Thursday, February 23, 2012

Poem for Thursday, National Aquarium, Pride and Prejudice

The Danger
By Hafiz
Translated by Coleman Barks

Love seems easy in a circle of friends,
But it's difficult, difficult.

Morning air through the window, the taste of it,
with every moment camel bells leaving the caravanserai.

This is how we wake, with winespills
On the prayer rug, and even the tavern master
is loading up. My life has gone
From willfulness to disrepute,
And I won't conceal, either, the joy
That led me out toward laughter.

Mountainous ocean, a moon hidden behind clouds,
The terror of being drawn under.

How can someone with a light shoulder-pack
Walking the beach know how a night sea-journey is?

Hafiz! Stay in the dangerous life that's yours.
THERE you'll meet the face
That dissolves fear.

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It was over 60 degrees on Wednesday and I enjoyed it very much -- I am long past wishing for a proper winter and am ready for spring. I met Vertigo66 for lunch at Tara Thai, where we both had pad see ew, then I took a walk around Washingtonian Lake to see the Canada geese and seagulls and stopped in Charming Charlie to admire the $7.99 shiny bracelets. Adam is doing tech for a show that goes up this weekend so I knew he wouldn't be home till late, so I had lots of time to wander before I had to get home, fold the laundry and get work done.

My father came over for dinner since my mother is visiting my sister in New York; we had pizza and, for George Washington's birthday, cheesecake with cherries. Since Harry's Law is moving to Sundays, we watched the second part of the Pride and Prejudice miniseries, which really only improves with time though I still think it's a pretty cynical story in which the size of a man's estate makes all the difference. Okay, fine, seeing him coming out of that pond doesn't hurt, but that's because it's Colin Firth canon and hardly counts. Here are some more photos from the National Aquarium on Monday:















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