5 influential quotes (and/or books):
I have plenty in the book being written, but here’s some for this thing… In no particular order, and yes, i bend rules…

#1 - Bible: Matthew 8:20 - 16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. 18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, “Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.” 20 And Jesus saith unto him, ”The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said unto him, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” 23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

So, to me, “foxes have holes”… foxes are clever. Clever people have places and things they can bury themselves in and find some sense of home or comfort, a place to… sleep… It’s a hole they dig themselves or one they find that they think suits them, where they can take refuge from the world they’re hunting in, and roaming about. “Birds [of the air] have their nests” is interesting too. In some translations they leave out “of the air” which is important, because birds of the air are different than birds of the ground. The freedom to fly is not in them. Birds of the air can escape into the clouds, feel the wind, but even then they must come down. No matter how high and free you fly you must be grounded in something. Nests are woven together, much like how you have to dig your own hole (foxes) you have to twist up lines and things you find to make a home of it. It’s where you take off to fly from, but also what you return to, and where your seeds grow from. In all of existence… definitely in existence here… some of us have no hole we can dig and get lost or trapped in, and nothing we can find and twist up will be suitable, especially as a place to lay your foundation or ease your mind and with it your soul via spirit(s). Did a few songs about that.

#2 - Aristotle - “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

#3 - Bible: John 1:1 - 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Know the word. Everything starts with one word. Every thought and question and answer comes down to one word. Everything can be traced back to one point, and that one point is one word. That word creates everything and is the main focus of it. It holds all of the power. In all things, know the word. Proverbs 4:7 “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” There’s thinking, knowing, believing, and understanding. Each of those is a different word. They are not the same. Same and similar are two different words. They are not the same, even if they are similar. Know the word. Think until you understand so that you believe until you know… the word. Thinking, understanding, believing… all have wiggle room. You can move in circles there and waste being. What you know you know and that is that. You need faith and hope for what you do not know and only think or believe or understand but do not know. KNOW… in all things… the word.

“there's a lot of shit down here
it pays no mind
but up there you float on white lines
cutting the waight (weight & wait, not a typo)
always brighter than grounded
--it's how we're wired
but i haven't forgotten how not to fly”
— little byrd “Ok skye, ok”

“3 simple rules for here, to beHave
molest in a 6 and you will be saved
understand, love, and be was the way
follow, fear, and die-- upgrade
Now the golden bulls are grazing
brazen
dig that skullfuck
a-maze-in’!
Everything in life has a price
...freedom comes at a price
...free is a price
IGNORE THAT stupid
BACK TO WORK!!!
ashes to ashes
burn the earth
keeps growing back
light cuts through
unless you or the light is re-moved
so BOUNCE baby
make it clap
or... get clapped and be replaced!
Stupid
i'll do what we want us to do
and me listening?
my will too”

— little byrd (Jaiden Malone) "El Stupido (Happy Camperz)"

#4 - Hagakure: Chapter 1:8 & 9 - 8  Being a retainer is nothing other than being a supporter of one’s lord, entrusting matters of good and evil to him, and renouncing self-interest. If there are but two or three men of this type, the fief will be secure. 9 - If one looks at the world when affairs are going smoothly, there are many who go about putting in their appearance, being useful by their wisdom, discrimination and artfulness. However, if the lord should retire or go into seclusion, there are many who will quickly turn their backs on him and ingratiate themselves to the man of the day. Such a thing is unpleasant even to think about. Men of high position, low position, deep wisdom and artfulness all feel that they are the ones who are working righteously, but when it comes to the point of throwing away one’s life for his lord, all get weak in the knees. This is rather disgraceful. The fact that a useless person often becomes a matchless warrior at such times is because he has already given up his life and has become one with his lord. At the time of Mitsushige’s death there was an example of this. His one resolved attendant was I alone. The others followed in my wake. Always the pretentious, self-asserting notables turn their backs on the man just as his eyes are closing in death. Loyalty is said to be important in the pledge between lord and retainer. Though it may seem unobtainable, it is right before your eyes. If you once set yourself to it, you will become a superb retainer at that very moment.

#5 … hmm. one left aye? That came about rather quickly. Let’s build a bear, yeah? Where to start… So many to choose from. There’s “Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.” — Andrew Fletcher. You got “If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.”— Marcus Aurelius. We can color that with some, “The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.” — Palpatine (Star Wars Ep. 3 & 9)… Yeah, “OooOoh, plot twist!” didn’t see that coming, eh? Let’s keep going… add onto that 1 Kings 22:20-23, and add onto that Job 1:6-12, and then onto that Exodus 7:1-7 (Yeah, Moses was 80 and Aaron was 83 when they first went to speak to Pharaoh, a score is 20 years. He was a good looking 80 yrs old on screen I tells ya what. No fast food back then. Abe Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863 with the whole “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. [of course slaves were considered to be NOT whole men, only a portion like livestock] Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.” meaning it only took the country 87 years to reach Civil War……) and we can even splice in two more, one my dad told me a long time ago “Someone’s got to go to hell, make sure it ain’t you.” — R.L. Sr. and flavor that with one from me, “No one or thing that is a conscious form of BEING BEing Being does anything unless they get something out of it. The ‘something’ most sought after is the experience and knowing of one’s divinity (one’s ideal state of being via one’s thinking).” and that’s EVERY conscious being… and what you get is this picture of yourself, an eternal being in one realm of countless realms, conscious to the things here— and ALL is here, even if it’s just within and you are not thinking of it— and everything is free no matter how much it costs or what it’s charged with… given that, and some QUEEN “Here we are, born to be kings— We're the princes of the Universe. Here we belong, fighting to survive In a world with the darkest powers. And here we are, We're the princes of the Universe. Here we belong, fighting for survival. We've come to be the rulers of your world. I am immortal. I have inside me blood of kings. I have no rival— No man can be my equal. Take me to the future of your world. Born to be kings, Princes of the Universe. Fighting and free. Got your world in my hand. I'm here for your love and I'll make my stand. We were born to be princes of the Universe. No man could understand. My power is in my own hand.” and we’re left with a toast in this ‘war’ which is not just a war, we’re in the vibration or relationship between the darkness and light of ALL, that vibration and energy pulsing out between those points to be understood and understanding so that it can love it’s self and be (Understand.Love.Be.), and some of the brightest ideas it has in that relationship, the brightest energies or spirits are US… YOU…. Given that, and I’m really cutting this point short… but finally we come to the quote which is more of an offering, prayer, and wishes to and for you, “Peace, blessings, and understanding to the point of knowing to you and yours. Thank you for being you. Have entirely too much fun, all day, every day.” — little byrd. (It used to be “peace, blessings, power, and understandings…” but in all honesty, power is an illusion.)