August 18, 2009

Thought I was picking up last night’s neglected mail, but instead got myself tangled in a bout of weeding and vine-pulling on the front terrace, part of my endless war against the wild clematis, against the spirit of chaos which governs my ground. Was driven out finally by awakened-too-early grumpy bees, so I’ll come back this afternoon to see what progress was made. Was stung on the left nipple. That was twenty minutes ago. The spot feels, oddly, wonderful now, as though some elixir was injected after the acid.

A fat raccoon is battening on my tomatoes. I am only mildly resentful.

My sister sends me a news report about the murders of gays in Iraq. Eventually one conclusion is inescapable: too many of the world’s problems stem from, or are excused by, public religion. If it’s not the Muslims, it’s the Christians. I wish it could be better understood that all public religion is false, and the only true faith is private, taciturn, modest. All prophets are false who do not speak to the individual soul, and to that alone. The Nazis were interesting in that they based their murderousness on science. This is better, marginally, because at some point science must be verifiable, whereas no such obligation ever impinges upon faith.

Not too grueling opening day of classes yesterday. I did take a whopping nap, though I think a step aerobics class first thing in the morning contributed more to that. I feel unusually energized, as though I had become a somewhat different person over the summer, and I’m excited to see how I’ll behave. Anxious to take her on the road and try her out--