Monday, April 19, 2004
Solution #10248
Hmm.
It seems I've finally found the magic answer to that all-time puzzler guaranteed to shorten the male lifespan - Why do you love me?
*****
If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
'I love her for her smile?her look?her way
Of speaking gently,?for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'?
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee,?and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,?
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Sonnets from the Portuguese.
*****
"For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed,"
How true. Flawless skin. Supple limbs. Shapely figures. Exquisite hair.
All fade with the gradual ravages of time and gravity.
"or change for thee,?and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so"
Hmm.
Beautifully crafted. But quite possibly flawed.
Some beauties fade - some endure.
A radiant smile. A twinkle in the eye. An enduring personality. An unweatherable force of will. If these are not lost from within. Then the loss is from without - "or change for thee".
That is love lost. There is nothing beyond that.
Love for love's sake?
Hmm.
Sounds suspiciously like a PAP slogan.
*****
Speaking of which. I couldn't help but notice while I was back not-so-long-ago the constant subliminal onslaught from all sides - Babies.
Babies.
Babies. Babies babies. baby.
Driving in broad daylight, I tuned in to ? Simon Lim talking to a generic twentysomething year old male about his lovelife, or lack thereof. (and nearly crashed the car in frustration...) It went something like this (dredging muddy bed of memory)
SL : Wah. So you're like twenty eight and not married yet!!! (I swear he pronounced all three exclamation marks)
GM (generic male) : Yah lor.
SL : So how do you feel about that?
GM : It's like you go out and everone thinks you're a freak because you're not married yet. It's hard to meet new people, they think you're weird. (huh? so you can only meet new people if you're married eh.)
SL : You must be very lonely
GM : Yah lor. Very lonely. Sigh.
(more drivel. boring. tuned out)
I mean WTF was THAT about?!? He's only twentysomething. In the UK he'd have another forty years shelf-life at least. Geez. He's in the prime of his life!! Or not yet, even!!!
And he's lonely. Because he's an unmarried freak.
Geez Louise. I bet he was a plant, to inspire males across the country to greater heights of libido.
Probaly a toadstool, or a weed. Sad little lamer.
I dunno. Maybe it's because I'm far removed from the system. Or perhaps because I never intended to become, or to marry a baby making machine for the rest of my existence. (Spacefan's conspiracy theorist friend figured that the "drive" to procreate has something to do with needing 8 million people on the continent by year 20XX, to ensure the continued development of our GDP. )
Different strokes, different folks. I'm happy being an unpatriotic, unmarried, late-twentysomething yr old male enjoying my solitude.
Loneliness seems a complete waste of time, energy, and life.
I'd like to make a suggestion to the Powers that Be (if they ever blunder along here) :
try some subtlety. Play Charlene's Never Been to Me incessantly instead. At least it sounds nice.
Hmm.
It seems I've finally found the magic answer to that all-time puzzler guaranteed to shorten the male lifespan - Why do you love me?
*****
If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
'I love her for her smile?her look?her way
Of speaking gently,?for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'?
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee,?and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,?
A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Sonnets from the Portuguese.
*****
"For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed,"
How true. Flawless skin. Supple limbs. Shapely figures. Exquisite hair.
All fade with the gradual ravages of time and gravity.
"or change for thee,?and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so"
Hmm.
Beautifully crafted. But quite possibly flawed.
Some beauties fade - some endure.
A radiant smile. A twinkle in the eye. An enduring personality. An unweatherable force of will. If these are not lost from within. Then the loss is from without - "or change for thee".
That is love lost. There is nothing beyond that.
Love for love's sake?
Hmm.
Sounds suspiciously like a PAP slogan.
*****
Speaking of which. I couldn't help but notice while I was back not-so-long-ago the constant subliminal onslaught from all sides - Babies.
Babies.
Babies. Babies babies. baby.
Driving in broad daylight, I tuned in to ? Simon Lim talking to a generic twentysomething year old male about his lovelife, or lack thereof. (and nearly crashed the car in frustration...) It went something like this (dredging muddy bed of memory)
SL : Wah. So you're like twenty eight and not married yet!!! (I swear he pronounced all three exclamation marks)
GM (generic male) : Yah lor.
SL : So how do you feel about that?
GM : It's like you go out and everone thinks you're a freak because you're not married yet. It's hard to meet new people, they think you're weird. (huh? so you can only meet new people if you're married eh.)
SL : You must be very lonely
GM : Yah lor. Very lonely. Sigh.
(more drivel. boring. tuned out)
I mean WTF was THAT about?!? He's only twentysomething. In the UK he'd have another forty years shelf-life at least. Geez. He's in the prime of his life!! Or not yet, even!!!
And he's lonely. Because he's an unmarried freak.
Geez Louise. I bet he was a plant, to inspire males across the country to greater heights of libido.
Probaly a toadstool, or a weed. Sad little lamer.
I dunno. Maybe it's because I'm far removed from the system. Or perhaps because I never intended to become, or to marry a baby making machine for the rest of my existence. (Spacefan's conspiracy theorist friend figured that the "drive" to procreate has something to do with needing 8 million people on the continent by year 20XX, to ensure the continued development of our GDP. )
Different strokes, different folks. I'm happy being an unpatriotic, unmarried, late-twentysomething yr old male enjoying my solitude.
Loneliness seems a complete waste of time, energy, and life.
I'd like to make a suggestion to the Powers that Be (if they ever blunder along here) :
try some subtlety. Play Charlene's Never Been to Me incessantly instead. At least it sounds nice.
