I’ve just finished my second reading of Richard Holmes’ scintillating two-book biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge (I’m a fan of both Holmes’ and Coleridge’s writing, so I broke a habit of not reading books twice.)
S. T. Coleridge is famous for many episodes in his life, but few have left a stronger impression on the popular imagination than the story about his writing the poem Kubla Khan in a revery, under the influence of opium.
By chance, I received a very interesting email this morning that resonated with this story of Kubla Khan. It is by turns alarming, flattering, amusing and inventive!
Thank you Matt for your very kind words, your sense of creativity in difficult circumstances and for allowing me to share this. Merry Christmas and get well soon!
Hi Tristan,
I hope you and your family are well and building up to a fantastic Christmas and New Year.
I am currently sat in hospital recovering from having open heart surgery and your book The Secret World of Weather has been a great source of distraction from the pain!
For many years now I have used to use your forgotten techniques to add more mystery to my work as a magician.
Recently I have taken up poetry to express my feelings and whilst this was written two days after surgery whilst I was high as a kite on morphine in the ICU I think it’s not too bad for the ramblings of a mad man!
I am still yet to take one of your physical courses but I aim to do so if they return to Yorkshire or I can make it down south!
All the best to you and your family.
Regards
Matt
A tree! A tree!
A leaf to see
See the way the branches lean
A breeze, a gust
A clue that must
Focus attention and reveal some lost
Knowledge of a forgotten trust
To point the way as a must
A puddle! A puddle!
An intentional muddle
What does it mean?
Come, gather, huddle
A blade of grass
The wind so fast
Points the way from a forgotten past
A spiders web does indeed cast
Light on the way to the sun’s clasp
Antenna, antenna
Can you do better?
Where you point always to the letter
A fence! A fence!
Which side is more dense?
All of this becomes a sense
To know which way world represents
Can’t you see?
The clues are all around you and me
All provided by Tristan Gooley