"A person should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful that God has implanted in the human soul." - Goethe
I'm a huge fan of suprises. Especially those that come in the mail. Those unexpected cards of cheer, rebates from companies long forgotten (pssssst Symantec, you owe me..), those little $1.01 dividend checks I receive quarterly from a handful of stock shares, and overpayments (yes it can happen for you, too) refunded by the IRS. Lately our house has been flooded with Christmas sale papers, catalogs, and bills. And bills. And bills. And the bill I forgot I owed. And the other one I hoped would never see the light of day....
Today, a suprise. A request. A summons. The return address: Sheriff's Department. Scott opened it before I arrived home. It was a thick envelope. Foreboding. He wanted to break the bad news to me himself. I can tell by the way he sliced one end open, he was handling it with care. Not the usual rip and tear. An official judicial stamp on the head of the letter; fancy calligraphy typeset of a judge's name stamped clearly above "Part I". There are parts. Oh my. The phone rings at my desk. He begins reading:
Dear Prospective Juror:
Congratulations! You have a reputation in your community as an upright and intelligent person known for your integrity, fair character and sound judgment. These are the qualities which a person should possess prior to being selected for Jury service. The Jury Commissioners of your county are of the opinion that you possess these qualities and therefore you have been selected for Jury service.
This was in my email early today from the Sunlight Yahoo Group. So lovely....
Sunlight presents Ghazal 1634 , in a poetic version by Jonathan Star and in translation by A.J. Arberry:
"This Will Not Win Him"
Reason says, I will win him with my eloquence.
Love says, I will win him with my silence.
Soul says, How can I ever win him When all I have is already his?
He does not want, he does not worry, He does not seek a sublime state of euphoria How then can I win him With sweet wine or gold? . . .
He is not bound by the senses How then can I win him With all the riches of China?
He is an angel, Though he appears in the form of a man. Even angels cannot fly in his presence How then can I win him By assuming a heavenly form?
He flies on the wings of God, His food is pure light How then can I win him With a loaf of baked bread?
He is neither a merchant, nor a tradesman How then can I win him With a plan of great profit?
He is not blind, nor easily fooled How then can I win him By lying in bed as if gravely ill?
I will go mad, pull out my hair, Grind my face in the dirt How will this win him?
He sees everything how can I ever fool him?
He is not a seeker of fame, A prince addicted to the praise of poets How then can I win him With flowing rhymes and poetic verses?
The glory of his unseen form Fills the whole universe How then can I win him With a mere promise of paradise?
I may cover the earth with roses, I may fill the ocean with tears, I may shake the heavens with praises none of this will win him.
There is only one way to win him, this Beloved of mine
Become his.
-- Version by Jonathan Star "A Garden Beyond Paradise" Bantam Books, 1992
1:12:33 PM
"If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgment of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now." - Marcus Aurelius
"For the great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are more often influenced by the things that 'seem' than by those that 'are'." - Machiavelli
"Friendship is the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words." - George Eliot 11:34:13 AM
Meow!
