Sunday, March 20, 2005

“You take away love, money or hate as a motive, you’re not left with very much.”

The Movie: Mystic River, 2003 (Brian Helgeland, screenwriter, from the novel by Dennis Lehane; Clint Eastwood, dir.)
Who says it: Laurence Fishburne as Sgt. Whitey Powers, a Boston homicide cop
The context: Powers is discussing the murder of Katie Markum (Emmy Rossum) with his partner, Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon)
How to use it: A simple truth.

This isn't a political blog, but today's quotation begs the question: why, exactly, does Terri Schiavo have to die? I understand not wanting to see someone you love live at a fraction of their former capacity, but is it really better to watch them die in the most horrifying possible way? Does anyone really believe it doesn't hurt to starve to death? As my mom said to me yesterday, even the most brutal killers get the mercy of a needle.

I feel a major rant on this subject beginning, but I don't have time, because I'm already running late, and the whole thing is just too awful to do anything but pray about.

Instead, in honor of the first day of spring, I'll let ee cummings write the rest of today's blog entry.

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and
the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee

I'm off to see the balloon man -- catch you tomorrow.

3 comments:

Madley said...

Maybe it's because you're an ex-Angeleno, but I so enjoy hearing about your seasons... as if I'm there myself.

Happy Spring!

Anonymous said...

I guess the question has to do with quality of life. Your point is well taken about starvation. Is there a merciful way to end this?

Anonymous said...

Regarding Terry Schiavo, it just goes to show that God has a sense of humor. But it mostly involves smiting.

Regarding ee cummings and why quoting such works is what makes us able to deal with situations like the one referenced, a counter poesy by Robert Penn Warren:

_Garland for You_
I. Cleary About You

Whoever you are, this poem is clearly about you,
For there's nothing else in the world that it could be about.
Whatever it says, this poem is clearly true.
For truth is all we are born to, and the truth is out.

*** [Skip to last stanza] ***

Burn this poem, though it wrings its small hands and cry _alack_.
But no use, for in bed, into your pajama pocket,
It will creep, and sleep as snug as a field mouse in a haystack.
And its heart to your heart all night make a feather-soft racket.

-- Ed

P.S. Make THAT movie, you _All the King's Men_ chumps.