02-18-2019, 08:11 AM
edit1;
Contra Ayn Rand
Origami teaches more
than dextrous fingers, memory,
and seeing possibilities
implicit in material unformed–
one also learns,
having folded labor, time
and vision intricately
into matter, owning it–
to loose it freely
into river, wind or fire
without regret.
Thanks to both critics! I've incorporated most of the advice in this revision, except for @Knot's idea of returning to a blank sheet of paper. That's an intriguing thought, but with origami paper there's a real note of entropy: order is imposed, but it's one-way. Usually you can unfold a figure (with great care to keep from tearing it), but the paper's no good for anything else afterward. (And it would have compromised the didactic theme... not ready for that.)
@billy - contra, but not (I hope) all the way to altruism, Rand's favorite swear-word. Maybe a little zen-like rather than altruistic. And the structure did change, still a single run-on sentence but not quite as convoluted. Unsymmetrical, but the world is unsymmetrical... and in that there is a certain symmetry [ow! shouldn't have mentioned zen]
Contra Ayn Rand
Origami teaches more
than dextrous fingers, memory,
and seeing possibilities
implicit in material unformed–
one also learns,
having folded labor, time
and vision intricately
into matter, owning it–
to loose it freely
into river, wind or fire
without regret.
Thanks to both critics! I've incorporated most of the advice in this revision, except for @Knot's idea of returning to a blank sheet of paper. That's an intriguing thought, but with origami paper there's a real note of entropy: order is imposed, but it's one-way. Usually you can unfold a figure (with great care to keep from tearing it), but the paper's no good for anything else afterward. (And it would have compromised the didactic theme... not ready for that.)
@billy - contra, but not (I hope) all the way to altruism, Rand's favorite swear-word. Maybe a little zen-like rather than altruistic. And the structure did change, still a single run-on sentence but not quite as convoluted. Unsymmetrical, but the world is unsymmetrical... and in that there is a certain symmetry [ow! shouldn't have mentioned zen]
Non-practicing atheist

