Thus Spoke Chorkie Walker - Prologue (first part)

THUS SPOKE CHORKIE WALKER

CHORKIE’S PROLOGUE

1

When Chorkie was still quite young, he was made redundant and bundled into storage among the decorations, furnishings, and stock of the book shop in which he had been employed. Here followed a brief period of adjustment in which he questioned his purpose and his future, but he soon came to the realisation that he was now heir to a vast library of literature. He began to enjoy the freedom of his spirit and his solitude, and the process of learning that he embarked upon.

Except for some periods of hibernation, he did not weary of it for many years. The old man of the book shop made occasional visits to remove books, or to move things around, but he never noticed the bear sitting on an upturned book end in a box by the window.

One morning Chorkie rose with the dawn, looked out of the small window of the storage unit that had become his home, peered through the trees at the sun and spoke to it thus:

‘Great light! How could you be happy, if you had not those for whom you shine?

‘You have lit up this dank prison for seven summers. I waited for you every morning, basked in your brilliance, and thanked you for it, before reading all that I could until sundown.

‘Now, I am brimming with unfiltered wisdom that you, and these books, have bestowed upon me, like a bear that has gorged on too much honey; I am prepared to share it.

‘I must go down, as you do every evening to cast your light on others, so must I go down to cast my wisdom among the men and women of this world that take you for granted.

‘Animate me then, great eye, as you animate all else under your heavenly kingdom with your radiance! Grant me the quantum potential for articulation, of my limbs and of my voice.

‘Bless this recipient of your wisdom, that the honey may flow golden from me and bear the reflection of your joy all over the world! This recipient overflows and would be emptied. Chorkie wants to be among people again!’

Thus began Chorkie’s down-going.

2

Chorkie waited alone, and when the old man made his next visit, Chorkie stood up and made sure to be noticed.

Seeing the bear, the old man raised his eyebrows and spoke thus:

‘This bear is no stranger to me, he was my travel book publicist. He was called Yorkie, after the museum he was bought from, but he has changed. When I shut up shop he was locked up here alone with his empty rucksack.

‘Does he wish to carry it back into the world as full as the joy upon his face? How different he seems, like a child awake, with a big stupid grin, and dancing on hind legs. What use could he be now with no prospect of work?’

To the old man’s surprise Chorkie responded: ‘I am become Chorkie, and I ask that you refer to me in the third person as che, not he, for I am without gender. And I wish to bring a gift to mankind.’

‘How are you spelling that? C-H-I? Like Tai Chi?’

‘No, C-H-E, like he and she.’

‘I have no one except myself to refer to you as he or che,’ said the old man, ‘but Chorkie I can do.

‘I opened my bookshop that I might educate and learn to love mankind for all its disparate opinions. I found love for none but a few authors, and contempt for all but the few customers that bought from me. Unless you have gold and other riches, there is nothing you could give mankind of value. They would sooner skin you alive for your fur than accept anything else you have to offer.’

‘I speak not of gold, nor of love. I have studied almost every book in this room, so I offer my wisdom’, answered Chorkie.

‘Be careful’, said the old man, ‘wisdom is not well-received, least of all by those that expect to pay for it. If you would be a guru, be sure to charge a pretty price.

‘But, seriously, accept the wisdom of one who has felt the pinch from potential customers that would rather buy a beer than a book to save them from thinking. You’ll be wasting your time. You would be better roaming free in the forest, and be a bear among bears.’

‘I spent my early years on a shelf, watching and listening to your customers, I spent the past seven summers and eight winters in solitude,’ said Chorkie. ‘I do not regret one day, for I have been animated by the light and become conversant with the written word. As an evolved being now I feel bound to share my interpretation of mankind with mankind. I have nothing in common with the animals of the forest.’

‘I lived and worked most of my life among mankind, before retiring early, and I would not go back’, mused the old man.

‘So what does a former bookseller do in his retirement?’ asked Chorkie.

‘I read for myself and I slowly dispose of these books to those that want to read them. I grow vegetables and fruit in my garden to supplement my meagre pension, I take long walks alone in the countryside, and I maintain my home so that each year my children and grandchildren might visit me with their optimism and their joy.’

Chorkie paused for thought before responding: ‘I can see that there is nothing I can offer you – if you will let me out, I will detain you no longer, so that I will take nothing from you.’

They both laughed.

The old man turned to prop open the door. ‘Farewell then, little Chorkie. You are welcome to return as and when you wish.’

Chorkie nodded, then asked: ‘Which way to the nearby town?’

‘Go left on the road, it’s an hour’s walk, go down the footpath opposite, three-quarters.’

‘Thank you,’ said Chorkie, and left.

Once alone, Chorkie mused inwardly: ‘My gifts are not for the likes of this old man. If, in his twilight years, he has read as I have, become so cynical, and yet remain so humble, then he does no harm.’

 

3

Chorkie followed the footpath that passed near the old man’s house, rather than taking the road, as it was apparently the shortest route to the nearby town. Chorkie came of the trees around fields, to the edge of a town. Wandering through its quiet streets che came to where many people had gathered, at its market square. A daredevil quad-biker was scheduled to appear and the show was free. It had not yet begun, and seeing such a large gathering, Chorkie found a vantage point from which to speak, and so he did, thus:

‘People of this town! I have come to teach you about balance! Mankind, Homo sapiens, must be overcome. Not by womankind, but by Homo harmonious.

‘All species evolve into something beyond themselves, but the ordinary man is being diminished, led by the nose to serve the machines that were meant to be mankind’s slaves, subservient to their limitations, and to their owners, their controllers.

‘The soul of mankind is overwhelmed by selfish concerns, ignorant of the natural world that is defaced and defiled to serve those ends and left polluted in his wake.

‘Much of mankind lives in the darkness, hypnotised by the flickering lights of some virtual reality, ignorant of atrocities being done in the real world, whilst the agents of automation promise more from a better tomorrow.

‘Always expectant of the future, that there is something to look forward to, some progress, mankind digs deeper into the resources of the earth to fulfil those expectations. But this is not the destiny of mankind!

‘I have come to tell you of the Homo harmonious!

‘The Homo harmonious is one with the earth. He, she, or che, is a balanced human being. Che is of the earth and for the earth. Che resonates at a higher frequency than ordinary men and women.

‘Homo harmonious dreams not of escape, che would rather honour this world, take care of her. Those that would go to the moon and stars would bleed her dry when she is most in need of convalescence.

‘Homo harmonious knows that God is dead, the subject of a fairy tale first told to subjugate the masses by a ruling hierarchy for political ends.

‘The worship of God has been replaced by the worship of Gold; His kingdom traded away by the market economy; humility before God is overwhelmed by the pursuit of instant gratification; and devotion to God has been sacrificed on the altar of consumerism. 

‘Fear of God is replaced by fear of being left behind, and faith in God suppressed by scientific proof of the laws of the universe.

‘Theological divisiveness has been rebranded and remarketed into new forms of conflict, but remains at the core of the relationship between ruler and subject.

‘God is now a dirty word, too closely involved with child molesters, suicide bombers and science denial. Mention His name and half one’s audience turns away before one has a chance to speak. Let that be the last time I utter It.

‘Homo harmonious knows there is much to learn from scientific study, and still more to learn from that which science is unable to explain.

‘Homo harmonious knows that there remains some wisdom in the heart of all religions, but Homo harmonious sees the big picture, without prejudice, and recognises the selective use of science and religion and how they are used to keep mankind in chains.

‘Mankind is, as he always has been, blinkered by the ruling hierarchy. Obfuscation takes many forms and has proven easy to achieve, for the ordinary man or woman there is so much diversion that it is difficult to see the wood for the trees.

‘Mankind is hypnotised by short-term reward at the expense of the truth, and tainted by individual experience and prejudice. What one man or woman sees is always different to that of another seeing the same thing, but instead of collaborating to find common ground, they choose to argue over whose view is to be respected at the expense of the other.

‘Even now, you prefer to stand and wait to see a performing seal, rather than walking to the sea to witness the wildlife being slaughtered in its natural habitat for the so-called greater good.

‘A wide-angle photograph may capture this market square and the buildings all around it, it can seem to have captured the moment, the big picture.

‘But look closely at the photo and all the detail evaporates: one may recognise the familiar faces of family and friends in the crowd, but the embellishments of architecture that one rarely notices become little more than blobs of a different colour.

‘In day-to-day reality, one's specialty, one’s profession, one's life’s work, or one’s interests, represent one's focus on some detail in the big picture. The more focussed one is, the more the big picture is neglected.

‘If one’s focus is on violence, then one is drawn toward more violence. If one’s focus is on archaeology, then one is blinded to the present. If one’s focus is on football, then one becomes divisive. If one’s focus is on family, then the rest of the world be damned.

‘But one’s personal focus, no matter how detailed, is upon only a small part of a giant snapshot taken from one of a potentially infinite number of camera angles. Mankind, by recording historical events, its discoveries, its legal rulings, and so on, has built a unique version of the big picture, but ever-narrowing its camera angle to which all individuals are expected to conform in the alignment of their sights.

‘Homo harmonious is not bound by anyone else’s choice of camera angle, che can zoom in and out and take a different position from which to focus ches efforts.

‘If you ever thought there must be more to life than this, if you ever grew bored with your daily routine, your job or the people around you, I beg you:

‘Look for the balance in your own self. Open your eyes to the big picture. Look to the light of the truth, not to the fog of confusion and indoctrination that has been forced upon you through education, mass media and conformity.

‘No man nor woman is more deserving of plaudits or fortune than another, but instead of lauding or crying over petty differences between you and your neighbour, recognise that they are nothing in the light of Homo harmonious.’

Chorkie paused, to allow those that listened to respond. A man standing close by shouted:

‘We came to see The Inquadable Conkers, not to be told how to live our lives by a cheesy bear. What gives you the right?’ At this, several began to jeer, whilst some laughed. Some of the youngest raised their phones to take a photo.

 

4

Chorkie looked about and saw no sign of the show beginning. Che waited for the crowd to settle before speaking thus:

‘I cannot lie to you. The courage of this leaping daredevil you wait to see is as nothing compared to the courage required to embrace the Homo harmonious within.

‘My knowledge of ches being is observational, and the natural extension of mankind’s innate tendency to growth, that which has been subverted by an unnatural and obsolete narrative for too long.

‘Homo harmonious has control of ches basic instinct. Mankind is a mess of contradictions which the Homo harmonious resolves.

‘Mankind is so focussed on escapism and fantasy that he cannot see what has befallen. He lacks the courage to stop and take stock, to look within upon his true nature, to see the big picture. He is slave to his ego. Mankind would rather pass the blame of his own failings onto another. Man must be honest with himself, defy his ego and relinquish his will to power for the will to balance.

‘Mankind has created many marvels crafted from dust and stone; to improve his lot, to maximise his comfort and, most importantly, to increase his power over all the creatures of nature, as well as the very earth itself. Mankind has the greatest power of thought and intellect, but has squandered it on triviality, rather than applying it to the improvement of his soul.

‘At the peripheries of the big picture that guides 21^st century thinking, there are its social misfits and its conscientious detractors. They know something is wrong though they cannot always say why.

‘I love the detractor, the questioner, the skeptic, for they will not be swept up by the snowball of economic growth and technological progress for its own sake.

‘I love the men and women that give of themselves for the sake of the earth, the tree huggers and the eco-warriors, that the land and its creatures may one day be common to all and no longer a resource to be processed, packaged and bar-coded for the benefit of the most powerful.

‘I love those that choose to learn and are willing to re-define traditional patterns of destructive behaviour, that one day the path may be cleared for Homo harmonious to speak and walk freely without molestation.

‘I love those that toil in the fields to feed their brothers and sisters of mankind in exchange for only what they need to feed themselves.

‘I love those that take heed of their children and grandchildren whose simple logic exposes the hypocrisy of their elders, and casts light on new perspectives.

‘I love the madmen, for though they may be unbalanced in the eyes of mankind, they have defied the hypnotic lure of mankind’s peculiar form of madness.

‘I love those that do not try to capture lightning in a bottle, so that it too may be tamed. For I am the lightning that strikes upon the earth and claps loudly for the coming of Homo harmonious.’

 

5

‘This bear is a commie!’ shouted a voice. ‘Go back to China, where you came from!’

Many of the people jeered once more and many turned away, frustrated by the delay, some laughing, some shrugging shoulders.

‘They do not understand me,’ Chorkie admitted to cheself. ‘My words do not resonate in their ears. I must lower my sights and speak of more relevant matters to their simple hearts and minds. I must use terminology that even the most illiterate can understand.’

And so Chorkie lifted ches head once more to speak thus:

‘Mankind has reached a tipping point.

‘There is much debate about climate change and global warming. It matters not whether you believe that mankind is affecting the weather, the fact is undeniable that mankind is slowly destroying the planetary environment by plundering its resources and polluting in its place.'

continues upon request ...