Friday, January 21, 2011

Rage Against the Dying of the Light

(photo by Tabitha Bird)


"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave and close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Though wise me at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightening they
do not go gentle into that good night."

Dylan Thomas 1914-1953

My right in life is not to live, for even the grasses of the fields live and harvests are sewn and grow. My purpose is not to breathe in air, sucking gluttonously at mother nature's breast, for even swine can be found suckling. I am not the beast that grazes by sun and sleeps by moon. Nor the river that loses itself in the ocean. I am not that which washes up with the tide or expires with the orange death of Autumn never to see Spring. 

But do I rage?

I am humanity. Each one beginning with the premise that we are unique. Each one built for more than survival. 

But do I rage?

Never again will there be a 'Me' or a 'You' birthed into this world. Yet there I go, gently, gently. Stepping into each morning with slippered feet and a certainty I was never given. Eating of the fat of my land as if at any moment I might have it all again.

But do I rage?

As the light dies daily over every sea and behind every mountain there exists for each one question. There exists for me. One. Question.

Do I rage?

~


What about you? Well? Do you rage? Will you come to the end of your life knowing that your words have forked no lightening? 

28 comments:

  1. Woooow that was powerful. Beautifully written, and gorgeous photography. Thank you for inspiring. x

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  2. A gorgeous post, making me think here,,
    Have a wonderful weekend! xxxx

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  3. This is a beautifully profound post Tabitha. I especially like how you write that never again will there be a you or a me born into this world. Thinking about that, really thinking about it is so incredibly...well...thought provoking. So we are uniquely precious...what do we do with that?

    I don't think that we think enough about the questions you pose here. If we really did, we might "rage" a lot more. We might decide to take off our blinders and really live a purposeful and deep life.

    This is such an incredible post and bit of writing. I mean that with all my heart. I have a lot to think about now.

    Have a wonderful weekend on your side of the world!

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  4. Thank you Thea

    Saskia- always happy to provide thoughts for thinking :)

    Colleen- thank you! :) I hope you rage with the best of them.

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  5. Okay, I am playing around with the header. Sorry it isn't clear right now. I will fix it in the morning. Can't figure out how to do it right now. If anyone has any help that would be most appreciated.

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  6. Built for more than survival. Excellent point!

    ~ Wendy

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  7. I am assertive but don't rage , I speak my mind but try not to upset anyone by doing so.

    Yvonne.

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  8. Although I love the lyricism and fierceness of Dylan Thomas' poem, and although I have raged in the past, I do not think I rage anymore. I hope I have done and will do some things of import and merit and wonder, but I know all we can do is live each day as if it's the last. Life is at once tough and fragile. And when one looks around the universe, human life is an extraordinary thing.

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  9. Beautifully written! I have passion for certain things. I raged in my youth, I think that's what youth is for. Now I leave the rage to them and offer up calm advise learned from my years of raging.

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  10. At least, I have one person in whom I can ignite a spark, and the world all the same. Myself.
    Why do we wish to change the world and not change the eyes with which we look at it.
    Do I rage? Yes, I do, though only the one who has the right to my affection receives it the way it should be.

    Cheers,
    Blasphemous Aesthete

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  11. Such a Beatiful, deep and powerful post!!!!
    Loveed this!!!

    Have a wonderful weekend!!!
    Hugs,
    Coreen xoxoxo

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  12. Tabitha - I have raged but not at missed opportunity. I hope to go into my death with peace at having worn out my body and this karma. I like the old gospel songs about death - it is a reward to move on up and out. I'm not a Christian but I still love them!
    I like your thoughts and I love your new header! I'm a dragonfly freak.

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  13. This is an incredible piece of writing from both Dylan and you.

    My mom died just before Thanksgiving and in her 96-year-old version of energy, she did rage - fought with every ember that was still in her - the only light she ever knew - the only hopes she could still project - the only hands she could still plead heavenward with.

    I am reading everything I can get my hands on about dying consciously, gracefully. I don't want to create post traumatic stress syndrome in anyone I leave behind.

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  14. Your words make my heart swell with appreciation. Beautifully illustrated Tabitha!

    I hope I never grow weary of raging for my dreams:)

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  15. Man, Tabitha, you are really good! Here in the Pacific Northwest winter, where it's dark and rainy, I need to remember how precious life is.

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  16. Lovely piece by Dylan, some of my favourite lines too! And a great post by you my dear. I hope to fork some lighting -thats my wish! Take rage and transform it into passion. ;)

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  17. I have! Undoubtedly and surprisingly I have raged.

    I like the new look. Your photography is stunning.

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  18. Incredible words (and photo!), Tabitha. Definitely have me thinking. Have a wonderful weekend :)

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  19. There are moments of rage and moments of peace. Your words offer something to ponder. It is not enough to just exist.

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  20. Thanks for the inspiration Tab. I have raged but I do not rage today :(

    Thank you for reminding me that there is only one ME

    Beautiful words as always

    Bec

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  21. Tabitha, great question. Love the photo, too. Uhm, do I rage? All the time? no. Sometimes? yes. Enough to make a change? maybe, but not very effectively these days. I let bills get in the way of raging. I'm an idiot that way. I know it, yet I still can't figure it out.

    Jenn

    Do you have any love to share in 2011? Check out Love Every Day

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  22. Tabitha, thanks for stopping by my blog this morning. I always love seeing your butterfly flitter onto my page. :) Rage isn't something I feel right now. I have felt it in the past, and I may feel it again, but I don't rage now. That's not to say I don't have strong feelings about things, but the rage, for now anyway, is past. It's a very human, raw emotion, and if channeled right, can move mountains. But I'm working on humility to balance things out. We'll see. I'm not quite finished yet. :)

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  23. Lord above. That's one worry I do NOT have! ;-)

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  24. I concur with your other readers here TB. Powerful post! Wow.

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  25. I think we are conditioned to think of rage as a bad thing, but used in the right way, it can be very powerful.

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  26. It happens relatively infrequently but when it does happen 'rage' is an understatement for what comes out. Lightning abounds! Not to mention tornado, tsunami, earthquake...

    Love the new look. Hope everything is getting back to normal there :-)

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  27. Thank you for this post. Beautiful thoughtful words. Beautiful photo.

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  28. Wow.

    I'm going to have to sit with this one for a while. Let it simmer and marinate.

    Thank you.
    Do I rage?
    No. But I'm begining to :D

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