Pillow Thoughts

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Sometimes sadness does not have a source. There is no immediate solution, no escape plan from its clutches. Instead you learn to coincide, as though sadness is an old friend who needs a gentle nudge in the right direction. Sei Shōnagon (1971). The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon. trans. Ivan Morris. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-044236-7. Originally published in 1967 by Columbia University Press.

To summarize everything, Pillow Thoughts is a portfolio of generic content framed using totally obsolete structures. Structurally, it’s atrocious. Lyrically, it’s atrocious. Stylistically, it’s atrocious. Perhaps the only remotely positive thing I can say is that I am incredibly blessed to have received only a digital copy of this book; otherwise, had I been given a physical copy, I would have grieved for the trees that died and ultimately lost my shit altogether. The Pillow Book of Sei Shōnagon, trans. Ivan Morris (in two volumes, Oxford University Press, 1967; followed by a condensed version by Penguin, 1971). Based on Nōinbon text. We are standing at the edge of the world and yet we still do not meet. You are soaked in daylight and I am covered in the night. My heart yearns for our eclipse. Dalby, Liza (1 February 2009). East Wind Melts the Ice: A Memoir Through the Seasons. University of California Press. p.22. ISBN 978-0-520-25991-1. I understand why people take flight from bridges, I understand why a girl holds a blade to her wrist, I understand why a grown man cries counting all his lists. What I wish for the world to understand, is that in these fragile moments, patience and love are needed most.If I had a list of all the things that still make me cry, some days you would be at the end and others the very start. Penney, Matthew. “The Pillow Book.” Salem Press Encyclopedia 2016: Research Starters. Accessed 21 February 2017.

Your feelings are valid and real. Do not let anybody denounce them just because they do not feel the same way. These feelings do not make you weak or clingy or overly emotional. They make you strong, brave and beautiful. You are not merely made of stardust; you are the comet streaking through the sky on the way to do good and bright things.” It’s midnight and I thought about Boarding a plane and meeting you in the city I thought about stitching you into my skin So you’d be with me as I slept I wish you were here Or I were there Because my heart caves in when I look at you And it feels like your hands twist around My rib cage And take the air from my lungs My head starts pounding And I just want to kiss you It’s midnight And I just want youI keep wondering how sad do I have to be for someone to stop insisting everything is going to be fine? The Heian period was essential to the aristocratic people. Poetry and vibrant art were a big part in the imperial court, of which Shōnagon was a part. The people in the imperial court were expected to be well educated in writing. Literature was seen as a "key part in social interaction." One's writing skills could make or break their reputation. For example, Shōnagon mentions in The Pillow Book how a courtier asked her for advice for writing a poem and she had to turn him away because of his poor writing skills. During the Heian period, women had a role in society, especially those women who were considered to be upper-class. [11] Female authors in Japan during this time were more popular since they wrote in Japanese, which was considered the "people's language," and the male authors wrote in Chinese since that was considered to be of higher status. [12] Since female author's works were more popular with the common people, it is safe to assume that their works influenced society.

Peter Greenaway released his film The Pillow Book in 1996. Starring Vivian Wu and Ewan McGregor, it tells a modern story that references Sei Shōnagon's work. Here is to tomorrow, bringing us one day closer to each other, until the day arrives that we meet again. Midnight weighs heavy on my soul as the earth folds into itself, every fold bringing us closer together. The Pillow-Book of Sei Shōnagon, trans. Arthur Waley (George Allen & Unwin, 1928). Partial translation based on Nōinbon text.There are days where triggers are around every corner, lurking in shadows where darkness spills heavy breaths and tight chests. Anxiety is a devastating thing. No matter how many times you are told to “breathe” it feels as though the air has all but thinned, and despite every logical reason to remain calm, you feel like a ship without its sails in the middle of a raging storm. May your weapon be kindness Your shield compassion May the flowers grow again To sprout love from all this sadness I knew what I was going to say; I had rehearsed my goodbye over and over again, but you left without a word. This sadness that they say can be beautiful, what sadness is this? Because my sadness rips me apart from the inside, and there isn’t a thing beautiful about it.