Kubla Kahn (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me
That with music loud and long
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Geniuses named Neil

I've been reading The Sandman by Neil Gaiman and I must say it's gripping stuff. I'll have a review of The Sandman by next week, I hope. I still have to finish up the next few installments of Bottle and some other stuff I'm working on, so I've got my hands somewhat full. I'll probably read Coraline and review that as well.

Anyway, this entry is to point you in the direction of works by Neil Gaiman, specifically the short stories on his website.

Short stories by Neil Gaiman.

I've read some of his stuff on there when I'm not reading The Sandman but I'll have to read them again because my attention is scattered and shot with different tasks and ideas dancing through my head. Distracting me further and further. And I look forward to revisiting the short stories.

Like I said in the first paragraph, I've got my hands full. How? Here is part of my reading list (in no particular order) after I finish The Sandman:

• Welcome to the Monkey House
• Life of Pi
• Volume 14 of The Walking Dead
• The Maltese Falcon
• reread Slaughterhouse-Five
• reread Einstein's Dreams

I know it doesn't seem like a lot but like I said- that's only part of my reading list. Not to mention my other projects like Bottle and others.

Anyway, enjoy the link to Neil Gaiman's work.

In case you're wondering about the title, another genius named Neil is Neil Young. To get a taste of his music check out Decade.

An Experiment in Color and Lunacy

Some time ago, I sorted my music library by album color. Or, more accurately, did so for albums that actually had album artwork. The following is a result of lunacy and curiosity. I think it looks pretty cool but I do admit it's teetering on the edge of ridiculousness.

*Click on each picture for the full size. (Links will open in a new window).


I think I did well with this particular color scheme.


And this one.


I was surprised to see so much red the first time.


As long as the music is good despite the names- Garbage, for instance.


I was surprised to see so little green.


Meh.


The first time I saw this one, I was taken aback. It had some sort of calming effect, to be honest. And interesting to look at.


Ah!