"We have no reason to harbor any mistrust against our world, for it is not against *us*. If it has terrors, they are *our* terrors; if it has abysses, these abysses belong to us; if there are dangers, we must try to love them. And if we arrange our life in accordance with the principle which tells us that we must always trust in the difficult, then what now appears to us as the most alien will become our most intimate and trusted experience. How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races, the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transformed into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love."

--"Letters to a Young Poet" by Rainer Maria Rilke

I don't see how anyone could mistrust the abysses of this world, not truly mistrust them . . . Well, at least I don't think so. As metaphors for the abysses in the supernatural world, I can see why one would fear them. But as pure matter (mortar, stone and wood) *shrug* No, see, I am taking it too literally. He means the abysses in our spiritual world . . . but why should we not fear them? They are numinous. We should fear malevolent numinousity, I know, but he doesn't say that here.

Why should we always trust in the difficult? Maybe I'm missing something from the context of this letter. But I see no reason to trust in this: ) I can see where I know God is guiding me and I will, to use a phrase that Wakefield Folk know, "trust the process", because I know there is something Higher than what I'm seeing . . . I hope this is what he means. I think this is what he means.

Because if this, then I understand why it can become my "most intimate and trusted experience".

Something helpless . . . maybe. What frightens me is myself. What frightens me is my power over myself. And I am helpless to do Good for Reality without help . . . I have Help. humhumhum. So am I myself the dragon and the princess and the knight in between them that must be brave?: ) But the dragon is not helpless. The dragon simply *is*. That analogy doesn't work. Chuck it!

Now that I've mulled over this I am in a better mood, believe it or not. I'm not on a high but I feel more relaxed. My mind is going to be paced and rhythmed for a little while now, so I will be able to study.

What an interesting day: ) the Short Ones I had charge of today were very polite but very much boys. Like something from Ray Bradbury, all you autumn people! They reminded me of Dandelion Wine. There were no lines on their faces, no traces of sorrow or resoluteness or surrender. Truly beautiful. We read "The Polar Express" on the steps of my sunny courtyard and we had sandwiches for lunch. They munched on cheetohs.