Again I was briefly tempted to use this blog to get my own back but I remembered a quote that friend sent me recently “The Devil doesn’t make us do anything. The Devil, for example, doesn’t make us mean. Rather, when we’re mean, we make the Devil. Literally. Our actions create him. Conversely, when we behave with compassion, generosity, and grace, we create God in the world.” (Tom Robbins). While I can’t say I am much of a Devil/God believer, something rings true about generosity and grace today.
However it has been an awful day and at one point as my daughter and I sat shaking in what seemed like acres of shattered glass I somehow thought of the poem “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
‘Out flew the web and floated wide-
The mirror crack’d from side to side;
“The curse is come upon me,” cried
The Lady of Shalott. ‘
And then the suggestion came that shattered glass could be a metaphor for my life (oh great). Well at least I am now looking happier than this lady
John William Waterhouse’s The Lady of Shalott, 1888
And no this hasn’t all got much to do with art but in a day of glass and poetry I found humour (and dare I say it – resonance) in the poem “The Great Age of Turbines” by Darryl Short
“Jesus showed up
in the oddest of places -
like the supermarket:
tills rang”
Group hug anyone?
July 14, 2008 at 1:14 pm |
Pick me. I’ll be very happy to join in.
My aunty died last night – an death that has been looming for the last few months, and became imminent a couple of weeks ago.
The family is gathering, and I can’t get home, because even though I can get to the provincial town where the funeral will be, all the flights out on Saturday and Sunday are fully booked. The alternative would be a five hour car drive or eight hours on the bus. I can’t delay travelling until after the weekend – the Miss Sixes become the Miss Sevens on Monday.
I hope the shattered glass can be repaired.
July 14, 2008 at 9:31 pm |
I do hope you have a better day today. Kia kaha.
July 14, 2008 at 9:48 pm |
Thanks people – onwards and upwards
July 15, 2008 at 1:28 am |
Well, stink.
I recommend getting your own back. Vindictiveness, vindication, surely the similarity isn’t coincidence!
July 15, 2008 at 2:44 am |
LOL Dave. I like to think I am above such things ;-)
August 15, 2008 at 4:33 am |
[...] curse is come upon me A while back I had a not so great day. I quoted Tennyson in regard to broken glass and curses. Well I am beginning to think that either [...]