Tuesday, January 26, 2010

piss dream

they are there
in shadows of buildings
new old
huddled together
banded against
cold and cops and
callous stares

as I passed
a man
smiled
his decayed mouth

a universe shattered

either in acknowledgement
or pain
suffering is transcendent

i bought two cups of tea and a roll
sat down
smiled back
and listened to the wind

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Helmuth James Graf and Freya Von Moltke

In the ongoing and laborious discussion on morality and ethics, it would be prudent to view how some reacted to true terror and evil.Helmuth James Graf von Moltke was the scion of one of Germany's most illustrious military families.{Imagine, the Lee's of Virginia as a reference}A lawyer a devout Christian, Helmuth Von Moltke early on, from 1932 on saw what was happening in/to Germany.He said to his wife" I read his book, he said exactly what he would do"referring to AH. He worked , then,for the Nazis and against them in the Foreign office and the Abwer.For the Nazis by virtue of being employed by them, and against them with all he could. His letters to his wife are filled with the details of his trying to help Russian POW's and Jews, knowing, of course, that the dread ss was always nearby. He was eventually arrested and murdered by the Nazi state.I mention this because his widow, his beloved Fredya died January 1, 2010 in Vermont, having outlived her beloved husband by 65 years.She worked for reconciliation all her remaining years. What to do in the face of moral evil? Read these letters, and you will see. Rest in Peace

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Bach for the new Year

the New year is come, and with it more Bach.It's odd, as much as I love, for example,Coltrane, Duke Ellington, William Byrd,Monk,Bird,Dylan,The Beatles,Gospel,the Dead, Brian Wilson,Miles,Nusrat, Beethoven, I always fall back on JS Bach. I know little of music, but I do know what I like, and what I love. Listened to the Christmas Cantata and the Magnificat, now going through various versions of the Well tempered Clavier.Cliched as it may be, I love Gould's version best`.Till Felners' recent as well as Aldridge are both very very beautiful. Only Gregorian chant is equal in my heart to Bach,the way he makes everything sing,even silence.Don't feel like writing today, school starts again tomorrow, a sad day actually, the kids are gone,the Christmas lights go down,darkness is darker,somehow.I never look forward to the week after New Years,though i have some wonderful reading at hand, and the days will get longer,we will visit the folks in the countrysdie where there will be snow,etc.so we will have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!