otoh

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
This is an update of a post from 25 April 2006

I like shorter forms of poetry and I like that haiku traditionally has themes related to nature. A really good poem, in my opinion, distills a moment or an idea into a small crystal. It is clear and compact. At a glance you might exclaim, “Yes! Oh my god, that’s it exactly!” And then you spend an eternity examining the facets and the infinite truth reflected there.

Poetry, and Asian poetry in particular, suffers in translation into another language. Still, there are gems to be found here. My favorite haiku in my recent reading is from Haiku: Seasons of Japanese Poetry edited by Johanna Brownell:

These butterflies of ours –
If they could speak, what pretty dreams
We’d hear about the flowers.

Call me a simpleton, but I get lost inside those words. How different would the world appear if we could see it through the eyes of a butterfly? This poem also reminds me of a well-known parable attributed to the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to to Taoism has this translation:

Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, fluttering buoyantly; a butterfly fully content being himself. He knew of no Zhuangzi! Suddenly, he awakened. And plain-old Zhuangzi doesn’t know if he’s Zhuangzi who just dreamt a butterfly or the butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi.

Taoist parables are full of paradoxes. How do we decide what is reality? And, for whatever reason, this reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe, the favorite of my maudlin teen years.

A Dream Within A Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
This much let me avow
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep – while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Is it important that he makes a statement at the end of the first section that is a question at the end of the second? [Bonus: What horror movie used those last two lines in the opening credits?] Hmmm, some days I think too much. And I seem to have wandered far from where I started. But that is the way with poetry and me — I wander.

Once I had a lover who would put her head on my shoulder while I read poetry to her. [Actually, twice, but that sentence didn't sound quite right when I wrote it that way....] Poetry, I’ve heard it said, should be read out loud. And reading it out loud, but softly, to an ear that was right there, caressed by the words, was a lovely place to wander. And a heavenly place to be lost.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
This is an update of a post from 9 February 2005

Herman’s Head was a sitcom that ran for three seasons (’91-’94) on the FOX TV network. Four actors played parts of Herman’s psyche (sensitivity, lust, anxiety, intellect) that observed, commented on, and argued about how he should respond to the events in his life. The voices in his head were much more clearly defined, and funnier, than mine are. [If I had them, which I said yesterday I don't, so anyway....] But I remembered this show when I began working on something I expect to post soon. [And what I posted yesterday.] I was surprised to find there are several websites with info and I’ll post a few links below. Many people found it as innovative and funny as I did but, apparently, not enough of us for FOX to continue production. They sited poor ratings as the reason for cancellation.

Featured on the show were:

William Ragsdale as Herman, several other TV series and TV movies on his bio.

Hank Azaria as Herman’s best friend Jay, does several voices for The Simpsons and, in my opinion, one of the best comic voice and character actors ever.

Jane Sibbett as the gorgeous (knows it and uses it) coworker Heddy, tons of acting, producing, and TV guest appearance credits including as one of the actresses to play Ross’ ex-wife on Friends.

Yeardley Smith as the sweet and innocent coworker Louise, probably best known now as the voice of Lisa Simpson.

Jason Bernard as the know-it-all boss, Mr. Bracken, passed away in 1996 so anything you might have seen him in was probably before this show.

Molly Hagan as Angel (sensitivity), lots of movie rolls and TV guest appearances.

Ken Hudson Campbell as Animal (lust), lots of acting and voice credits.

Rick Lawless as Wimp (anxiety), only a couple other credits listed.

Peter Mackenzie as Genius (intellect), lots of movie and TV credits.

Fan Page
IMDB
FAQs
Title and Air Date Guide
YouTube

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
I posted a version of this on 9 June 2005, but I have added some new material for this post. ~Tim

What we find precious are common materials forged in uncommon circumstances. Rubies are aluminum oxide, pearls are calcium carbonate, diamonds are carbon. Aluminum, oxygen, calcium, carbon. All so very common. As are we.

Cut: Most gemstones are not very pretty when they are pulled from the earth. It takes an expert’s eye to see the potential within. The careful cutting away of waste and polishing leads to fire and brilliance. We all start out like diamonds in the rough. But we have to develop our own facets. Forgive me for still being a little rough. Pearls are beautiful when we find them, but they are the result of the oyster trying to protect itself from some irritation like a microscopic intruder or parasite. We take irritations and turn them into wars. I feel so evolved.

I’m just an old chunk of coal
But I’m gonna be a diamond some day
I’m gonna glow and grow
‘Til I’m so blue pure perfect

Color: The color differences in gems can be so subtle that they are imperceptible except when compared side-by-side with another stone. We naturally make comparisons. [One of these things is not like the other....] We are alike, but not the same. And if you look closer, I am not exactly what you thought I was. As I get to know you better, as I look closer, you are not exactly what I thought you were either. We may look at life through rose-colored glasses or spend our nights feeling blue. But we need to remember that our color comes from the inside, not the outside.

I’m gonna put a smile on everybody’s face
I’m gonna kneel and pray everyday
Lest I should become vain along the way
I’m just an old chunk of coal, now Lord
But I’m gonna be a diamond some day

Clarity: Every gem has imperfections. That’s largely what makes them unique. Our flaws may be minor surface blemishes or fractures hidden deep within, but we all have them. We cheat on our spouses, we abuse our children, we lie to our families, we betray our friends, we fight with our neighbors, we steal from strangers, we hate ourselves. But put us in the right light and none of that is visible. We choose our light to hide our flaws.

I’m gonna learn the best way to walk
I’m gonna search and find a better way to talk
I’m gonna spit and polish my old rough-edged self
Til I get rid of every single flaw

Carat: The mass of gems is measured in carats and a paragon is a flawless diamond of at least 100 carats. A paragon is a model of excellence or perfection. A “paragon of virtue” is the common phrase we use to describe people we admire. Can we be virtuous and yet not flawless? How can we be anything else? The carat [spelled karat in the U.S. and Canada] is also the measure of purity of gold. Pure gold does not exist in nature. Even the highest purity refined gold may be only 99% pure. I am considerably less pure, but then I never claimed to be very refined either….

I’m gonna be the World’s best friend
I’m gonna go around shaking everybody’s hand
Hey, I’m gonna be the cotton-pickin’ Rage of the Age
I’m gonna be a diamond some day

Setting: Gemstones are beautiful in themselves, but in the context of a ring or necklace that beauty can be multiplied. The right setting enhances our appearance, the wrong one diminishes it. In our blogs, in our lives, we choose our surroundings and what to display. Some of us choose to display our faults and rough edges. Some of us give hints and glimpses. Some of us hide all but a facet or two.

Sometimes I am disappointed when I see a flaw in someone I admire and respect. Usually I am dismayed when I see the flaws in myself. We are not perfect, but that’s what makes us unique and beautiful. Besides, we are all still works in progress.