Serendipity/Baal

“Salomon saith, there is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Solomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion.” —Francis Bacon [philosopher, 1561-1626]: Essays LVIII

“Baal grew up within the whiteness of the womb
With the sky already large and pale and calm
Naked, young, endlessly marvelous
As Baal loved it when he came to us.
And that sky remained with him through joy and care
Even when Baal slept, blissful and unaware.
Nights meant violet sky and drunken Baal
Dawns, Baal good, sky apricottish-pale.
Where the sinners herd in shame together
Baal lies naked, soaking up the calm.
Just the sky, but sky to last for ever
Hides his nakedness with its strong arm.
Baal watches the vultures in the star-shot sky
Hovering patiently to see when Baal will die.
Sometimes Baal shams dead. The vultures swoop.
Baal, without a word, will dine on vulture soup.
Under mournful stars in our sad vale of trouble
Munching, Baal can graze broad pastures down to stubble.
When they’re cropped, into the forest deep
Baal trots, singing, to enjoy his sleep.
And when Baal’s dragged down to be the dark womb’s prize
What’s the world to Baal? Baal has been fed.
Sky enough still lurks behind Baal’s eyes
To make just enough sky when he’s dead.
Baal decayed within the darkness of the womb
With the sky once more as large and pale and calm
Naked, young, endlessly marvelous
As Baal loved it when he came to us.”

—Bertolt Brecht, Baal

The series is largely informed by and continues the same approach I started, in my two previous series, namely “Capturing Friction” and “To 13 Hertz.” It is also an appreciation of fortuity or serendipity as well as remembrance and oblivion.