About the I Am Luff Album

I stayed in my Safety Zone.
I did my job. Every day.

I kept my head
in an Aegis Box as designated
and bought
as many Thingies as I could
to keep Order strong.

​

I didn’t know why I kept
buying Thingies.
It seemed useless.

I wanted something more. 
I needed to understand.
Why did I need
to keep my Aegis Box
safe and secure?
 
Why did I need to stay 
in my Safety Zone?
I wanted to know.
I needed to wake up!

​

I decided to leap past the Curtain Wall
To find out what was out there.
As soon as I jumped
I wanted to go back.
I became scared.

I found myself surrounded
and submerged
by eerie sounds and darkness.
It seemed familiar in some strange way
As though I knew this from some other life.

I had to keep going 
even though everything around me
frightened me. 

​

I became determined
and moved slowly at first.
Then ran to pass through
the border of the wild

I felt the fear begin to fall away.
I shed my initial doubts and
clutched my Aegis Box tightly.

​

Eventually I came to a place
where I felt overwhelmed.
The wind was blowing directly at me
from across a large expanse of water. 
I could not see the other side.
I didn’t know what to do or where to go next.
I didn’t know if I could make it further.

I sat down
and began to nestle into the sand.
Was my journey over already?
Was this all that was outside my zone?

A beam of sunlight
began to stream through the clouds 
glistening on the water ahead.
I got up and walked along the shore.

I walked for a long time.
I found an old man 
sitting by a couple of old boats. 
After talking with him,
I learned
he knew how to sail 
against the wind.
He had tried 
crossing the water before,
but had never had the courage
to sail beyond sight of the shoreline.

​

He taught me how to sail.
The sails made a fluttering sound 
when pointed into the breath.
I was moving against the wind.
I found new strength
I gathered my determination 
to see the journey through.

 

I thought about the stranger.
I knew that the journey
wasn’t just about me.

Others had tried to find answers here. 
And others would follow.
I leaped into the boat
and sailed into the expanse.

When I looked back
I could see the shoreline 
as it disappeared.

Fear tried to creep into my Aegis Box.
I had to keep swatting it away.

Anxiety crawled into my boat 
and began to pry at my box. 
I had to keep kicking at it 
while I was sailing.

​

I looked back.
A storm came and I was capsized. 
I swam for a while toward a sound.
The sound of a buoy 
guided me in the distance.

I don’t know how I survived,
but I had managed to cross the expanse
and finally crawled back up onto the shore. 

​

I thought about my past.
When had I started to build the Aegis Box? 
I remembered building it to keep Order.

It was Order that required it.
I wanted to find out why.
I found a school nearby 
and walked in. 

​

Children were still being taught
to build their Aegis Boxes
just like they did 
when I was in school. 

Things were not exactly
the way I remembered it though. 
Now it all seemed too easy and silly. 

Then it had been so important.

The teacher talked about Order
and showed the students 
how to build their boxes. 
The teacher told stories and sang songs.
I could see now that Order 
wanted us to believe 
that an Aegis Box
was the best way 
to be safe and secure.

It would protect us.

I could see
that it wasn’t the whole truth. 
Maybe not outright lies,
but not the truth either.
I no longer felt safe and secure.
I tucked my Aegis Box under my arm 
and walked away.

I had left my Safety Zone,
and traversed the wild unknown.
I faced an expanse of fear and anxiety,
and then found out 
that what I thought I knew 
wasn’t exactly true.
That only led me to more questions.

​

I thought I might find more answers
where there were more people. 
I found transportation
and started off down the highway.

I didn’t know of any other way 
to get to the city.

On the highway 
people were crowding into each other. 
They yelled at each other
to get out of the way. 

The worry, stress, anger 
and frustration
around them 
was working its way 
inside their boxes. 
I don’t think they even noticed.

​

The highway 
was a mass of confusion.
It was stressful.

The signs were clear
about how fast you should go.

My radio kept telling me
how I should keep buying Thingies.

So did the Big Boards 
along the road. 

They showed directions
where to find answers
for every problem.
It was very difficult
to get off the highway.
I stayed on it too long.
I missed my goal several times.
I got lost 
and didn’t know which way to go.

​

I saw someone in trouble
on the side of the road
and stopped to help.

I was able to help him get going again.
He jumped into his transportation
and drove away 
without saying anything.

I shrugged 
and returned to the highway 
to search for my destination.

​

The pressure to keep moving 
with the traffic was high. 
I was working hard to find my way.
I kept getting lost in the mayhem.

I felt like I was only a passenger
who was being pushed along.
Many times 
I wanted to just go along
and quit fighting.

 

Eventually I was able to find 
an exit to the city.
I followed one of the Big Boards 
to the Smilers Paradise. 
I was very tired 
and needed a place to rest.

It looked nice 
so I decided to stay there
and rest for a while.

I left my Aegis Box 
with an attendant 
who had a very big smile.

I signed the register.
They led me to a wonderful room 
with lots of Thingies available. 
I lost track of time.
It was nice here.

​

A couple of the Smilers came back
They said there were more travelers 
who needed to rest

They asked if I would mind 
sharing a room.
They took me to a larger room 
where there were many travelers. 
It wasn’t as well lit,
but it had all the amenities.

​

We moved quite a few times 
to larger rooms 
with more people each time.

I woke up one day 
and noticed 
it was dark.
In fact, I couldn’t see anything.
I didn’t know how long
I had been here.
I heard coughing nearby,
but couldn’t see in the dark.

I got up 
and tried to find the door. 

I tripped many times.
It was very crowded here.

I saw a faint light ahead 
and moved toward it. 
It was a door.
A Smiler greeted me.

He led me back toward the darkness.
The Smiler asked me why I wanted to go.
The Smiler told me they would get 
anything I wanted if I would just stay.

I shook out of the Smilers’ grasp
The Smiler kept questioning 
and following me.

I got to the door and went through.
There were more Smilers there.

They kept asking 
what they could do for me.
They kept trying 
to guide me back 
to the darkness.

Their voices were becoming annoyed,
but they kept smiling.

I ran down the hallway.
They were chasing me.

Still smiling.
Still asking me what they could do
and apologizing
for anything they had done wrong. 
I couldn’t find another door to exit.

I saw daylight coming from a grating
low on the wall.

I opened the grate and crawled in.

The light seemed very distant,
but I kept crawling.
Smilers were still behind me,
but their voices 
were growing fainter.
I reached the light 
and fell into the street. Exhausted.

My journey had led me to this. 
Lying on the street
Hungry. 
Still tired.

Then I noticed I had lost my head.
My Aegis Box was nowhere
to be found. 
I had left it at the front counter,
with a Smiler 
when I had first arrived.
I shook myself,
drummed up courage. 
I had to get my Aegis Box.

When I walked into the Paradise,
The Smilers welcomed me back.

I told them 
that I only wanted my Aegis Box.

They laughed, 
showed me the small type 
on the contract. 
It had been sold.

The Smilers said
the Tellers might have my Aegis Box.
I would have to check 
with the Bank Of Order.
I went to see the Tellers.

 

When I told the Tellers
at the Bank Of Order
I wanted my head back
they all laughed and said 
they couldn’t give it to me. 

They told me that 
my Aegis Box and Code
had been acquired
by the Dupey Organization
who tracks my purchases
and completes transactions for me
at the Festival Market.
The Teller saw I was 
beginning to get angry.

To emphasize his point 
the Teller stood up 
and quoted Bank Of Order 
regulations:

 

“Regulation 4747 clearly states that the use of other Codes is perfectly appropriate according to regulation 1312, 3434C, 22EE12C, 5KR52EU, 4ME2FU, 61B61B and 7474A; and is not bound by the addendum and subsequent updates to the addendums including the revisions sent out since the first of the year’s second modification, and the seventh release of the revised announcement regarding the fourth statement by the President of the Bank of Order which makes it perfectly clear that the Codes are available to be used in accordance with the provision applying to the supervision of the systematic coordinator including but not limited to those involved in standardization of the economic situation, which means that they have broken no laws in purchasing the Codes.” 

After that the Teller told me
that leaving my Aegis Box
with the Dupey Organization
would benefit both of us.
The system couldn’t work
without citizens
buying Thingies anyway.
I left to find the market 
and get my head back. 

​

I searched there for a long time.
I was nearly ready to give up 
when I saw it. 
The Dupey with my Aegis Box.

The Dupey looked and acted just like me.
It was buying a cart full of Thingies
and using my Aegis Box 
and Code to do it. 

I ran up to it and grabbed my box.
It grabbed my Aegis Box right back.

We fought over it.
Back and forth.
Round and round.
Thingies went flying everywhere.

I wasn’t going to stand 
for this any longer.

I pulled with all my strength.

The Aegis Box came free 
and flew high into the air. 
The Dupey and I 
flew backwards 
onto the ground. 

The Aegis Box seemed suspended
in mid-air for an eternity.
I felt relieved.
I had found it.

Suddenly, it came down with a crash.
The Box came apart 
with one side flapping open.

I reached in 
and grabbed my head
and slammed it 
back on my shoulders
by instinct.

Satisfaction.
I had done it.
I had retrieved my head
and no one 
was going to take it
away from me again.

It took a moment for me
to realize what I had done.
I had put my head back on.

My Aegis Box 
was sitting open at my feet. 

I looked at the Dupey
It melted into the ground 
and disappeared.
I didn’t know what to do 
with the box.
I didn’t need it anymore.

I looked around to see if anyone
was paying attention.
They were too busy 
doing what they always do 
to even notice the commotion.

​

I left the box there
for someone to wonder about.

Maybe it would cause them 
to ask a question or two.
The next part of my journey 
would be difficult.
I had to go back.
I needed to help others
understand what I had learned.
 

 went to the Smilers Paradise
and helped 
as many as I could 
and who were willing
to find their way out. 

Most didn’t listen.
But a few stood up 
and made their way out.

​

I found my way back 
through the highway.
This time I could see 
the misleading signs.

I pointed them out 
to any who would listen. 
Some of them made it through 
and were grateful. 

Most kept their heads 
down in their boxes
and barreled on into the fray.

​

At the school
I was stopped 
I was not allowed to enter. 
One teacher stopped me 
as I was leaving 
and asked if I would come back.
I made it a point to try again.

​

On the opposite shore
I talked to the old man.
I told him that I had made it.
He patted my head and looked very proud.

​

The unfamiliar wild was not scary any longer
It looked normal and inviting.

The circle of Curtain Walls 
around the Safety Zones 
looked ominous and daunting.
I was determined 
to make it back
to my old zone 
and share what I had learned.
 

I climbed through the shrouds
surrounding the living areas
and walked through the old work place

I listened to the sounds
It seemed like nothing 
but grating noise
and the clanging 
of the Order’s machinery.

I wondered how I had ever 
lived and worked like that.

There were many voices within that noise.
They were telling everyone 
how to live in the system 
and how great it was.

They spouted 
how they controlled everything.
No one seemed 
to want to do anything about it.
No one seemed 
to care anymore.
I could see they were tired.

 

I started talking 
with as many people 
as I could find. 

Many of them 
took one look at my head
and saw I had no box.
They walked away 
as quickly as they could.

Others listened reluctantly,
clutching their boxes close. 
They looked scared.
I understood.

I found others 
with their heads on. 
They had made the journey
at some time.
Why had I not
noticed them before?

​

They had been helping others 
and we began to work together.

We told listeners 
about our individual journeys. 
We explained  our experience.

Order had one thing right.
People do respond to story and song
and that is why I tell my story.

I am hoping
you will respond.

​

I am Luff.
Steer into the wind and make a little noise.

The Album Ideas
A Guide
 

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The Personal Experience
A Personal Experience with society
 

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