It was my uncle’s 74th birthday last week. He currently lives in a nursing home in Berkeley and I take care of some of his affairs remotely. As the United Nations General Assembly meets this week, I am reminded of a poem he wrote for me when I was five years old that I believe was the source of my drive to work in international affairs and stand up for peace and dignity for the whole world. Here is that poem:
1/26/91
LETTER TO ANNA, AGE 5, ABOUT WHOOPING CRANES AND THE WAR
DEAR ANNA, WHEN, I visit you,
the two eyes in my face see
one Anna: bright, busy,
running, tumbling, talking, dancing,
making faces. But there is a third eye
inside me that sees you too
and keeps seeing you
after I go away.
Everybody has that eye.
It sees wherever you can think to see.
Your mommy and daddy saw you coming
with that eye inside them, knew you
and loved you
before you were born.
Sometimes, though, that eye gets lazy
and goes to sleep and then
you can’t see what you need to
Same as if you tried to walk into the street
with the eyes in your face closed:
you would run into things, maybe hurt people,
maybe hurt yourself.
People with that eye inside
shut and sleeping
very well could make that beautiful
tall white bird you saw
all gone. They can’t see
the baby birds in the nests with their mothers,
so they build over where the nests were.
Yes, it is people with the same eye
shut and dozing who send men
to drop bombs somewhere because they can’t see
children with their mothers on the ground.
Sometimes the eye inside wants to be shut,
wants not to see.
If the pilots saw the children under the bombs they dropped,
Seeing would hurt too much.
People who’ve had bombs dropped on them
want to hurt someone back and shut the eye inside
so they won’t see
the children under the bombs they launch on rockets.
People get hurt. Children get hurt. Please, Anna,
keep the eye inside you open.
Keep asking people questions
about what you see with it.
Love, Your Uncle David
(-DAVID P. GOLLUB)
What a blast bringing Chill Pills to the Lost Horizon Night Market in NYC last weekend. It was a lively assembly of around 30 box trucks full of participatory art surprises. Playa Pharmacy was as busy as ever, and running our truck was only possible thanks to the dedicated pharmacists who volunteered to help us distribute prescriptions. And guess what? We are pretty sure no one ate any beads! Thanks @shadow_traffic for facilitating this amazing event and to @dinnerwithcarly , @jo.yippidee , @rishiv__k , and Tim. And of course, Dan, my favorite pharmacist and uhaul driver and partner. Thanks also to @thyme.space for creating the conditions for me to meet my new friends. We also formally declare Glameron, Collexepro, Igneurontin as the official NYC combo! Every bead a moment!
I'm proud to unveil my new headshot! I'm Hiplomat, professional feminist, gadfly, artist, and bureaucrat. If I can't solve a problem with critical thinking, data analysis, public consultation and transformative programming, I'll make a rock opera about it. Photo Credit: @annamorgowicz
I was told I looked like if Daphne gave Velma a makeover. Is this a burn? Photo Credit: Real Time Art Show, Figment Boston 2025 in Somerville. #figmentboston
We had a blast bringing Chill Pills to Figment Boston in Somerville this weekend. Our Anti-chaotics made a big showing with Collexepro, Paxall and Shlemictal being prescribed in high doses. Thanks so much @davidkoren for jumping in to help run Playa Pharmacy when things got busy, and thanks to @figmentboston and all the volunteers for a wonderful event. #figmentboston
We had a great time presenting our project, Apocalypse Bead Feats, at the Burning Man NYC: Desert Arts Preview. Thanks so much to the New York League of Arts for supporting us, and thanks to burners who have investested at the Bank of the Apocalypse. I was so impressed with the work of other artists going to playa this year! Very inspiring. #burningman
I used to be afraid to sing in public, but now I'm singing in the streets. And I didn't forget my feminism. I had a BLAST this weekend with @themsmuscle and crew for Mrs. Muscle's Monument Tour, for which I composed and performed an original song chanelling 8 historical women honored in 6 statues in Manhattan. We walked more than 6 miles from Harriet Tubman in Harlem to the Golda Meir near Times Square, proudly following Mrs. Muscle and her head-turning, mammary-clad biceps and red ensemble and tiara. I was also amazed by Joan of Arc, touched by Eleanor Roosevelt, inspired by Sojourner Truth and the womens rights pioneers, and intrigued by Gertrude Stein. The process of collaboration with @barbaralubbies was a huge growing opportunity, and I am so honored she believed in me to join the performance! I hope to continue expanding and developing my art and collaborations. Who knows what's next, but it will definitely involve more singing in public. And outfits.
Listen to More than a Monument by Hiplomat on #SoundCloud
/Ef14Spdan2jjXeR99
It was wonderful to join @themsmuscle for her Ms. Muscle Monument Tour in which we power walked to all 6 statues of historical women in Manhattan. I composed an original hymn that I performed at each monument. It was the first time I performed in public! Thanks for a great feminist collaboration and thanks to everyone who joined us, and I hope your feet have recovered!
