Cart Pulls Horse

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You might think I'm anxious,

Did everything that I could.

To make you think you're mine,

Never thinking that you would.

I dressed the part and I said the words, 

But couldn't offer any proof. 

I was shy and quiet, half-scared to death - 

Hoping you'd approve.

Just tried to get my chance,

At something better than I've got.

Not trying to be the type of guy,

Who's someone that he's not.

I'm going all in with nothing to lose,

And I swear I really care.

Not saying it makes any sense,

But I've got this soul to bear. 

Won't try too hard,

Won't use much force,

Hope this time it works,

When cart pulls horse.

There are times when one and one, 

Don't add up to two. 

I'm going to put it all out there,

Ignore all the old rules.

I've decided if I can't be cool,

I just won't bother trying.

The birds with the brightest feathers,

Don't use them for flying. 

Won't try too hard,

Won't use much force,

Hope this time it works,

When cart pulls horse.

I'll get the order wrong,

Reverse the way time flows.

Do it cock-eyed and backwards,

Declare my love then watch it grow.

Because whatever we may have,

It begins and ends with hope.

It ends and begins with hope,

Horse pulls cart, cart pulls horse.

Won't try too hard,

Won't use much force,

Hope this time it works,

When cart pulls horse.

Whither Canada

One more brief word on the recognition of a Palestinian State. In my last post I focused mostly on why it was counter-productive. This time, I want to add a word that’s more emotionally motivated, as a Canadian.

Despite the speeches at the UN General Assembly about how recognition would benefit the Palestinians and advance a two-state solution, the real drivers are domestic politics and performance. Britain and France want to placate their growing Arab populations. And what better place to do this than on the world’s biggest stage, the UNGA? It’s also a form of political “virtue signalling,” reflecting the growing influence of social media on international politics. From their perspective, it’s understandable.

But why Canada? We don’t have a particularly large or influential Arab community. The answer, I think, is Trump. Canada wants to send a signal, also on the biggest stage: that it’s distancing itself from the U.S. and aligning more closely with the EU, economically and politically.

In other words, these moves are less about what’s genuinely best for the Palestinians, and more about how countries are positioning themselves in the shifting international order. Once again, the Palestinians are being used.

What we’re witnessing is not a peace process or a step toward resolution, but countries staking claims in a new geopolitical game.

Cart Pulls Horse

How does the recognition of Palestinian statehood by Western allies make any sense? A political entity without clear borders, no means of defense, no independence, and no capacity for self-sustainability—how can such a state be recognized? It's putting the cart before the horse. Recognition doesn’t create a viable state, it merely offers a symbolic gesture that lacks substance, and that's counterproductive in a number of ways.

The argument that recognizing Palestine will encourage a two-state solution is flawed. Israel, the more powerful actor in the equation, has made it clear they’re unwilling to participate in such a solution. How does recognizing Palestine when one side refuses to negotiate advance peace? Recognition, in this context doesn’t promote a two-state solution, it widens a growing divide.

The western allies argue that recognition lends legitimacy to the Palestinian Authority (PA). But the PA’s legitimacy is questionable, even among Palestinians, many of whom view it as corrupt and ineffective. How does this "legitimacy" support the creation of a state when the entity being legitimized lacks the internal credibility to govern effectively?

A key concern is what recognition of Palestinian statehood would mean for Hamas. If the October 7th attack is seen as a path to statehood, it sets a precedent that violence can lead to political gains, undermining the importance of peaceful negotiation. Furthermore, Hamas’s influence within the Palestinian political landscape is growing, and recognizing a Palestinian state at this moment could empower Hamas, making them more relevant to the Palestinian identity, not less.

Given that Hamas and the PA have fought for control of Gaza, it’s hard to see how any future Palestinian state can be unified. Recognition is likely to exacerbate internal divisions and lead to further civil conflict.

From an Israeli perspective, external pressure for Palestinian statehood will harden opposition. After the October 7th attacks, many Israelis view negotiations with groups like Hamas as dangerous. Any move towards Palestinian statehood, particularly without a unified Palestinian government or clear intentions, risks deepening Israeli mistrust and resistance. This makes any genuine two-state solution even more distant.

The Palestinians themselves are not united on what statehood means. Some factions view it as the first step toward eliminating Israel. Until there’s internal consensus among Palestinians on what statehood entails—whether it’s peaceful coexistence or the total rejection of Israel—recognizing a state that’s divided on its purpose is premature and counterproductive.

Recognition of a Palestinian State when none exists also does further damage to a UN that has shown itself to be impotent on matters of international security and terrorism, and misguided in the way it handles human rights and international justice.

The most egregious aspect of this happening at this time is that Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages, releasing them was not a condition of recognition. So recognition is worse than just political theatre, as the Israeli ambassador to the UN has said. It puts a stamp of approval on the use of political violence, further divides the Palestinian leadership, and further hardens Israeli resistance. 

A meaningful peace process, built on mutual understanding and compromise, cannot take place until the Palestinians can agree on what they want. And by handing over, free of charge as it were, the critical incentive of international recognition, the net result is the exact opposite. 

A New Man

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Bump stocks and automatic guns,

Volleyball and video games.

Cruise ships and particle physics,

Fashion brands and User names.

American Football and Taylor Swift,

Comment sections and mineral baths.

Crypto-currency and NFTs,

People who vote for sociopaths.

There's still so much, 

I don't understand.

But trust me when I say, 

I'm becoming a new man.

Jesus Christ and McDonald's meals,

Billionaires and content creation.

Tik-Tok influencers and school shootings,

Anabolic steroids for recreation.

Los Angeles, Late Night talk shows,

Pole vault and Biathalon.

Coltrane's album 'A Love Supreme',

Greek frappé and Ozzy Osbourne.

There's still so much, 

I don't understand.

But trust me when I say, 

I'm becoming a new man.

James Joyce and machines that learn, 

By artificial intelligence.

Plastic surgery, music streaming,

The epidemic of loneliness.

What some people call patriotic,

The fuss made over diversity.

Feeling at home with so many homeless,

Cancer, famine, and poverty.

There's still so much, 

I don't understand.

But trust me when I say, 

I'm becoming a new man.

What it means that I was born,

The distance to the closest star.

Manic-Depression and gravity,

Love, hate and peace and war.

There's still so much, 

I don't understand.

But trust me when I say, 

I'm becoming a new man.

Today I saw

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Today I saw 

an injured songbird

lying on the pavement—

probably 

a car.

I was walking to work,

through the parking lot,

about to slip in 

through the exit 

next to the garage door

of the building,

when I noticed the small body—

a Yellow Warbler,

curled like a fist,

wings folded tight

like fingers.

The morning sun shimmered

across its feathers,

flashed green and red

with each strained breath.

I stopped.

Wondered what to do:

Should I pick it up?

Hold it 

in my cupped palms,

carry it inside,

try to save it—

How?

I bent low,

close enough 

to see the beak,

sharp as a syringe,

trembling,

a tiny bead

eye.

The bird was afraid—

not of death,

not of pain,

but of me.

I wished it well,

went inside.

Forever Is Now

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The pursuit of happiness 

takes you away from happiness.

The pursuit of meaning

takes you away from meaning.

The pursuit of wisdom

takes you away from wisdom.

The pursuit of authenticity

takes you away from authenticity.

The pursuit of modesty

takes you away from modesty.

The pursuit of love 

takes you away from love.

To approach, stay still.

To find, 

refrain from seeking.

Everywhere is here.

Forever is now.

Whatever We're About

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I was always wrong,

In most everything I thought.

So don't listen to the things,

I said when we fought.

Yeah I may have meant,

Everything in my head,

Still, pay no attention,

To whatever I said.

The future was for me, 

Part of some fascination.

No way it could match, 

All my expectations.

We’ll marry and have kids,

Or maybe we won't. 

They'll decide to have kids, 

Until they don't.

It's all okay, it's all okay,

I promise it’ll all turn out.

It’s all okay, it’s all okay,

We’ll figure out,

Whatever we’re about. 

There are no big storylines,

So don’t look for a saviour.

Just ask a friend,

To do a little favour.

Maybe just maybe,

Someone will come through.

And some of your wishes,

Might even come true.

I’ll play you a song,

Nothing too fancy.

You might get inspired,

To do a little dancing.

You’ll tell me a story,

Cause we all have a few.

I’ll drink to your health,

And you’ll drink to mine too.

It’s all okay, it’s all okay,

I promise it’ll all turn out.

It’s all okay, it’s all okay,

We’ll figure out, 

Whatever we’re about.