Quotes From Where Angels Fear To Tread

where-angels-fear-to-tread
Where Angels Fear to Tread

From Chapter III, 2nd paragraph:

The ground floor and the upper floor of that battered house are alike deserted, and the inmates keep to the central portion, just as in a dying body all life retires to the heart.


Unto you
Must this winged carapace soar
And alight upon your unclouded brow.
Breathe deep your draughts of solace and redemption.
Here I may fall fathoms even to Olympic peaks …

—my poetical commentary

The Small Boat

There is something peculiar in a small boat upon the wide sea. Over the lives borne from under the shadow of death there seems to fall the shadow of madness. When your ship fails you, your whole world seems to fail you; the world that made you, restrained you, had taken care of you. It is as if the souls of men floating on an abyss and in touch with immensity had been set free from any excess of heroism, absurdity, or abomination.

— Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim

shipwreck

I can finally see
When there is nothing to see
When there is no chance of land or shore
Only squalls or tempest
Or placid waters that lap upon the rotting timbers
Of this, my only home.

— Me

Word of the Day: Crepuscular

According to Merriam-Webster, crepuscular means:

  1. of, relating to, or resembling twilight, eg: crepuscular light
  2. occurring or active during twilight, eg: crepuscular insects

I recently read the word crepuscular in a lovely passage in Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim. Here is the passage:

The whisper of his conviction seemed to open before me a vast and uncertain expanse, as of a crepuscular horizon on a plain at dawn—or was it perchance, at the coming of night? One had not the courage to decide; but it was a charming and deceptive light, throwing the impalpable poesy of its dimness over pitfalls—over graves. His life had begun in sacrifice, in enthusiasm for generous ideas; he had travelled very far, on various ways, on strange paths, and whatever he followed it had been without faltering, and therefore without shame and without regret. In so far he was right. That was the way, no doubt. Yet for all that the great plain on which men wander amongst graves and pitfalls remained very desolate under the impalpable poesy of its crepuscular light, overshadowed in the centre, circled with a bright edge as if surrounded by an abyss full of flames.

My own sentence(s) using the word crepuscular:

We tarry by the riverside
Under the wide crepusculum.
It will soon be dark,
too dark to see.
We’ll stumble like blind men
toward the ferry.

crepuscular
crepuscular

Quotes From Meditations By Marcus Aurelius (2)

Meditations is a remarkable collection of personal reflections by the Stoic Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, who reigned from 161 to 180 AD.

Quote:

… that the longest-lived and those who will die soonest lose the same thing. The present is all that they can give up, since that is all you have, and what you do not have, you cannot lose.

My commentary

What can I tell you, reader
That you do not yet yourself know.
It is all too easy to see
How it all began
And how it will end.

It is all too easy to forget.
To let your mind run roughshod
Over rolling hills and parched prairie,
Over mountainous spires that seem to touch the sun,
And ravines tenebrous with voices and visions.
… I did struggle against forgetfulness.

This land, this land.
It seemed to go on forever.
But must needs to hold that next step dear.
So dear and sacred.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

Word of the Day: Pellucid

According to Merriam-Webster, pellucid means:

  1. admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion, eg: a pellucid stream
  2. reflecting light evenly from all surfaces
  3. easy to understand

I recently read the word pellucid in a lovely passage in Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim. Here is the passage:

At that moment it was difficult to believe in Jim’s existence—starting from a country parsonage, blurred by crowds of men as by clouds of dust, silenced by the clashing claims of life and death in a material world—but his imperishable reality came to me with a convincing, with an irresistible force! I saw it vividly, as though in our progress through the lofty silent rooms amongst fleeting gleams of light and the sudden revelations of human figures stealing with flickering flames within unfathomable and pellucid depths, we had approached nearer to absolute Truth, which, like Beauty itself, floats elusive, obscure, half submerged, in the silent still waters of mystery.

My sentence using the word pellucid:

There was no neither sound nor sight. Neither wave nor wind. I sat in my lonely boat surrounded by all sides by the pellucid lake.

pellucid
pellucid

Year 2016 365 Photo Journey (May 28th – June30th) – Washington DC Edition

Some pics from my recent trip to Washington DC. Enjoy!

May 28th: Library of Congress Fountain
May 28th: Library of Congress Fountain
May 29th: Library of Congress
May 29th: Library of Congress
May 30th: East Capitol
May 30th: East Capitol
May 31st: Supreme Court
May 31st: Supreme Court
June 1st: Crypt
June 1st: Crypt
June 2nd: Tires
June 2nd: Tires
June 3rd: Batman
June 3rd: Batman
June 4th: Washington Cathedral
June 4th: Washington Cathedral
June 5th: Washington Cathedral
June 5th: Washington Cathedral
June 6th: Asleep
June 6th: Asleep
June 7th: Taft Administration Building
June 7th: Taft Administration Building
June 8th: Washington Cathedral
June 8th: Washington Cathedral
June 9th: Healy Hall, Georgetown University
June 9th: Healy Hall, Georgetown University
June 10th: Memorial Day Parade
June 10th: Memorial Day Parade
June 11th: Washington Cathedral
June 11th: Washington Cathedral
June 12th: Potomac River
June 12th: Potomac River
June 13th: Washington Cathedral
June 13th: Washington Cathedral
June 14th: Outlying Building Near the Washington Cathedral
June 14th: Outlying Building Near the Washington Cathedral
June 15th: Suit
June 15th: Suit
Jun 16th: Near Farragut Square
Jun 16th: Near Farragut Square
June 17th: Stroller
June 17th: Stroller
June 18th: Arlington National Cemetery
June 18th: Arlington National Cemetery
June 20th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 20th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 21st: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 21st: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 22nd: Potomac River
June 22nd: Potomac River
June 23rd: Arlington National Cemetery
June 23rd: Arlington National Cemetery
June 24th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 24th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 25th: Arlington National Cemetery
June 25th: Arlington National Cemetery
June 26th: Three Veterans
June 26th: Three Veterans
June 27th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 27th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 28th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 28th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 29th: Georgetown University
June 29th: Georgetown University
June 30th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
June 30th: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
365 Photo Journey

Apparently, this is a thing. Consider it a challenge, a journal, or a journey (I prefer journey). Take a picture a day and post it to your blog. Here are some reasons why you should try it, too.

Year 2016 365 Photo Journey (May 21st – May 27th)

Some pics from Japan House and the Allerton Park and Retreat Center. Enjoy!

May 21st - The Smooch
May 21st – The Smooch
May 22nd - Zen Garden
May 22nd – Zen Garden
May 23rd - Zen Garden
May 23rd – Zen Garden
May 26th - Death of the Last Centaur
May 26th – Death of the Last Centaur
May 27th - Sculpture
May 27th – Sculpture
Flower and Window
Flower and Window
May 25th - Flowers
May 25th – Flowers
May 24th - Flowers
May 24th – Flowers
Fu Dog
Fu Dog
365 Photo Journey

Apparently, this is a thing. Consider it a challenge, a journal, or a journey (I prefer journey). Take a picture a day and post it to your blog. Here are some reasons why you should try it, too.

Year 2016 365 Photo Journey (May 5th – May 20th)

Pictures from my recent trip to Cincinnati Enjoy!

May 6th: Mascots
May 6th: Mascots
May 5th: The Voice
May 5th: The Voice
May 7th: Stadium
May 7th: Stadium
May 8th: Carousel
May 8th: Carousel
May 9th: Bridge and City
May 9th: Bridge and City
May 10th: Underpass
May 10th: Underpass
May 11th: Fountain Square
May 11th: Fountain Square
May 12th: Paradise
May 12th: Paradise
May 13th: Flowers and House
May 13th: Flowers and House
May 14th: Bridge
May 14th: Bridge
May 15th: Stadium
May 15th: Stadium
May 16th: Batman
May 16th: Batman
May 17th: Flowers
May 17th: Flowers
May 18th: Glass Ceiling
May 18th: Glass Ceiling
May 19th: City
May 19th: City
May 20th: Robot
May 20th: Robot
365 Photo Journey

Apparently, this is a thing. Consider it a challenge, a journal, or a journey (I prefer journey). Take a picture a day and post it to your blog. Here are some reasons why you should try it, too.

Year 2016 365 Photo Journey (April 25th – May 4th)

New Pics. Downtown Indianapolis. Enjoy!

May 4th: Stay Weird
May 4th: Stay Weird
May 3rd: Butterfly
May 3rd: Butterfly
May 2nd: Race
May 2nd: Race
May 1st: Kitty
May 1st: Kitty
April 30th: Perspective
April 30th: Perspective
April 29th: Open Carry
April 29th: Open Carry
April 28th: Market Street
April 28th: Market Street
April 27th: Under Construction
April 27th: Under Construction
April 26th: Crane
April 26th: Crane
April 25th: Telephone Pole
April 25th: Telephone Pole
365 Photo Journey

Apparently, this is a thing. Consider it a challenge, a journal, or a journey (I prefer journey). Take a picture a day and post it to your blog. Here are some reasons why you should try it, too.

Year 2016 365 Photo Journey (April 2nd – April 24th)

I fallen behind a bit. Here are some pictures from various locales (Bloomington, Columbus, Indianapolis, Urbana). Enjoy!

April 24th: Tree
April 24th: Tree
April 23rd: Glass Ceiling
April 23rd: Glass Ceiling
April 22nd: Butterfly
April 22nd: Butterfly
April 21st: Flowers
April 21st: Flowers
April 20th: Mouser
April 20th: Mouser
April 19th: Ghosts
April 19th: Ghosts
April 18th: Cap
April 18th: Cap
April 17th: Coffee Shop
April 17th: Coffee Shop
April 16th: Tulips
April 16th: Tulips
April 15th: Buy Stuff
April 15th: Buy Stuff
April 14th: Ice Cream Parlor
April 14th: Ice Cream Parlor
April 13th: Mouser
April 13th: Mouser
April 12th: Ice Cream Parlor
April 12th: Ice Cream Parlor
April 11th: Bricks
April 11th: Bricks
April 10th: Bricks
April 10th: Bricks
April 9th: Eros
April 9th: Eros
April 8th: Tulips
April 8th: Tulips
April 7th: Pillars
April 7th: Pillars
April 6th: Lamp
April 6th: Lamp
April 5th: Horses
April 5th: Horses
April 4th: Horses
April 4th: Horses
April 3rd: Running
April 3rd: Running
April 2nd: Boy and Goose
April 2nd: Boy and Goose
365 Photo Journey

Apparently, this is a thing. Consider it a challenge, a journal, or a journey (I prefer journey). Take a picture a day and post it to your blog. Here are some reasons why you should try it, too.