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"As her loud, jazzy music fills the house, her father slowly climbs the sweeping staircase, only to collapse and fall to his death." ☆☆☆

from Erich Fromm, The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness (footnote):

"The term 'necrophilous', to denote a character trait rather than a perverse act in the traditional sense, was used by the Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno in 1936 on the occasion of a speech by the nationalist general Millan Astray at the University of Salamanca, where Unamuno was rector at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. The general's favorite motto was 'Viva la muerte!' (Long live Death) and one of his followers shouted it from the back of the hall. When the general had finished his speech, Unamuno rose and said: 'Just now I heard a necrophilous and senseless cry: "Long live Death!" And I, who have spent my life shaping paradoxes which have aroused the uncomprehending anger of others, I must tell you, as an expert authority, that this outlandish paradox is repellant to me. General Millan Astray is a cripple. Let it be said without any slighting undertone. He is a war invalid. So was Cervantes. Unfortunately there are many cripples in Spain just now. And soon there will be even more of them if God does not come to our aid. It pains me to think that General Millan Astray should dictate the pattern of mass psychology. A cripple who lacks the spiritual greatness of Cervantes is wont to seek ominous relief in causing mutilation around him.' At this Millan Astray was unable to restrain himself any longer. 'Abajo la inteligencia!' (Down with intelligence) he shouted. 'Long live Death!" There was a clamor of support for this remark from the Falangists. But Unamuno went on: 'This is the temple of the intellect. And I am its high priest. It is you who profane its sacred precincts. You will win, because you have more than enough brute force. But you will not convince. For to convince you need to persuade. And in order to persuade you would need what you lack: Reason and Right in the struggle. I consider it futile to exhort you to think of Spain. I have done.' (Unamuno remained under house arrest until his death a few months later.)"

Grid blossoming into rainbows.

"echoes of Halla"

a duck, quake, dróttkvaett
quisling to the drizzle

grisly inane greenhouse
& Grob's Attack backfires

mind the ways of wounding
wasplike hover loveside

& thole thunder's candor
thistledown black whisper

The End of All Things.