Friendly Messages of 1983
1.
Dear friend,
and here we are.2.
Dear friend,
there's no escaping doubt.3.
Dear friend,
let's make our decision right away, without too much thought.4.
Dear friend,
each time everything begins anew.5.
Dear friend,
after a relatively tranquil time, it is completely appropriate to assume whatever you want.6.
Dear friend,
after light-hearted games and amusing tricks, it would be good not to lapse into some other extreme.7.
Dear friend,
after feverishly trying to make up for something lost, it actually would be nice to misplace something.8.
Dear friend,
after a period of considerable swaying, it would be great to freeze in arbitrary poses, as if caught by surprise.9.
Dear friend,
after a protracted period of exerted efforts, purposeful overcoming of this or that, one should finally relax and leave events to themselves.10.
Dear friend,
after stubborn searches for constructive alternatives, taking a stretch and yawning sweetly would be the most appropriate thing.11.
Dear friend,
after a rapid sequence of denials and confirmations it would be good to make at least a temporary decision.12.
Dear friend,
after a whole epoch of non-obliging nods and interjections, it would be good to feel suddenly the weighty significance of each and every one of your gestures.13.
Dear friend,
after the triumphant magic of numbers, the magic of personal names, the magic of transparent hints and passing mentions, let's try to manage without all of this.14.
Dear friend,
after we've almost agreed that for us the most important is the art of socializing, let's just talk, without any of these pretenses.15.
Dear friend,
after a life of the rat race and hurrying to catch trains, it would be great to sleep for a long time, without dreams.16.
Dear friend,
after the successful completion of yet another campaign, let's not prepare for the next thing—let's rest.17.
Dear friend,
after the times that were said to be the last, other ones about which you don't even know what to say can follow.18.
Dear friend,
after bursting into the house, out of breath, taking off your clothes on the run, you know exactly what should happen next.19.
Dear friend,
after the words: “that's it. It can't go on like this,” can anything go on?20.
Dear friend,
after all this and much else, can anything go on?21.
Dear friend,
after everything that could ever be, what else is possible?22.
Dear friend,
it's time to talk of something new.
For example: how smooth my verses flow
or how the earth is speeding through
the dark, without a second thought.23.
Dear friend,
you sleep, though a voice still calls,
and sings, threatens, reminds.
You won't be saved. All hope dwindles.
You see everything the opposite way.24.
Dear friend,
let's try and look in the dark
for things that will live forever.
Let's try and look in the dark
for things that will live in the future.
Is it appropriate to speak about
what will become clear only later?25.
Dear friend,
let's sing and dance together,
not knowing tomorrow
who we'll sleep with, or
with whom we'll share our dinner.26.
Dear friend,
as we make up for lost time
with little baggage, traveling light,
we grip something in our hand,
dropping seeds into the dark.27.
Dear friend,
according to the rules of the game let's try to confine ourselves only to the habitual. And let's forget whatever we call “us,” at least for the span of the game.28.
Dear friend,
what is it? What is it that's happening?29.
Dear friend,
Here we're both still alive. Aren't we?30.
Dear friend,
do you think the other, different times will be really different or not so much?31.
Dear friend,
there will be other times. And what about us?32.
Dear friend,
what do you think—what will become of us?33.
Dear friend,
where are you?
Are you all right?
What will become of us?34.
Dear friend,
what's going on?
What is this place?
What on earth is going on?35.
Dear friend,
it's kind of dark here.
What the heck is this?36.
Dear friend,
it's kind of cold in here.
What the heck is this?37.
Dear friend,
it's kind of empty here.
What the heck is this?38.
Dear friend,
this is all just great.
But what will happen next?39.
Dear friend,
no need to worry about art, it's not going anywhere. But what will become of us?40.
Dear friend,
changing your system of values is, of course, the right thing to do, without a doubt. But one could wonder. Let's talk about this sometime.41.
Dear friend,
everything that you said is absolutely true.
Yes it is, I'm completely serious.42.
Dear friend,
when the chain of more or less significant events merges into one line and disappears behind the horizon, let's talk then. Let's discuss it then.43.
Dear friend,
Don't demand anything beyond this from me.
Look, I'm trying as hard as I can.44.
Dear friend,
let's take a rest.45.
Dear friend,
we shall revive, believe me. Then we'll look back. Then we'll exchange knowing glances. Then we'll grin at something only we two know.46.
Dear friend,
we won't get lost in the depths of our own experience. We'll get out. We'll find our way out. We'll get where we need to.47.
Dear friend,
listen, they're calling us. Let's go where they're calling us. We definitely won't lose anything. We'll be fine.48.
Dear friend,
let's forgive each other's impatience. The one among us who will be the first to ask, “how long can we wait,” let's forgive him in advance.49.
Dear friend,
all questions—later.
All explanations—later.50.
Dear friend,
we'll come back to our conversation.51.
Dear friend,
let's go on and see what happens.52.
Dear friend,
you can be absolutely sure that in the end this will be said: “so that's how it is.”
[ page 2 of 2 ]