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("In Memory of Gary Vaughn", 2018, original encaustic)

The Flavor of Kool-Aid

We all get to choose the flavor of Kool-Aid we drink.
And maybe that’s the extent of free will.
We each have our world views formed and cemented
By these biases, personal and cultural, 
But even people as close as siblings 
Who share the same DNA and conditioning
Can end up as different as oil and vinegar

But I’ve had my share of Kool-Aid,
And I don’t remember it having any flavor
Other than sweet.
What it offers as a way to entice
Is a difference in color, 
Or put another way
A difference in appearance

And so it is with beliefs and biases.
It’s mostly a difference of surface over substance.

What is the substance of Kool-Aid?
A little dye, some sweetener,
And a whole lot of the universal solvent.
And what is the effect of our preferred Kool-Aid?
Reassurance that we have chosen
The best world view
To match our tastes.

Which are in fact chosen 
On the basis of 
What we want to see,
And the promise of something sweet.

(9/23/23)

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