Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Delirium and Surrealism


You don't have to read this,but hell, call it a blessing because we steal shamelessly from each other.

From The Sandman 21, by Neil Gaiman & Mike Dringenberg.

Delirium is the youngest of the endless. She smells of sweat, sour wines, late nights, old leather. Her realm is close, and can be visited; however, human minds were not made to comprehend her domain, and those few who have made the journey have been incapable of reporting back more than a few fragments.
The poet Coleridge claimed to have known her intimately, but the man was an inveterate liar, and in this, as in so much, we must doubt his word. Her appearance is the most variable of all the Endless, who at best, are ideas cloaked in the semblance of flesh. Her shadow's shape and outline has no relationship to that of any body she wears, and it is tangible, like old velvet.

Some say the tragedy of Delirium is her knowledge that, despite being older than suns, older than gods, she is forever the youngest of the Endless, who do not measure time as we measure time, or see the worlds through mortal eyes. Others deny this, and say that Delirium has no tragedy, but here they speak without reflection. For Delirium was once Delight. And although that was long ago now, even today her eyes are badly matched: one eye is a vivid emerald green, spattered with silver flecks that move; her other eye is vein blue.
"Who knows what Delirium sees, through her mismatched eyes?"

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My dearest Lynny,

In these wonderful and sleepless nights of last minute work and revision I'd thought I would entertain time passing by perusing across your latest avenue of procrastination. Not sure when you read this message but I'm sure I'll probably see you for that happens.

The sandman sleeps ... slowly.

God luck with the dissertation, at least you haven't left it as late as I did!

John