Of Wild Things and Dying Stars

 

Divided. Mixed.

A contradiction, maybe. A paradox at the least.

Deep in my soul lies a question, words unformed. It’s as if only an answer will clarify its edges. Therein lies the writer’s task: to dig in heart’s caverns, to sift out the sediment knowledge and reveal… something.

But what is it? What is it?

In simplest form, it is a question of the world. It is as metaphysical as ethical. A question of the real and of how to live accordingly.

It is a struggle of circumstance. “circum,” prefix. from Latin, “around.” “stance,” noun. from “stand.”

So what is around me? Where do I stand?

Somewhere between Wendell Berry and Dylan Thomas, between the Grace of the World, the Peace of Wild Things, and the call to rage against the dying of the light.

Music Night at Rembrandt's in Boise, IDWhat do you do when your heart is captivated by both? There is such good in the world. There’s coffee shops and sunsets and roadtrips. There’s airplanes and passport and new songs and old songs. And there are living, breathing people, reasons to love the world for what it is.

And yet, between Evil Geniuses, 70,000 Fathoms of open water beneath me, and a sky of dying stars, it seems there is no better advice than to kick and scream your way through living. The numbing call of technology’s sirens would love nothing better than a second of unprotest, a chance to placate. No. I will not go gentle into that good night.

“Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence. Everyone’s here… what happens next?”

Here we live. Here we stand, we can do no other. Questions, even unformed ones, do not stop the setting sun. Sunset questions are surely the best ones. They call out through dying light.

A contradiction, maybe.

A paradox at the least.

 

Still Wandering,

Tony Cole

3 Responses to “Of Wild Things and Dying Stars”

  1. Sarah Wright

    Tony, you should write a book. I’d read it. And while that sentence may not seem like much consider this, I am in the middle of my masters program and a curriculum shift for my district so my life is a stack of papers, books, articles, discussion posts, emails and magazines that I pretend to read. Key word: pretend. So let that book idea simmer a bit with the knowledge that Sarah Wright is rooting for it to happen even in a time in her life when she really wishes that reading didn’t exist. 🙂

    Reply
    • Thanks, Sarah. You’re kind. I’ll have to have something really important to say before I try for a book. There’s too much noise out there without my wanderings added to it.

      Reply
  2. Jessica Reaves

    I would also love to read a Tony Cole book! This was beautiful and it’s not often you find beauty in words these days:)

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Jessica Reaves

Click here to cancel reply.