Wednesday, 11 February 2009

this world of ours






Walking up a mountain track, I fell to thinking. Approach everything rationally, and you become harsh. Pole along in the stream of emotions, and you will be swept away by the current. Give free rein to your desires, and you become uncomfortably confined. It is not a very agreeable place to live, this world of ours.








When the unpleasantness increases, you want to draw yourself up to some place where life is easier. It is just at the point when you first realize that life will be no more agreeable no matter what heights you may attain, that a poem may be given birth, or a picture created.


Natsume Soseki, The Three-Cornered World
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11 comments:

  1. lune_blanc12 February 2009 at 11:37

    Yes, right.

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  2. Dave King12 February 2009 at 14:29

    Fabulous photos. The first one drew me to the post thinking it was a wave of sea water or some such. It is suggestive of so much.

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  3. Anonymous12 February 2009 at 18:13

    build walls and roof with your reason to shelter from the wind

    make windows out of desires to let the sunlight in

    make doors out of emotions to let the people in

    only so you will gain the world without loosing your soul

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  4. Tristan12 February 2009 at 21:11

    such lovely poetry on this blog. Really liking it. Well done. T

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  5. Anonymous13 February 2009 at 09:11

    superba !

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  6. Roxana13 February 2009 at 12:20

    how often you change your user pics, Michiko! :-) I guess a dancer has to be all the time in motion :-)

    I read somewhere that all Japanese recognise this Soseki quote, is this still true? for young people nowadays also?

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  7. Roxana13 February 2009 at 12:20

    thank you, Dave. yes, I thought of a wave too...

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  8. Roxana13 February 2009 at 12:26

    but what is this, the week of anonymous sapiential quatrains? :-) hi, anonymous, then.

    but I guess if you knew me, you would know that I have nothing of a homo faber in me, so I can't really follow this complex architectural project. and also, what does it mean, to 'gain' the world? or what 'world' is there to be gained? or what kind of 'losing' of one's soul can there be? (unless we believe in something like the faustian deal, that is).

    but I can do something, and this is to post some pictures of walls and doors and windows for you :-)

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  9. Roxana13 February 2009 at 12:27

    Tristan, I am happy that you like it... thank you. I like your name.

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  10. Roxana13 February 2009 at 12:27

    Multumesc, Bogdan. La care dintre fotografii te referi?

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  11. Anonymous13 February 2009 at 14:04

    of course we do believe in faustian deal

    walls, please - winter is not a good time for windows and doors

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