Soft Country

A Clear Midnight Poem - Whitman

Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done,
Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou
lovest best.
Night, sleep, death and the stars.

Dikt: Walt Whitman. Foto: Elin Maria Johansson, konstnär.

Påsksnäckor

Kanske kan ett litet barn finna några ägg i den här bilden, men mest är det snäckor. Kosmiska samband och sånt. Framförallt vackert. Hilma af Klint pixit.

Martin Luther King på Påskafton

I'm concerned about a better world. I'm concerned about justice; I'm concerned about brotherhood; I'm concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about that, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.

And I say to you, I have also decided to stick with love, for I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go. I know it isn't popular to talk about it in some circles today. And I'm not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love; I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. For I have seen too much hate. I've seen too much hate on the faces of sheriffs in the South. I've seen hate on the faces of too many Klansmen and too many White Citizens Councilors in the South to want to hate, myself, because every time I see it, I know that it does something to their faces and their personalities, and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we aren't moving wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who loves has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality.

And so I say to you today, my friends, that you may be able to speak with the tongues of men and angels ; you may have the eloquence of articulate speech; but if you have not love, it means nothing. Yes, you may have the gift of prophecy; you may have the gift of scientific prediction and understand the behavior of molecules ; you may break into the storehouse of nature and bring forth many new insights; yes, you may ascend to the heights of academic achievement so that you have all knowledge ; and you may boast of your great institutions of learning and the boundless extent of your degrees; but if you have not love, all of these mean absolutely nothing. You may even give your goods to feed the poor ; you may bestow great gifts to charity; and you may tower high in philanthropy; but if you have not love, your charity means nothing.

Läs hela hela Martin Luther Kings tal här, om kampen för rättvisa. Och lägg märke till att han själv, fortfarande vid mitten av 60-talet, använder ordet neger. Det ord som numera väcker större indignation än alla samhällets orättvisor tillsammans.

 "Let us be dissatisfied until from every city hall, justice will roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Tranströmer en långfredag

Den skingrade församlingen

I

Vi ställde upp och visade våra hem.
Besökarna tänkte: ni bor bra.
Slummen finns invärtes i eder.

II

Inne i kyrkan: valv och pelare
vita som gips, som gipsbandaget
kring trons brutna arm.

III

Inne i kyrkan är tiggarskålen
som lyfter sig själv från golvet
och går längs bänkraderna.

IV

Men kyrkklockorna måste gå under jorden.
De hänger i kloaktrumman.
De klämtar under våra steg.

V

Sömngångaren Nicodemus på väg
till Adressen. Vem har adressen?
Vet inte. Men det är dit vi går.

Om narcissisten

Många narcissistiska människor talar oavbrutet — ofta vid måltiderna så att de glömmer bort att äta och tvingar alla andra att vänta. Middagssällskapet och maten är mindre viktiga än den egna personen. En narcissistisk individ behöver inte ens ha tagit hela sin person till föremål för sin narcissism. Ofta har han laddat en viss aspekt av sin personlighet med sin narcissism; sin heder, sin intelligens, sitt fysiska mod, sin kvickhet, sitt fördelaktiga utseende (ibland till och med begränsat till sådana detaljer som håret eller näsan). 
 
Jag minns inte om jag skrivit detta, det låter mera som saxat någonstans ifrån. Men jag kunde inte ha sagt det bättre själv. 

Bach rider in i Stockholm på en åsna

"Bach's music is the only argument proving the creation of the Universe cannot be regarded as a complete failure" 
Cioran