The Whiskey Taster’s Flavor Guide
Notes About The Poem

(“The Cave of Unknowing”, 2012, original oil)

May We Burn It All Down

My mind a cave of favorite characters
And greatest hits
A life time of connections and sidekicks
Frank Zappa plays the soundtrack
In a tumble of tightly compressed acoustic riffs
A genius long gone, but ever present
When he’s done he says,
In tightly compressed electronic bytes
“May we burn it all down.”
And I wake refreshed
To another day, another dawn.

(9/17/26)
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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Rodgers Avatar
September 17, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Hey James, I like how you bring a rebellious vitality to turning an internal retrospective into a daily act of creative rebooting. Our minds naturally accumulate decades of relationships, artistic influences, and mental sidekicks. There is always a risk that our inner gallery becomes a museum, trapping us in comfort or static nostalgia. Invoking Frank Zappa, the ultimate musical iconoclast, is such a vital psychological release valve. Electric and deeply refreshing work, James. Blessings, Daniel
Moore Avatar
September 17, 2026 at 9:15 AM
Thanks so much Daniel! What great reflections on the dream world, at once stale and fresh, or should I say always fresh under the old crusts. I almost didn’t write this one (such an abstract glimpse), but it seemed so fresh. Thanks for your input. Long live FZ!
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The Whiskey Taster’s Flavor Guide
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