Sara Teasdale At Fontainebleau

Sara Teasdale At Fontainebleau

Infant
she arrives in Etruscan autumn
bearing the gift of ghosts
sighing across centuries of sea.

Barren
she sees endless Fall
in halls bare of the dead boar
of Saint Louis.

Woman
she tastes victory
under the sign poetess
birthing breathing souls
on the blood red floor
of October foliage.


[copyright EAC]


NB: The animation is a new type of 3D animated .GIF image, which I call the Gasperini Wiggle, after the inventor, Jim Gasperini: http://www.well.com/user/jimg/

The reference of the text is to Sara Teasdale's "Fontainebleau".

Aphorismatica

Aphorismatica (I)

In The Beginning

Is the letter “C” the first and beginning element of the word “CAT”
because that is the way the word is written, or because that is the way the word is read?

One reads C¹A²T³--unless perhaps one is dyslexic--but it could just as easily have been written, as far as most readers know, C³A¹T².

Convention governs reading, technique governs writing.




Applied Science

The aversion of the ancient Greeks to applying mathematics or science to practical ends had little or nothing to do with aristocratic contempt for rolling up one's sleeves, getting one's hands dirty and doing work. Thales made money with his meteorological and astronomical knowledge, in the process inventing the futures contract.

He did it to show how easily it might be done, and too, how worthless it was.




Contemporary Prophet

Contemporary prophets specialize in predicting the past.

Their accuracy? About five right out of ten.




Lacan Before Lacan

Lacan looks in the mirror.

And sees someone else.




Universal Health


It is a singular observation that when the ancient Greek physicians first began their work of untangling the ways of nature, they found the cosmos in good working order.

[copyright EAC]

Vera

Vera

L’inconscient n’est pas pulsation obscure du prétendu instinct,
ni coeur de l’être mais seulement son habitat.

[Jacques Lacan]

She enters sinuously
between the clatter of rainfall
and the silence of thaw
whispering promises to greybeards:

"Do you have an ear for Spring? Do you reverence green? Is your last winter dead and gone?"

At first you humor her, unbelieving
the faintest giggle of any future.

Then
suddenly--she's all there,
laughing maid with overflowing glass
slightly tipsy, exuberant of all flesh.

[copyright EAC ]

The Un-Geisha

The Un-Geisha

Physis kruptesthai philei...

The geisha mocks with smile

and fans with dancing eyes.

She has sung in the language of birds.

She has fingered the samisen

And lingered over the words of an almost found chord.

She has whisked the foaming green tea.

Now to hide abed bored and boring and be ridden

By blind need....

[copyright EAC]

Cheese Toys R Us

Cheese Toys R Us

She: “Why are you running away?”

He: “Why are you chasing me?”

She: “Because I want to ask you a question.”

He: “You just did.”

She: “Did what?”

He: “You just did ask a question.”

She: “I did?”

He: “You did.”

She:”No, I didn’t. I just answered your question.”

He: “Yes, but before that you asked me why I was running away.”

She: “Well, why were you running away?”

He: “Why were you chasing me?”

She: “I already said—I wanted to ask you a question.”

He: “What’s the question you wanted to ask?”

She: “Do you think my toes are ugly?”

He: “Your toes?”

She: “Yes, my toes. But why are you running away again?”

[copyright, E.A.C Aphorismata]

Twisted Sister (Ode To La Physique Rottweiler)

Twisted Sister (Ode To La Physique Rottweiler)

"L'esprit de système est dans la physique ce que la métaphysique est dans la géométrie...."

[d'Alembert]

Where were you lost

Before you were born?

How did you find yourself?

In what woods, following

what breadcrumbs?

What frog woke you up

with a kiss?

In what mirror did charming toad

share your secret vices?

When did you wake up

and say it is only I who suffer?

It is only I who am at a loss?

It is only I who can remember

Every which way to Erehwon?

[copyright EAC]

Babel

Babel

It is sung in a noise of earth

that once upon a time mankind

joined in perfect chorus to raise

a monstrous song to heaven from the land.

It did not sound.

As stony silence fell upon the singers

they were thrown into different speech

in tongues no one of them could understand.

It is sung in a noise of earth....


(copyright EAC)

Just War

A: So tell me, my friend, do you support the war?

B: Indeed, most enthusiastically. As long as no one gets killed or injured.

A: But that is absurd, friend. How can there be war with no one being killed or injured?

B: You mean to say there has never been a war in which no one was killed or injured?

A: Not that I know of. Which war would that be?

B: The only kind of war I support.

A: Once more--that’s absurd.

B: But war itself is absurd, isn't it?

A: You mean there are no just wars?

B: Naturally. A just war is a war in which no one is killed or injured.

A: I am not following you. Why would you be pro-war if you want no one killed or injured?

B: Because war is absurd, and folks need a degree of absurdity in their lives. It's healthy. Keeps the blood running. It adds excitement, and a sense of the unknown. They say generals die in bed. So I say make everyone a general. Then everyone gets a shot at medals and glory, all the acclaim and admiration, just so long as no one is killed or maimed.

A: And everyone dies in bed?

B: Sure. Why not?

A: Well, if you are pro-war you certainly support the troops.

B: No. I don't support the troops.

A: You're pro-war but you don't support the troops? How can you be pro-war and not support the troops that fight it?

B: Because it's just war.

A: You mean because you support just wars, and in just wars no one gets killed and maimed.

B: That's right. Why would they need support? In fact, why have troops? It's just war.

A: Just war?

B: Well, because everyone's a general and no one gets killed or maimed, and they....

A: All die in bed.

B: You got it. Easy as pie.

A: As pie?

B: Just war. Easy as pie.

A: In bed?

B: You got it.

A: I see.

[EAC copyright]