Cell

A cell, a cave at the foot of a mountain. One or many in mountainous regions of the desert. A singular withdrawal from modernity or a monastic community. St Paul criticised for solitude, St Hilarion criticised for sociability. One seen not at all, one seen by many. Like St Jerome I feel only admiration for these first inspirators (fathers) of faith; a monk's life is so much more attractive than a nun's.

Living in a flat is a little like living in a monastic cell. The body hurt by the slightest cold or heat, the tongue falls silent about one's self, and so though much time is spent in literary activities little literary output is achieved. For no first or second-hand account could ever provide a full description of inner life or daily behaviour. Everything in the end – in speech or print – gets censored, because once set forth, as Horace said, it cannot be recalled or deleted.

Picture credit: St. Jerome in His Study, c.1475, Antonello da Messina (source: WikiArt).

From journal, February 2023.