Glistening flower petals of Camellia japonica 'Margaret Radcliffe'.
The start of a day, beginning with a walk around the garden - Stanley wanders, the New Wild Dog attacks - attacks the morning with the enthusiasm of a New Wild Dog that finds each and every little thing fascinating - the start of a day later filled with meetings - hours spent around a conference room table - discussing this, that, avoiding this, that - meetings, the curse of modern day societies (or perhaps not, but definitely the curse of my working life).
~~~~~
In the middle of the day, in the middle of a Wednesday, the lab once again met: featuring homemade sourdough bread prepared and shared by Katherine, then a discussion by the lab's senior graduate student - a presentation of what he has been doing, what his thoughts are, as he titled the presentation 'As Ben's World Turns'. A new theory, new data, new questions - we didn't come close to getting through what we needed to do because, yes, I had another meeting to attend. But I need to think, and hopefully I can get back to Ben's world on Friday - to reconsider his thoughts on Fe and metal toxicity, Fe and membrane vesicles. Fe...and Ben's world. (Anyway, let's face it: I just need to think).
And there was a poem. By Rainer Maria Rilke. One that Katherine said that all introduction-to-poetry classes cover - and one that appears on-line with several different translations. (Translated, of course, from german: 'Reform!' vs 'You must change your life.' The last line of the poem seems controversial).
[From this site: Male torso, marble (perhaps Parian), from the island of Miletos, "Severe" early classical style. c 480-470 BC. The Louvre, Paris. Photo © R.M.N./H. Lewandowski - according to this post, it is thought this is the torso that inspired Rilke - although, just in general, one could get lost in this discussion thread and since it is something that I know little - to nothing - about, then I should probably stop rambling before I say something so - wrong - that I'll regret it. But go there, and read. Scholars roam there. There's text that one could get lost in, easily.]
Archaic Torso of Apollo by Rainer Maria Rilke (Translated by Stephen Mitchell, from Ahead of All Parting: Selected Poetry and Prose of Rainer Marie Wilke, 1995)
We cannot know his legendary head
with eyes like ripening fruit. And yet his torso
is still suffused with brilliance from inside,
like a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low,
gleams in all its power. Otherwise
the curved breast could not dazzle you so, nor could
a smile run through the placid hips and thighs
to that dark center where procreation flared.
Otherwise this stone would seem defaced
beneath the translucent cascade of the shoulders
and would not glisten like a wild beast's fur:
would not, from all the borders of itself,
burst like a star: for here there is no place
that does not see you. You must change your life.
~~~~~
So as always, I wander - and wandering through the poetry of Rilke tonight I came across this one, and let me just say....WOW.
'I want to unfold'.
God yes.
I love that line.
It seems like everything.
~~~~~
And have you noticed, have you been fortunate enough to notice - that the days are longer? Noticeably longer? Perhaps, that, the days are unfolding? I managed to end my day of meetings with another camellia, a different one, one that I have called by the wrong name for two years now (and one that I will print an image of out, and take to my friend Skip on a hopefully-to-be-soon visit to his camellia garden. I need to visit him. I need to visit his camellias. I need to call this camellia by it's proper name.)
And really, a day that begins and ends with camellias (even if it is filled with meetings) is a truly good day, isn't it?
Yes it is truly a good day - I am envious. I would love to begin and end my day with Camellias. I haven't read Rainer Maria Rilke's poems for a long while - they always make me think, question, wonder.
Posted by: kate | 31 January 2008 at 12:53 AM
That first Rilke poem is a favorite of mine: how even a fragment of genuine Art is not "just" pretty but, even, confrontational, world-changing . . . like camellias opening up in January.
"Unfolding" is a lovely image--so are the camellias.
Posted by: John B. | 31 January 2008 at 10:52 AM
Kate, I hadn't thought of Rilke in awhile either - and this was a poem that I had missed out on altogether.
John B., you know, your comment made me think this tomorrow about how little time I spend interpreting the poetry that I present here. I do a bit, to myself at times, but definitely not directly - and perhaps I feel inadequate in that regards. I feel as if it's been years since I've been part of those types of discussion. That's ashame, really.
Posted by: Pam | 03 February 2008 at 11:46 AM