[ Note: This post will contain several asides or insides or whatever-you-wish-to-call-them remarks which will be enclosed by brackets. Over at the Poetry Foundation's Harriet blog Linh Dinh has shared his translations of four poems by Tran Da Tu after a short introduction. I am grateful. May you also be. ] "Love Tokens", "Toy for Future Children", "Fragmented War"; "Standing" are the four poems. Ostensibly these are war poems, but they are not so in any sense I am accustomed to. Linh writes: "His war poetry reads as if it was written, well, right now." Yes it does, and I think I know why. The angles of vision the author takes/ raises them to a different order, an order I am calling the deep within, which has nothing to do with the idea of "deep image" but everything to do with the human spirit. I first read these poems several days ago, and have read them twice since. The second time I read them/ Celan and Adorno came to mind, but I'm not equating Tran Da Tu with Paul Celan and I'm not stopping at Adorno's hard after-Auschwitz thought. [Notice what these poems are devoid of.] The poet here is speaking from the spiritual in him to the spiritual in each of us / all of us. The facts in the poems are not merely there for factualness. Each poem is addressed to a someone or a group, but only through pronouns and general nouns. This distancing reveals empathy. Beneath the facts, Tran Da Tu's attention is on the will- ingness of humans to harm each other, to perpetrate evil acts which are presently visible and which have conse- quences forever imaginable; and the suffering and unto- death sadness resulting therefrom. [Sartre wrote: "Hell is other people." My response and David Bromige's response: "Heaven is other people too."] [Jesus: ". . . love your enemies. . . ." / and in that prayer to the Father He taught to his disciples: "And forgive us our trespasses as (emphasis mine) we forgive those who trespass against us."] You want Armageddon. We do not need Armageddon. We are Armageddon, and until we cease lording it over each other/ we will continue to be Armageddon unto our extinction. The A- and H-bomb horrors will seem as nothing once the robot armies we create figure nearly everything out, and turn on us. That is, if we even make it/ to that juncture. Can a poem change one's life for the better? Yes, but I cannot promise any will. Certainly, for those who are open to it in them, these poems have the power to. ~ Rho00047
Monday, March 31, 2008
four Tran Da Tu poems
Sunday, March 30, 2008
blog name
May change this blog's name. Am in decision. Maybe that's what I should change it to. Say, Salchert's In Decision. How 'bout Salchert's Nescio, or Salchert's Dry Heaves. Had those once for 12 hours. Rhodingeedaddee is unique but seems too mysterious. Could simply ditch this blog, but doubt I will. Am building it for any who care to read its bricks and windows, but am also building it for myself. Am on a steep learning curve, or several such. Won't be changing its http name. Flipping pancakes, just can't settle on anything. Could it be it's because of too many hard boiled eggs? Rho00046 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Friday, March 28, 2008
Poetry Daily Project
If you would like to read poems featured at Poetry Daily, and then vote for the one you think is the best, Andrew Shields has a weekly project about to begin week 6 and is planned to run 12 weeks. Take a look. * Rho00045
Thursday, March 27, 2008
immanent critque
K. S. Mohammad's post Sugarhigh on Immanent Critique deserves a considered read, and not because I have so far commented twice there. * Rho00044
Monday, March 24, 2008
brian's brain p6
Monday 18DEC00 - Last night I wrote "Silent Song", a song lyric, a creation deeply satisfying to me. I sent an e-mail copy of it to three friends. . . . . I am certain it has far more meaning to me than to most others. . . . . Tuesday 19DEC00 - St. Alphonsus Rodriquez, you and I both know I messed up today. Yes, most of my 360 minutes at work were difficult for me, especially physically; but I missed a great opportunity to use the adversities I faced as a means of atoning for my many sins because I too often complained about them. Perhaps tomorrow I will be fired; but if not, I ask you to help me (though Jesus) to cease complaining. Thank you. Wednesday 20DEC00 - No doubt my current job is putting a strain on my back, but I did manage to complain far less today. Tomorrow my work will be a shortened one, bookended by two major appointments, one at 8:30am and one at 2pm. I am not expecting either to be pleasant. - - - This morning I made several calls regarding our moving. If I can get all that is needed ready to go, we will likely move this mobile home to another Gainesville-area location just after New Year's. I think I already know where, even though that is not my preference; but it would be the most monetarily sensible one. It is, alas, far from where I am now working, but I am going to seek a second job, and that might be closer to our new address. - - - Due to a certain action I had to take, a government check I am to get may get delayed, a circumstance that could cause a bill problem. - - - One bright "thank-the-Lord" event which occurred today was the arrival of money I desperately need. Thursday 21DEC00 - Unusually busy appointment day. At my 2pm meeting today I was given a large book. The task it mandates is extensive, and it will take many hours to complete. It may even cause to miss making daily entries here, especially since I must also attend to the task of getting our home moved. Friday 22DEC00 - Stabat Mater, generally ascribed to Blessed Jacopone da Todi. Upon conducting a search, I finally found the original Latin and an English version at a site named Making of America. I added it [that site] to my Thinking Lizard favorite places. - - - My work day again was long and tiring. - - - After reading the Stabat Mater, I began to sing what I could remember of the Tantum Ergo. I am now going to search for it. Saturday 23DEC00 - Janice, my wife, has always deserved someone other than me, someone much better; and I have never deserved anyone. I do not know what is wrong with my brain, but it definitely is not wired right. So skewed is it I would not be surprised if upon examination I, the bearer of it, would be found to be insane. Sunday 24DEC00 - This b thing is f nasty, and mostly because of my writings. Luckily, I do have some secure records, but there is so much which is not yet settled into book form that finding a satis- factory way to account for it is going to be--however worth- while--difficult. Add to which the number of books and tapes I have, though far fewer than I once had; and our various tools, utensils, dishes, clothes, furnishings, etcetera, accomplishing what I need to accomplish in the time I wish to accomplish it in is going to be stone difficult. Monday 25DEC00 - Didn't finish cataloging all my books, but I did get many useless items cleared off my shelves and tossed into the dumpster. All the stirred dust allowed the dust mites to mess heavily with my too allergic body. I also may have a cold. - - - I should make a list of all the places I ought to call in the morning. - - - I have a feeling we are going to have to face several unwanted circustances as regards our trying to move the b thing. Tuesday 26DEC00 - B thing or no, and though a second from now I may be dead or gravely stricken, I yet want to repay what I owe, and will attempt to do so. I realize that being without certain protective insur- ances may in the end thwart my ability to do that, but I yet will try. Wednesday 27DEC00 - A cousin forwarded through a sister a 2001 message from the Dalai Lama. Because of the wisdom in it, I have begun passing it on to numerous others. Thursday 28DEC00 - Got two checks today. Am due to get one check 1-12-01 if I last at my present employment. I want to last, but it is hard on my small weak body. I also hope to find a second job. One that would go from 5pm to 10pm. I also hope to fashion a new career which--if I am able to do it--will allow me to earn some real money. Friday 29DEC00 - St. Thomas Becket. First sentence of the Comment section reads: "No one becomes a saint without struggle, especially with himself." Saturday 30DEC00 - Long hard day at Chick-fil-A. Spent this morning seeking out online addresses for other good persons I wanted to send a greeting of mine to along with the Dalai Lama mantra. Unwisely-- being unwise seems to be a congenital defect in me--I several times sent my greeting to more than one person. Perhaps it was the cousin influence, but once I realized the impropriety of doing that, I thereafter sent to one person at a time. Sunday 31DEC00 - Called my aunt. Called my father. Called my Sister sister twice. - - - My mind is spinning. Hope mixed with fear & trembling engage in a macabre dance in my spirit. - - - Happy new millenium. 6 Rho00043
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Easter Sunday
For a 1941 Latin Roman Catholic celebration of Easter Sunday Mass filmed at Our Lady of Sorrows in Chicago, Illinois, do this search: Roman Catholic Easter Sunday Mass. The YouTube video lasts 54+ minutes. - For historical information about Easter read this article at New Advent - Though not directly connected to Easter, Robert P. Baird's useful article at Slate "Why doesn't anyone read Dante's Paradiso?" / It so happens I am rereading the Pantheon Lawrence Grant White translation - a copy of which I bought on sale at a bookstore in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when I was briefly at Marquette University 48 years ago - and as of last night am at Canto 8 of the Paradiso. * * * Rho00042
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Palm Sunday thoughts
For "About Those New Seven Deadly Sins" by Liliana Segura read this at AlterNet. - For another view, read this 7 new deadly sins article in Trinidad Express. - For general information, go to this Deadly Sins site. - For some tech takes on this, read the 3-11-08 post by Jack Kapica and the comments at Kapica's Cyberia Blog. - Also do a Palm Sunday search for some interesting articles. Here is input from me. * * * Rho00041
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Dark
See song lyrics of mine from 11-30-1974 at S H. Dark Thanks to Dale Smith at possumego.blogspot.com see also James Howard Kunstler's "Campaign Blues" March 03, 2008 post at http://www.jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com and read at least the first ten comments. It is daily (sadly) becoming more likely that before the end of this year this nation will be in the midst of a dread recession. Rho00040
Saturday, March 1, 2008
brians brain p5
Wednesday 13DEC00 - It's your elfin fool again, God. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I know I could utter a 1001 thank you's, and every last one would mean nothing if I did not thereafter live your will. Truly, my unworthiness notwithstanding, these recent days have been whirly ones, miracle ones. Today there were five events of moment: 1) the decision to move our mobile home out of Pinehurst by January 31, 2001, in order to receive $2000/ to use for moving/ from the development company taking over this property 2) the Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging's exceptionally well-catered Christmas Party complete with the harkening GHS Chorale 3) the surprise presents for me from J- and N- and T- 4) my likely last official day at the Center for Aging Resources 5) the continuing special circumstances integral to the miracle gift is appears is coming from my highest angel here on Earth. "There should be no end to the thanks I show" Thursday 14DEC00 - St. John of the Cross. How amazing! But I must wait. - - - Stopped by the bank this morning on my way to my Chick-fil-A job. After work I made phone contact from home with the bank woman who is helping me. Nothing new, so I phoned the pivotal bank woman up north and found out she had to be away from her bank most of the day. I suggested to her I might make another touch- base call to the source woman, a woman I regarded as holy. She said she is a character, a description I had to agree with. I decided not to call, as I did not want to appear pushy. As the bank woman here said: "We will just have to wait and pray." - - - What a first day of work! That Chick-fil-A is so constantly busy that I told one of the other employees: "This place is famous." The services I perform there are far from being the kinds of services I would prefer to be performing, but if I can acclimate myself to six hours of light but rather constant physical labor, the exercise will hopefully be beneficial in spite of my asthma and osteoporosis, etcetera. It is baldly humble work. There was, curiously, one particularly rewarding incident: when I freed a small boy's foot that had gotten caught in the netting of what I will here call the jungle gym tower tunnel slide. I happened to be where I could hear that child's whining/ only because the girl I was working with asked me to clean the windows in the play area. - - - I now must leave this online place to prepare some highly vital information for the bank woman who is helping me. Friday 15DEC00 - My normal Chick-fil-A work hours are 10am-4pm. It was so busy I wasn't able to take my 20-minute meal break until 3:12pm. and because I was working alone for several hours, I found it hard to keep abreast of the traffic. Several times I spoke to St. Alphonsus Rodriquez about it. It occurred to me that perhaps this finally is the motivation I need to find new permanent work more suited to my talents. I'm honestly not sure I can labor as I am now for long. As good as the activity may be for me, it is severely pushing my limits. Saturday 16DEC00 - Busy, busy, busy: from 11:15am to 2:45pm. At least James, who is 15, was with me. Toward the end of my shift I told Daniel, a huge black man who is one of the bosses, that this work is good for humility. He smiled. During my break today I had a bowl of chicken soup. Out in the car after work I had another conver- sation with St. Alphonsus as I drove off. Humility. I do need it. Still am not sure how well my body will tolerate/ this much physical work. Besides which, there is no indication my job is going to be anything near permanent. Therefore, I am going to continue to seek employment more fitting for me. The Enrollee Supervisor at AARP told me she too will continue to be on the lookout for such work for me. I plan to contact Sante Fe Com- munity College. Securing employment there would definitely please me. Sunday 17DEC00 - Saint of The Day: Lazarus, he whom Jesus raised from the dead. Will I, who am financially dead, be raised back to financial vitality? Will I, by the grace of The Holy Spirit, become a truly productive servant, and one who is given both praise and substantial monies for enough of his creations so as to one day be able to repay his past debts? Do I have the talents to so succeed, or will I always be a poor poet who may as well be forming his word creations in an unknown cave? As long as I am alive, I am going to try (with the talents I have) to so succeed. I know/ I may be dead before tomorrow. I know my days ahead are not likely to be pleasant ones. I could even suffer a terribly debilitating stroke, or any manner of illness that would greatly curtail my ability to pursue any dreams of respectful self-sufficiency. I will pray and work and hope. I cannot do else. And of my anger, my inability to forgive myself? I can only pray and work and hope, and seek faith, and learn to love. - - - Before you boldly reach for a star, know who you are. 5 Rho00039
