King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa), head closeup (the white feather on its beak probably from its belly or under the wings), Berlin Zoological Gardens: photo by Adamantios, June 2007
Nothing is without place,
in mind, in physical apprehension --
or if "a dagger of the mind" is the purpose,
hold on to it for dear life, or else kill somebody.
Just when I thought I had it made, I lost it.
Just when I knew what to do, I was an old man.
You hear that bird sing in the tree there,
you still know what a tree is?
Love is a place, not a person, love is
a weather of time, a convenience to absent sorrows.
But talk is the cheapest of all, means what it wants to,
waits up for no one, always goes home alone.
in mind, in physical apprehension --
or if "a dagger of the mind" is the purpose,
hold on to it for dear life, or else kill somebody.
Just when I thought I had it made, I lost it.
Just when I knew what to do, I was an old man.
You hear that bird sing in the tree there,
you still know what a tree is?
Love is a place, not a person, love is
a weather of time, a convenience to absent sorrows.
But talk is the cheapest of all, means what it wants to,
waits up for no one, always goes home alone.
Robert Creeley (1927-2005): Love, from Places, 1990
Snowy Owl (Bubo spondiacus), Berlin Zoological Gardens: photo by Adamantios, 2008
If anything should make me believe in a god it's that vulture; you couldn't make it up.
ReplyDeleteArtur, do you know Johnson's fable of the Vulture, from his Idler series?
ReplyDeleteI haven't decided which is prettier, the Griffon Vulture or the King Vulture.
(I've never imagined God had that good an imagination.)
Tom,
ReplyDeleteNothing is without place,
in mind, in physical apprehension --
. . .
Just when I thought I had made it, I lost it.
Just when I knew what to do, I was an old man.
4.8
grey of clouds in sky above black plane
of ridge, silver of planet below branch
in foreground, wave sounding in channel
in place, by the right side
analogous to that is
system of coordinates, will
also be, since light
silver of sunlight reflected in channel,
whiteness of tern circling toward point
Thanks
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks to you, Stephen and snowbird.
ReplyDeleteFrom space, snow alighting makes the blue planet silver.
For a minute. I bet.
And this too is love, in a god's eye.
to see... "and I say to you, you are all gods..."... ah! but to love!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yet... dare we say the sublimely beautiful Snowy Owl loves everything it touches?
ReplyDeleteTom, thanks for the Samuel Johnson, I hadn't read it. I love the mental image of man as a vegetable with the power of motion.
ReplyDeleteThe photo - light touching the snowy owl - the mouse - the snowy owl consumes the light - and all is light and light is love for in light we understand and in understanding we touch the snowy owl...the dying mouse... the photograph you have sent...
ReplyDeleteMan as a phototropic vegetable with the power of motion moves toward the light... but is pulled back... by man, a vegetable with the power of motion.
ReplyDeleteBut perhaps this trend can be reversed?