Swifts, willows, flecks of fire

Infinitive
By Ursula K. LeGuin

We make too much history.

With or without us
there will be the silence
and the rocks and the far shining.

But what we need to be
is, oh, the small talk of swallows
in evening over
dull water under willows.

To be we need to know the river
holds the salmon and the ocean
holds the whales as lightly
as the body holds the soul
in the present tense, in the present tense.


A wonderful day, this. I bought my tickets. In October, inshallah, New Orleans and a reunion after some years, with my friend Leif, with whom I have much history. That place of history. We will give it a present.

I lived there twelve years. Longer than I have ever lived any other place on the earth. I have not been back since Katrina.

Inshallah, I shall find a present tense, but for the moment it's the future, and much to anticipate and hope. Meanwhile swallows or swifts, summer willows, and flecks of fire.

And in other news, if you have time, please welcome Johey24 to Blip! I'm not sure he's going to stay, but maybe if you encourage him.... He's a South African now living and working in Shanghai and blipping scenes you're not likely to encounter unless you get to Shanghai.