Late-light shadow across thousand-mountain
snows. In cold spring, a hundred-foot tower.
I climb up alone, and then back down alone.
Who can manage such distances of the heart?
translated by David Hinton
Uncategorized
Thought After Snow in Hsiang-yang by Tu Mu
My long-ago life rises into lone thoughts
and drifts windblown–too much for me.
Shoreline sounds echo night restlessly.
Cold lamplight thick with snow glistens.
Three years–a dream so bright and real,
thread stretching away into the furthest
distances. Dawn light on Ch’u Mountain:
no need to climb those wide-open heights.
translated by David Hinton
been here before: standing eight
the legs wobbly
the arms exhausted
the head throbbing
but fire still
in the eyes
from The Book of Songs: How Few of Us Are Left
How few of us are left, how few!
Why do we not go back?
Were it not for our prince and his concerns,
What should we be doing here in the dew?
How few of us are left, how few!
Why do we not go back?
Were it not for our prince’s own concerns,
What should we be doing here in the mud?
translated by Arthur Waley
the age old rub
go
or stay
walk
or run
you can’t hide
from yourself
in a room
of mirrors
and there’s
the rub
South Of Barcelona by Paul Blackburn
Early morning birdsong
grey sky and chickens and rain
across the plain
tho chickens can hardly be said to sing
their sound is comforting
& homely.
The mountains inland disappear
The clouds come down.
from the Law & Order episode “Breeder”, Ben Stone on facing an unknown and potentially damaging outcome in a courtroom but which, for some reason, I find appropriate today
When you walk into a minefield, no matter how careful you are, you’re going to lose a leg.
Let America Be America Again: reblogged from English Lit Geek’s blog
Let America Be America Again Langston Hughes, 1920-1967 Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. …
Source: Let America Be America Again
from Halfway Down The Coast by Paul Blackburn
William James on voting
There is but one unconditional commandment, which is that we should seek incessantly, with fear and trembling, so to vote and to act as to bring about the very largest total universe of good which we can see.
Leonard Durso 