CHRISTMAS NOTES

I wrote this sonnet some years ago after reading "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross" by the late John Marco Allegro. Check out the book. I call the poem "Earth Christmas."



In Spring much follows the cold winter of retreat:
Yearnings begin and a god rises from his tomb,
Soon again to brush the damp grasses with his summer heat,
And again plant faith where once was doom.
In Autumn a coupled Earth feels the Solstice nearing;
Her rythms pound in sweeping counts, and in time
She prepares for the coming celebration, not fearing
But embracing it, and joins on with the sublime.
A Christmas Eve of snow, in swaying fall,
Foretells the next day's customary bestowing;
A day on which She will share it all;
Tree up, cards sent, pies baked, juices flowing.
Then to death, in retreat again to wait

And cycle on from dawn to the holy date

CHRISTMAS NOTES

One necessary characteristic of a community is reciprocity. Why should we care? Well, for ones thing, Anarchism can not function as a social and political system outside of a community. And I don't like that. And isn't the notion of community buried somewhere in the Christmas spirit? Let us talk about reciprocity, as discussed in Community, Anarchy, and Liberty by Michael Taylor.

Taking from Sahlins, Taylor lays out the spectrum of reciprocity: On one end is generalized reciprocity, in the middle balanced reciprocity, on the other end negative reciprocity. The range in which we are interested as we look for the necessary characteristics of community lies close to the first. In generalized reciprocity. the obligation to reciprocate is vague and diffuse but things like sharing and help fit in. Think of three neighbors: A, B, and C. A helps B fix his mower; B helps C roof his house; C cares for A's dog when he goes on vacation. There is no explicit tit-for-tat. An altruistic spirit pervades that tiny community. In balanced reciprocity there is direct exchange. That is, A will fix the mower if and only if B will care for his dog.

Now, note that this balanced reciprocity is not a condition of community but is what Christmas has become. I believe we need to move along the spectrum towards the generalized reciprocity if we are ever going to reach community. Doesn't that plan seem more in the Christmas spirit?