(Untitled)

[ghazalah]

For wandering Stephen

OdysseusAlways the setting forth was the same

Comments

[sparowe]

The knowledge of all that he betrayed
Grew till it was the same whether he stayed
Or went. Therefore he went.

...that pretty much sums it up, somehow. Though in Stephen's case, I wouldn't say that it were a woman, such much as... something deeper.

[ghazalah]

No, not women. Self-respect, or soul, or faith, or family, or conscience, but not women.

I'm hypnotized by your icon. It almost looks like the eye of a hawk. He'd like that. :-)

[sparowe]

A hawk... keen eye. Or perhaps the safety from viewing things from afar.

Then again, I could be reading entirely too much into things. ;)

[ghazalah]

I suppose it's the same for any sailor. The "betrayal" seemed to make it Stephen's.

I'm working on your Sekrit Projekt right now. I think I've got the right guy at last, but not yet the right verse. I'm close though, I think.

[ghazalah]

Thank you! I most soitenly DID get the Thing You Sent. I show it to everyone! I use it for my car keys so it has to go everywhere with me, my Preciousssssss. The other Thing is on display in the Gallerie de Frigidaire, next to an important work by goat_song (STEPHEN: 'Jack, I fear we are merely archetypes portraying the synthesis of ideological modes of history.' JACK: 'Damn.').

[bronzelionel]

.....
Sucker-punch, that.

Ooof.

[ann_septimus]

Behind him on the receding shore
The identical reproaches, and somewhere
Out before him, the unraveling patience
He was wedded to

That perfectly sums up something I was having a conversation about earlier this week with another POB fanatic (see my gargantuan Lady Washington post... if you dare read it... heh heh) - I realized that Stephen eternally seems to be both running from and chasing for something that always seems out of reach. There's always a goad, even if half the time even HE doesn't quite know what it is, that keeps him moving, keeps him on edge - contentment for extended periods seems impossible. Always caught between past and future, reality and what-could/might/should-be...

[ghazalah]

That makes me feel sad for him, but then I can't see him doing anything else.

I wonder: if he had been legitimate, and had a title and its responsibilities, what would he have been like?

[ann_septimus]

That is quite fascinating to mull over... so much of his personality seems defined by that lack in his psyche. One could almost imagine him becoming someone like Sir Joseph, comfortable in his own position but intrigued with more dangerous work to support causes in which he strongly believes. Somehow I can't see him "content" anywhere, though... those dark angels are hard to shake. :-)