable discharge. the air is thin at the top. motivation strategy. face value. blood sugar. flawless complexion. cross section. gross income. suicidal tendencies. formidable opponent. it is set in stone. you can never surpass me. the marble is shining. the certificate framed. it’s all made up. environmental mayhem. progress through denial.
iiiiieeeeeezzzcchhhhhhhhssshhhhhhhhhhhggggnnnnnnnuuuuuukkkkkccchhhhhkrk …
It feels so great if we Children can put up Castles we’re fundametally really proud of. Every so often it then happens that other Children would come along to openly appreciate our efforts, too. Our Castles work also for other people. They’d find it useful and inspiring. They’d look for our advice. But most importantly – we’re being given a chance to share our world with others. We’ve got something very tangible to offer and this sense of success makes us stronger.
The Worms underneath are ambitious, too. But for them it means merely that they’ve got to keep rising ever more quickly. Since they’re hopelessly trapped in the mud there’s definitely no time for them to lose. So they’re sticking their heads to the surface whenever they can. What is all of This up there and how can they possibly submerge? Upwards they stretch their antennas. One day they’ll be able to know.
THE CLOSER WE STICK TO OUR VERY OWN THING THE MORE REAL OUR WHOLE JOURNEY WILL BE
VIII. HEALTH
This headache is killing me. save me. please. a way out. unbearable sufferings. suffocating situation. i feel awful. no mercy. you ugly, miserable bitch. my psychosomatic disorder. vulnerable to a certain degree. abnormal condition. worst case scenario. baby skin. a rash. fractured personality. an overdose. the stroke finished him off. lying in bed all day. scented bandages. wrinkle cream. vested interests. outright quack. deep fried chicken. disgrace to society. lunatic asylum. hospital ward. remorse. operation theatre. tranquilliser. fertiliser. carnivorous junkie. vegan surgeon. mutilated housewife. karmic relationship. unforgivable sins. terminally ill. fucked up the vestibular area. anxiety. fear.
eeeyyyyyhuaaaaaahrrrrrsshhhhhhhzzzzzffffffgggnnnnnnnnnnnnnnuahhhhhhprnnppfff …
It’s vital for us Children to find the right balance between work, rest and play in the Sandbox. If we’re too busy building away on our Castles we’ll inevitably have to face setbacks from our dear, precious bodies. On the other hand, if we chill or play all the time our beloved Castles are going to be neglected. Finding the right balance between being alone and mingling is something we’re figuring out on a day-to-day basis. We like ourselves. We like all the others. We’re in perfect peace with the World as we know it.
The Worms underneath aren’t much interested in matters of health and sanity. Worms live as long as they live and cataclysmic changes can end it all anytime. They’re tirelessly digging away in their dirt. And the only way to escape their whole tragic is to perhaps rising above it one day. Cultivation is therefore their only and ultimate concern.
LOOKING AFTER OUR SELF ALL THE TIME BUYS INTERNAL AND ETERNAL INTEGRITY
IX. RELIGION
The holy child. i’m pretty connected. the all-seeing. there are deities everywhere. pretty unfathomable. almost identifiable. we don’t see you as a stranger. i’m preying. you atheist fool. nothing can stop me. don’t you see? can’t you hear? a higher realm. the nothingness. the landing experience. the sky. little pieces of everything. stumbling upon eternity. wisdom eye sight. conjured-up moments. paradisical situation. what’s your problem? the image of god. millions of worshippers. only one life. a black stone. reincarnated into a mule. resurrected on the seventh day. same day delivery. no evidence whatsoever. the unmoved mover. the unwanted child. fruitless sessions. cryptic prophecies. divine light.
zzzzzzsshhhhhhhrcckkktchhssshhhhhhlummmmmmmmmmgrrrrrnnnnnnnhhhhhhchzkkkh …
We Children really don’t need to believe in much in the Sandbox. We simply get on with the building of our Castles and then go off to play with some of our friends. Maybe some of us would look up into the sky sometime and during the night may as well ponder, “those glittering sparks in the midst of blackness. How beautiful they are.” How boundless the Universe must be. Perhaps there are other places like ours, other Sandboxes. Other Children.
It’s instinct alone compelling the Worms underneath to dig ever more holes into the soil. And it’s pure instinct as well making them stick-out their heads whenever they’d reach the almighty surface. Although they can’t actually see any Stars they very well sense that there’s something Immense out there. If only one day they could connect with This and relate to whatever It is.
WE CAN SEE SO MUCH MORE THAN WE ARE PREPARED TO ADMIT TO OURSELVES
X. SEX
Aaaaah. yeah, give it to me. deeper. faster. harder. turn on the light. feed me with pleasure. timeless enjoyment. my beautiful object. whipping the shit out of you. another dimension. obsession. coming. falling. going overboard. hot sugar. passionate flower. honey comb. settle down. terminate sideways. sticking in. pulling out. you can’t satisfy me. we haven’t much in common. your breasts are absolutely divine. come inside. let’s say it’s love. can you feel it? can’t tell apart which is which. withering away. rubber ware. golden showers. my arse. your neck. tongue flicking. pouting teen. kinky spleen. fairly clean. worse than the ex. better than daddy. shorter than myself. more open to all sorts of different things.
ooooiiiiinnnnnffffffzzzzzssshhhhhhhhgtnffffffccccccccchhhzzzsshhheeeeerreeeeeeeeeeezsh …
It’s always very exciting for us if other Children would like to stay over, a night or two, in our Castles. Perhaps share our beds – rubbing, whispering, holding. The warmth of closeness is something we really don’t want to miss all too often, if we can avoid it. Spontaneous expression of our hearts, bodies and souls is one of the strongest things we’d be able to go through in the Sandbox. Meeting each other on a core level. Belonging.
For the Worms underneath sex has a special place, too. They don’t necessarily make love with each other but they’d still tend to merge one way or the other. Often they’d try and dig holes together, firmly entrenched and entwined. Some of them also start cultivating like this. Worm tantra. Beneath the vast Firmament they’d lie, giving each other the Essence they’ve always been missing.
SHARING OUR PRIMORDIAL PARADISE IS PERHAPS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING WE CAN OFFER
XI. WORK
Nine to five. ashes to ashes. deception is cool. i’m busy. you’re lazy. the work of a genius. sophisticated gossip. goddamn-it. never mind. i can do it. repetitive tasks. against all odds. stretching your imagination. repeating yourself. human sacrifice. machine language. fanatic. alcoholic. acrobatic. absentminded. estimated growth. transformation. deadline. dedication. prospect. overtime. working girl. witch craft. self realisation. something creative. properly slave. labour force. day and night. hammer and sickle. advanced. tidy. master and apprentice. important. never ending. fast lane. pay cheque. one year contract. harbouring talent. sloppy manufacturer. honest and thorough. retirement. incontinence. weasel.
iiiiiieeeeeeechsshhhhhhhzzrrrrroooooomffgggghhnnnnnnnnnnhhrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhcccchhhh …
It’s a long and slow process for us Children build ing our Castles in the Sand. Sometimes we’d work more, sometimes we’d work less. An inner sense of timing would usually tell us. Some of our Castles won’t stand the test of time always and we’d then have to do bits of work all over again. But we’d take it for granted that this can happen, should loose ends not’ve been tied up accordingly. Patchwork is always needed. Fixing things.
Also the Worms underneath busily build away on their holes all the time, diligently roll-up their mud balls. The holes they’d dig create their forever transitory surrounding. The mud balls are the essential nutrition to keep them alive. Yet in the face of extinction, the ultimate work the Worms do is, of course, painstaking Self Cultivation. They feel the need to evolve further and further. One day get out of the mud.
WE CREATE AND MEND WHAT IS NECESSARY ACCORDING TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE
XII. SCIENCE
Truth. knowledge. brain power. disintegration. mind altering states. test tube babies. nuclear reactions. wisdom rules. yard stick. castration theme. clarity. censorship. obsolete language. fractalised ice-cream. continuous evolution. genetic specimen. homogenous. force feeding. corporate clone. fortified steel. uranium ore. seminal. deep sea. galactic battle. star surgery. infinitesimal. alien organism. peripheral vision. nutritional value. microbe. think tank. feasibility. test chamber. particle emitter. wonder drug. micro chip. journal entry. fat burner. demagogue. cultural progress. professional expertise. abstract concept. anarchic theory. geometric order. figuratively speaking. storage space. closed. encounter.
eeeeyyyyyeeeeeefrrrrrrtchiiiiiiiiieeoowwwwwwwwwwwmmtnnnhhhhhoggghhhggnfff …
Some Children will always be more inquisitive than others in the Sandbox. But on the whole we’d all really like to know. We study the Sand, we study the other Children. And of course, we want to find out a lot more about ourselves on our mysterious journey of living. In fact, it’s mostly our Selves being at the very centre of our investigations. We then compare the results with other Children and so enrich our ability of Interaction and Insight. We accomplish majestic command of the Sand and its Law.
The Worms underneath dig holes purely as an inborn genetic programme. There are variations of doing it, certain styles or methods at certain times. But the only chance the Worms really have is to gather more knowledge about what they call Sky. They’ve got to stick their head far out into It. Merge with the Unfathomable and Unspeakable.
ONLY LOOKING INSIDE OF OURSELVES WILL HELP US SOLVE THE ULTIMATE PUZZLE
reinhard schleining,
vienna & london
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