"Slowly crossing the deck from the scuttle, Ahab leaned over the side and watched how his shadow in the water sank and sank to his gaze, the more and the more that he strove to pierce the profundity. But the lovely aromas in that enchanted air did at last seem to dispel, for a moment, the cankerous thing in his soul. That glad, happy air, that winsome sky, did at last stroke and caress him; the step-mother world, so long cruel--forbidding--now threw affectionate arms round his stubborn neck, and did seem to joyously sob over him, as if over one, that however wilful and erring, she could yet find it in her heart to save and to bless. From beneath his slouched hat Ahab dropped a tear into the sea; nor did all the Pacific contain such wealth as that one wee drop."
Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
The Melville Poems: Ode to SO
First peeping, peering round my door
now pontificating on my bed
the brilliance I have found
is bold
and dark
and wears
the slippers that I gave her
as she trips and slips about the wooden floors
of Melville
now pontificating on my bed
the brilliance I have found
is bold
and dark
and wears
the slippers that I gave her
as she trips and slips about the wooden floors
of Melville
The Melville Poems: Ode to RM
Find her in the nook
pretty shoes, curling hair
Find her in the lab
tending cells, lamenting time
Find her alone at Melville
spreading peanut butter and
singing joyously to the bread
pretty shoes, curling hair
Find her in the lab
tending cells, lamenting time
Find her alone at Melville
spreading peanut butter and
singing joyously to the bread
The Melville Poems: Ode to MH
Fresh golden sunshine
smiles, attends her as she runs
leading her back to Melville
smiles, attends her as she runs
leading her back to Melville
The Melville Poems: Untitled
The Austen-esque book
will chronicle our affairs
real and imagined
Reija's pretty prose
reads with quips and quibbles quaint
what a silly scene
Find the Melville House
Forever immortalized
just like Patty's Place
will chronicle our affairs
real and imagined
Reija's pretty prose
reads with quips and quibbles quaint
what a silly scene
Find the Melville House
Forever immortalized
just like Patty's Place
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
2 Nephi 8 (or, Trust)
"I am he; yea I am he that comforteth you. Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die ... and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth?
"Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool. But my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
"For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
"And on my arm shall they trust."
How do we exhibit fear of mean and their revilings? Is our hope in the Lord? Are we more upset and fearful over our diligence in daily prayer, scripture study, and being kind to others, or are we more concerned about finances, work, and deadlines? While we should do our duty in worldly affairs, we should fear God more than man.
The Lord will comfort us and all of our waste places. He will make our weaknesses strengths. Anything in us that is a wilderness or a desert the Lord will make as beautiful and lush as a garden. We can have great hope and happiness in our Savior.
"Fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.
For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool. But my righteousness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation.
"For the Lord shall comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
"And on my arm shall they trust."
How do we exhibit fear of mean and their revilings? Is our hope in the Lord? Are we more upset and fearful over our diligence in daily prayer, scripture study, and being kind to others, or are we more concerned about finances, work, and deadlines? While we should do our duty in worldly affairs, we should fear God more than man.
The Lord will comfort us and all of our waste places. He will make our weaknesses strengths. Anything in us that is a wilderness or a desert the Lord will make as beautiful and lush as a garden. We can have great hope and happiness in our Savior.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Doctrine and Covenants 3
7 For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—
8 Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.
8 Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
(Untitled) by Sharon Creech
Sometimes
when you are trying
not to think about something
it keeps popping back
into your head
you can’t help it
you think about it
and
think about it
and
think about it
until your brain
feels like
a squashed pea.
when you are trying
not to think about something
it keeps popping back
into your head
you can’t help it
you think about it
and
think about it
and
think about it
until your brain
feels like
a squashed pea.
Monday, November 13, 2006
From Blossoms by Li-Young Lee
From blossoms comes
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the joy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.
From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.
O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.
There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.
this brown paper bag of peaches
we bought from the joy
at the bend in the road where we turned toward
signs painted Peaches.
From laden boughs, from hands,
from sweet fellowship in the bins,
comes nectar at the roadside, succulent
peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,
comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.
O, to take what we love inside,
to carry within us an orchard, to eat
not only the skin, but the shade,
not only the sugar, but the days, to hold
the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into
the round jubilance of peach.
There are days we live
as if death were nowhere
in the background; from joy
to joy to joy, from wing to wing,
from blossom to blossom to
impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.
Rain by Jack Gilbert
Suddenly this defeat.
This rain.
The blues gone grey
And the browns gone grey
And yellow
A terrible amber.
In the cold streets
Your warm body.
In whatever room
Your warm body.
Among all the people
Your absence
The people who are always
Not you.
I have been easy with trees
Too long.
Too familiar with mountains.
Joy has been a habit.
Now
Suddenly
This rain.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
The Riddle of the World by Alexander Pope
Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;
The proper study of Mankind is Man.
Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state,
A being darkly wise, and rudely great:
With too much knowledge for the Sceptic side,
With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride,
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest,
In doubt to deem himself a God, or Beast;
In doubt his Mind or Body to prefer,
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err,
Alike in ignorance, his reason such,
Whether he thinks too little, or too much:
Chaos of Thought and Passion, all confus'd;
Still by himself abus'd, or disabus'd;
Created half to rise,and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole judge of Truth, in endless error hurl'd:
The glory, jest and riddle of the world!
The proper study of Mankind is Man.
Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state,
A being darkly wise, and rudely great:
With too much knowledge for the Sceptic side,
With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride,
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest,
In doubt to deem himself a God, or Beast;
In doubt his Mind or Body to prefer,
Born but to die, and reas'ning but to err,
Alike in ignorance, his reason such,
Whether he thinks too little, or too much:
Chaos of Thought and Passion, all confus'd;
Still by himself abus'd, or disabus'd;
Created half to rise,and half to fall;
Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;
Sole judge of Truth, in endless error hurl'd:
The glory, jest and riddle of the world!
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Perhaps it needs to be gchat abstinence
It just so happens that my gchat fast a few weeks ago was highly successful.
I am currently considering gchat abstinence. The gchat world is a dangerous place. Why take risks?
I am currently considering gchat abstinence. The gchat world is a dangerous place. Why take risks?
Past
We have to discard the past
and, as one builds
floor by floor, window by window,
and the building rises,
so do we go on throwing down
first, broken tiles,
then pompous doors,
until out of the past
dust rises
as if to crash
against the floor,
smoke rises
as if to catch fire,
and each new day
it gleams
like an empty
plate.
There is nothing, there is always nothing.
It has to be filled
with a new, fruitful
space,
then downward
tumbles yesterday
as in a well
falls yesterday's water,
into the cistern
of all still without voice or fire.
It is difficult
to teach bones
to disappear,
to teach eyes
to close
but
we do it
unrealizing.
It was all alive,
alive, alive, alive
like a scarlet fish
but time
passed over its dark cloth
and the flash of the fish
drowned and disappeared.
Water water water
the past goes on falling
still a tangle
of bones
and of roots;
it has been, it has been, and now
memories mean nothing.
Now the heavy eyelid
covers the light of the eye
and what was once living
now no longer lives;
what we were, we are not.
And with words, although the letters
still have transparency and sound,
they change, and the mouth changes;
the same mouth is now another mouth;
they change, lips, skin, circulation;
another being has occupied our skeleton;
what once was in us now is not.
It has gone, but if they call, we reply:
'I am here,' knowing we are not,
that what once was, was and is lost,
is lost in the past, and now will not return.
Pablo Neruda
and, as one builds
floor by floor, window by window,
and the building rises,
so do we go on throwing down
first, broken tiles,
then pompous doors,
until out of the past
dust rises
as if to crash
against the floor,
smoke rises
as if to catch fire,
and each new day
it gleams
like an empty
plate.
There is nothing, there is always nothing.
It has to be filled
with a new, fruitful
space,
then downward
tumbles yesterday
as in a well
falls yesterday's water,
into the cistern
of all still without voice or fire.
It is difficult
to teach bones
to disappear,
to teach eyes
to close
but
we do it
unrealizing.
It was all alive,
alive, alive, alive
like a scarlet fish
but time
passed over its dark cloth
and the flash of the fish
drowned and disappeared.
Water water water
the past goes on falling
still a tangle
of bones
and of roots;
it has been, it has been, and now
memories mean nothing.
Now the heavy eyelid
covers the light of the eye
and what was once living
now no longer lives;
what we were, we are not.
And with words, although the letters
still have transparency and sound,
they change, and the mouth changes;
the same mouth is now another mouth;
they change, lips, skin, circulation;
another being has occupied our skeleton;
what once was in us now is not.
It has gone, but if they call, we reply:
'I am here,' knowing we are not,
that what once was, was and is lost,
is lost in the past, and now will not return.
Pablo Neruda
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tomorrow is a g-chat fast
Just a warning. Thursday I am offline. I am focusing. I am working. I am good.
Expect some extra blog posts :)
Expect some extra blog posts :)
Word of the Day
pithy
adjective
Concise and full of meaning. Describes speech or writing that is short, direct, and memorable.
Google Define here.
adjective
Concise and full of meaning. Describes speech or writing that is short, direct, and memorable.
Google Define here.
Fear not to do good
In general conference this Fall, Anthony D. Perkins suggested we avoid the following 3 snares:
- False inadequacy
- Exaggerated imperfection
- Needless guilt
He suggested we make 5 changes to our minds and hearts:
- See yourself as a precious child of a loving Father in Heaven.
- Place your burdens on Jesus Christ. Drop to your knees in prayer.
- Forgive yourself of sins and imperfections.
- Sustain hope of eternal life.
- Find joy in each day.
God has infinite love for each of us. The Spirit can give us positive hope for change. We should develop and use our talents rather than dwelling on our weaknesses.
This admonition reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures:
"Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoevever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good, ye shall also reap good for your reward.
"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
"Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
"Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen."
(Doctrine & Covenants 6:33-37)
- False inadequacy
- Exaggerated imperfection
- Needless guilt
He suggested we make 5 changes to our minds and hearts:
- See yourself as a precious child of a loving Father in Heaven.
- Place your burdens on Jesus Christ. Drop to your knees in prayer.
- Forgive yourself of sins and imperfections.
- Sustain hope of eternal life.
- Find joy in each day.
God has infinite love for each of us. The Spirit can give us positive hope for change. We should develop and use our talents rather than dwelling on our weaknesses.
This admonition reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures:
"Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoevever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good, ye shall also reap good for your reward.
"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
"Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
"Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
"Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen."
(Doctrine & Covenants 6:33-37)
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