Human position

 About suffering they were never wrong, 
The old Masters: how well they understood 
Its human position: how it takes place 
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along

These lines from Auden came to mind, the best I could remember not being strong in memorizing poetry, this afternoon at the park, when I took the above picture and the video below. Just before we left the apartment for the park, the Chen Guangcheng story today was beginning to unfold. I had put off going outside as long as I could, watching my twitter feed as Chen was moved from the Embassy to a yet-to-be-named hospital. The grey smog with which we began today had somewhat dissipated. I needed to get the kids outside.

We had an enjoyable few hours at the park. Myles and Brigid played so well together, rolling monster trucks down a small hill. The whole time, though, I was anxious. I knew something had to be happening with the story of Chen in another part of Beijing. But what? It would not be until after 6 that I would rejoin my twitter account and watch what at first appear to be good news unravel into confusion. But in the afternoon at the park, I could not help but notice that in Changping how little anyone else seemed concerned or even aware, like those in Breughel's painting and Auden's poem. The difference, though, is that those around me would not just be the "someone else" "just walking dully along." This was all happening in their country, in their city.

But it was like it wasn't at all.