What is love? Millions of words written. But only two people in love really understand. The Romans got it pretty right. The bride whispered her love vow to the groom: ‘As you are Gaius, I am Gaia’. They were then as one. Fast forward about 2000 years. Leonard Cohen has often written about love, in […]
EvenFourLines
"If any person in any place were to teach even four lines...
...Like a tiny drop of dew, or a bubble floating in a stream
Like a flash of lightning in a summer cloud
Or a flickering lamp, an illusion, a phantom, or a dream
So is all conditioned existence to be seen" [from the Diamond Sutra]
There Is No Difference Between The Johnnies And The Mehmets
Historians can parse wars and write papers, but it’s the poetry and prose of the time that captures the emotions. And the humanism. And the tears. That is why there will never be ‘compassion fatigue’ about Anzac Day. I bring three beautiful human moments to your attention. Mustafa Kemal, later known as Ataturk, was commander […]
Yet Could We Turn The Years Again
Why did you and I shed a tear when Madiba died a few days ago? Was it because he was a hero of our generation? Was it because he was “the most complete man”, as many have said? Was it because he could forgive, and unite, where others would revenge, and tear apart? Perhaps. But […]
It Seemed About A Hundred Years Ago
Barlo loved that smell. Feeckoh Plus Bowel Treatment, with “attenuated donor E.coli”. He sprinkled a bit more of the green powder on his insect muesli. “Oh My, Yipes” he said aloud, poured on the distilled water, and caught some of the Neuro-News as it came in. It was HIS moment. Just nineteen, he had finally […]
The Night Of Time Far Surpasseth The Day
Sometimes, when you’ve got a few spare minutes, you want to relax. Do nothing. Daydream. Do stuff which will not enrich you or the earth, something meaningless, even useless. You do understand, don’t you? It happened to me recently. Constructively, I took my birthday 16/02 and changed it to letters with each number corresponding to […]
Well Then, Give Me Your Pain
I’m not sure that anyone reads Lou Salome, or about Lou Salome, anymore. The peripatetic Russian psychoanalyst and feminist, born in 1861, was linked to famous men of her age, including Ree, Nietzsche, Wagner, Freud and Rilke, among others. In fact, there was a menage of sorts with the first two, the Poet and the […]
You Are Made Of Stardust
Jill Tarter has one of the best jobs in the world. She is an astronomer. Her niche area in astronomy? Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. You have to take note when she speaks. Why? Here is a partial list of her achievements: Project Director at SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) Fellow of the American Association for […]