Bond and Free
by Robert Frost

Love has earth to which she clings
With hills and circling arms about—
Wall within wall to shut fear out.
But Thought has need of no such things,
For Thought has a pair of dauntless wings.

On snow and sand and turf, I see
Where Love has left a printed trace
With straining in the world’s embrace.
And such is Love and glad to be.
But Thought has shaken his ankles free.

Thought cleaves the interstellar gloom
And sits in Sirius’ disc all night,
Till day makes him retrace his flight,
With smell of burning on every plume,
Back past the sun to an earthly room.

His gains in heaven are what they are.
Yet some say Love by being thrall
And simply staying possesses all
In several beauty that Thought fares far
To find fused in another star.

finally finished "the razor's edge" last night. the character of larry has given me much to think about. in a way, there are a lot of aspects of larry that i found challenging. one of it was to leave behind the system that's familiar and to seek a dismantlement of worlds so that one can finally get to the truth. perhaps it is the simplicity of "larry's truth" - to shake off all those things that don't matter and get up and walk the difficult path of pursuing god, good, the eternal and living the aristotelian good life - that i find hard to handle. its an acceptance that says "take my world apart, leave me bare, naked and vulnerable so that i can see" that terrifies me especially since i have a multitude of control issues.

but there was one thing that nagged me about larry. he sought truth like it was on a distant star. i think i'm more inclined to think that it is the challenge to live honestly everyday, in the here and now that brings one in confrontation and conflict with the truth. maybe its what larry learnt in the end as well, when he realized that hermitage and reclusive living like the monks was unsatisfactory. that said, i think there is something beautiful about larry: he has another world of joy and of peace living in him, while he makes his way through the tumultuous world outside.