Black Gold, Texas Tea

Here's something to add to the glass half-full/half-empty/I ordered a Dr. Pepper debate.

Everything Changes 

Cecily Herbert

        -after Brecht, 'Alles wandelt sich'


 Everything changes. We plant
 trees for those born later
 but what's happened has happened,
 and poisons poured into the seas
 cannot be drained out again.


 What's happened has happened
 poisons poured into the seas
 cannot be drained out again, but
 everything changes. We plant
 trees for those born later.




Here's the Brecht poem which Herbert alludes to in the epigram.

Everything Changes

Bertolt Brecht, trans. John Willett

Everything changes. You can make
A fresh start with your final breath.
But what has happened has happened. And the water
You once poured into the wine cannot be
Drained off again.


What has happened has happened. The water
You once poured into the wine cannot be
Drained off again, but
Everything changes. You can make
A fresh start with your final breath.




These seem especially relevant after the Deepwater Horizon disaster - hooray for science. We're awfully good at getting the genie out of that damn small bottle, but not so good at finding the cork again once we've done it.