Tag Archives: Mark Strand

The right way is to the left….

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Ffolkes,

“A stiff neck usually supports an empty head.”

~~ Observant Bee ~~

leelu-redeye

Leelu, locked & loaded….

Hajime…. I had hoped, upon arising today, to find it within me to write some actual prose here to begin. However, upon entering the trance state I use to search out the appropriate creative urge, I found nothing but a vast, featureless plain, without even any shiny objects off in the distance. Rather than retreat, as I generally do, into paragraph after paragraph of blather & nonsense, I will, instead, accept the limitations I have encountered, & just get on with the posting process. You may thank me later…. or, not, as you wish….

I suppose, in order to earn & deserve any thanks, I’ll have to employ yet another example of a ruthless ending to the intro. I realize it has become rather de rigeur, but, that’s what happens when a blog gets old, along with its author. We just don’t care as much as we used to. But, that’s indulgent speculation, when our intention is to get down the page. Why don’t I make a quick turn, into this little cul-de-sac, where I’ll flip the switch on our old #4, which has served us so well for so long…. That one works like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“My mind to me a kingdom is;
Such present joys therein I find,
That it excels all other bliss
That earth affords or grows by kind:
Though much I want which most would have,
Yet still my mind forbids to crave.”

~~ Edward Dyer (c. 1540-1607) — MS. Rawl. 85. p. 17~~

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mozart2

When I want to focus my mind on a set task on the computer, this is what I put on. It’s a grand collection of Wolfie’s violin concertos, with what I’ve found to be the best music for such mental gymnastics. It just seems to help my mind relax, and enter the flow of thought with ease…. I hope you find it so yourselves…. Enjoy!….

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Mozart ~ Violin Concertos

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Comedy_Tragedy

Life as we know it….

As we grow and learn to be, in this sad, yet joyous parade,
we only have our Self with which to face life;
small, we are, and weak,
but, smart.

Reality, in studied contrast, is an invisible, ubiquitous shade
dispassionate ambivalence brings us mostly strife.
It’s never enough to seek.
Take part.

The universe won’t make a compromise, but will make a trade.
Give away your fear for knowledge, and a reasoned life.
It often requires a tweak;
live Art.

Love is an essential part of our own particular charade
without it, life can be filled with strife.
Souls perch high on a peak;
sweet, tart.

Pain always balances with joy, the price has to be paid;
for us humans, each must be equal in life.
To know one, the other must speak.
Never apart.

We are all actors, playing parts we’ve chosen to have portrayed;
the director’s absence produces endless strife.
Trying to make sense brings only pique.
Go. Start.

~~ gigoid ~~

11/27/2015

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pearls_3

Naked Pearls

Grinding the stone….

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“There is no happiness like mine. I have been eating poetry.”

~~ Mark Strand ~~

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“Hello darkness, my old friend,
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping,
eft its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision
that was planted in my brain,
still remains
Within the sound of silence:”

~~ Paul Simon ~~

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“Take me disappearing
through the smoke rings of my mind
down the foggy ruins of time
far past the frozen leaves
the haunted frightened trees
out to the windy beach
far from the twisted reach
of crazy sorrow.

Ah, to dance beneath the diamond sky
with one hand waving free
silhouetted by the sea
circled by the circus sands
with all memory and fate
driven deep beneath the waves
let me forget about today
until tomorrow.”

~~ Bob Dylan ~~

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“Nothing in the entire universe ever perishes, believe me,
but things vary, and adopt a new form.
The phrase “being born” is used
for beginning to be something different from what one was before,
while “dying” means ceasing to be the same.
Though this thing may pass into that, and that into this,
yet the sums of things remains unchanged.”

~~ Ovid — Metamorphoses ~~

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“It is the edge and temper of the blade
that make a good sword,
not the richness of the scabbard;
and so it is not money or possessions
that make man considerable,
but his virtue.”

~~ Seneca ~

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“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.”

~~ Kris Kristofferson ~~

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“The more I learn, the more I have to learn.”

~~ Anonymous Bee ~~

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Having thus completed my assigned tasks for this morning, I’ll use a bit of compassion, & close it as efficiently as I opened. Perhaps that isn’t the most compelling technique, but, it works for what we need today. I’ll reiterate the usual caveat, to wit: I’ll be back, to spend more time on tinkering with my brain, so as to distract it from going wonky. Y’all are welcome to join me, tomorrow, hopefully, when I’ll do this again. See ya, ffolkes…. Stay alert; it’s getting more than just a little crazy out in the Big Blue Room….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes,
I just sits.

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

Kowabunga!

À bientôt, mon cherí….

Keeping banker’s hours….

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Ffolkes,
With a smile, a whistle, and a joyful heart, the day begins…..

“Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.” — Buddha

Living in today’s complex culture gets to be pretty stressful and frustrating. The more we do, the more it seems there is more to do. Bombarded on every side with demands, duties, expectations, and a myriad of “it’ll just take a minute  of your time” favors for friends, we end up with no time left for ourselves. I recall the days when I had a wife, two small children, a mortgage, car payments, and two full-time jobs; I became the Master of the Nine-Minute Nap, and spent each day chasing my tail to try to keep up with all there was to do. And that feeling, of being hemmed in and having no time for anything except more work, is pretty common to much of our society. The complexity of what is needed just to survive these days has men and women scrambling and scratching to make ends meet, leaving little time for relaxation or much-needed recreational activities.

Is there a solution to this problem, common to so many? Yes there is….it is really very simple, and revolves around one little word that a lot of folks have trouble saying, or meaning. We all learned this word at the age of 2, or thereabout, and have used it with varying effect ever since. Naturally, the word is “No”. That’s correct, “No”. Nothing else is needed, or even desirable, when confronted with yet another demand for assistance from a “friend”, or another pile of work from a boss, or another fundraiser. As long as it is delivered in a voice that carries authority, it needs no other help to rescue those stolen moments. Nancy Reagan had the correct slogan, Just say No!, but tried to apply it to an area of society that just laughs at such puerile nonsense.

     When applied to one’s own self, however, it becomes an invincible shield, protecting you from yet another waste of your time on other people’s behalf. Time is precious enough for us; we are mortal, and have only a finite amount of minutes here on this plane of existence. We each need to learn to protect those minutes, and keep them for use in service to our own goals and aspirations, instead of everybody else’s. You’ll be amazed at how much time you actually do have……

If I had thought thou couldst have died,
I might not weep for thee;
But I forgot, when by thy side,
That thou couldst mortal be.
— Charles Wolfe (1791-1823)
— To Mary

This little gem was another instance of serendipity. I was looking for a specific piece of information, and came across this in my search. I love that feeling, of getting a free gift from the universe. And when it is produced by something like this, that good feeling gets re-created at every reading. What I like about this one is the depth and breadth of the ideas being expressed, and how a few little words in the proper order can create in one’s mind an image that is richer and more detailed than could be surmised from just the words alone. Two little couplets strung together are enough to bring back the feelings one has when in the midst of infatuation, that first blush of love when the entire world assumes a compelling dream-like quality, and every sunrise is cause for joy. In this state, the mind is focused only on the object of desire, and any other perceptions are ignored, swept away from consciousness as if totally unimportant. It’s a very passionate time of life, and I find this little poem to be a truly exquisite conveyance back to those times……”There is no happiness like mine. I have been eating poetry.” — Mark Strand

Happiness is a state of mind.  Not happy?  Change your mind.

When I was in my teens, many, many moons ago, I read a book that is part of the sacred writings of Hinduism; it is titled, “The Bhagavad Gita. In the book, a young prince named Arjuna was entering a battle in ancient days in India, riding a chariot. His charioteer is none other than Krishna, the original Hindu god, from which all the others sprang, who then had a conversation with the young prince about life and philosophy. In answer to a question from Arjuna, Krishna replies, “All anger arises from obstructed desire. Thus all anger can be controlled, merely by altering the desire.” The concept works for happiness as well…..

What a powerful idea! To be able to control all of our anger with a small attitude change is a tool that every single human child should be given at birth, or at the very least, before they reach the age of reason. Imagine, an entire generation of people able to control and regulate the most passionate parts of their nature, with the power of their mind. Controversy and argument would vanish. War would be a distant memory. And humans would face life without fear, having replaced the passionate but unreliable emotions based on ignorance with a mind free of fear, and of the distraction of emotional turmoil. I can speak from experience to say that I know it is true, and really does work. I still experience anger and emotional turmoil, but it doesn’t last long in the face of reason and knowledge. This concept could very well be the next evolutionary step for our species; changing the way we deal with ourselves internally, rather than trying to modify the world to fit our image very well could be the answer for us. It couldn’t hurt…….

Whew! I could keep on writing on this subject for a long time, but I do have other stuff to do today. This is a good start though, and I may write more on this idea; it’s worth a second look. In the meantime, y’all take care out there……

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

Dozer

Kowabunga!