the plot goes where the money flows - we simply follow orders

Average rating: 7, disregarding the turkey

 

A Fistful of Dollars {Per un pugno di dollari} (1964) - "Wandering gunfighter Joe arrives in the Mexican village of San Miguel in the midst of a power struggle among sheriff John Baxter and the three Rojo brothers. When a regiment of Mexican soldiers bearing gold is waylaid by the Rojo brothers, Joe is hired by Esteban to join the gang, but he plays one side against the other." 

length: 1h, 39m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Sergio Leone  |  why I watched: I'd seen it a few times, but never reviewed

IMDb: 7.9/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 98% / 91% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: R

tone & texture: gritty, grit & grain

notable quote: "'You see, I understand you men were just playin' around, but the mule, he just doesn't get it. Course, if you were to all apologize...'

    [they laugh] 

    'I don't think it's nice, you laughin'. You see, my mule don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughin' at him. Now if you apologize, like I know you're going to, I might convince him that you really didn't mean it.'"

my notes: it's not subtle, but then it's not supposed to be. This is a distillation of Westerns, in one untidy package. 

themes: justice, chaos v. order

overall:  recommended

 

Payback (1999) - "A small-time criminal double-crossed by his partners claws his way back from the brink of death with a single, obsessive goal: collecting the money he believes he’s owed. In Payback, that simple premise unfolds as a relentless march through a bleak urban underworld where every encounter leads to another beating, threat, or act of retaliation. The film leans heavily on cynicism and brutality, presenting a criminal ecosystem in which nearly every character is corrupt and violence is the primary language of negotiation. What begins as a straightforward revenge caper gradually settles into a grim exercise in endurance." 

length: 1h, 40m  |  source: PlutoTV  |  directed by Brian Helgeland  |  why I watched: it's been in my Pluto watchlist for ages

IMDb: 7.0/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 56% / 69% Audience  |  my IMDb: 1/10  |  MPAA: R

tone & texture: cynical, monochrome/muted

my notes: I watched for a while, maybe 30 or 40 minutes, before turning it off. Violence for the sake of violence, with no shot at redemption or meaning, is oppressive. 

themes: revenge

overall: not  recommended

The Goldfinger {Jin shǒu zhǐ} (2023) - "Set against the roaring boom and brittle excess of 1980s Hong Kong, The Goldfinger follows the meteoric rise of a flamboyant financial operator whose empire expands faster than its foundations can support. As wealth multiplies and influence spreads through banks, brokers, and boardrooms, investigators begin to trace the fault lines of a spectacular fraud. What unfolds is less a simple crime story than a chronicle of ambition, illusion, and the dangerous alchemy of money and charisma." 

length: 2h, 6m  |  source: Fawesome  |  directed by Felix Chong  |  why I watched: it stars my two recent favorites, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Andy Lau, back together again for the first time since the Infernal Affairs saga

IMDb: 6.2/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 59% / 75% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: not rated

tone & texture: unsettling, high-color/stylized

notable quote: "'You think I'm stupid?'

    'Mmm hmm.'"

my notes: it's so much deeper than it looks. It reminds me of a combination of Wolf of Wall Street, Catch Me If You Can, and maybe Criminal Minds or Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It's crazy, loopy, BIG, quite funny at times, desperately sad, and intricately complex in the layers that need unraveling. And all built around the stupidly simple structure of pyramid scheming.

    Leung is terrific as Ching Yat Yin, showing off his range and facility for micro-expression. Dude can say more with one eyebrow than most actors could in a monologue. He is incredible. Andy Lau, playing the straight banana, can somehow convey personal power and the force of righteous justice at the same time as the weariness and frustration of being under bureaucratic water. He is accessible.

    (The Chinese title translates to something like "Magic Touch" or "Money-maker", giving it less of a cheeky James Bond nod and more of a Scorsesesque greed stamp.)

themes: power, transformation, justice

overall: highly recommended

Eat Drink Man Woman {Yǐn shí nán nǚ} (1994) - "In Taipei, a widowed master chef gathers his three adult daughters every Sunday for elaborate family dinners—ritual feasts prepared with extraordinary care, even as the family members themselves struggle to say what they truly feel. In Eat Drink Man Woman, daily life unfolds through food, conversation, and small revelations as each daughter begins to reshape her future. With warmth, humor, and quiet observation, the film explores how love, independence, and tradition collide within a modern family, where the most important conversations often happen between bites." 

length: 2h, 4m  |  source: PlutoTV  |  directed by Ang Lee  |  why I watched: this film was recommended as a natural follow-up to Little Forest (2018, reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.8/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 88% / 92% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: not rated

tone & texture: intimate, classic Hollywood polish

notable quote: "'Don't get upset.... It was bound to happen.' 

    'I'm not upset. I hope they all move out, so I can have a quiet life.' 

    'Quiet life? I know you. What you want, you can't get. What you don't want, you can't get rid of. You're as repressed as a turtle.'"

my notes: I liked it. The food looked amazing, the cooking was fun, and some of the relationships were fascinating. But it didn't quite move me, as I'd hoped. The eldest daughter (Jia-Jen, played by Kuei-Mei Yang), especially, was hard to like or relate with. 

    The original title is part of a Chinese proverb. It does mean "eat drink man woman" but in Asian audiences, this is clearly known to be the sum of fundamental needs and desires. In the movie, the eat/drink part is literal (and also represents the father's way of communicating). The man/woman part should be apparent.    

themes: tradition v. change, love

overall:  recommended

 

The Killing (1956) - "A meticulously planned racetrack robbery draws together a group of small-time operators, each assigned a precise role in a tightly timed scheme. The plan unfolds from multiple angles, revealing how preparation, personality, and chance intersect in ways no one can fully control. As the clockwork design begins to strain under human weakness and unforeseen variables, the film turns a straightforward heist into a study of how fragile even the best-laid plans can be." 

length: 1h, 24m  |  source: PlutoTV  |  directed by Stanley Kubrick  |  why I watched: it was recommended as a well done, different sort of noir

IMDb: 7.9/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 96% / 92% Audience  |  my IMDb: 6/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: straightforward, noir shadows

notable quote: "I know I'm not pretty, and I'm not very smart. Please don't leave me alone again."

my notes: I didn't love it. I can see how it was well done—it's all about the structure of the heist, the 'how'—but it's not the kind of film that I can grab onto. I need the 'why', to find a movie I can love. 

themes: chaos v. order

    Roger Ebert loved this one.  

overall:  recommended, I guess? Others may like it better than I did. 

 

[the title quotation is from The Goldfinger]

a sweetly growing spaciousness

Just before he died, 

when Tim had come back 

from his dream of dying 

to tell us it was all 

just bush league, Little League, 

why the hell did I waste 

time fearing it? I thought 

 

of that moment when the ball's 

hit and you start in and, 

uh-oh, should have gone 

the other way and all 

you can do is watch it arc 

over your clumsy scramble 

to reverse direction— 

 

too late too late, why 

hurry, and anyway 

isn't the lifelong 

fought-against sensation 

of defeat now nearly 

irresistible, a sweetly 

growing spaciousness 

 

in which the celebration 

at home plate shrinks 

to nothing, and the cut-

off man, no longer shouting, 

or waving, turns away 

to kick his glove in tiny 

dust clouds down the infield? 

 

[Alan Shapiro {1952- } 'Misjudged Fly Ball', from The Best American Poetry 2006]

how to walk down a sidewalk without looking back

My older brother is walking down the sidewalk into the suburban summer night: 

white T-shirt, blue jeans— to the field at the end of the street. 

 

Hangers Hideout the boys called it, an undeveloped plot, a pit overgrown 

with weeds, some old furniture thrown down there, 

 

and some metal hangers clinking in the trees like wind chimes. 

He’s running away from home because our father wants to cut his hair. 

 

And in two more days our father will convince me to go to him— you know 

where he is— and talk to him: No reprisals. He promised. A small parade of kids 

 

in feet pajamas will accompany me, their voices like the first peepers in spring. 

And my brother will walk ahead of us home, and my father 

 

will shave his head bald, and my brother will not speak to anyone the next 

month, not a word, not pass the milk, nothing. 

 

What happened in our house taught my brothers how to leave, how to walk 

down a sidewalk without looking back. 

 

I was the girl. What happened taught me to follow him, whoever he was, 

calling and calling his name. 

 

[Marie Howe {1950- } 'The Boy', from What the Living Do]

hungry for the old, familiar ways

Bananas ripe and green, and ginger-root, 

    Cocoa in pods and alligator pears, 

And tangerines and mangoes and grape fruit, 

    Fit for the highest prize at parish fairs, 

 

Set in the window, bringing memories 

    Of fruit-trees laden by low-singing rills, 

And dewy dawns, and mystical blue skies 

    In benediction over nun-like hills. 

 

My eyes grew dim, and I could no more gaze; 

    A wave of longing through my body swept, 

And, hungry for the old, familiar ways, 

    I turned aside and bowed my head and wept. 

 

[Claude McKay {1889-1948} 'The Tropics in New York', from Kiss Off: Poems to Set You Free]

follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can

More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.🤨

 

📜 Which Jane Austen Character Speaks Your Truth? 📚

 

Jane Austen’s world is full of sharp observers, loyal hearts, quiet thinkers, and people who are not afraid to say exactly what they mean. Some navigate society with wit, others with patience, others with bold honesty. If one Austen voice were narrating your outlook on life, whose might it be? Take this quiz to find the character whose perspective most resembles yours.  

---

1. At a lively social gathering, you usually: 

    A. Observe the room quietly before deciding where you fit in. 

    B. Trade witty remarks with whoever seems interesting. 

    C. Make sure everyone is comfortable and included. 

    D. Say exactly what you think and let the room adjust. 

 

2. When faced with a difficult decision, you tend to: 

    A. Think carefully and act with quiet resolve. 

    B. Follow your instincts and trust your judgment. 

    C. Consider everyone else’s feelings first. 

    D. Speak plainly and deal with consequences later. 

 

3. Your friends appreciate that you: 

    A. Stay steady when emotions run high. 

    B. Bring intelligence and humor to every conversation. 

    C. Notice what others need before they say it. 

    D. Refuse to pretend when honesty is needed. 

 

4. Pick a motto that feels closest to your outlook: 

    A. “Grace under pressure.” 

    B. “A sharp mind keeps life interesting.” 

    C. “Kindness is never wasted.” 

    D. “Truth is better than politeness.” 

 

5. In a story, you are most drawn to characters who: 

    A. Show quiet strength over time. 

    B. Challenge the world with wit and intelligence. 

    C. Care deeply for the people around them. 

    D. Speak boldly and shake things up. 

 

Results in the comments! 

 

[the title quotation is by Jane Austen, from Pride and Prejudice]

we listen through large arrays adjusted eagerly to hear the news that we are not alone

We've always been out looking for answers, 

telling stories about ourselves, 

searching for connection, choosing 

to send out Stravinsky and whale song

which, in translation, might very well be 

our undoing instead of a welcome. 

 

We launch satellites, probes, telescopes 

unfolding like origami, navigating 

geomagnetic storms, major disruptions. 

Rovers with spirit and perseverance 

mapping the unknown. We listen 

through large arrays adjusted eagerly 

 

to hear the news that we are not alone. 

Considering the history at home, 

in houses, across continents, oceans, 

even in quests armed with good intentions, 

what one seeker has done to another— 

what will we do when we find each other? 

 

 [Diane Thiel {1967- } 'Listening in Deep Space', from The Best American Poetry 2023]

from princess to woman in all her fresh particularity of difference

How could they think women a recreation? 

Or the repetition of bodies of steady interest? 

Only the ignorant or the busy could. That elm 

of flesh must prove a luxury of primes; 

be perilous and dear with rain of an alternate earth. 

Which is not to damn the forested China of touching. 

I am neither priestly nor tired, and the great knowledge 

of breasts with their loud nipples congregates in me. 

The sudden nakedness, the small ribs, the mouth. 

Splendid. Splendid. Splendid. Like Rome. Like loins. 

A glamour sufficient to our long marvelous dying. 

I say sufficient and speak with earned privilege, 

for my life has been eaten in that foliate city. 

To ambergris. But not for recreation. 

I would not have lost so much for recreation. 

 

Nor for love as the sweet pretend: the children's game 

of deliberate ignorance of each to allow the dreaming. 

Not for the impersonal belly nor the heart's drunkenness 

have I come this far, stubborn, disastrous way. 

But for relish of those archipelagoes of person. 

To hold her in hand, closed as any sparrow, 

and call and call forever till she turn from bird 

to blowing woods. From woods to jungle. Persimmon. 

To light. From light to princess. From princess to woman 

in all her fresh particularity of difference. 

Then oh, through the underwater time of night, 

indecent and still, to speak to her without habit. 

This I have done with my life, and am content. 

I wish I could tell you how it is in that dark, 

standing in the huge singing and the alien world. 

 

[Jack Gilbert {1925-2012}, 'Don Giovanni on his Way to Hell (II)' from Collected Poems]

come out to a world made new

When I take the chilly tools 

from the shed's darkness, I come 

out to a world made new 

by heat and light. 

 

The snake basks and dozes 

on a large flat stone. 

It reared and scolded me 

for raking too close to its hole. 

 

Like a mad red brain 

the involute rhubarb leaf 

thinks its way up 

through loam. 

 

[Jane Kenyon {1947-1995} 'April Chores', from Otherwise: Poems]

I am the one with the curiosity

Totally abashed and smiling 

                                                I walk in 

                                                sit down and 

                                                face the frigidaire

                            it’s April 

                            no May 

                            it’s May 

 

such little things have to be established in the morning 

after the big things of night 

                                        do you want me to come? when 

I think of all the things I’ve been thinking of 

                                                                    I feel insane 

simply “life in Birmingham is hell” 

                                                    simply “you will miss me 

                                                        but that’s good” 

when the tears of a whole generation are assembled 

they will only fill a coffee cup 

                                                just because they evaporate 

doesn’t mean life has heat 

                                                “this various dream of living” 

I am alive with you 

        full of anxious pleasures and pleasurable anxiety 

hardness and softness 

    listening while you talk and talking while you read 

I read what you read 

                            you do not read what I read 

which is right, I am the one with the curiosity 

                            you read for some mysterious reason 

                                I read simply because I am a writer 

the sun doesn’t necessarily set, sometimes is just 

                                                                            disappears 

                            when you’re not here someone walks in 

                                                                        and says “hey, 

there’s no dancer in that bed” 

                                O the Polish summers! those drafts! 

                            those black and white teeth! 

you never come when you say you’ll come but on the 

                                                    other hand you do come 

 

[Frank O'Hara {1926-1966} 'St. Paul and All That', from Lunch Poems]

does it sound like I'm laughing, sweetheart?

Average rating: 6.8

 

The Great Rupert {A Christmas Wish} (1950) - "A gentle fantasy about a struggling vaudeville performer (Jimmy Durante), a financially desperate family, and a trained squirrel named Rupert who secretly lives in the ceiling of their boarding house. Rupert, unknowingly to the humans below, begins pushing hidden money through cracks in the floor, creating the illusion of miracles and divine intervention. His quiet, instinctive actions gradually transform despair into hope and soften the hearts of everyone involved." 

length: 1h, 27m  |  source: Fawesome  |  directed by Irving Pichel  |  why I watched: I saw a clip of a dancing squirrel online, and it led me here

IMDb: 6.4/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A% / 49% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: tender, monochrome/muted

notable quote: "It's so hard to find a job for a human pyramid!"

my notes: this is a gentle, kind, thoughtful film...that just happens to have a dancing squirrel, and a famous comedian, and a tuba-and-harp duet. It's not as surreal as it sounds, and it's not foolish. I liked it very much.

themes: hope, found family, courage

overall:  recommended

 

Seoul Raiders {Han cheng gong lüe} (2005) - "Tony Leung Chiu-wai and director Jingle Ma reunite for this glossy Hong Kong caper that sends a team of stylish thieves racing through Seoul in pursuit of stolen printing plates and long-buried grudges. Mixing martial arts, gadgetry, and tongue-in-cheek banter, the film leans heavily into the playful spy-movie tradition while showcasing the easy charisma of its leads." 

length: 1h, 35m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Jingle Ma  |  why I watched: I liked Tokyo Raiders (2000; reviewed here), which is first in the nominal series

IMDb: 5.5/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: NA% / 33% Audience  |  my IMDb: 4/10  |  MPAA: Not Rated

tone & texture: energetic, high-color/stylized

notable quote: "Oh—I forgot your problem; you're naked. Nature boy."

my notes: it's not the dumbest movie I've ever seen, and it is entertaining. It helps to have seen Tokyo recently—there are in-jokes—and to enjoy fast-moving action with lots of female protagonists. 

themes: chaos v. order

overall: marginally recommended

 

The Stranger (1946) - "In this tense postwar thriller, Orson Welles directs and stars as a man living quietly in small-town America under a carefully constructed identity—until a relentless investigator begins to pull at the threads of his past. A lean, shadow-heavy noir about guilt and exposure, the film builds its suspense through mounting unease rather than spectacle." 

length: 1h, 35m  |  source: Amazon Prime Video  |  directed by Orson Welles  |  why I watched: I hadn't seen it in a while, and wanted an especially good noir (previously reviewed here)

IMDb: 7.3/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 97% / 81% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: Approved

tone & texture: unsettling, noir shadows

notable quote: "Well, as a historian, I must remind you that the world hasn't had much trouble from Carthage in the past 2000 years."

my notes: beautifully shot and lit, this film is an engrossing look at a man mad with power and obsessed with his own brilliant uniqueness.

themes: identity, justice

overall: strongly recommended

The Adventurers {Xia dao lian meng} (2017) - "Fresh out of prison, an expert thief assembles a small, highly skilled crew for one last audacious series of art heists across Europe. Moving from glittering galas to fortified vaults, The Adventurers follows a contest of nerve and strategy between the thieves and the relentless investigator tracking them. Sleek, playful, and globe-trotting, the film blends classic caper pleasures—disguises, misdirection, narrow escapes—with a nostalgic affection for the gentleman-thief tradition." 

length: 1h, 48m  |  source: Amazon Prime  |  directed by Stephen Fung  |  why I watched: it features two of my favorites, Jean Reno and Andy Lau

IMDb: 5.6/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 14% / 23% Audience  |  my IMDb: 7/10  |  MPAA: not rated

tone & texture: playful, fast-cut/kinetic

notable quote: "You need to hold on tighter."

my notes: if you see action movies only as a comparison with (or contrast to) an actor's previous work, then this is an example of failure. On the other hand, if one views this with the context of the actors' previous careers as a guide and reference, then it can be seen as an exploration of how an expert adapts and grows to remain relevant, and how age is not an automatic deterrent to skills and talents. 

    I love Andy Lau in this calm, casual, approachable persona. Seeing him in a hoodie, speaking English... it blew my mind. And watching Jean Reno kicking ass, being [seemingly] unintentionally hilarious, and finding joy in his work... that makes me happy. 

themes: loyalty, found family, identity

overall:  recommended

  

Ocean's Thirteen (2007) - "Danny Ocean and his crew of skilled con artists unite for a high-stakes scheme to avenge a betrayal against one of their own. When their friend is wronged by the ruthless casino magnate Willy Bank, they devise an elaborate plan to sabotage his grand opening and execute a daring heist. Combining wit, charm, and ingenuity, they navigate the challenges of the casino world while showcasing the strength of their camaraderie and teamwork." 

length: 2h, 2m  |  source: my DVD  |  directed by Steven Soderbergh  |  why I watched: I've recently seen the 3 previous films, and wanted to complete the series 

IMDb: 6.9/10  |  Rotten Tomatoes: 70% / 75% Audience  |  my IMDb: 8/10  |  MPAA: PG-13

tone & texture: energetic, crisp & modern

notable quote: "We'll write them a check! [sheepish pause] We'll post-date it."

my notes: this is the best of the bunch. The setup is not excessively long in relation to the action, the characters are motivated by something other than pure greed, Catherine Zeta-Jones is mercifully absent, the villain is deliciously villainous, Vincent Cassel and Andy Garcia grace the screen, and the ultimate conclusion is joyous. 

themes: revenge

overall: highly recommended

 

[the title quotation is from Ocean's Thirteen]

tiny offspring of a bubble cluster

Who knew this little bit of spillage 

contained multitudes of what we all 

 

boil down to? Microorganisms 

swim a surface the wet silver 

 

of Poseidon's eyes. Spiralized lines, 

pulsing globules, tiny sacs filled with aspic. 

 

Obscenely, you can see right through 

them, sometimes down to their nuclei. 

 

They come in lovely colors. 

Is this natural or has the scientist 

 

who slid their slide under the microscope 

stained them orange, ochre and blue 

 

for better viewing? Their outlines 

waver like hand-drawn cartoons. 

 

They resemble party favors, 

tiny offspring of a bubble cluster 

 

and the plankton alphabet. 

Why, then, have I been so afraid 

 

of what I am made of breaking down 

into constituent parts, of one day 

 

rejoining this infinitesimal assembly, 

of becoming an orgy of particles 

 

too (beautiful and) numerous to count? 

 

[Amy Gerstler {1956- } 'A Drop of Seawater Under the Microscope', from The Best American Poetry 2016]

a thing that could not feel

A slumber did my spirit seal; 

    I had no human fears: 

She seemed a thing that could not feel 

    The touch of earthly years. 

 

No motion has she now, no force; 

    She neither hears nor sees; 

Rolled round in earth's diurnal course, 

    With rocks, and stones, and trees. 

 

[William Wordsworth {1770-1850} 'A Slumber did my Spirit Seal', from Selected Poems]

no matter what temporarily expedient combination of allied interests wins the war

I, having loved ever since I was a child a few things, never 

    having wavered 

In these affections; never through shyness in the houses of the 

    rich or in the presence of clergymen having denied these 

    loves; 

Never when worked upon by cynics like chiropractors having 

    grunted or clicked a vertebra to the discredit of these 

    loves; 

Never when anxious to land a job having diminished them by 

    a conniving smile; or when befuddled by drink 

Jeered at them through heartache or lazily fondled the fingers 

    of their alert enemies; declare 

 

That I shall love you always. 

No matter what party is in power; 

No matter what temporarily expedient combination of allied 

    interests wins the war, 

Shall love you always. 

 

[Edna St. Vincent Millay {1892-1950} 'Modern Declaration', from Selected Poems]

when you expect to be happy you are not, when you don't expect to be happy there's suddenly Easter in your soul, though it be midwinter

More accurate than a Buzzfeed quiz; less accurate than your therapist’s raised eyebrow.🤨

 

🐣 What Surprise Will You Find in Your Easter Basket? 🐰

 

Easter baskets aren’t just about candy (though no judgment if chocolate plays a supporting role). Sometimes the best surprises are the small, thoughtful things tucked underneath the grass—the little objects that hint at the season ahead. Something creative. Something cozy. Something quietly hopeful. Take this quiz to discover the surprise waiting in your basket this year.  

---

1. Your ideal Easter morning begins with: 

    A. A quiet hour with coffee and a good book. 

    B. A walk outside to see what’s blooming. 

    C. A burst of creativity—writing, drawing, making something. 

    D. A relaxed morning with music and something warm to drink. 

 

2. Pick a small joy: 

    A. Discovering a book that makes you forget the clock. 

    B. Watching a plant slowly come to life. 

    C. Filling a blank page with color or ideas. 

    D. Lighting a candle and settling into a peaceful moment. 

 

3. Your friends tend to come to you for: 

    A. Thoughtful recommendations and interesting conversation. 

    B. Calm encouragement and grounded advice. 

    C. Inspiration and creative ideas. 

    D. A soothing presence when things feel hectic. 

 

4. If your home had a “vibe,” it would be: 

    A. Books everywhere and cozy reading corners. 

    B. Plants slowly taking over every available surface. 

    C. Creative chaos—sketches, notes, and half-finished ideas. 

    D. Soft light, calm colors, and quiet comfort. 

 

5. Choose the phrase that resonates most: 

    A. “A good story changes the day.” 

    B. “Growth takes time.” 

    C. “Make something beautiful.” 

    D. “Peace is a practice.” 

 

Results in the comments! 

 

[the title quotation is by Elizabeth Goudge, from The White Witch]

burn me! Don't do this to me! Don't pass me over!

When the regime ordered that books with harmful knowledge 

Should be publicly burnt, and all around 

Oxen were forced to drag cartloads of books 

To the pyre, one banished poet 

One of the best, discovered, studying the list of the burnt 

To his horror, that his books 

Had been forgotten. He hurried to his desk 

On wings of rage and wrote a letter to the powers that be. 

Burn me! he wrote, his pen flying, burn me! 

Don't do this to me! Don't pass me over! Have I not always told 

The truth in my books? And now 

I am treated by you as a liar! 

                                            I order you: 

Burn me! 

 

[Bertolt Brecht {1898-1956} 'The Book Burnings' {trans. by Tom Kuhn}, in Books and Libraries, from Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets]

we did not hear, beneath our lives, The old walls falling out of true

Because we lived our several lives 

Caught up within the spells of love, 

Because we always had to run 

Through the enormous yards of day 

To do all that we hoped to do, 

We did not hear, beneath our lives, 

The old walls falling out of true, 

Foundations shifting in the dark. 

When seedlings blossomed in the eaves, 

When branches scratched upon the door 

And rain came splashing through the halls, 

We made our minor, brief repairs, 

And sang upon the crumbling stairs 

And danced upon the sodden floors. 

For years we lived at peace, until 

The rooms themselves began to blend 

With time, and empty one by one, 

At which we knew, with muted hearts, 

That nothing further could be done, 

And so rose up, and went away, 

Inheritors of breath and love, 

Bound to that final black estate 

No child can mend or trade away. 

 

 [Mary Oliver {1935-2019} 'The House', from New and Selected Poems. Volume One]

the fluster of hands glancing the skin or gripping a shoulder

The world does not need words. It articulates itself 

in sunlight, leaves, and shadows. The stones on the path 

are no less real for lying uncatalogued and uncounted. 

The fluent leaves speak only the dialect of pure being. 

The kiss is still fully itself though no words were spoken. 

 

 And one word transforms it into something less or other— 

illicit, chaste, perfunctory, conjugal, covert. 

Even calling it a kiss betrays the fluster of hands 

glancing the skin or gripping a shoulder, the slow 

arching of neck or knee, the silent touching of tongues. 

 

Yet the stones remain less real to those who cannot 

name them, or read the mute syllables graven in silica. 

To see a red stone is less than seeing it as jasper— 

metamorphic quartz, cousin to the flint the Kiowa 

carved as arrowheads. To name is to know and remember. 

 

The sunlight needs no praise piercing the rainclouds, 

painting the rocks and leaves with light, then dissolving 

each lucent droplet back into the clouds that engendered it. 

The daylight needs no praise, and so we praise it always— 

greater than ourselves and all the airy words we summon. 

 

[Dana Gioia {1950- } 'Words', from Interrogations at Noon]