Sunday, June 7, 2009

W.S. Merwin, in The Language of Life by Bill Moyers

This image which is posted below combines three images into a visual dialog. This dialog flows like the rhythm of a haiku and that is why it is titled "Visual Haiku". Thanks once again for all of the kind words and continued interest in this visual journey I have titled my Book Passages Series. I'm still looking for more submissions from you the readers so if you have come across an interesting passage from your current read, please pass it on and I will add it to my journey. I always enjoy your comments, observations and critique so please add to the experience for all to enjoy by sharing your thoughts. And now, here is the book excerpt from W. S. Merwin, in The Language of Life, by Bill Moyers.

Poetry, like all the arts, is an expression of faith in the integrity of the senses and of the imagination; these are what we have in common with the natural world. The animals have no doubt about the integrity of their senses - they're essential to them - and whatever the animal imagination may be, we can imagine it as being connected with their senses. Our remaining connections with what we call the natural world are our dreams, some of our erotic life, if we are lucky, and any sensual experience that we can still believe in.

We go into a supermarket and we have artificial light, canned music, everything's deodorized - we can't touch or taste or smell anything, and we hear only what they want us to hear. No wonder everybody wanders around like zombies! Because our senses have been taken away from us for awhile. A supermarket brings the whole thing into focus. The things that are there don't belong there, they didn't grow there. They have a shelf life, which being rented, so that we can buy them. It's only about selling things. This is a very strange kind of situation, but it's typical of our lives.

Poetry, like all the arts, not only reconnects us to the world, it emanates from the connection with the world of the senses and the imagination that remains. When that connection is no longer there, there will be no arts, and we won't even know what we missed - we really will be zombies walking around, if we can walk at all, in sort of eternal supermarket.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've been looking at your new photos with interest. They all have been very interesting. I really respond to the surreal content. The jack in the box pics were really neat and the trees took on a very dream-like quality in them. But I'll tell you... that panoramic shot of the woman in the parking lot with the guy in the cart is a great shot. Congratulations.

William Zuback said...

Thanks for your interest. This visual series is a journey I'd take regardless of the comments but I find the interaction and comments help create a community and dialog that all can hopefully take something from.