Creative Words @ the Haven July - Thoughts on Four

As this was a short four week series we got to thinking about the symbolism of the number four.  Our running themes emerged from T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets (just little snatches so our brains didn't explode); Seamus Heaney's Seeing Things (particularly the section called Squarings); Jo Shapcotts poems about quadrupeds - we all particularly enjoyed Lies which tell the Truth about Sheep. It's a joy. We also got swept away by the idea of rivers and the idea of opposites.  The picture below is of a rather drunken river god.  Part 3 of Four Quartets begins:  I don't know much about gods; but I think that the river is a strong brown god.

I brought in a variety of objects including a bell and dorje which symbolise (among other things) the male/female aspects of being. Rather nice to think that the voice of the feminine bell is the voice of Buddhah.
A couple of responses are shown below.


The Dorje and Bell

Pauline Apperley

Man makes his presence felt

The dorje shows he is the master

Muffled sound comes from her

He rants and she listens

He bursts into the room

She hovers in the doorway

Her bell-like voice is to be heard

He clangs above her.

  

His and Hers

Annie Booth

bell and dorje

cup and sword

yin and yang

feminine and male

key and yale

soft and hard

give and take

make or break

early or late

all one another

sister and brother

father and mother.

This is the beginning of Lies  by Jo Shapcott

 In reality, sheep are brave, enlightened

 and sassy. They are walking clouds

 and like clouds have forgotten

 how to jump. As lambs they knew.

So we can contemplate the idea that we knew a lot more useful stuff when we were young.

To end a quotation from the end of Four Quartets which has a satisfyingly oriental circularity.

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.