12 Comments

Thank you for the imagery, the story too. I look forward to hearing more about Plato.

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thanks! I'll do my best to put some words together for next time...

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I appreciated it all just as it is.

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Just today, thinking of Crete--nearest Med island to Derna, Libya, site of today's climate disaster. "Geography by disaster."

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Just saw the images of the flooding at Derna. Didn't realize it was so close to Crete. Next up in my Plato study, we look at the account of Atlantis in Plato's Timaeus. And for a moment I also engaged in geography by disaster, but with a time-travel component, as I triangulated Derna, Crete, and Atlantis.

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The poem is a joy, as is the image of the circus act on the back of the Cretan bull. Made me want to try out that level of exuberance.

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Yes that level of exuberance looks terrific. I'm doing it in my imaginaire - not so much in the physical side of living. haha.

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I know how important it is to receive comments on one's writing and thinking. You've given me a good little jolt of inspiration this morning and directed my luminous September energy. My favorite month. I want to do so many things all at once. The poem is superb. It reminds me of a short one I wrote when I was 18 on the Island of Mykonos. I'll dig it up and send it to you. I love the image of being on Salt Spring Island , pouring through art books in a studio of an autumn evening. Happy shifting! I'm eager to hear more of Plato and Sufism. I've found those resonances as well.

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thank you so much for this! I can't wait to see your poem, and if you share it here in the comments we can all read it. You are so right, this idea of wanting to do so many things all at once. A lovely whirlwind.

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In the midst of the whirlwind, I took a few moments to look for my folder of old writings. So far, no luck. So many moves! I can see the typed page in my mind's eye and almost read the words...Meanwhile, A Sufi Went to War arrived in my mailbox! It feels like a miracle that it made its way, finally, all the way from remote Salt Spring Island to my little village in the foothills of the Pyrannees! I wrote you an email of thanks and wonder. More soon.

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I don't know what my blood grandparents look like, or those before them buried in Ukraine but you post sent me to inviting them into my dreams. I guess I will just watch for strangers there who shine of kin. Thanks for that section especially.

And the ensemble metaphor for substack. At first I felt it was maybe a bad sign how much I am drawn to riffing of the posts of others on here but now I think its the kind of collage of the inspiring I like best.

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Good to hear your reflections - I don't think there is any "right" way to properly get in here and make it all work. There's a lot of noise along with the melody, but phrases like your "collage of the inspiring" make openings for us in that wall of noise. thank you.

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