frank's notebook

frank, reading to me from rainer maria rilke's diary:: "irony don't let yourself be controlled by it, especially during uncreative moments. when you are fully creative, try to use it, as one more way to take hold of life. used purely, it is too pure, and one needn't be ashamed of it; but if you feel yourself becoming too familiar with it, you are afraid of this growing famikliarty, then turn to great & serious objects, in front of which it becomes small and helpless. search into the depths of things: there, irony never descends--when you arrive at the edge of greatness, find out whether this way of perceiving the world arrives out of the necessity of your being. for under the influence of serious things it will either fall away from you (if it is something accidental) or else (if it is really innate & belongs to you) it will grow strong and become a serious tool and take its place among the instruments which you can form your art with."

frank, givin' me more rilke:: "in one creative thought a thousand forgotten nights of love come to life again and fill it with majesty and exultation. and those who come together in the nights are entwined in rocking delight perform a solemn task and gather sweetness, depth and strength for the song of some future poet who will appear in order to save ecstasies that are unsavable."