Dichotomy or Symbiosis?
A few of this week's readings discussions of reflexivity, particularly in regards to making muddles, relativism|reflexivity, possible impossibles self|other, truth|fiction, got me thinking about this Ray Bradbury poem that I remember from when i was a teenager. Of course a quick search through a few online library didn't turn up the whole thing, and I believe that the science fiction magazine I first read it in is long gone ...
"Einstein? Or Christ? My prognosis?
Dichotomy? Symbiosis?
What's clearly seen, or just half-seen
And Man trapped somewhere in between.
. . .
Now with God's priests do we mock fact?
Or with great Physics dare attack,
Shake stars, knock moon, then smite the Sun.
And only with pure Reason run?
To which the bio-chemists boast:
'We've trussed and laid the Holy Ghost!'
Church pew? Pure Lab? My last prognosis?
Dichotomy or symbiosis?
To pick just one? I find me loath,
Try this for size;
A bit of both?"
In any event, I found a chunk of it (if my memory serves this is only about 1/3 to 1/4 of it), but here goes:
From The First Book of Dichotomy, The Second Book of Symbiosis
"Einstein? Or Christ? My prognosis?
Dichotomy? Symbiosis?
What's clearly seen, or just half-seen
And Man trapped somewhere in between.
. . .
Now with God's priests do we mock fact?
Or with great Physics dare attack,
Shake stars, knock moon, then smite the Sun.
And only with pure Reason run?
To which the bio-chemists boast:
'We've trussed and laid the Holy Ghost!'
Church pew? Pure Lab? My last prognosis?
Dichotomy or symbiosis?
To pick just one? I find me loath,
Try this for size;
A bit of both?"
There are some other ideas present in this piece that I think relate to class: humanity's cyclical relationships with deity, with science; the split between the scientific and the religious, man as scientific "observer" of God's creation, or are we a participant?; the paradox created by acceptance of symbiotic systems like god|human or scientific|spiritual; the spaces also created for (im)possibilities by those same paradoxes.
Now I want to find the whole piece. This idea came to me very late last night. I may need to hit the library when I get to campus ...
Labels: poetry, ray bradbury, reflexivity

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