Happy Valentines * the Unbearable Lightness of Being

illustration Stephen Grolin

Just finished reading the aforementioned book and was a bit on the surprised side as don’t think I can join in with two of my most cherished woman friends, who dearly loved the book. Kundera is obviously a master wordsmith and has much to say about the intertwining of relationship, at least as he knows it, and perhaps more from a Euro café centric perspective, or something of the such. The book is rather cerebral and oft sides with reason and rationale in and over matters of the heart. Reading of his various migrant lovers, one might surmise that love is a shell game, as one really never knows who he is with, and likely because said character doesn’t really know of whom he or she is. Kundera is oft in his head and rarely makes it down the up staircase. His characters are lost in what he calls “the maze,” albeit they and/or he are not so fond of the countryside nor country folks, nor do I recall a mention of the ocean, perhaps save for a lake or coupla few, and the token ode spent in tribute to the proverbial river that runs thru it and us all.

In contrast we know surfing as the sensual surrender unto her, and with the ocean permeating every pore of my body, and in company of the sun, wind, water and the warm sand beneath our barefeet, and as we are left not with the residue of semen, but with speckled salt left upon our sunkissed skin. And not that there is anything much prolific about my love life, albeit I have loved freely and of my own accord, and with a true heart (or at least as I wish to recall 😊.

Truth is univisceral, love is univisceral. To enjoin a visceral and/or kinesthetic sense of another is to learn compassion and to feel and empathize with and of another. Kundera volunteers that a person who longs to leave the place where he lives is unhappy. Leave where ?? Our body is our temple, our home sweet home, and our heart our church. Her trembling hands are but an extension of her heart.

Knowingly or not, there is the suggestion that one embrace courage (butterfly) and vulnerability (rabbit) in the face of the unbearable lightness of being, and that however desperate we may be to leave our apparent cocoon and the “legions of the unjazzed,” that the enchantment of the chrysalis will require just the such from us, and as “we (may) fall in love with each other’s vulnerability.” (I love you so much)

moonbow * two of rays

Karin's Moonrise by Stephen Bibb

The “silver surfer” is insoluble and “touched” at once. Of another dimension, her waves of metallic silver, under a “purple rain,” and feathering white crests, speak of royalty and our ancestors, giving rise to a fleeting “Zen moment,” at once mystical and magical. Translucent and silver smooth, her metallic reflection and message endures, under the “moonbow,” glistening and shimmering through the streaking rain.

Full Moon Wonders by Stephen Bibb

Weather makes for uncertainty.” Billowy cloud decks are layered with thunder clouds, standing by, shoulder to shoulder. Violent skies give way to murky waters and dicey conditions. With darkness approaching, depth perception becomes difficult upon the “hoary sea.” Lightning is scary and serves as omen and announcement unto the impending “Temple of Doom.” We feel overwhelmed and have good cause for our “mental strain.” It’s a warning against “uninhibited expression, and projected violently onto others.” We offer up penitence unto our “underworld deities,” and feel insignificant and miniscule in the face of the “impossible exchange.” You are out upon the “mourning of the ocean and earth.” You have “missed” her magic. She’s crying of sorrow and grief, and of her old, and yet knowing age.

Universal Desire by Patrick Parker

Heed her knowing ways. You are hereby on “notice to pay attention.” Your premonition of your emotional imbalance is nothing short of a revelation. Balance your emotions. Wait them out. Avoid recklessness. Think of your welfare and safety. Slow down and hit the brakes. Keep your distance. Wait up and reflect. Passion and suffering are often part and parcel unto love and truth. Assess the lineup and seek out protection against “dark forces.” Wisdom and intuition are usually precursor to truth and justice. Your fears are unfounded. Restore the balance. Surf in truth. Devotion and sanctity can lend you temperance and humility. Come from a place of knowing. Appreciate the wonder of life. Let it rain. Purification is the first practice in spirituality. This period of “lunalchemy” reveals your lunar power and magic. Be touched by a “sea angel.” Lightning bridges differences. Listen to knowledge that rings true. “Quiksilver” seas trigger your psychic qualities. Be more predictable. Move from violent to violet. Be wise. It may be time for a recess, or to reassess. Recall that wisdom is gentle in its application.