Nog een keer Eugene Ostashevsky als DJ Spinoza
Op 7 februari 2009 had ik al eens een uitgebreid blog over de Russisch-Amerikaanse filosoof en dichter Eugene Ostashevsky. [Hier]
Zojuist ontdekte ik op een site nog enige gedichten uit zijn bundel The Life and Opinions of DJ Spinoza (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2008). Ik vind dat Ostashevsky een prachtige toon te pakken heeft - een dichter die heerlijk met Spinoza kan dollen - en hem intussen, lijkt me, aardig goed gevat heeft.
I.
When the Bride of DJ Spinoza lay in the arms of MC Squared,
DJ Spinoza became bitter indeed
What are you doing,
he said, don't I have arms?
Yes, she said, but his are different
For example, you don't wear the same watch
And he respects me
whereas you, well, you are you
II.
DJ Spinoza does not know what to do with love
It's hard to be in love
and a solipsist at the same time
My beloved, he says, left me
for her vineyard I haven't kept
The Eden as it was, the Eve as she was
but the Adam is different
and soon I too will lie next to somebody else
at once diffident and indifferent
Man! says God
What is it with you philosophers?
Is it because you're always asking why
that it just automatically segues into whining?
Okay, says DJ Spinoza
wiping tears away with the back of his hand
But if we don't talk about my problems,
what are we going to talk about?
III.
DJ Spinoza excelled at philosophy
but philosophy is not wisdom.
He drew up propositions,
made astonishing distinctions,
denied origin, effected epoche:
Why was he still so unhappy?
Wisdom is knowing how to love,
DJ Spinoza, is an action,
dogs have it
more than you do.
Eugene Ostashevsky
