I think I speak for everyone in noting how the Symposia, decidedly plural, have boosted our spirits repeatedly over the years, and today I speak for one of you, to another and to you all with three ways to put this forum to some well timed optimistic use.
First, speaking for one of you, I have another silly poem. Josh directly commissioned this one when he essentially spoke the first few lines of the poem and inspired my retort of “learning to walk is what young people do,” then told me I should make a poem out of that. So I did, leaning very much on and away from As You Like It.
Second, I encourage a more profound poem from Dan, based on a germ he was tossing around a couple of days ago, relating Steinbeck’s The Pearl to what Josh has been going through. Take more time at this than my Stages poem, Dan, I think this could be a beautiful one. And may I also suggest for you: lean on but also away, to where your own thoughts are.
And finally, speaking to you all, at Josh’s request: let’s revive the “Songs you can play over and over again” project. Josh intended this to be not a comparative argument, because there is no right or wrong, but a celebration of each symposian’s go-to playlist. He also meant this to be revisited every year or so, to keep our individual and mutual spirits going. So, for the few of you who have not yet contributed, now is the time! And for those of you like me who thought they had already made the definitive list, think again! And repeat tracks if you want, or take from other people’s list if you must, but share!
Here is my poem.
The Fifth Stage (feeling like the Sixth Stage)
Speaking to the Fourth Stage (reminding him of what he learned in the Second Stage)
“I feel so old, having to be
helped with walking short distances,
the world ever holding my hand
and the room being a constant adventure.”
Old? I’m your older brother; let me be
the voice of wisdom through childish treble
with my pant legs rolled up: dignity
be damned, we walk as we are able.
You are a soldier, reminding me
even now like a bearded pard
of what you’ve told me repeatedly
over the years and across the ages,
“Every day is a gift,
and we are all survivors.”
Nothing's silly, of course, and whatever's sublime is more for angels to judge than us. Old Adam, conflated with the melancholic Jaques, informs this most important comedy of Shakespeare's (a close second is 'The Tempest', which I'll designate a 'romance' or 'fantasy' for its abstract/supernatural properties, conventions not-too-touched in Shakespeare's greatest comedy 'As You Like It'. Jaques gives the 'seven stages of man' speech in Act 2, and indeed we should all weigh in. We can answer, as Joe Vold did circa 1998, "don't worry about it"--no matter what interstice-- but we can also fall upon the grace of Jesus Christ, who died at 33 and rose again, who lives eternally. We, like MLK, are imminently free. Forgive in advance my floated poet tonight--I'm sure I spent no more time on it than Jon's above.... But, in media res, I'm very glad we have this space to venture free.
ReplyDeleteI'll weigh in on the songs 'gin and agin'--we all should do--and look forward to our chance to meet this Independence Day.