Destination: Kiwiburn, A Taste of Utopia

We had the pleasure of meeting and friending a young man at Kiwiburn named Brady. I had actually seen him around at the Convergence Festival in January, but never had the opportunity to meet him. He’s an amazing young man, wise and quite poetic. He scribbled a poem about his thoughts on Kiwiburn and read it to a few of us after the event. I dug it so much that I offered to transcribe it for him and spread it around.

A Taste of Utopia by Brady “Funby” Karlin February 11, 2007

Have I told you about this place that I go to sometimes?

Dude, it’s like a taste of Utopia. I’m not talking about pudding either.

It’s like a slice of heaven where everyone is happy and jolly, sometimes naked.

Yeah, it’s like a pie that’s got flavors for everyone,

Some like it spicy, some like it sweet,

if it’s got chocolate or candy in it, it speaks out to me,

But in all reality, it’s got nearly everything that you need

to blossom and grow into the person you dream of becoming,

the one that saves the world or speaks their heart,

the one that navigates dark spaces when shit’s hard to find,

they illuminate everything and make everything all right.

Some are masters and pranksters, some authors and lovers.

The point is, this place I’m talking about is like a river of inspiration where I go to swim,

It’s like a room full of clouds where I can rest my head.

The people that roam there wear costumes and play games,

they awaken the kids that we all are inside.

And their knowledge and interests go on and are endless,

These people build spiral temples that seem to stretch to infinity,

they make time disappear and throw rainbows into the sky.

Some of them walk on stilts and blow fire, but others are healers I tell ya.

They’re so kind, friendly, and generous.

They are the strangers that you just want to kiss,

But there are no strangers there, just people you haven’t met yet.

This place, it’s magical, it’s a trip down the rabbit hole,

you’re not sure how you got there, but you’re glad you did.

These people, I don’t know if they’re humans, aliens, or animals,

But they’re on to it, I tell ya.

They are so accepting and loving, like one big family that’s real accepting and loving because I know that not all are.

This place is so comfortable that everyone can be themselves or just pretend to be someone else ‘cause it’s all in fun at the end of the day, even when you don’t get laid, you’re out of money, or in the rain.

It’s a place I go to learn, but it’s not in a classroom – that’s the cool part.

It’s just some chill people hangin’ out, some doin’ drugs,

others just cruising around embracing love.

There’s no judgment there, just warm smiles, bright eyes, open hearts, and great big hugs.

You may ask, “is this place over the rainbow and through the woods, is it all make believe or something you dreamed of?”

No, it’s a real place I say, on a planet called earth and it could be in your backyard if you wanted it to be.

And all it takes is a call to some friends who have a vision for the future, this world and themselves, who can come together to enjoy others and promote peace.

I tell you, it’s time to put the word out on the street, let your voice be heard and afterwards stand in silence with keen ears soaking up the moment between your idea and theirs.

It is the time that we all encourage each other to dream and change for the better of humanity, not just me.

Let’s be creative and free ourselves from tradition. And let us all lead by example to create a culture we can be proud of and a society that cares, let us all hold hands as we all unfuck the world.

Let’s reform the system that we helped to build and create a community that future generations can enjoy too.

Yeah, this place that I speak of, there are places like it everywhere.

The sad part is they don’t often know about each other.

It’s a taste of Utopia, it’s a place of transition between now and forever.

The cool part is that we mend the gap.

And if you want, I can take you there or we can make our own.

Think about it and let me know, okay?

If you want to find out more about Brady, check out his blog.