(Inappropriate cover image.)
Some of us, including me, can enjoy long periods of solitude although I would not choose it for the rest of my life. Kormt's self-imposed solitude begins well:
the clouds lift;
the sky is clear and pale, as if washed clean;
the sunset is flame and gold;
he has a world to himself and can do as he likes, the richest man ever;
there is frozen food for a hundred men for twenty or thirty years;
he will tend fields, orchards, livestock, buildings and the graveyard;
the far sea is visible;
a soft wind murmurs and talks in the trees;
he will protect his ancestral land from the encroaching forest;
the stars are brighter than he would like;
he will have to tend the street lamps...
At the end, he is overcome by the darkness and silence.
In his clogs, where I would not go willingly, I would not tend fields but read and meditate.
Kaor, Paul!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I immediately thought when I saw the image for this blog piece! It would have been more suitable for a collection including "Marius."
With enough food stored for a century for twenty men neither of us would NEED to tend fields, orchards, and cattle.
As I'e said before, we see Kormt having second thoughts, too late!
Ad astra! Sean