Winter Solstice

                      Potala Palace/May 23, 2006

Days begin and end in the dead of night.

They are not shaped long, in the manner of things which lead to end---

arrow, road, man's life on earth. They are shaped round, in the manner

of things eternal and stable---sun, world, God.

Civilization tries to persuade us we are going towards something,

a distant goal. We have forgotten that our only goal is to live,

to live each and every day, and that if we live each and every day,

our true goal is achieved. 

All civilized people see the day beginning at dawn or a little after or a long time after

or whatever time their work begins; this they lengthed according to their work,

during what they call 'all day long'; and end it when they close their eyes. 

It is they who say the days are long.

On the contrary, the days are round.

Jean Giono, 'Rondeur des Jours' (1943)