Saturday, November 9, 2013

Blue is the Warmest Color

Bathsheba at Her Bath, Rembrandt


That's the title of the NC-17 French lesbian movie that I'm going to see this afternoon, after I have coffee with a fellow de-schooler. I'll let you know how it is -- the movie, not the de-schooling -- whether I give up dreams of Javier Bardem in favor of the fairer sex. Here's a poem from the 16th century:

Bethsabe's Song

Hot sun, cool fire, tempered with sweet air,
Black shade, fair nurse, shadow my white hair.
Shine, sun; burn, fire; breathe, air and ease me;
Black shade, fair nurse, shroud me and please me.
Shadow, my sweet nurse, keep me from burning;
Make not my glad cause cause of mourning.
      Let not my beauty's fire
      Inflame unstaid desire,
      Nor pierce any bright eye
      That wandereth lightly.

George Peele (1556-1596)

Maybe I should have posted Sappho, but I loved this one, especially the line Make not my glad cause cause of mourning. I got a couple of sweet emails today from teachers at Oliver's school that have worked with him and with Henry, when Henry was at the same school. My eyes teared up when I read them. I also heard that the Powers That Be at the school were snarky when they heard we were leaving, and my ego bristled and my thoughts turned toward the negative, but I let it go, let it go, let it go, more links in the chain behind me.

Make not my glad cause cause of mourning.


7 comments:

  1. I've seen the film. Enjoy! I think Bathsheba may be wearing a merkin in that painting. Beth and I talked about you at dinner last night. Yes. You were TALKED ABOUT. With gigantic admiration.
    love,
    Rebecca

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  2. So much better to be talked about with gigantic admiration than with snark.
    Jeez. Let those people GO!

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  3. Wonderful poem.

    As for the snark (in contrast to the teachers!) good riddance.

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  4. Let them snark all they want over there. Now you and Oliver are over here and you don't have to interact with them. Soon they will be a memory only.

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  5. A shame that snark would be their reaction. Perhaps it goes some way toward explaining the need for your departure in the first place? I hope that Oliver is getting some peace in his deschooling and that you are able to find a homeschooling path that does not cause him further distress.

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  6. School "Powers To Be" are snarky more often than not, don't you think? I try to have realistic expectations. Helps me feel less crazy. Best of luck to you and Oliver in your new academic ventures :)

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  7. How did I miss that you are officially home schooling Big O?
    If you want to pick my brain feel free. I was just recently reflecting on how good it was for both of our girls to unplug for a few years from what school options were offered to them while G and I created something at home where they could blossom and grow and learn in peace. It was a really good decision at the time, even though at first I was overwhelmed.

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