Enmity

Despite the enmity that has often divided them, Islam and the West have common roots and share much of their history. Their confrontation today arises not from essential differences, but from a long and willful determination to deny their kinship.

-Richard Bulliet

-Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization

Choice

Lee’s hand shook as he filled the delicate cups. He drank his down in one gulp. “Don’t you see?” he cried. “The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—’Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ Don’t you see?”

~John Steinbeck, East of Eden


.Michaelangelo, Creation of Adam, detail from the Sistine Chapel

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

~June Jordan, "Poem for South African Women" Passion: New Poems 1977-1980


.credit

But I love you, sir;
And when a woman says she loves a man,
The man must hear her, though he love her not.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

J.W. Waterhouse, The Lady of Shalott

Some friendships are made by nature, some by contact, some by interest, and some by souls.

~Jeremy Taylor, A Discourse of the Nature, Measures, and Offices of Friendship

Princess

"Once there was a princess who was very beautiful. She shone as bright as the stars on a moonless night. But what difference did it make that she was beautiful? None. No difference."

"Why did it make no difference?" asked Abilene.

"Because," said Pellegrina, "she was a princess who loved no one and cared nothing for love, even though there were many who loved her."

At this point in her story, Pellegrina stopped and looked right at Edward. She stared deep into his painted-on eyes, and again, Edward felt a shiver go through him. 

"And so," said Pellegrina, still staring at Edward.

"What happened to the princess?" asked Abilene.

"And so," said Pellegrina, turning back to Abilene, "the king, her father, said that the princess must marry; and soon after this, a prince came from a neighboring kingdom and he saw the princess and, immediately, he loved her. He gave her a ring of pure gold. He placed it on her finger. He said these words to her: 'I love you.' But do you know what the princess did?"

Abilene shook her head. 

"She swallowed the ring. She took it from her finger and swallowed it. She said, 'That is what I think of love.' And she ran from the prince. She left the castle and went deep into the woods. And so."

"And so what?" said Abilene. "What happened then?"

"And so, the princess became lost in the woods. She wandered for many day. Finally, she came to a little hut, and she knocked on the door. She said, 'Let me in; I am cold.'

"There was no answer.

She knocked again, 'Let me in; I am hungry,'

"A terrible voice answered her. The voice said, 'Enter if you must.'

"The beautiful princess entered, and she saw a witch sitting at the table counting pieces of gold.

"'Three thousand six hundred and twenty-two.' said the witch.

"'I am lost.' said the beautiful princess.

"'What of it?' said the witch. 'Three thousand six hundred and twenty-three.'

"'I am hungry,' said the princess.

"' Not my concern,' said the witch. 'Three thousand six hundred and twenty-four.'

"'But I am a beautiful princess.' said the princess.

"'Three thousand six hundred and twenty-five,' replied the witch. 

"'My father,' said the princess, 'is a powerful king. You must help me or there will be consequences.'

"'Consequences?' said the witch. She looked up from her gold. She stared at the princess. 'You dare to talk to me of consequences? Very well, then, we will speak of consequences: tell me the name of the one you love.'

"'Love!' said the princess. She stamped her foot. 'Why must everyone speak of love?'

"'Whom do you love?' said the witch. 'You must tell me the name.'

"'I love no one,' said the princess proudly.

"'You disappoint me,' said the witch. She raised her hand and said one word: 'Farthfigery.'

"And the beautiful princess was changed into a warthog.

"'What have you done to me?' squealed the princess.

"'Talk to me of consequences now, will you?' said the witch, and she went back to counting her pieces of gold. 'Three thousand six hundred and twenty-six,' said the witch as the warthog princess ran from the hut and out again into the forest.

"The kings' men were in the forest, too. And what were they looking for? A beautiful princess. And so when they came upon an ugly warthog, they shot it immediately. Pow!"

"No," said Abilene.

"Yes," said Pellegrina. "The men took the warthog back to the castle and the cook slit open its belly and inside it she found a ring of pure gold. There were many hungry people in the castle that night and all of them were waiting to be fed. So the cook put the ring on her finger and finished butchering the warthog. And the ring that the beautiful princess had swallowed shone on the cook's hand as she did her work. The end."

-Kate DiCamillo

Chapter IV, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

.credit here and here 

Lost.

Lost On Sunday

A few hours ago

I awakened to a nearly extinguished morning and,

scowling at the prospect of another day, left

my bed to its thoughts to prepare for the barrage

of happiness that would fill my evening.

The world was determined

to extract me from the melancholy afternoon,

strewing unexpected pleasantries in my path

that I, unable to transfer the joy from my mind

to my heart,

simply took as coincidences bereft of forethought.

I rested a few moments in a silent location,

debating the sun's warmth

and reasoning with a chilly wind, asking myself

genuine questions; when two swallows,

hopping across the path I had taken, looked my way,

pretended to acknowledge my hurt, paired

off and flew away.

-Calvin Olsen

.credit

Pointless.

The old doll said, "I wonder who will come for me this time. Someone will come. Someone always comes. Who will it be?"

"I don't care if anyone comes for me," said Edward.

"But that's dreadful," said the old doll. "There's no point in going on if you feel that way. No point at all. You must be filled with expectancy. You must be awash in hope. You must wonder who will love you, whom you will love next."

"I am done with being loved," Edward told her. "I'm done with loving. It's too painful."

"Pish," said the old doll. "Where is your courage?"

"Somewhere else, I guess," said Edward.

"You disappoint me," she said. "You disappoint me greatly. If you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless. You might as well leap from this shelf right now and let yourself shatter into a million pieces. Get it over with. Get it all over with now."

-Kate DiCamillo

Chapter XXVI, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

.credit

Owned.

"I have no interest in being purchased," said Edward. 

The doll gasped. "You don't want somebody to buy you?" she said. "You don't want to be owned by a little girl who loves you?"

Sarah Ruth! Abilene! Their names went through Edward's head like the notes of a sad, sweet song. 

"I have already been loved," said Edward. "I have been loved by a girl named Abilene. I have been loved by a fisherman and his wife and a hobo and his dog. I have been loved by a boy who played the harmonica and by a girl who died. Don't talk to me about love," he said. 

"I have known love."

-Kate DiCamillo

Chapter XXVI, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

.credit

Broken.

Look at me, he said to her. His arms and legs jerked. Look at me. You got your wish. I have learned how to love. And it's a terrible thing. I'm broken. My heart is broken. Help me. 

-Kate DiCamillo

Chapter XX, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

.credit