Polishing This Week's Pearl

This week's pearl for me was the discovery of Sophia De Mello Breyner Andresen's book: 'Shores, Horizons, Voyages...: Selected Poems' (2006). In this book are some of her poems in English and Portuguese.

Sophia: "Poetry is my understanding of the universe, my way of relating to things, my participation in reality, my encounter with voices and images. This is why the poem speaks not of an ideal life but of a concrete one: the angle of a window, the resonance of streets, cities and rooms, the shadow cast by a wall, a sudden face, the silence, distance and brightness of the stars, the night’s breath, the scent of linden and of oregano."

She loooved the sea and wrote a lot about/ around/ on/ under/ before ... - there must be more - it.

"The sea! The sea!" The cry of joy of "10,000" ancient Greeks after their long way home. As told by Xenophon in his 'Anabasis' (4th Century BC). What a story. The cruelty. The murdering. A world of Others.

In our time and age #2018. I am always amazed by the unquestionable love of individual 'homo sapiens' for the sea. I mostly think - and almost never say!: only a couple of hundred years ago the sea was considered as dangerous, smelly and a dumping ground. Not a place of joy, sun and holiday. So ... historically and culturally biased. I repeat: it's something that I think and almost never speak out loud.

It's Getting Dark

It's still a mystery for me why I don't like most songs in Dutch. Too boring? Too close? Too melodramic? Too direct? Too not me? No emotional connection? I prefer songs in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish etc. I love to listen to the music of a song first and after that puzzle on the accompanying lyrics secondly. In a way I seem to like songs more if the music and the lyrics are apart.

Anyway, I love this Dutch song from Stef Bos. A poem! Song (music and lyrics): here. I translated it for you into English.

P.S. This beautiful song on youtube: here.

P.P.S. I wonder what you "hear" if you listen to this song.

Highly Motivated

 

Já Não Sei O Que Disse E O Que Disseste

ZUCA-MAGAZINE made a special issue about Portuguese poetry: 36 poems from 32 poets translated into Dutch.

Here are the three poems I love most:

 

Original:

MARIA DO ROSÁRIO PEDREIRA - NESSE VERÃO

Nesse verão, o vento despenteou os campos e os barcos
andaram aos gritos sobre as ondas. A beleza excessiva
das crianças arrombou os espelhos; e as raparigas,
surpreendendo a intimidade dos pais, enlouqueceram
nos corredores e foram perder-se, também elas,
na volúpia dos dias. Nas árvores centenárias

rebentaram frutos que inflamavam a concha das mãos
e escorregavam para a boca com a pressa dos nomes
proibidos. O sol queimou as páginas do livro
interrompido na violência de um poema e revirou
os cantos do único retrato que resistira à moldura
do tempo. De noite, os rapazes deitaram-se às baías

atrás das estrelas; e os amantes, incomodados
com a exiguidade dos quartos, foram fazer amor
nos balneários frios da praia e acordaram nas vozes
um do outro. Já não sei o que disse e o que disseste:
o verão desarruma os sentimentos.

 

Original: 

ALBANO MARTINS - AS PEQUENAS COISAS

Falar do trigo e não dizer
o joio. Percorrer
em voo raso os campos
sem pousar
os pés no chão. Abrir
um fruto e sentir
no ar o cheiro
a alfazema. Pequenas coisas,
dirás, que nada
significam perante
esta outra, maior: dizer
o indizível. Ou esta:
entrar sem bússola
na floresta
e não perder
o rumo. Ou essa outra, maior
que todas e cujo
nome por precaução
omites. Que é preciso,
às vezes,
não acordar o silêncio.

Original:

SOPHIA DE MELLO BREYNER ANDRESEN - O MAR DOS MEUS OLHOS

Há mulheres que trazem o mar nos olhos
Não pela cor
Mas pela vastidão da alma

E trazem a poesia nos dedos e nos sorrisos
Ficam para além do tempo
Como se a maré nunca as levasse
Da praia onde foram felizes

Há mulheres que trazem o mar nos olhos
pela grandeza da imensidão da alma
pelo infinito modo como abarcam as coisas e os homens…

Há mulheres que são maré em noites de tardes…
e calma

P.S. This poetry issue can be bought: here. You can also find there the original poems in Portuguese.

I'd

 

 

Song: here

The Originals

Check your history (of art) books! In them are Newspeak pictures (in our time and age #2018: fake images). Here are the originals:

 

 

P.S. Source: Svetlana Petrova & Zarathustra the Cat.

Tràigh Mheilein

Simply perfect

Source picture: Facebook group 'Scottish Beaches' on October 27th, 2018. Tràigh Mheilein beach on Island Harris.

Memory Lane

I walked the 'International Four Days Marches Nijmegen' six times. In 1991, 1997, 2013 (at age 49), 2014, 2015 and 2016. The first three times 4 * 50 km. The last three times 4 * 40 km. Why? Because I wanted to proof to the "world" I was able to and because I wanted to have the 'Cross for the Four Day Marches #6' - mark that every number of this cross is different.

Walking four days 40 or 50 kilometer is a tough exercise! Where one needs good legs and a mind in balance. Walking distances like that is above all a fight in your own head. Fighting against sleep, laziness and pain.

The book 'De Vriendelijkste Marathon ter Wereld' (in Dutch) is a collection of 37 'Four Days Marches Nijmegen' stories. Most of the stories are from participants who walked this march themselves. I loved to read the stories but was a bit disappointed in the collection. Too much nagging and emphasis on the walking achievement. As if it is a superhuman achievement. It's not! Every year 90% (mostly more) of the participants are able to reach the finish. Be prepared! Walk! Nothing more. Nothing less. 

Read this book? Yes, it's a memory lane for those who walked and for those who would like to walk the 'International Four Days Marches Nijmegen'. 

P.S. Source picture: here.
P.P.S. I am very proud on my #6. I wrote about it before in 'Proud' (July 2016).
P.P.P.S. Statistics of dropout percentage 1909-2017 can be found: here

Wild Rosemary

What a beauty. How lovely her songs. (She changed her cloths halfway during her concert, on October 8th 2018, in Utrecht.)

I love her 'Alecrim': here

"Alecrim,
Alecrim doirado
Que nasce no monte
Sem ser semeado"

History of Dealing with Externalities

Are we teaching our kids the correct images at school? (Mark, that an idea is an image too. Mark, that the university is a school too.) Teach them about the history of more/ less market? Teach them about the history of more/ less government? Teach them about the history of more/ less political right or left? Teach them about the history of more/ less democrats or republicans? Teach them about the history of more/ less populism?

According to me we should learn our kids above all more about externalities:

• classification of externalities
• its definitions
• overcome their constraints 
• historical context of

In our time and age the discussion shouldn't be about too much Capitalism, too many Republicans, a "self-made businessman" in the White House or Make USA Great Again! We should discuss about the cost and benefit that was (un)consciously not aimed at.

(Mark, that Marx's surplus value is an externality. Mark, that tax avoidance is an externality.)

We should learn our kids to zoom out. We should learn our kids inclusive-thinking and inclusive-acting.

P.S. I wrote about this before in 1-2010 in 'IFAQ. Letter to @BillGates : Are we asking the right questions?'

Sleeping Without You Is a Waste of Bed

On beauty

P.S. None of the pics are made by me.

A Poem

(A little project I am working on: Brave New World & 1984. Mirrors? My hypothesis: TV and soccer are the bread and circuses in our of time and age. And that 'soma' is the key to Brave New World and Enlightenment. All perfect instruments for the Leader to keep the People in harness.)

Why so much 'soma', bread and circuses and so little for poems?

A poem:

I dreamed of you last night ... - not telling you.

P.S. Picture is from FB-group 'Love Scottish Islands group' (August 26th, 2018).

El Castillo

El Castillo is the official title of Jorge Méndez Blake's project (here) with a wall of stones "deformed" by a book. Most people know this "visual" under the name 'The Impact of a Book'.

So good and deep!

'El Castillo' is not a random book. It's Frans Kafka's unfinished book 'Das Schloss' (1926). Published against the express wish of Kafka! Wikipedia: "The Castle is often understood to be about alienation, unresponsive bureaucracy, the frustration of trying to conduct business with non-transparent, seemingly arbitrary controlling systems, and the futile pursuit of an unobtainable goal."

The German title 'Das Schloss' is a homonym that can be translated as 'The Castle/ Palace' but also as 'The Lock'. Next to that it's phonetically close to 'Der Schluss' that can be translated as 'The Conclusion/ End.

I don't want to talk about:

• The impact of alienation on stones
• The impact of bureaucracy on stones
• The impact of controlling systems on stones
• The impact of an unobtainable goal on stones
• What is the metaphor behind, under, above, ... - there must be more - stones?
• Is image 'impact' the same as 'deformation'?
• The right spot of the book is important. On most places it would have had no impact at all
• Observation that 'the book' has on the biggest part of the wall no impact at all
• Could it have been another book too? What category tag should we give these books?

I need to talk about storytelling and framing in our time and age. Big media. Big fake news. Big lying. Big wikipedia. Big brother. Big TV. Big news. Big government. For me it feels as if the free spirits on our planet are slowly loosing grip and steady ground. As if they slowly become extinct. As if there is no longer ground and space where they feel love, have their ups and downs and can grow up as free spirits. As if there are no longer ears and eyes who are sensible for their subjective and relativating words. As if everyone is looking for objective and final words ... not realizing that that is a false and most dangerous dream. As if no one is realizing that there are only subjective and relative words. As if no one reads books from free spirits.

Why so much fake news and many lies? Why is the sky blue? What is a free spirit for his- or himself? Why do I love the radiation of the sun on my skin in this time of the year so much? Why 'why'?

Edit

Two weeks ago I ordered the first printed copy of my book (remember?). Last week I sent it to T. for editing. He called twice to compliment me with the superb book: superb book design and impressive quality of its content. Yesterday I recieved it back with his handwritten edits. One day work left!

Point Zero Frozen in Time

You don't like the sketch of Raef Payne's cottage redesigned? That's is OK ofcourse.

For me personally the taste and distaste (and everything in between) tells all about our romantic view or point zero of a place. The perfect picture. Frozen in time. Of what was back then and isn't anymore here and now.

For me personally point zero of Camusfearna is 1948. When the house was a second house (rented) for Gavin Maxwell. When Raef Payne's cottage didn't bear his name and when it wasn't his second house (rented). When there was no landrover track down the hill. When you had to walk the 3 miles up and down the hill. When there still was a lighthouse. When there was no telephone.

For me personally Camusfearna 1961 is a distaste. A paradise lost.

Never get angry about someone else his or her (dis)taste. It mostly tells more about our unconscious perfect picture, our point zero, our romantic view. Frozen in time. Never get fr...n - you know.

10/8 (6)

Trout fishing! Yes!!!!!!

P.S. Watercolor (1889) from Winslow Homer (1836-1910). Source

French Weather

Climate change on Planet Earth? Sometimes I am afraid species 'homo sapiens' changed climate on our planet "irreversible". What we changed can be unchanged, in time, right?

This summer #2018 it's South of France kind of weather in The Netherlands. Hot. Very hot. And in France and the rest of the countries around the Mediterranean Sea? Very hot. Too hot. Slowly changing into a desert?

Anyway I changed our menu this summer. More cool, wet and fresh salads.

Like Blueberries

Others surprise me - over and again. They say, "Just be happy!" I hear and read it everywhere all my life. As if it’s a law of nature. As if everyone knows what happiness is and know its definition by heart. As if it’s ready to be picked like ripe blueberries on a bush, ready to be eaten.

Sometimes I feel as a stranger in the desert. Whispering in the wind: the definition of happiness is historically and culturally biased. As if not a single person is listening and realizing the impact of that truth. It should make us 'homo sapiens' more humble and less selfish.

Sure

One of the films that impressed me most when I was a little younger was 'The Sure Thing' (1985). How I loved the story, the ups and downs, attract and repel, Ivy League school, the adventure of being on the road together. Being young and full of dreams. Windows of opportunities. Looking for love - not lust only.

P.S. I guess I was in love with Daphne Zuniga. So charming.
P.P.S. The full movie: here. I just checked out the last 10 minutes. It made me cry.

That Would Be Nice

That would be so nice. Walk a little. Eat a little. Read a little. Sleep a little. Make love a little more. Stroll over Santo Antão Island and São Vicente Island. Enjoy the smells and warmth.

It is

Waves

or 1. Changing light

or 2. Waves

or 3. Sun

or 4. Changing colors

or 5. Clouds

or 6. Seafishing on coast Scotland

or 7. Silver lining

or 8. Your eyes change color in the light

Catcher in the Rye

Outside and Inside

Last week I was outside.

 Yesterday I was inside.

Its owner paid for a couple of archeological expeditions and in return recieved some replicas of findings. E.g. replica of Nefertiti her head.

Couple of ancient Egypt inspired objects in his house.

Everywhere pictures, drawings and paintings.

Over 4,000 books in the house. Couple in french, mostly german and a notable amount in English.

Now I am curious for his:

• Travel schedule. He was travelling 10 out of 12 months a year.  Owned 60 houses and a big yacht
• The languages he spoke
• What he read. An analysis of his library
• To what amount he felt in exile in The Netherlands

P.S. He is: here. House is: here.