My Small Boat

How do you have a good idea? Have a lot of ideas and keep the good ones.

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storms terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.

Spring is sprung
The grass is rizz
I wonder where the birdies is
The birdies is upon the wing
No, that’s absurd
The wing should be upon the bird.

Just living is not enough… One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

When we try to anchor ourselves to any point, it wavers and leaves us; and if we pursue it, it eludes our grasp and vanishes forever. Nothing stands still for us. This is our natural condition, yet it is completely contrary to our inclination.

Some people achieve their humility by prayer and fasting, some by great charitable works. My own method is to behave in public like a complete moron every three months or so.

Arrival 1946
The boat docked in Liverpool.
From the train Tariq stared
at an unbroken line of washing
from the North West to Euston.
These are strange people, he thought
an Empire, and all this washing,
the underwear, the Englishmen’s garden.
It was Monday, and very sharp.

Lose this day loitering; t’will be the same old story tomorrow, and the next day more dilatory … Each indecision brings its own delays and days are lost lamenting o’er lost days … What you can do or think you can, begin it–boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.

Impromptu on Charles II
God bless our good and gracious King,
Whose promise none relies on.
Who never said a foolish thing,
Nor ever did a wise one

Friendship is…the sort of love one can imagine between angels.

Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble.