Sunday, 14 June 1663

(Lord’s day). Lay long in bed. So up and to church. Then to dinner, and Tom dined with me, who I think grows a very thriving man, as he himself tells me. He tells me that his man John has got a wife, and for that he intends to part with him, which I am sorry for, and then that Mr. Armiger comes to be a constant lodger at his house, and he says has money in his purse and will be a good paymaster, but I do much doubt it. He being gone, I up and sending my people to church, my wife and I did even our reckonings, and had a great deal of serious talk, wherein I took occasion to give her hints of the necessity of our saving all we can. I do see great cause every day to curse the time that ever I did give way to the taking of a woman for her, though I could never have had a better, and also the letting of her learn to dance, by both which her mind is so devilishly taken off her business and minding her occasions, and besides has got such an opinion in her of my being jealous, that it is never to be removed, I fear, nor hardly my trouble that attends it; but I must have patience. I did give her 40s. to carry into the country tomorrow with her, whereof 15s. is to go for the coach-hire for her and Ashwell, there being 20s. paid here already in earnest. In the evening our discourse turned to great content and love, and I hope that after a little forgetting our late differences, and being a while absent one from another, we shall come to agree as well as ever. So to Sir W. Pen’s to visit him, and finding him alone, sent for my wife, who is in her riding- suit, to see him, which she hath not done these many months I think. By and by in comes Sir J. Minnes and Sir W. Batten, and so we sat talking. Among other things, Sir J. Minnes brought many fine expressions of Chaucer, which he doats on mightily, and without doubt he is a very fine poet.1 Sir W. Pen continues lame of the gout, that he cannot rise from his chair. So after staying an hour with him, we went home and to supper, and so to prayers and bed.

I feel Glen Garry, Glen Ross; boiler room, suit and tie, sunglasses coffee and car-NPR. Leaving school behind for the summer, first day returned to corporate research database shill. Today, from nine to five, my only relationships were subform-to-table. It felt good to work on a project I know will be done by Friday, then on to the next job; suits my ADD and need for intense change (this being the only part of my life where Change Feels Good, Lay It On Me). School will look like heaven by September, but until then:

The inverted Square
- a problem in social geometry (for Ferlinghetti)

I have seen the smallest minds of my generation
assume the world ends at Ellis Island,
that its capitol is North Beach,
and Fillmore is a nighttown street
for weary intellectuals.

Man, there were no hypes at Stalingrad
and Malcom X is real!
Spare us the cavils of the nihilistic beats
who criticize the cavities and contours of their nest
but never leave it.
Warm in its filth,
maggots in a rotten apple,
with their little pen or paintbrush
they deride the filth they feed on,
they flutter but they never fly.

Little beat bearded Bohemian brother,
there are capitols in this universe
beyond your bagel shops and book stores.
Bandung was no chimera, nor Cairo--
you think we are so different from Egyptians?
or those in Tres Marias with Zapata?
Bird sang sweet, but sweeter is the song of La Habana
and its echo deep in Monroe County
swings, man, and you are not with it.
Man, like,
when you tire of pot
try thought.

-- Ray Durem

Resist the calls of wrangling talk,
          and save yourself
                    from false claims and their assaults,
                              which truly aim only to be heard.

For the tongues of those called
          "gnostics most eloquent"
                    said all that could be said,
                              then fell silent.

You are intimate, akin to what
          you do not say, but speak of it
                    and you are a stranger,
                              so, shut up!

Umar Ibn al-Farid