humanities: being

consistency in chaos ¹

a flock of birds flying in a thunderstorm

they may change direction

but they feel the static of lightning on their wings

in the sky above them, the planets move on their own

in deliberate yet unknown pattern ²

each in its individual

they form a body that mourns

for what, the body cannot describe ³

all it understands is sorrow

the body moves through space, looking for other bodies

to explain sorrow

moving in ways

they will never move again ⁴

conflict makes bodies human

commonality destroys them. ⁵

to serve or be served by the Lord? By others? ⁶

Power in connections

Passionate protection ⁷

Progression of deconstruction, and its recovery

Nostalgic narratives from recovery’s ruins ⁸

And ravenous collecting of its produce ⁹

Knowing when and where our translation revisions stop ¹⁰

Words only mean so much by themselves ¹¹

As they do in the flock of a sentence.

1. Quillen, Carol. “humanism’s humans and its critics.” Class lecture, Humanities from Davidson College, Davidson, NC, August 29, 2019.
2. Thompson, Kristen. “From Observation to Theory: Revolution in Science.” Class lecture, Humanities from Davidson College, Davidson, NC, September 19, 2019
3. Tamura, Yurika. “Suffering, Spectacle, and Ethics of Sensations.” Class lecture, Humanities from Davidson College, Davidson, NC, November 7, 2019.
4. Professor Bory, Unit 6
5. Tamura, Yurika. Lecture, DAvidson College, Davidson, NC, November 04, 2019.
6. Wills, Anne Blue. Lecture, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, November 11, 2019.
7. “Malcolm X: The Ballot or the Bullet.” Accessed December 14, 2019. http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/speeches/malcolm_x_ballot.html.
8. Ewington, Amanda. Humanities from Davidson College, Davidson, NC, April 09, 2020.
9. Denham, Scott, Unit 8
10. Jankovic, Marija, Amanda Ewington, Scott Denham. “On Translation.” Faculty Panel, Humanities from Davidson College, Davidson, NC, September 26, 2019.
11. Quillen, Carol. August 29, 2019.