Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Dreaming of Systems

Why should men love the Church? Why should they love her laws?
She tells them of Life and Death, and of all that they would forget.
She is tender where they would be hard, and hard where they like to be soft.
She tells them of Evil and Sin, and other unpleasant facts.
They constantly try to escape
From the darkness outside and within
By dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good.
But the man that is will shadow
The man that pretends to be.

–T. S. Eliot, “Choruses from ‘The Rock’”

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:41 PM

    True. But T. S. Elliot also wrote:
    Jellicles can and Jellicles do
    Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats. I remember when you would make fun of me listening to "Cats." If I remember it right, you called this cat by a different name.
    Gayle

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  2. Anonymous6:44 PM

    Here's more:
    Jellicle cats come out tonight
    Jellicle cats come one come all
    The Jellicle moon is shining bright
    Jellicles come to the Jellicle ball

    Jellicle cats meet once a year
    At the Jellicle ball where we all rejoice
    And the Jellicle leader will soon appear
    And make what is known as the Jellicle choice...
    Jellicles ask because Jellicles dare
    Who will it be?
    Heather

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