By strength not Perseus could himself defend, For who in strength with Atlas could contend? But since short rest to me thou wilt not give, A gift of endless rest from me receive, He said, and backward turn’d, no more conceal’d The present, and Medusa’s head reveal’d. Soon the high Atlas a high mountain stood, […]
The stone cold truth Read More »
In preparation for a class last night I found myself reading the thoughts of Paul Jose, a New Zealand-based American psychologist, on the psychology of happiness. He divided people into two groups – the ‘savourers’ and the ‘dampeners’, their names reflecting their relationship with positive experiences. Very simply, the happier among us savour the positive
Here’s a question. How angry do you think you are? You can give yourself a mark out of ten if you like – ten being volcanic, uncontainable rage, one being the last glowing ember in the grate. We may agree that the upper end takes lives while the lower end has the potential to give
Take a moment and think about all the things you have been told in your life. All the things that have been said to you. All the heart-to-hearts, the tete-a-tetes, all the deep-and-meaningfuls. The advice, the encouragements, the admonishments. How much can you remember? And from whose mouths did the words come? Now take another
Songs from the deep Read More »
In the not too distant past I submitted a selection of my poems to a prominent Irish poetry publisher. I subsequently received a very courteous rejection which contained a critique of my work. A lot of what was said I found myself agreeing with. Amongst the feedback the editor included a damning phrase that has
All that glitters… Read More »
I wanted to write something about Life’s (capitalised because it is oh-so-important) essential unknowability, its elusiveness, its paradoxical impermanence and so I found myself fluttering over the wisdom of Heraclitus (535-475 BC) one of the first philosophers I was exposed to as a wide-eyed, uncomprehending naif in my first year at university. The single thing
A smart Greek, board games and dams Read More »
What do we mean by ‘here’? Is it a place, a location, a position? Something that can be pinpointed on Google Earth? Latitude X, longitude Y. Corner of A and B. Is it the space you occupy? Your height, depth and breadth? Your mass, your volume? Where are you when you announce “I’m here”? Perhaps
How did I get here? Read More »
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