I really like this poem

Someone else posted this on their blog and a lot of it spoke to me. Have a read and see what you think….

slavery is not about suffering…
slavery is about service.

slavery is not about humiliation…
slavery is about humility.

slavery is not about pain…
slavery is about being present.

slavery is not about being used…
slavery is about being of use.

slavery is not about control…
slavery is about letting go.

slavery is not about your desires…
slavery is about giving to others.

slavery is not about abuse…
slavery is about acceptance.

slavery is not about proving anything…
slavery is about being real.

slavery is not about contempt…
slavery is about respect.

slavery is not about how you look…
slavery is about the size of your heart.

slavery is not about denying yourself…
slavery is about being open.

slavery is not about bondage…
slavery is about freeing your spirit.

slavery is not about punishment…
slavery is about discipline.

slavery is not about being unable to escape…
slavery is about being committed.

slavery is not about submission…
slavery is about obedience.

slavery is not about fear…
slavery is about trust.

slavery is not about sex…
slavery is about love.

slavery is not about pleasure…
slavery is about happiness.

~ David Stein ~

Links to Leather Monasteries, Training Programs

I have been talking for some time about creating a leather monastery, and I have a few links here that are of interest to this.

First, there’s a leather family in Michigan which is run on the Rule of St. Benedict, a traditional Christian monastery rule. The Household Keppler: http://www.householdk.org/

Much of the Master and slave concepts in the leather community also expressly discuss this lifestyle as a particularly spiritual one. Check out some of the Master/slave training groups out there.

Butchmann’s Training Academy: http://www.bornslaves.com/butchmanns.html
There is a good snapshot of their theories on “heart of a master” and “heart of a slave” on the Arizona Power Exchange’s website: http://www.arizonapowerexchange.org/academy.html
The Arizona Power Exchange is involved with the Southwest Leather Conference in Phoenix every winter.

Master Taino’s Training Academy too, though the website has no articles you can read right now: http://masterslavetraining.org

Master Taino’s Training Academy: http://www.mastertaino.com/training_academy.htm

I’ll keep adding links as I find them.

True Value of a Sub

You ask for challenge,
I stand before you and speak the truth.
I am the mirror to show you the way.
Your strength is a weakness,
You fear the anger, you fear the pain.
Know that these are but tools
And each can be used to heal or harm.
But to be used they must be tamed.
Tamed, not broken
For what use is a broken tool.
It is worthless,
And worse a danger to the user.
So tame the anger, hone the violence,
Give voice to the fear and shape to the pain.
Bind their strength to your will.

I stand before you and speak the truth.
I am the mirror to show you the way.
My weakness is my strength,
For I take all into me.
I bend as the willow in the wind
And yet I do not break.
I have learned the use of my tools.
Vulnerability and resilience are but a few
That I hold in my hand.
But they must be used
Else they grow weak and broken.

I stand before you and speak the truth.
I am the mirror to show you the way.
I am the cauldron of life,
And Transformation is my goal.
But without the violence and anger
There is no fuel to stoke the fire.
No pain or fear to mold and shape anew.
And so if I am a mirror
You too are my reflection.
And your challenge echos in my own.

Screams of the Princess

Just now I was journeying to the underworld in my leather chapel. I found the roots of the world tree and recovered some soul and on my way out, the Maiden of the three ladies at the cauldron started screaming at me. Out of respect I stopped, but the Mother of the Three urged me on forward, saying it was alright. Confused, I turned to the Maiden, who gave me a bit of a wink, indicating that it was alright to go on, so I did, even as she screamed the more as I went away from her with my new bit of soul. It felt like I was tearing something asunder. (I realize now, that it seemed a bit like the tearing asunder of a child from the womb.)

As I rose back to the midworld, I realized that her screams were like that of an awakening Princess, as in the stories where the Prince comes to rescue the Princess to trigger growth into Queen and King (which is how I often interpret these mysteries of the Tarot).  I have never thought that the Princess might scream, or resist the rescue, but I now realize that this is often how we experience rescue or awakening. Further, as I rose back up to the midworld of my dungeon, I realized that these screams were also like those of a submissive, who in encountering suffering or fear, screams in response even as they desire the birthing and unity which is the natural part of healing and initiation.

I as a top must allow for those reactions, even as I may worry about the feelings of disrespect or anger that they can cause. (Of course, the issue of a top dealing with the anger of a bottom is the subject of another post altogether.) The mysteries can be functioning as they should, the energies flowing where they need to, even when there appears to be disrespect or anger, destruction or death.

Yours,
Daniel

On the Fox with a Goose

So today Sir P played with me. That’s not unusual; he played with me yesterday too while I was landscaping the front yard. It wasn’t unusual either that he played with me while I was outdoors, but there was an interesting few moments with a Canadian goose at the end of it.

Now for those who don’t know, I’ve been in 3 relationships with this 1 man for about 4.5 years now. He lives in D.C.; I live in Chicago. And I travel a lot too: by motorcycle and by boat — for instance today I was exploring the Fox River here in Illinois by canoe. In one of those relationships, he is Sir P and I am his plaything. When I am not visiting him, where he can dominate me physically, he does so over text message on his cell phone, and by a private blog we maintain (we have a blog for each relationship).

Today, I told him I was going canoeing. I thought he might like the opportunity to play. Long story short, I ended up on a small island that is part of a forest preserve. It’s Tuesday; there’s no one else about except a few fishermen, who are all on the riverbanks. I have the island to myself (except of course for Sir P on the cell phone). He gets me into it: naked; balls wrapped; edging; playing with mud (he loved the kayak story which is earlier on this blog and I made the mistake of telling him that the island was kind of muddy). About halfway through this play, a goose starts honking close to my island, responding to another goose close to another island. It got closer. I began to worry that I was on its turf or something, but it didn’t get close enough to fight me off. Still, it honked and honked and honked, while I jerked and hit and moaned.

Finally, Sir P was pleased enough with me to let me come after edging me several times. Naked, in the sunshine of summer finally come, smeared with the mud of the spring river, the geese honking (with goslings at some nests), the wind blowing, the insects mating, I leaned up against a tree and brought myself close to orgasm. As it happened, the goose suddenly changed it’s tune. I mean immediately upon the first spurt exiting my cock! It suddenly started honking twice with each breath! And continued throughout my spurts. Then, as I sank down to earth, it took off into the air. It had hung out close to me for about 15-20 minutes, but wasn’t really within sight of me. I doubt it could see what I was doing, though it probably saw motion in the trees.

It was too coincidental. I have always felt that these orgasms in the woods were appreciated by the fairy folk, the trees I lean against, and the wind. But this is the first time that I’ve felt like another animal has felt and responded to my orgasm.

I suspect that leather is especially open to spirituality because it got started in the woods, with leatherclad motorcyclists heading into the mountains to fuck and play as they wanted, much like I imagine many spiritual beings have and do retreat from the bustle of humanity. I have long made a practice of jerking off, or at least edging up, when I come upon beautiful bits of landscape, or in thanks to the spirits of a place when I have been well cared for there (like at a campsite or place of regeneration), or have been given what seems like especial entry into some hidden beautiful place. I am wondering whether I need to bring other men out with me.

I got to say, as I was playing on that island, I repeatedly looked out under the branches at the water and woods surrounding, keeping an eye out for folks who might see me, ready to stop and hide. But as the goose began gearing up its honking I realized that the wood may very well have been magically cloaking me for this activity, and that I might have been slightly protected for this sex and play, which is after all holy stuff. And when the goose flew off into the glare of sun glittering on the water, I felt a kind of chiding correction from the entities around, as though they were saying to me to get over myself and my anxiety and share more often and more widely such sexy things.

A very nice afternoon, I must say.

Yours,
Daniel

a safer word

Recently someone I know said that he doesn’t believe in safe words. He said they were for the “timid, weak, and inexperienced.” This was said in a public forum and he didn’t respond to my challenge of his statement. I can’t be certain he wasn’t grandstanding, but his words made me think about our safe words.

We know that at the heart of all our play, or work, is trust. A submissive or bottom must trust that he is safe in a larger context, and a dominant or top must trust that his partner is capable of taking care of himself and identifying his own boundaries. There is more than enough gravity to the topic of trust to write several books about it. In the end, trust is the cornerstone of the relationships we build in a leather context.

Present… Past…

This is a short story that I wrote some time ago. Originally posted on autumn twilight (here). As a fair warning, it contains some fairly violent elements, and possibly edge play. Depending on your perspective, you might interpret some of it as non-consensual, so be warned.