Go Because Only in This Way Will You Be Admitted to the Company of Cold Skulls

My apologies, tomorrow, not today, is a High Egoslavian Holy Day. I'm such a Herbert, I forgot to skip November 31st on my wristwatch, I didn't notice until December 8th, which I thought December 7th, I've never adjusted, this December being the shittiest December ever since the last until the next. I was convinced until last night that today was the 17th; it's not. So the choice: post a replay of my favorite post ever a day early or save it for tomorrow and employ silly ass Star Trek allusions today along with some links and songs and poems.





    

• Thursday Night Pints was Saturday Night Pints. What do you think we talked about? All the angles everyone else discusses we weighed both in combination with and against each other. No illuminating truths were revealed. All were in agreement absolutely nothing will change but for the worse.
• Witness the sanctimonious obliviousness of Garry Wills.
• UPDATE! Antidote for the above.
• UPDATE! Kuebiko.
• From Newtown to Kabul.
• The woes of an American drone pilot.
• The shameful exploitation of Bradley Manning.
• Defying gravity.
• Being terror.
• Appropriate.
• Thank you, teachers.
• Slaughter of the innocents.
• On the gun things I would just point out....
• Remembering a fuckwad.  
• Fuck blooger.
• Yes, it's his birthday: Eight part one, Eight part two. Hello everyone.

THE ENVOY OF MR COGITO

Zbigniew Herbert

Translated by Bogdana Carpenter and John Carpenter

Go where those others went to the dark boundary   

for the golden fleece of nothingness your last prize

go upright among those who are on their knees

among those with their backs turned and those toppled in the dust

you were saved not in order to live

you have little time you must give testimony

be courageous when the mind deceives you be courageous   

in the final account only this is important

and let your helpless Anger be like the sea

whenever you hear the voice of the insulted and beaten

let your sister Scorn not leave you

for the informers executioners cowards—they will win

they will go to your funeral and with relief will throw a lump of earth   

the woodborer will write your smoothed-over biography

and do not forgive truly it is not in your power   

to forgive in the name of those betrayed at dawn

beware however of unnecessary pride

keep looking at your clown’s face in the mirror   

repeat: I was called—weren’t there better ones than I

beware of dryness of heart love the morning spring   

the bird with an unknown name the winter oak

light on a wall the splendour of the sky   

they don’t need your warm breath

they are there to say: no one will console you

be vigilant—when the light on the mountains gives the sign—arise and go   

as long as blood turns in the breast your dark star

repeat old incantations of humanity fables and legends   

because this is how you will attain the good you will not attain   

repeat great words repeat them stubbornly

like those crossing the desert who perished in the sand

and they will reward you with what they have at hand   

with the whip of laughter with murder on a garbage heap

go because only in this way will you be admitted to the company of cold skulls

to the company of your ancestors: Gilgamesh Hector Roland

the defenders of the kingdom without limit and the city of ashes

Be faithful Go