Dr. John Tells All
By erica
snowlake
saint’s alive! mythical
heroes reincarnate like bodhsattvas and flock to venice! living truly in the
here and now! part prophecy full time reality. dedicated folks vowing to save
this world from our very selves are humbly going about doing it.
i first met dr. john michel in awe of his
presence on my way to an open poetry reading at beyond baroque: a giant long
white-haired wizard crossed with an ent was coming smiling towards me carrying
an enormous american flag as a walking stick, emanating, shall we say, very high
vibrations.
i felt like crossing
myself, thought here’s the real uncle sam, and went on to weave him into a
spontaneous poem on the wonders of venice, which continue to daily astound me.
since then i’ve witnessed him in various superhero modes, creatively
exercising our first amendment rights in inspirational litigitious rants
indicting society, several mayors, and various councilmen/women while waving
said flag on the venice boardwalk, to mellower moments distributing food,
clothing, and artful advice ala food not bombs to young and old, feral and tame.
he’s invited me to treeplanting
ceremonies in oakwood park, protests at the federal building and ongoing
hempfests anywhere anytime. everyone affectionately greets him as dr. john or
papa john. we shared a mystic download at one of his favorite stomping grounds
abbot’s habit.
beachhead: when i
first saw you i thought maybe you were the anti-uncle sam cuz you so stand for
peace and justice.
dr. j: i am also
here to fight - to fight the war, with these, (gestures his hands), and with
reason. i’ve just come from talking sense to a bunch of fifteen year olds
with a 50 oz bottle of rum.
beachhead:
i’ve seen you often educating young people on the boardwalk. how long have
you been in venice?
dr. j: since 1961.
my father flew b-17s and b-29s in the air force, at 17 i volunteered to blow up
hanoi but i actually proved too gung ho for the military. i transferred to ucla
and began a serious study of medicine. at age six i administered my
grandmother’s insulin shots for diabetes. i’ve always possessed an
affinity for understanding different ways of healing. one of my earliest gurus
was dr. christopher hill, one of the first pioneers of spirulina. we have the
technology in communion with nature to feed and nourish the world with one of
the most amazing abundant green energies on the
planet.
beachhead: i have a similar
dedication to spirulina. as part of a treeplanting tribe in cascadia we we sent
emissaries to obtain live spirulina from lake teohotitlan in mexico intending to
seed lakes in canada.algae blooms! says it
all.
dr. j: (twinkles) i also became a
proponent of laser surgery, radical for the time. i wrote medical articles,
taught current events at berkeley, and, in keeping with venice’s heritage,
won a national poetry award. i spent 64-71 as a p.o.w. FOR MY OUTSPOKEN BELIEFS,
transferred from prison to prison all across america, became the editor of a
penal press, knew the berrigan brothers in danbury, I AM AN INSTIGATOR!
beachhead: i especially like the term
positive political activist i see on your business card next to
parapsychologist.
dr. j: in 1981 i was
spiritual advisor for a veterans coalition protesting agent orange. i went on a
130 day hunger strike, or holding fast, as we called it - holdfast - when they
say go, you say no! we drank only perrier for 85 days, and then, of course,
spirulina. using aloe vera and marijuana we cured many vets of chem poisoning.
our efforts were betrayed in a media black-out right at reagan's
backdoor.
beachhead: betrayal is an
ongoing spice in the activist life
dr.
j: i was fond of fonda so i went to humboldt to meet her but met my ex-wife
instead at a no nukes meeting. i am very proud of my two sons i helped deliver,
richard and justice. at this time we had an apple farm in sonoma, we traded with
other farmers and fed many people fresh farm produce. we had seniors making
apple pies for everyone.
beachhead:
that’s where the johnny appleseed life comes in! you are wearing all ganja
camo, what’s your feelings on the sacred
herb?
dr. j: (pondering)....it’s
the original burning bush struck by lightning for all to see.....its a spark for
human creativity. it’s also great for pain, i currently have a medical
license for marijuana, i am partially paralyzed, i need back surgery with shark
cartilage implants, also laser surgery for my cataracts. once that happens, as a
peace officer i will challenge the cops with my sons to a basketball game with
proceeds going to drug
rehab.
beachhead: you campaign a lot
for venice cityhood. what does that mean to
you?
dr. j: i also stand for a living
wage of a hundred dollars an hour for teachers! over the years i’ve
collected thousands of signatures for venice cityhood. venice is a special
community of artists, musicians, and intellectuals. cityhood means money made in
venice stays in venice. SPARC, our present day arts council, will be our city
council. the insidious people who introduced crack to the hood, slime to the
ocean, and skyrocketed rents of our homes all in the name of gentrification will
be thwarted. a gambling casino will not grow in the
wetlands.
beachhead: there is a lot of
peace and freedom to be sown.
dr. j:
eminent domain! but where’s the support? (sigh!) half the time i
can’t afford a cup of coffee.......
beachhead: what else do you see for
venice?
dr. j: VENAISSANCE! an
eleven-yr old recently got me on myspace.com. i see kids in the high schools
winning debates for cityhood getting trial runs in the leading of the town. i
have more faith in the kids than most adults. my faith in higher power is total.
while our non-existent leaders court armageddon remember jesus’s promise =
heaven on earth. i am looking forward to seeing what we create once we get past
the hate.
beachhead: like shaking it
up together weekends at dudley on the boardwalk with the greatest band in the
galaxy, the venice beach drum orchestra! dr. j plays a mean rattle and roll, and
i dance like a crazed trance chickie delight. .... if the cops don't confiscate
the african drums and everyone’s instruments...but that’s another
tale so timely of telling.....
dr. john
michel!!! you are an amazing compassionate being! from all of venice and the
beachhead - gratitude, rainbow love and blessings! arise! indeed! we
must.
Posted: Sat
- July 1, 2006 at 06:10 AM