Monad Cinquain
Heaven.
Many souls float,
reflecting each other.
They perceive all, but do not see
themselves.
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The cinquain has the form of 5 lines with 2, 4, 6, 8, 2 syllables. The inventor of this lovely form had the unfortunate name of “Crapsey.” On the other hand, I studied math from a very reputable textbook written by “Dull and Dull.”
Leibniz Sonnet
Monads reflecting each other
True that all my pretty stones and flowers
are really soulful forces hurled or still?
That each is charged with crystal optic power –
a silver glass, reflecting world and will?
The soul-force leaps but does not see its step
nor know its mate in universal dance.
How can a mirror know or see itself
Its single touchstone is an alien glance?
Some sleep, some wake in deep empyrean space
of God who set them in eternal motion.
I try to capture one – just one- and place
my eye upon the monad of this notion.
Heathen image creeping. Poor aspect. Dull shape.
My monad is a bean; small and brownly baked.
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“For Leibniz, the universe is an infinite composite of forces or ‘monads’ which have no space or time. Every monad is a living mirror of the universe, reflecting everything except itself. But, there is no real interaction among them, since each is wholly self-contained; what appears to be causal is just the manifest prior harmony imposed by God.” (History of Philosophy, Thilly)
Proust and Other Matters 