Thursday, January 30, 2014

Mene Mene Tekel Parsin: The writing on the wall


As I sauntered along the pavement earlier this morn, an implicit conviviality entered my soul from the creation around me. The sun tacitly bid me welcome, spreading the warmth of its auroral rays across the valley. The unadorned trees, though bereft of their natural verdure, seemed to gesture in satisfied salutation as if prompted by some ineffable joy. I would fain reply, if I knew the language of trees. A light mist meandered atop the surrounding hills, adding an almost ethereal sense to the land. And in this, the dawn of day, with creation unabated in its obeisance to the divine King, I found myself inadequately equipped to pay homage with such pristine alacrity as was all around. For I am daunted by the task of explicating to all within my sphere the awe-inspiring attributes of the only immortal being whose residual print remains peculiarly present within my despoiled design. As a philosopher, I would happily begin “making plain the image engraven in men’s bodies, the God of whom they are defaced and leaning monuments” if only the engraving were slightly clearer. (Thoreau, Walden)

No comments:

Post a Comment