They are not long, the weeping and the laughter
Love and desire and hate:
I think they have no portion in us after
We pass the gate.
Ernest Dowson
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Howdy.
This is a controversial entry. I know it. It's because of the thinking about Dowson's verse. Enjoy.
What a tangle life is! We weep today, we laugh tomorrow. There's love on one side, hate on the other and in between them there is desire.
Saint Paul said "the love of money is the root of all evil." George Bernard Shaw said "the lack of money is the root of all evil." In my opinion both of those statements say the same thing. Tennessee Williams said "the opposite of desire is death."
We desire the things we lack and if that desire becomes strong enough it turns into love. If what we desire is a home, or a job, or a soul mate we struggle to get them because of the desire. If we are poor we struggle to get wealth because of the desire. When there is great desire, great struggle, our lives are focused on the thing we want and the obtaining of what we want. It can't be done without love.
If we don't struggle, desire and love we don't get. Sometimes the struggle is so great that we would rather give up and "pass the gate," accept the opposite of desire, stop wanting and die. Robert E. Lee once said that the reason for his long life was because he was always wanting something.
We may believe that if we die all our troubles will be over. The weeping, the laughter, the love, desire and hate will end. Dowson only thinks so. He doesn't know because as Shakespeare said it's "the undiscover'd country from whose born no traveler returns." But if our troubles are all self made who's to say that we won't be making them again on the other side, without the safe guards of families, friends and communities we have on this side.
Maybe judgement day will come when you pass the gate. But maybe not. Maybe it will come later, or sooner. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe it came one day last year when you didn't notice. What is written about you in the "Book of Life"? I squirm and shiver to think what is written there about me. But whatever it is I think it's just one big footnote.
I think I will just continue wanting the things I lack, loving the things I desire, weeping and laughing, for as long as I can.
Thank you for reading this entry.
The Vagabond Journey
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May someone give you a sparkler of joy to pass along today.
6 comments:
A small measure of joy in whatever we have. It's a nice sentiment to live by. (Hugs)Indigo
in the Book of Life is written my name :) and that's it because all my sins were washed away when I accepted Jesus as my Savior!! I'll have to be accountable for what I have not asked forgiveness for now after I accepted Jesus, but.....al good things written in the Book of Life for me because my name is there and that's all that matters :)
this wasn't controversial, DB, in my opinion; it truly does describe a lot about how people live their lives
good thoughts
betty
I enjoyed your comment that maybe judgement day happened last year when I didn't notice. Wouldn't that just be my luck?!
Neat entry, D!
Love, Beth
Judge yourself each and every day is what I say :o)
You know I was just thnking today that maybe one reason I was a little down was because I was not wanting something as passionately as I have done in the past, so I was thinking I had better rectify that fast. I always want intensity from people, so I decided to see if I could find a little in this blog with its well written entries. Gerry
Sometimes I give up on the desire...but only sometimes.
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