by Richard Oxman

> “An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air” — Emily Dickinson

Alfred de Vigny developed stomach cancer in his early sixties, which he endured with exemplary stoicism: *Quand on voit ce qu’on est sur terre et ce qu’on laisse/Seul le silence est grand; tout le reste est faiblesse*. “When you see what we are and what life amounts to/Only silence is great; everything else is weakness.” Reminds me of Giacometti… who I just wrote about at here.

And it reminds me of Beckett… who I’m always writing about at Ox to Grind… and elsewhere.

*Silence to Silence*, an eighty-minute documentary on Beckett, with French subtitles (”D’un silence l’autre”), produced by Radio Telefis Eirann is something to see… if you’re interested in this subject. To wit, want subjecting yourself to… this idolatrous idea, subject.

That silence… in lieu of what’s now dominating your aural reality. [1] Outlook.

Like the waiter who feels the need to look busy to the boss, and makes very visible work for himself –energetically pursued– knocking over plates, and discomforting patrons in the process, we pursue our political agendas.

Or… like the modern monk in retreat, we recoil at the differences among us, pathetically resigned to being quietists… but hearing incessant, loud voices in the *silent* abodes we inhabit.

The Beckett film is directed by Sean O Mordha, narrated by Tony Doyle… with a commentary by Richard Ellmann and Declan Kiberd. [2] The credits acknowledge a veritable who’s who of Samuel Beckett interpreters, friends and critics.

The profile of Beckett’s life is flecked with fragments of his poetry (read by David Warrilow, one of the finest interpreters of SB’s work), extracts from his work, and lyrical moments of Schubert *lieder*.

Sometimes errant in its chronology, and occasionally wrong in specifics (the Beckett “revelation” on the Dun Laoghaire pier, for instance), it is –nevertheless– a remarkable evocation of Beckett’s life, authentic footage of the places he lived, and images (photographic and literary) of Beckett country, moving in their simplicity and profound in their (often mute) eloquence.

I’ve written about [political solitude before](http://www.selvesandothers.org/article8746.html “political solitude”), but I’m not talking about that here. Rather, I’m addressing an even deeper need than what I focus on at the end of that piece.

It’s what Rumi referred to as “The Soul’s Friend.” An excerpt reads:

> “When you feel longing, be patient, and/ also prudent, moderate with eating and drinking. Be like/ a mountain in the wind./ Do you notice how little it moves?/ There are sweet/ illusions that arrive/ to lure you away.” [3a]

Even a bonding dialogue with me –which is what I plea for at the end of the “political solitude” piece– can serve as a distracting lure.

Just as Ingmar Bergman’s *Silence* is fascinating and memorable, but –at the same time– frustrating and unsatisfying… so the political action, the politcally-oriented talk.

In a recent article ( [What Are You Going To Do With That?](http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=105&ItemI D=7978 “What Are You Going To Do With That?”) ), based on a commencement speech Mark Danner gave to graduating students of the Department of English of the University of California at Berkeley, May 15, 2005, a poem titled “A Song on the End of the World” by Czeslaw Milosz is cited. The poem concludes:

“No one believes it is happening now.

Only a white-haired old man, who would be a prophet
Yet is not a prophet, for he’s much too busy,
Repeats while he binds his
tomatoes:
There will be no other end of the world,
There will be no other end of the world.”

It’s a good idea to get ready for the end of the world, to prepare oneself mentally for the end which is very near… for all of us.

But the notion that we face basically the same kind of challenges that we faced during the Nazisim and Stalinism –which is what I think Danner is telling the graduates– is wrong.

We face a much bigger enemy now –whose victory was not a foregone conclusion *back then*– as… the world really is coming to an end. Arguably, our *only* challenge. [3b]

I’m mainly just writing now in the spirit that it’ll matter… very much… whether or not you’re binding tasty tomatoes, ones you truly love…

*when it comes… and the landscape listens… and shadows hold their breath*. [4]

Footnote Fetish:

[1] Try OM on for size?

[2] Kiberd’s Inventing Ireland is outstanding.

[3a] Rumi lived at a time of brilliant mystical awareness. He overlapped Francis of Assisi and Meister Eckhart. As Coleman Barks says, in his The Soul of Rumi, “They were all magnificently surrendered souls, and wonderful creators with language.”

[3b] In the sense that we can’t do everything *first*, and must align priorities… better.

[4] See the end of Emily Dickinson’s (#320) “There’s a certain Slant of light….” There’s a inverse direct correlation between the degree to which “graduates” believe that Bush monsters are the Real Danger and the degree to which they know that they’re actually going to die someday… and maybe very soon. To the extent that they’re weak respecting the latter…they merely *quote* Dickinson. As opposed to feeling her in silence.