World-Muse WEDNESDAY-A MESSAGE TO THE FUTURE

August 24th 2011
"World Muse"



Wherever in the world, or off-world, into, and beyond our stratosphere, my attention is drawn, it's from there I'll post here.

"In 1977, NASA Launched Voyager 2. They timed the launch to coincide with a rare planetary alignment that allowed the craft to make use of each planet's gravity to boost it on its way. The original purpose of the mission was to explore Jupiter and Saturn; it's since passed Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and is now considered an "interstellar mission" because it still has enough velocity to leave the solar system. It's currently flying through the heliopause: the area where the solar wind is opposed by hydrogen and helium gases from interstellar space, forming a kind of bubble around the solar system. Scientists believe it will be able to continue sending back signals until at least 2025."


"Both Voyager 1 and 2 also carry golden records,
with pictographic instructions on how to play them.
The records contain sounds, images, and welcome messages from Earth, as well as a map to our location."


"Carl Sagan chaired the committee that decided what should go on the record. He said:
The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced space-faring
civilizations in interstellar space. But the launching of this 'bottle' into the cosmic 'ocean' says something very hopeful about life on this planet."

"President Jimmy Carter included his own message on the record:
This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images our music, our thoughts and our feelings.  We are attempting to survive our time
so we may live into yours."

from The Writers Almanac
*

WHAT ONE THING WILL YOU SEND?
(*if there is a future) 

Perhaps I'll send a copy of "In The Next Galaxy"
by Ruth Stone printed tiny on a golden rolled scroll-
"In the Next Galaxy
Things will be different.
No one will lose their sight,
their hearing, their gallbladder.
It will be all Catskills with brand
new wrap-around verandas.
The idea of Hitler will not have vibrated yet.
While back here,
they are still cleaning out
pockets of wrinkled
Nazis hiding in Argentina.
But in the next galaxy,
certain planets will have true
blue skies and drinking water."

Maybe my prose poem in response it-

"There will be no more feral thugs lurking round each dark corner to perfect their hopeless craft.  Nor lack of care for any other than themselves, grown weary of blood sacrifice that never really satisfied. Where clean, clear water runs deep enough for dream, desire, men, women, children, and all the beasts of burden joining ones in flight to fill the air with songs of sweet delight the whole long day. A verdant canopy spread above will shelter every living thing in shades of comforting and ease. Grain will feed each single need. No thing will be slaved, oppressed, pressing in for succor at the table. There will be much to do of course. We will never be bored, nor boring. Stars and thoughts will be enough. Touch will nourish. Our restlessness will not be necessary when we walk the cherished woods and fields.  Death will lie down as easy as sleep in my next galaxy, where there will be no nagging ache of constant longing."
 
Maybe I'll just send my "caravan of clouds" 
to illustrate the way they looked to us down here
when we remembered to look up-

Because it's good to leave them laughing they say,
I might settle on Monty Python's "Galaxy Song"
to show we had a wickedly imaginative sense of humor down here once upon a time, and leave it at that-

Friends, readers dear, I hope you post a response to the question if you're so moved. I wonder if Jude will send a "Magic Feather", Deanna, a basket or quilt, Nancy a found thing that makes a heart shadow? What a variety of treasures each unique person has to offer!

Footnote

Late last night, Wendy and I were emailing about one of her paintings, then later about the quake  
in Arizona

*

and then

*

Yesterday afternoon, If I felt the quakes, it was in a dream since I took a nap 1-3PM--missed it.  I slept through 9/ll too, sort of, waking a few short minutes after the second plane hit I had a strange feeling that made me turn on the radio, then TV just in time to see the towers fall.  But no more tremors here today.  It stayed quiet long enough for me to have 'one more' yoga class.

A new sign at the bus stop on the corner.  We are always on the alert now, and what could we really do but cover our heads and say farewell.

Returned home slowly-stopped to circle the church garden I maintain. I harvested Lavender last week there--then, floating on the evening breeze,

"skipping over the ocean like a stone" I arrived back here at the computer Just in time to add this note.

'Leave 'Em Laughing'

"BACK OF THE SUN AND WAY DOWN DEEP UNDER OUR FEET, AT THE EARTH'S CENTER,

ARE NOT A COUPLE OF NOBLE MYSTERIES

BUT A COUPLE OF JOKE BOOKS."

-Tennessee Williams-

NO

Let's End Beautifully

"Robert Moran’s Trinity Requiem

Trinity commissioned the Denver-born composer to write a piece for their youth chorus commemorating 9/11. The result, which will be released September 6th,
is a lush work for voice, organ, harp, and cello. 
The track Here is actually two offerings!