Sometimes Smallsongs

It happens. You enter a bookstore. Take a volume from the shelf. Browse. And are caught up by a passage.

Though the aiodoi are not of space and time, it is of space and time that they sing, and it is to the smallsongs of space and time they hear (for they hear all songs, always and everywhere) that they listen most closely . . . even though so many of the smallsongs are sad, or angry, or simply wrong.

There is an almost inconspicuous "to" in there which leads to the mis-construction of "to they hear" (odd but not entirely since to grant a hearing to is a kind of judicial procedure). As well the "hearing to" proceeds the listening following the distinction in English between hearing and listening. But if you re-read the passage the stray, little "to" comes into focus as "to that they listen". Most closely. Makes a pretty compositions "to that (hearing) they listen".

Frederik Pohl & Jack Williamson, The Singers of Time bought and brought home to read (almost aloud).

I love the invention of the word “smallsongs” – puts me in mind of all the little tunes we create and carry in our day to day lives.

By paying attention to how some people are listening, quality of their silence, the tenor of their questions, you ensure that others get heard.

And so for day 2364
03.06.2013