Alchemy
To the scientist the aim of alchemy seems only to be the transmutation of base metals into gold. Though some alchemists were concerned solely with this, many were serious and dedicated thinkers who used alchemical symbols and ideas to probe religious, philosophical and psychological issues.
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Haiku
Haiku is a form of poetry which is written in seventeen syllables. Each poem contains a word that refers to the season described in the haiku. The following haiku are by the three greatest haiku poets of Japan. (All translations are by R. H. Blyth)
lament of the office clerk
where’s the stapler that could
unite our souls forever?
where’s the whitener that could
erase my wrong gestures?
where’s the indelible marker
to write you a love poem?
why can’t my voice extend itself
so far as to reach your extension?
a blood blot on my shirt
after lunch
means the parking structure will be
empty when I go out
and the cement will reaccommodate itself
around me
as I walk towards
the flickering eye
of the butterfly