Moderation Is Not a Negation of Intensity, But Helps Avoid Monotony
Will you stop for a while, stop trying to pull yourself together
for some clear “meaning” - some momentary summary?
No on can have poetry or dances, prayer or climaxes all day;
The ordinary blankness of little dramatic consciousness is good for the health sometimes,
only Dostoevsky can be Dostoevskian at such long tumultuous stretches;
Look what that intensity did to poor great Van Gogh!;
Linger, lunge, scrounge and be stupid,
that doesn’t take much centering of one’s forces;
As wise Whitman said “lounge and invite the soul”
Get enough sleep and not only because (as Cocteau said) “poetry is the literature of sleep”;
Be a dumbell for a few minutes at least;
We don’t want Sunday church bells ringing constantly
-John Tagliabue
6 months ago • 36 notes