“We turned the switch, saw the flashes, watched for ten minutes, then switched everything off and went home. That night I knew the world was headed for sorrow.”
— Leo Szilard, inventor of nuclear fission and the atom bomb
3 thoughts on “Sent in by Carol Van Strum:”
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“he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow”
cautiously & with tips
only i smooth
& smooth the edges
of this blistering sorrow
trailing fingers over
bursts of flames like stars
& bigger stars & suns
toes creating miniature
circles in deep vermillion
smiling slow
eyes drinking in divine
dances & dancers who
with eyes closed
prove again & again prophets
do not walk alone
over water ascending
we are all miraculous
floating heavens all
so close to knowledge all
descending to sorrow
On July 16, 1939, Einstein signed a letter urging President Franklin D. Roosevelt to develop the atomic bomb. He was later horrified by what he had done and I’m sure he had many sleepless nights himself after the fact. However, instead of railing against him in my thoughts, I throw out this quote from Albert Einstein and take Len’s cue to dream that we *can* make it better, because it’s the “biggering” (a reference from The Lomax) that has us screwed. Let’s try “smallering” for a change.
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.”
Carol and Amanda,
Thank you. While Mr. Szilard lay there on that night (presumably unable to sleep), what was the rest of the world dreaming while weary of war and want? Could they possibly have dreamed that it would get worse? Can we now allow ourselves to dream that it can get better?