ku # 419

The Beatles sang "...life flows on within you and without you..." Most discussion about the meaning of this song and these lyrics centers around the LSD/shroom/psyschedelic experience, or, a spiritual experience in the Eastern tradition. On one level, I certainly would not disagree. But the Beatles were a playful bunch and I think George was also quite simply saying that life goes on whether you're here or not - with or without you. No argument with that idea either.

Everyday I wake up to my within and then I go downstairs to make coffee and I look at the without. Sometimes, when the window's clean, I can see clearly or, at least, clearly enough. Other times it's rain-streaked, frosted-up or, during the good weather (times) the without has its hard edges softened by a fine window screen.

And then there are the times I go outside the within - beyond the barrier - and the without and the within are one, with or without me.

It's at those times I have to be very careul not to step in the dog-crap land mines that dot the backyard.

Comments

[mary dennis]

The kitchen (heart of the home I would say) window. A beautiful metaphor Mark, for the zone between the within and the without that you (and George) talk about.