Richard Simons
Derek never did have time to read Swedenborg's books; assimilating the medical information given in class had been tough enough. He did, however, occasionally talk with Richard about the man's ideas. "You know," Derek said one evening, "if Swedenborg is right about esse and existere being a distincte unum, then he has got to see time in a different way than we normally conceive it.""He certainly does that," replied Richard, "but I have difficulty understanding what he means."
"What does he say?"
"Well, he says that time is different in the spiritual world. That. . ."
"Ummmm." One would so think.
"He says that 'time there is nothing but quality of state'."
"Quality of state?"
"Yeah, that's right. He says that 'times there have relation to states of wisdom'. That time 'makes one with thought from affection'."
"Thought from affection," Derek repeated pensively.
"Yeah. . . You know, at certain times I almost feel like I understand what he means."
"When is that?" Derek asked.
"When the words flow easily and deeply in the writing of a poem."
"Hmmmm." Poem as spiritual discipline?
"It's almost as if poetry can somehow do something to time. . . or that time does something to mind in the writing of the poem."
"Hmmmm." Mantric poetry?
"Do you know what I mean?"
"No."