DESTROYED ON THE LATHE OF HEAVEN

Those whom Heaven helps we call the Sons of Heaven. Those who would by learning attain to this seek for what they cannot learn. Those who would by effort attain to this, attempt what effort can never effect. Those who aim by reasoning to reach it reason where reasoning has no place. To know to stop where they cannot arrive by means of knowledge is the highest attainment.
Those who cannot do this will be destroyed on the lathe of Heaven.
[Chuang-Tzu, XXIII, 7]

Chuang Tzu/ James Legge; and Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Lathe of Heaven"

Starlight asked Non-entity, saying, 'Master, do you exist? or do you not exist?' He got no answer to his question, however, and looked stedfastly to the appearance of the other, which was that of a deep void. All day long he looked to it, but could see nothing; he listened for it, but could hear nothing; he clutched at it, but got hold of nothing. Starlight then said, 'Perfect! Who can attain to this? I can (conceive the ideas of) existence and non-existence, but I cannot (conceive the ideas of) non-existing non-existence, and still there be a nonexisting existence. How is it possible to reach to this?'

Another said simply: Michelle

Another said simply: "Michelle Obama 2020 please Michelle Obama 2020 please Michelle Obama 2020 please"

Achmatova: only a wound/ sarà stata solo una ferita (1964)

И это станет для людей
Как времена Веспасиана,
А было это Ч только рана
И муки облачко над ней.
1964

And all this will become in time
Like the age of Vespasian,
And this was nothing but a wound
And a little cloud of pain.
1964  (tr. Peter Franco)

E tutto questo diventerà per la gente

Come il tempo di Vespasiano,

Ma non è stata che una ferita

E una piccola nube di dolore sopra di lei.(Roma, notte del 18 dicembre)

GC


This is one of her last poems; I don't think beauty can redeem suffering- but perhaps it may help keep the wound (and the rage, and the desire) open. Which is a basis later, maybe, for the edification of something new. Sometimes it works this way. Great poetry works this way. GC  (It may be that her suffering was redeemed the day the red flag was taken off from the Kremlin).


Questa è una delle sue ultime poesie; io non penso che la bellezza possa redimere la sofferenza- ma forse può tenere la ferita (e la rabbia, e il desiderio) aperti. Il che è una base più tardi, forse, per l'edificazione di qualcosa di nuovo. A volte funziona così. La grande poesia funziona così. 
GC   (Può essere che la sua sofferenza sia stata redenta il giorno in cui la bandiera rossa venne ammainata dal Cremlino).

wo sind alle die blumen geh'n (homage to Allegra Geller)

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008542096168&fref=ufi&pnref=story

Tall stories: The 279 People, Places and Things D. Trump Has Insulted on Twt: A Complete List LINK

The 279 People, Places and Things Donald
Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List

By JASMINE C. LEE and KEVIN QUEALY

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/upshot/donald-trump-twitter-insults.html

it's a long long list:

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

Lincoln Chafee
FORMER RHODE ISLAND GOVERNOR
“Can anyone imagine Chafee as president? No way.”
Hillary Clinton
FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE
“Just can't read speeches!”“100% CONTROLLED”“the trade deal is a disaster, she was always for it!”“her record is so bad”“she looked lost”“totally incompetent as a manager and leader”“no strength or stamina”“corruption is what she's best at”“weak”“SHE HAS NO STRENGTH OR STAMINA”“afraid of Obama & the emails”“won't call out radical Islam”“will be soundly defeated”“does not have the STRENGTH or STAMINA to be President”“weak and ineffective”“no strength, no stamina”“disloyal person”“lied”“We need a #POTUS with great strength & stamina. Hillary does not have that.”“LIED at the debate last night”“SAD!”“pathetic”“stupidity”“totally flawed candidate”“lied last week”“such bad judgement”“a major national security risk”“not presidential material”“has been involved in corruption for most of her professional life!”“Who should star in a reboot of Liar Liar- Hillary Clinton or Ted Cruz? Let me know.”“incompetent”“unqualified to be president”“Crooked”“Crooked”“perhaps the most dishonest person to have ever run for the presidency”“one of the all time great enablers!”“Crooked”“Crooked”“said she is used to “dealing with men who get off the reservation.” Actually, she has done poorly with such men!”“Crooked”“ZERO leadership ability”“bad judgement”“Constantly playing the women's card - it is sad!”“corrupt”“Crooked”“Crooked”“Crooked”“Crooked”“Crooked”“pushing the false narrative that I want to raise taxes”“Crooked”“has bad judgment!”“Crooked”“Crooked”“Crooked”“can't close the deal on Crazy Bernie”“Crooked”“Liar!”“Crooked”“Can't believe she would misrepresent the facts!”“Crooked”“Crooked”“can't close the deal with Bernie Sanders”……

and it goes on and on (go and see if you don't believe it)

The Assyrian gods of war and the famed battle of Mosul/Niniveh

"Located some 400 km (250 mi) north of 
Baghdad, the original city of Mosul stands 
on the west bank of the Tigris River, 
opposite the ancient Assyrian city of 
Niniveh on the  east bank…"


(He slits the wombs of pregnant women


he  blinds the infants


he cuts the throats of their strong ones.)

Mike Thompson

 New York 2 hours ago

Let's all just remember while reading about this impending bloodbath that the New York Times and Hillary Clinton both favored George W. Bush's war, and Hillary even voted for it in the Senate. That more than anything says that to me she should not be President. Over a million dead, including thousands of American soldiers, and millions more injured, traumatized, and driven from their homes. All because of some neocon fantasy of bringing liberal democracy to the least democratic region in the world. 

Literally the only positive thing about Hillary Clinton is that she's not Donald Trump. Everything that's said about her being a corrupt sycophant embedded with power is 100% true, but a majority of Democratic primary voters were blinded into believing that's not the case by a rigged primary election and incredibly biased media. Enjoy more of this over the next four years America.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/19/world/middleeast/mosul-iraq-isis.html?&target=comments&hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&modref=HPCommentsRefer&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&mtrref=www.nytimes.com&gwh=A041628B4B286817763FD1C81F5C0FA7&gwt=pay#commentsContainer

[These are the stories that the Dogs tell when the 

fires burn high and the wind is from the north. 

Then each family circle gathers at the hearthstone 

and the pups sit silently and listen and when 

the story's done they ask many questions:

"What is Man?" they'll ask.

Or perhaps: "What is a city?"

Or "What is a war?" ]