Such a lovely surprise as a post, with so much knowledge and wisdom and 'windows' on to great things past to reminds us of kindness and care in a some preciously 'random' moments
In my wildest of dreams, I never conjured sitting on my bed at 3:23am listening to Patti Smith read poetry, showing a photo of she and William S. Burroughs, and talking about dental floss. Isn't life amazing?!!
Just small years after you stared down my eyes in the East Village, Billy Burroughs died in the basement of the house I was living, up there in the Rockies. His father’s voice never once deviated from asphalt monotone. William used to make my knees shake. I marvel at the loving warmth you shared with him. Scared the bejeezus outta me he did. In any case, here now for the first time - things is right side up. The treasures you share, no longer backwards. Some kind of miracle. May this one thing turn the world right again. Love.
Well Patti, suddenly your room is another orientation all together. How clever that you worked that out, and now no struggling to see what words are on book covers. That’s funny, it’s all some sort of illusion anyway 😹. Talking of world peace (well, world troubles) I’m attaching this link to Rupert Spira’s blog (if you don’t know of him, he teaches the pathless path, he suddenly came along during COVID for me when he started befriending us on Zoom). Anyway this blog says much of what he understands and shares so check him out if you are drawn to such things. He was an astounding potter in the UK and has a deep love of the English language, and poetry, and once admitted he’s a closest Sufi! https://rupertspira.com/non-duality/blog/philosophy/rupert-spira-on-peace
I love the nightly rambles. Back in the 70s at one of your shows when I was just a kid you told us about the importance of flossing our teeth everyday. I had to really been flossing at that time so I went out and bought myself some dental floss. I’ve been doing it ever since that night and when I do I think of you! Funny memory. ❤️
Love the story! Maybe this and the video from today will motivate me to floss my teeth! I'm not great at keeping a good regular teeth brushing and flossing routine - should really know better!
you have to be reaaallly bored to think of things to do with used dental floss...Didn't Frank Zappa buy a dental floss ranch...now that I think about it?
I was born on the 23rd in a different month. I feel honored to have arrived on a perfect prime number according to William Burroughs! Love the photo of you and Burroughs. Peter Hale is so nice, the few times I've had the pleasure of email exchanges with him.
'My life is a line of Baudelaire,' said Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Perhaps it is a line from a poem Patti read: ' I'm the vampire of my own heart'.
could be it. Akutagawa may have foreseen the end of his own body and soul.
A photographer of my acquaintance told me that people today lack laughter. Certainly in Japan there are fewer people laughing in the streets and more people cynically laughing.
Love it and the book recommendations. My mother’s birthday is 02/23 so the discussion about numbers was interesting as I just then realized that my birth date also adds up to the same number as my mom’s. Seeing your “stuff “ is always a treat.
Oh, yes, “the world is too much with us,” morning, night, in between. It’s tragic and frightening. I don’t want to lose hope, but I think we must face the fact that our beloved country is in trouble … in a troubled world. Your visits in substack help. There ARE good folk who are striving to make things better. May we all find each other and do it. Thank you for your wisdom and your care and your generous sharing of so much with us. 💙
Such a lovely surprise as a post, with so much knowledge and wisdom and 'windows' on to great things past to reminds us of kindness and care in a some preciously 'random' moments
To the moon (Giacomo Leopardi)
Oh graceful moon, I reminisce
A year has passed, since I came upon this hill
Full of grief, just to gaze at you:
And you were hanging above those woods,
The same as now, brightening all around.
But misty and clouded your countenance
appeared to me, with all those tears
rising on my lashes, so troubled
My life was: and still it is,
Nothing changed, delightful moon.
Anyway I'm glad of the remembrance
And to recall the years of my anguish.
When you're young and hope still has
A long course, and short is the memory,
It hurts so good to be reminded of the past things
No matter if they're sad, and you wish the pain to last.
In my wildest of dreams, I never conjured sitting on my bed at 3:23am listening to Patti Smith read poetry, showing a photo of she and William S. Burroughs, and talking about dental floss. Isn't life amazing?!!
Just small years after you stared down my eyes in the East Village, Billy Burroughs died in the basement of the house I was living, up there in the Rockies. His father’s voice never once deviated from asphalt monotone. William used to make my knees shake. I marvel at the loving warmth you shared with him. Scared the bejeezus outta me he did. In any case, here now for the first time - things is right side up. The treasures you share, no longer backwards. Some kind of miracle. May this one thing turn the world right again. Love.
What a wonderful post. It definitely takes me aways from my worries of the world.
Everything from "....Charlie Baudelaire throwing it at us".
To the wonders of dental floss...
To the full (within a second) moon making itself known.
I so, so enjoy these moments of nothing....they are everything.
Also, found this...
https://fleursdumal.org/
Lists many translations of the works in Flowers of Evil
One of the translations for Heautontimouromenos
https://fleursdumal.org/poem/151
Lists the title as "The Man Who Tortures Himself"
Well Patti, suddenly your room is another orientation all together. How clever that you worked that out, and now no struggling to see what words are on book covers. That’s funny, it’s all some sort of illusion anyway 😹. Talking of world peace (well, world troubles) I’m attaching this link to Rupert Spira’s blog (if you don’t know of him, he teaches the pathless path, he suddenly came along during COVID for me when he started befriending us on Zoom). Anyway this blog says much of what he understands and shares so check him out if you are drawn to such things. He was an astounding potter in the UK and has a deep love of the English language, and poetry, and once admitted he’s a closest Sufi! https://rupertspira.com/non-duality/blog/philosophy/rupert-spira-on-peace
🦋
I love the nightly rambles. Back in the 70s at one of your shows when I was just a kid you told us about the importance of flossing our teeth everyday. I had to really been flossing at that time so I went out and bought myself some dental floss. I’ve been doing it ever since that night and when I do I think of you! Funny memory. ❤️
Love the story! Maybe this and the video from today will motivate me to floss my teeth! I'm not great at keeping a good regular teeth brushing and flossing routine - should really know better!
you have to be reaaallly bored to think of things to do with used dental floss...Didn't Frank Zappa buy a dental floss ranch...now that I think about it?
I was born on the 23rd in a different month. I feel honored to have arrived on a perfect prime number according to William Burroughs! Love the photo of you and Burroughs. Peter Hale is so nice, the few times I've had the pleasure of email exchanges with him.
It's really quite humorous.
'My life is a line of Baudelaire,' said Ryunosuke Akutagawa. Perhaps it is a line from a poem Patti read: ' I'm the vampire of my own heart'.
could be it. Akutagawa may have foreseen the end of his own body and soul.
A photographer of my acquaintance told me that people today lack laughter. Certainly in Japan there are fewer people laughing in the streets and more people cynically laughing.
Joseph Beuys work was a great inspiration to my degree work. You have reminded me ! Thank you💛
"No longer backwards" - the beginning of a new era!
Lovely photo of you and William. ❤️
Love it and the book recommendations. My mother’s birthday is 02/23 so the discussion about numbers was interesting as I just then realized that my birth date also adds up to the same number as my mom’s. Seeing your “stuff “ is always a treat.
Oh, yes, “the world is too much with us,” morning, night, in between. It’s tragic and frightening. I don’t want to lose hope, but I think we must face the fact that our beloved country is in trouble … in a troubled world. Your visits in substack help. There ARE good folk who are striving to make things better. May we all find each other and do it. Thank you for your wisdom and your care and your generous sharing of so much with us. 💙