more in the human

” Will the world ever learn? …

The time must come. It’s enough — enough to go to cemeteries, enough to weep for oceans. It’s enough. There must come a moment — a moment of bringing people together.

And therefore we say anyone who comes here should go back with that resolution. Memory must bring people together rather than set them apart. Memories here not to sow anger in our hearts, but on the contrary, a sense of solidarity that all those who need us. What else can we do except invoke that memory so that people everywhere who say the 21st century is a century of new beginnings, filled with promise and infinite hope, and at times profound gratitude to all those who believe in our task, which is to improve the human condition.

A great man, Camus, wrote at the end of his marvelous novel, The Plague:

“After all,” he said, “after the tragedy, never the rest…there is more in the human being to celebrate than to denigrate.”

Even that can be found as truth — painful as it is — in Buchenwald. “

– elie wiesel; buchenwald; june 5, 2009

music: Henyrk Górecki – Symphony No. 3, Op. 36

sounds like gospel

TodayFM is playing one of those all-day-commerical-free-A-thru-Z-greatest-hits-playlists for the bank holiday. wall-to-wall sing-a-long pleasure.
this old favourite pleased me. muchly.

Now I’m relieved to hear
That you’ve been to some far out places
It’s hard to carry on
When you feel all alone

The wisdom that I seek
Has been found in the strangest spaces
Feels a lot like love
That I feel for you

Drawn by the undertow
My life is out of control
I believe this wave will bear my weight
So let it flow

Oh sit down oh sit down oh sit down
Sit down next to me
Sit down, down, down, down, down
In sympathy

Swing from high to deep
Extremes, of sweet and sour
Hope that God exists
I hope, I pray

Now I’ve swung back down again
It’s worse than it was before
If I hadn’t seen such riches
I could live with being poor
Oh sit down oh sit down oh sit down
Sit down next to me
Sit down, down, down, down, down
In sympathy

Those who feel the breath of sadness:
Sit down next to me
Those who find they’re touched by madness:
Sit down next to me
Those who find themselves ridiculous:
Sit down next to me
In Love, in fear, in hate, in tears

Down
Down

Oh sit down
Sit down next to me
Sit down, down, down, down, down
In sympathy

Down.

– James, 1989, rough trade

that’s what it’s probably all about in the end i guess…

LB

my brother

for my bruvver,
with love and congratulations. i think this was on the infamous “All Aboard” kids’ compilation album.
regardless, ewan and i used to love singing along to this.

c,xo