Tag: interconnectedness

Coffee Wisdom (+de)

 

Coffee Ring Poem
A poem on a napkin from a coffee shop…

I have written down this poem on a napkin after having enjoyed coffee in one of the coffee shops in Whitehorse, Yukon. Or was it in Victoria, BC? Place does not matter in this instance.

The short poem embodies for me that particular mood that follows me on occasion when I am surrounded by many people – the illusion of company.

And the confidence.

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Ich schrieb dieses Gedicht vor längerer Zeit auf einer Serviette in einer Kaffeestube in Whitehorse, Yukon Territorium. Oder war es vielleicht in Victoria, Britisch Kolumbien? Auf den Ort kommt es ja nicht darauf an.

Es ist schwierig den kurzen Text sinngemäss ins Deutsche zu übersetzten weil er auch anglophone Wortspielereien enthält:

Jeden Tag
kaufe ich mir
die Illusion von Gesellschaft.
"Ist das zum hier geniessen oder zum mitnehmen?"
"Na, dann lass uns gehen."

Das kurze Gedicht verkörpert für mich die Stimmung die mich gelegentlich befällt wenn ich umgeben bin von vielen Leuten – die Illusion mit all den Leuten etwas zu tun zu haben.

Und natürlich auch die Zuversicht.

An old coffee story

Another old coffee story

Enjoying the wealth – Das Geniessen von Wohlstand

Allium ursinum (Bärlauch; Wild Garlic) in the monastery garden at Rapperswil. This unassuming green is a welcomed addition to the early spring diet, providing a source of enjoyment and well-being for those who set out to harvest it.
Allium ursinum (Bärlauch; Wild Garlic) in the monastery garden at Rapperswil. This unassuming green is a welcomed addition to the early spring diet, providing a source of enjoyment and well-being for those who set out to harvest it.

Die deutsche Übersetzung folgt weiter unten.

Let us celebrate the beginning of spring, the season of fresh greens and hope. The thoughts on wealth were inspired by a comment on the story of the ascetic in the palace.

Celia shared her thoughts to the story: “People with wealth often feel guilty about being wealthy because there are so many in this world who live in poverty. Therefore, they cannot enjoy the wealth that they have because of those who have not. But what Love says is this: Enjoy it but do not be attached to it. We are invited to indulge in the luxuries that life has to offer but we need to remember that it does not really belong to us and therefore, we must be prepared to walk away from it, give it away and/or let it go at any time.”

There is much truth in her observations. The ascetic in the story never made any judgement on the wealth of the powerful. Nonetheless, I am very reluctant to endorse the enjoyment of wealth in such universal terms. Continue reading “Enjoying the wealth – Das Geniessen von Wohlstand” →