When I receive a letter from the court, I respond to it the same day and mail the letter the same day as well. This is not a strategy towards the court but a strategy for my own energy. If I don’t respond the same day, I know that I will lie awake at night worrying about that letter. I don’t want to lose that energy, so I respond instantly. This method works perfectly because worrying then becomes completely pointless.
I was faced with a choice: I could have chosen to have a whole new judge assigned to the case because I did not give permission for the secret material provided by the Letterenfonds to be included in the case. That’s quite a bizarre situation, after all, I don’t even know what I’m giving permission for, permission to read secret documents! Nonetheless, I chose to give that permission. It seemed to me a waste of time to start everything over again, and I think the courts are busy enough already.
Then to a new letter from Gala de Lucia:
Another song from my good friend Luz. You know, it often seems as if we are working in a sort of solitary confinement in the world of art and music. People never give each other space; it’s always me, me, me. I plan to be a bit different, so I give my sister a voice on this channel.
I like to talk about what makes something poetry. In this case, it’s how effectively this text summarizes life. When we are 20, most of us just want to die, if we are honest. Well, maybe not everyone, but the people who have feelings for the world.
Then, at the age of 40, my God, we wish we were still alive. All that stress from the modern world under which we are buried. Kids, work, bills, responsibilities. Where did our life go?
Then, when we are 60, we wish we were alive or dead; it doesn’t matter, as long as something happens.
This is an ironic song; it’s good because it’s so concise.
When I was 20, I said every day
Oh, oh, I wish I were dead
When I was 40, I cried every day
Oh, oh, I wish I were still alive
Times, times, times, times
Now that I have finally reached 65
I whisper daily I wish, oh,
I wish I were one of the two things
Alive or dead
Times, times, times, times
I love the word “Epocas” because it has “pocas” in it, which means little, and so we see that everything is very relative and small; our lives go by in a flash, so it’s very important what we do with our choices.
Our choices, in my opinion, are the real gold we possess. Don’t you agree? It’s the only thing we really have in this life, our choices.
Even if we cannot choose our age.
Gala de Lucia
The poem in question is from the Book of Dead Owls.
I have finished the translation of The Dream of the Piranha in the Lemonade Stream. Now on to my other book, The Eternal Freshman. I’m already halfway through, so this year I will have my three philosophical books available in English (Amanita Muscaria – the Book of the Empress was originally written in English).
Wishing everyone a warm and pleasant day!
Martijn