Moana Script
Let's workshop this poem about how outcries against cultural appropriation serve as a coping mechanism to deflect from the terrifying truth of human existence: that nothing is ultimately up to us.
scent of the day: Baraonda, by Nasomatto. A merlot-and-bourbon take on amber (closer in smell to Ambre Sultan than to Overture Man), Baraondo—whose broad appeal, like Chergui, does not sacrifice artistry—opens with a smooth hit of whiskey (rounded, not in anyway rugged or medicinal like in Fumidus) followed by the impression of an oak cask still damp with its aged contents: a low-peat whiskey and cherry-plum merlot mixed with jammy rose and indolic jasmine, cedar chips and sandalwood—the thick and cozy result, perfect for autumnal evenings, elevated by a musky floral powder evocative of dusty books (almost the same desiccated hay tobacco in Chergui) and sweetened into pecan-praline territory by caramel-vanilla hints of honeyed cinnamon butter, lactonic coconut, and roasted marshmallow (no char, just patient browning that makes for a fluffy inner cream).
Moana Script
Shrieking against appropriation
boils down to deflection
from a truth that humans—
star-faring critters
who Swiss army their own legs
to escape a trap—can perhaps face
without suicide: not one
scintilla of motion, thought,
bottoms out causally within us.
"Moana Script" is a meditation on cultural appropriation and its deeper existential implications, addressing the human tendency to obscure uncomfortable truths through moral outrage. The poem critiques the reactive deflection seen in accusations of appropriation, suggesting that such responses mask a more unsettling realization about human agency and creativity. It situates humanity as both ingeniously adaptive and profoundly interconnected, drawing attention to the tension between individuality and universal causality.
The opening lines frame the backlash against appropriation as a form of denial, redirecting attention away from a foundational truth about human existence: that all thought and action are ultimately derivative. The image of humans as "star-faring critters" emphasizes the species’ remarkable adaptability and ingenuity, while the comparison to a Swiss Army knife, self-modified for survival, underscores the resourcefulness required to navigate existential traps.
The poem’s pivot to causality deepens its philosophical scope. By asserting that "not one scintilla of motion, thought, bottoms out causally within us," the speaker challenges the notion of individual authorship, highlighting the inherent interdependence of human expression. This insight dismantles the illusion of ownership—whether of culture, ideas, or actions—suggesting that all human activity arises from a network of inherited influences and external forces.
Ultimately, "Moana Script" engages with the paradox of human creativity: while we pride ourselves on originality and autonomy, our every motion and thought is embedded in a web of causality that extends beyond individual control. The poem invites readers to confront this truth, not as a path to despair, but as an opportunity for a more honest and interconnected understanding of humanity’s place in the cosmos.
cultural appropriation, human agency, causality, interdependence, originality, human creativity, existential truth, adaptability, interconnectedness, philosophical critique, individual authorship, star-faring, Swiss Army knife metaphor, universal causality.