Book: Old English boc "book, writing, written document," generally referred (despite phonetic difficulties) to Proto-Germanic *bokiz "beech" (source also of German Buch "book" Buche "beech;" the notion being of beechwood tablets on which runes were inscribed; but it may be from the tree itself (people still carve initials in them). Latin and Sanskrit also have words for "writing" that are based on tree names ("birch" and "ash," respectively). And compare French livre "book," from Latin librum, originally "the inner bark of trees" The use of books or written charters was introduced in Anglo-Saxon times by the ecclesiastics, as affording more permanent and satisfactory evidence of a grant o
Live your life with an even mind. Examine yourself with a humble mind. Cultivate yourself with a non-abiding mind. Devote yourself to the Way with an awakened mind. Master Hsing Yun (1927 - ) Founder of Fo Guang Shan Buddhism
Guitar: lute-like musical instrument, 1620s, from French guitare, which was altered by Spanish and Provençal forms from Old French guiterre, earlier guiterne, from Latin cithara, from Greek kithara "cithara," a triangular seven-stringed musical instrument related to the lyre, perhaps from Persian sihtar. The name reached English several times, including giterne (early 14c., from Old French), in reference to various stringed, guitar-like instruments; the modern word is also directly from Spanish guitarra (14c.), which ultimately is from the Greek. The Arabic word is perhaps from Spanish or Greek, though often the relationship is said to be the reverse. The modern guitar is one of a large clas
As we live, we grow and our beliefs change. They must change. So I think we should live with this constant discovery. We should be open to this adventure in heightened awareness of living. We should stake our whole existence on our willingness to explore and experience. Martin Buber (1878 - 1965) Jewish philosopher
Prehistoric flint knife. Knife: "hand-held cutting instrument consisting of a short blade and handle," late Old English cnif, probably from Old Norse knifr "knife, dirk," from Proto-Germanic *knibaz (source also of Middle Low German knif, Middle Dutch cnijf, German kneif), a word of uncertain origin. To further confuse the etymology, there also are forms in -p-, such as Dutch knijp, German kneip. French canif "penknife" (mid-15c.) is probably of Germanic origin, perhaps from Frankish. His Master's Voice iii. Lino Knife The blade a small silver crescent moon of tempered steel honed to a razor: he might test along the dark hairs on his hand. And then the cut and slice, a secret pact between hi
Fog: "thick, obscuring mist," 1540s, a back-formation from foggy or from a Scandinavian source akin to Danish fog"spray, shower, snowdrift," Old Norse fjuk "drifting snow storm." Compare also Old English fuht, Dutch vocht, German Feucht "damp, moist." Figurative phrase in a fog "at a loss what to do" first recorded c. 1600. Fog-lights is from 1962 Bay Road, Foggy Morning after the painting by Clarice BECKETT (c. 1920s) The place where the bus stops is a carefully trimmed cul-de-sac of hedge and cloud. A grey imponderable cave fringed with a green hedge where an old fence leans back from the wave-tipped wind. Here the day slips on wet wheels: a slow start. On larger scale other rhythms take
Salt: Old English sealt Fish and Chips Out from his takeaway food shop, he looks beyond the greasy glass where gum trees swarm in the wind like green schools of fish in dark branches. He still hears sea at the end of the road on stormy days, but rarely sees it now. Besides the early morning shadows, cold August smokes the panes. Chip baskets splutter in hot oil, makes a small black foam flecked ocean, and he dreams of Ithaca- his father's boat and rope-rough hands; bringing in the catch; the single village street and smells; soft cooked white flesh of fish; the resined wine. Squeezed between a Christian bookstore and a shop that's always up for rent his display case window fronts the street.
Angels: 14thC fusion of Old English engel and Old French angele, both from Latin angelus, from Greek angelos ‘messenger, envoy, one that announces’. Veronica’s Song a cycle of poems for Easter after The Stations of the Cross 1. Station The First Jesus is Condemned to Death His mind stayed on the supper table when they dressed him in the contents of the cup and from sharp thorns felt trickle down into his mouth the vintage of their hate. His mind stayed on the supper table when they broke his body like a loaf of bread - dough soft, the mixture and measure of their resolve to strike and silence him despite the cost. His mind stayed on the supper table for this longest season of his life. But w
Frogs: Old English frogga, from Proto Germanic fruska-z, Old Norse froskr, Middle Dutch vorsc, German Frosch. Frog Cakes after Balfours’ shop, Rundle Mall Submerged in the sweet shallow crowded pond of shop-front display. Cold in green-iced skin; their slightly parted cake lips croak on a string of silent years. And they are an icon for each- connecting fairy tales with Christmas mother with Myers. And finally lunch at Balfours where they became for us, the small luxury she could afford - cramming our mouths with their confection; and always looking better than they tasted! Jeff Guess Reflection: In this mortal frame of mine which is made of a hundred bones and nine orifices there is somethi
Philip Larkin - Church Going Once I am sure there's nothing going on I step inside, letting the door thud shut. Another church: matting, seats, and stone, And little books; sprawlings of flowers, cut For Sunday, brownish now; some brass and stuff Up at the holy end; the small neat organ; And a tense, musty, unignorable silence, Brewed God knows how long. Hatless, I take off My cycle-clips in awkward reverence. The Little Glory Baptist Church Samuel St & Mary St, Smithfield SA 5114, Australia Little Glory Methodist Church building, erected in 1859 for £354. The wooden pews built in 1902 & the communion chairs made in 1952 were purchased from the Elgin Uniting church, Kilkenny in 1996. These
Arty Road, Pallamana, South Australia. 5254 Pallamana - A railway station 14 km North-West of Murray Bridge. Aboriginal for ‘a creek’. Its former name was ‘Preamimma’. (See ‘Temora’ for information on its school.) ©Jeff Guess 2017
Wood: Old English wudu, earlier widu ‘tree, trees collectively, the substance of which trees are made’. Two Wooden Boats Two wooden boats along old lovely lines lie at an end of the northern paddock, small humps for the wind. Somewhere at the end of voyaging they have drifted through too many seasons here to ever get back. Although the farmer sometimes jokes about one - a last long jaunt on a warm winter afternoon with a packed lunch, petrol, matches, and a bottle - when he knows for sure he doesn't have another, winter. Taking too much water he would drift to the other side of the island - fire and go down like a Viking. But knows secretly he'll outlast them, adding a last complication - to
Jacob Street, Gawler, South Australia. 5118 2017 1980s My first home - street 2017 The palm tree is now growing where the dying Norfolk Island pine grew in the previous photograph. 2017 A Street in Time Colonel William Light gave me the plan for Gawler and I pegged it out William Jacob - circa 1839 The street was named after William Jacob assistant surveyor to Light and a personal and loyal friend. The History of Gawler Neighbours who have lived here all their lives lovingly recreate the past; reflect often with regret or nostalgia the changes; record the years with a special sense of dignity: an expression that in all ways possible, they have been lucky to have been here. It is this sense o
Sadness: From 12th century Middle Dutch sat, Dutch zad, Old English seed, German satt. Sadder than any Twilight ix. Past Carin' – 1922 after the death of Henry Lawson At dusk in the cottage at Abbortsford Alone with a story half done The tree that stands tall in his memory Is falling along with the sun. At dusk in the cottage at Abbortsford Where the darkness at last comes in He is haunted by white clouds still flying And the tree that is falling on him. At dusk in the cottage at Abbortsford Now all of this carin' is past Sadder than any twilight Is falling, is falling, at last. Jeff Guess Reflection: We humans are capable of experiencing great joy, and we are also visited by the sadness of
Ruth: : Feminine proper name, biblical ancestor of David, from Hebrew Ruth, probably a contraction of reuth "companion, friend, fellow woman." The Sun, Leaping So Ruth went out to the farmland and walked behind the workers, picking up the heads of grain which they left. Ruth 2: 3 Picking up leavings of the sun leaping what was wasted fell from hook or hand fell in shadows of those who worked ahead gathered scorching grain golden in the sun so much sun leaping to music she tried to sing without words stepping back into shadows after sun behind her mother baking this new bread breaking it sun-hot in her hands moistened that night in dark cooled wine tasting
Philip Larkin - Church Going Once I am sure there's nothing going on I step inside, letting the door thud shut. Another church: matting, seats, and stone, And little books; sprawlings of flowers, cut For Sunday, brownish now; some brass and stuff Up at the holy end; the small neat organ; And a tense, musty, unignorable silence, Brewed God knows how long. Hatless, I take off My cycle-clips in awkward reverence. 2017 1972 Holy Trinity Anglican Church Barossa Valley Way & Altona Rd, Lyndoch SA 5351 The church was consecrated on 3 August 1861. Built on the Glebe to the north of the town, ironstone had been quarried nearby, with slate for the roof, tiles for the floor and glass for the windows b
