Listen Now, Hear Later

We now no longer camp as for a night, but have settled down on earth and forgotten heaven. - Thoreau

Young Sick Bacchus by Carvaggio (Self-Portrait) c. 1593

naked in virtue

we gorged ourselves at life's bachanal

adorned in sackcloth

breathing incense and lighting candles

smoking rolled ashes

killing dead time

embracing dusk and shunning dawn

uncorking a diluted wine of yesterday and tomorrow

stirring a twisted martini of right with wrong

whilst we waited for something better to come along

Author's Note

“God is alone,-but the devil, he is far from being alone; he sees a great deal of company; he is legion.” - Thoreau

Reviews

[barleygirl]

You have presented a fully-illustrated word portrait of why I don't participate in "the holidays"! I do not heed this endless gastronomic & consumerism odyssey, imagining that eating & spending have anything whatsoever to do with whatever the season means. It's partly becuz I don't have the money or the intestinal fortitude to indulge, but even back when I could partake in rampant excess, I was gradually retreating becuz I hated the hangover. I wonder if the masses will indulge with even more excess to fill the void they've been whining about with covid robbing their freedoms. Please excuse my jadedness. It's hard to hide around you (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Dave Brown]

This well done piece sounds like the life of Madonna
Did Thoreau follow soccer

[Pete]

well whatever floats your boat as they say. everything has consequences though. some people seemingly get away with it for a while but things have a way of catching up. no organized sports, thoreau had to amuse himself in nature. they were starting to build the railways during his life and he hated it ... :)