michael lambe's scrapbook

Once, long long ago, locked away in a university library, as autumn leaves swirled past the windows, and rugby players drank and hooted in the college bar, I struggled day and night to make sense of a book that totally defeated me. The book was called Ulysses. On finishing my first reading I was so relieved and overjoyed I did a lap of honour round the building and came panting to a halt at the college gates. “Did you hear?” said my neighbor, coming in, “The Berlin Wall’s come down.” There, that dates it: Michaelmas term 1989. James Joyce was a terrible challenge, I read him and re-read him out of sheer obstinacy… And I can’t say that I came to any deep understanding of what it’s all about but – I did in the end enjoy it. I think the main thing for me was when it comes to books or life or love – we must say YES.

And this all came flooding back to me when I found by chance, this old video of the magnificent Kate Bush having a lark with Molly Bloom’s soliloquy from the end of the book. I’ll put the lyrics underneath. Enjoy:

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/AJc64xncBt4" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

The Sensual World

Mmh, yes,

Then I’d taken the kiss of seedcake back from his mouth
Going deep South, go down, mmh, yes,
Took six big wheels and rolled our bodies
Off of Howth Head and into the flesh, mmh, yes,
He said I was a flower of the mountain, yes,
But now I’ve powers o’er a woman’s body – yes.
Stepping out of the page into the sensual world.
Stepping out………….
To where the water and the earth caress
And the down of a peach says mmh, yes.
Do I look for those millionaires
Like a Machiavellian girl would?
When I could wear a sunset, mmh, yes,
And how we’d wished to live in the sensual world.
You don’t need words – just one kiss, then another.

Stepping out of the page into the sensual world.
Stepping out, off the page into the sensual world,
And then our arrows of desire rewrite the speech, mmh, yes,
And then he whispered would I, mmh, yes,
Be safe, mmh, yes, from mountain flowers?
And at first with the charm around him, mmh, yes,

He loosened it so if it slipped between my breasts
He’d rescue it, mmh, yes,
And his spark took life in my hand, mmh, yes,
I said, mmh, yes,
But not yet, mmh, yes,
Mmh, yes….

Waiting for my friend last night, and having nothing better to do, I rooted through my bag and pulled out this little pocket sized book of words and pictures 嘘をつけばよかった by local artist Ashida Mellow and the poet Esu Toyohara.

I picked this up in Neutron Cafe last weekend on the same friend’s recommendation. Now I find reading long articles in Japanese somewhat overwhelming, but these little thought-provoking poems are ideal for quiet study when you have a few moments to kill. Here’s one that I particularly liked, because I think we’ve all experienced this kind of pointless relationship:

勝ったり負けたりする会話私達はきっと
友達じゃないんだろ

Winning and losing conversations

We are not really friends at all are we?