Love Letters - John Keats

"I cannot exist without you - I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again - my life seems to stop there - I see no further. You have absorb'd me. I have a sensation at the present moment as though I were dissolving ....I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for religion - I have shudder'd at it - I shudder no more - I could be martyr'd for my religion - love is my religion - I could die for that - I could die for you. My creed is love and you are its only tenet - you have ravish'd me away by a power I cannot resist"

- From John Keats to Fanny Brawne -

John Keats died from tuberculosis at an early age (25 years) and subsequently was not able to marry his great love (and fiancee) - one can only pray their hearts are entwined for all of eternity. What a terrible loss this must have been for Fanny, a loss she carried her whole life long no doubt (despite having from all accounts a promiscuous reputation).

This story prompts me to be grateful for the many advances in medical research that have enabled us to be less afflicted by such vexations so that we are free to live and marry as we wish. Of course in saying that, there are many more advances we hope for.

~

All of it, unknown to us, exists within us - The Brown Book

"I am led to believe that everything we have seen, known, perceived, heard- even the trees of a deep forest- nay, even the disposition of the branches, the form of the leaves and the variety of the colours, the green tints and the light; the look of grains of sand at the edge of the sea, the unevenness of the crests of waves, whether agitated by a light breeze, or churned to foam by a storm, the multitude of human voices, of animal cries, and physical sounds, the melody and harmony of all songs, of all pieces of music, of all the concerts we have listened to, all of it, unknown to us, exists within us."
~Diderot