Night

September 7, 2008

Dawn’s early light. Of my fears about Night, the big one, that nobody would show up, was allayed. The crowd was big enough and enthusiastic enough, and so far as I know, nobody left with a mocking smile on his lips. John Cram bought the postcard painting, and different pieces were admired by different people. Surprisingly generous showing from the UNCA art department; no one, of course, from Lit. A UNCA art historian insisted that Jacob’s angel and the Holy Spirit must be female. I told her, merrily, to go make her own damn painting. L fought his bitterness at not being the center of attention. AV arrived late and we talked technique. She was the only person there who could be told the truth when she asked, "Why that stroke of orange there?’I was tired and achy but also content. It was my first solo show in a gallery I did not own myself, and I should have repeated that to myself more often, to get the juices of gratitude flowing. When I look at the gallery walls, I am happy. At this point I could not have done better.

The New Testament Reading for the Morning: Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

The bible could be a much shorter book, and be made of pure diamond, and this would be within it.

The salesman at Jim Barkley Toyota told me of his adventures in reading the bible cover to cover. He thought he could get through it in a summer, but right now he’s bogged down in Second Kings. He had a teacher in high school who saved his soul (his words) by encouraging him to read. He was apologetic for reading mostly technical books, but I confided in him that, left to my own devices, I read about fossils.