in the animation of the universe
there is duty and delight,
joy and sorrow
of the year it passes it returns it does not
change what changes isn't desire
within the animation of the universe
today, driving in the dense fog in the early morning, you could barely see in front of you. the grass brown and frozen, reeds stilled at an angle to the universe, the trees still blissfully asleep. a few white lights on somewhere in the distance. we're all at sea. suddenly, a figure emerges from the swirling mist, from nowhere or a dream, a cyclist wrapped in a patterned shawl, drifting, floating towards you. against the fog his silhouette is clear, well-defined, and for once you see the whole person. but in a flash, he's gone, engulfed by the fog again, his shawl trailing after him.
you lose orientation, veering off on to the side of the road. slightly bewildered. things that are normally small seem a lot larger now and what was afar now seems close. what is distance?
tentative steps. "do not walk across the lawn" the sign reads. but I can't see the lawn! lost in this no-man's land, and our steps don't even rhyme. how to find one's way in this shape-shifting world, how to find my way back home?
The stars are
Although I do not sing
About them—...
Why sigh for a star
Better bay at the moon
Better bay at the moon . . .
Oh moon, moon, moon
~~~~
came across a blog that was quite disturbing. one of those reading clubs that for some odd reason i imagine to be very popular amongst white american women of a certain class. and the main emphasis seemed to be on book lists and the number of books read over the year.. 100, 150 even!
fragments from John Riley and Samuel Menashe
9 comments:
we're all at sea. suddenly, a figure emerges from the swirling mist, from nowhere or a dream, a cyclist wrapped in a patterned shawl, drifting, floating towards you. against the fog his silhouette is clear, well-defined, and for once you see the whole person. but in a flash, he's gone, engulfed by the fog again, his shawl trailing after him.
see, if you had a camera, the magical dreaminess of such moments would be lost, in a way - because you would only think of grabbing it and get "hold" of the silhouette :-)
i am a bit surprised by your sudden interest in photography - i thought you didn't like the idea behind it? :-) i do recall some earlier posts in which you made quite a case against photography :-)
(the places between - as a title for the first post of the year - i wonder about it - if it says something significant about you or not :-) you will probably just say it was the influence of a c.r. eaten between tea and porridge or whatever other doubtful meals you have for breakfast :-P)
dear b., happy new year! here's to more of our chats over c.r. (as roxana says - hi! :) and yummy teas!
be well,
m
r, actually the last post was the first one of the year (I thought of home) but it has come out as the last one of the year (blasted google controls time!)
yeah, i know what ur saying..i am a bit reluctant because part of me doesn't like the "capturing" bit and it doesn't seem creative (of course, i only say that as an 'outsider'..someone in the field might well say it is very creative).
Secondly, i'm not good with machines (people, animals, plants etc., etc).
yes, earlier posts...i still think there's *some* truth to that..can't get away from my muslim/jewish sensibilities here. the domination of the image, our "fixation" with it, by it, is a bit troubling, no?
you know, i haven't had a c.r. in ages..but yes, porridge and tea (please note mani, none of the jasmine stuff but genuine, kosher, PG tips..oh, if only you Romanians had been colonised by the British like us then we'd have so much more in common!)
We got tea and cricket, you got Tolstoy and an excellent gymnastics team (I can never forget Nadia what's her name...don't know how to spell it)
oh well.
mani, hello to you too!
can't write now, a bit busy with stuff .
keep well (and warm!)
b.
Nadia Comaneci :)
hello, b.
we were colonized by the Ottomans for a good few hundred years, hmmm, do you think that accounts for the jasmine???
of course, yes, Comaneci! the first "10"
the ottomans, eh? do you think that explains Roxana's hostility to me?
:-)
(err...only joking, roxana)
Well, i'm guessing that you have proper coffee at least?
Are there many loan words?
hi ! :-)
b.
certainly we have words, many more than i know - i'm sure roxana will be much better at this - giugiuc, ibric
and yes, my condescending friend, we do have good coffee :)
(i'll pretend i didn't 'hear' your question about roxana...)
hi back :)
m
Roxana's hostility?!! you haven't seen anything yet, my dear! :-P
but no, why should *that* be explained by the Ottoman colonization (though i beg to differ, we have never been part of the Ottoman empire, it's a big difference, just had to pay something so that they leave us alone)? why do you and the Ottomans have in common, well, except the houris? :-P
and nobody drinks tea in Romania, real tea i mean, jasmine or no jasmine - only some herbal stuff when they get sick. and Tolstoy is russian, not turkish, b, really!!! :-P
now compared to Manu's gentle answer, which diplomatically avoided all potentially conflictual topics, mine surely seems like a ticking bomb :-)
(hi, m :-)
ps. oh, but we also got turkish delight, i don't like it but as it is often the case, this means you do :-)
ps2. i can say those turkish words for you, if you wish :-P
yeah, what was that about Tolstoy?
Roxana's hostility?!! you haven't seen anything yet, my dear! :-P
oohh...i'm shaking in my boots! :-)
but no, why should *that* be explained by the Ottoman colonization
i thought u were hostile to all orientals and the brothers
unfortunately no houris..err..but am working on it:-)
ticking bomb..no, not really..i've seen worse!in any case, what can one expect from your tribe?:-)
turkish delight-if we're talking about the same thing...yeah, okay, nothing special.
yes, do say "those" words for me.
danke, danke.
+++++
mani, the sane voice of reason, my non-condescending friend, tolstoy..err..russian influence...i know that one of the advantages of bulgaria being under the soviet influence was that they picked up the russian language ..in that context.
word verification: "be kind to b"
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