Stanford Clouds (11-3-2010)

Clouds in the Shape of Feather, Owl,
& Platonic Lambda, Soul of the Universe

Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Photographs & Haikus
Wednesday, November 3, 2010

By Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com

Preface: I woke up Wednesday, November 3, 2010, at 6:20 am to write down a strange dream where a marble talked to me. It bounced four times inside a steel crate and stopped to say "Ah— This is bliss!". Later, I realized it was a line from my poem. While having breakfast of Quaker Instant Oatmeal with yogurt & red grapes, I heard two beautiful music pieces on KDFC 102.1 FM— Mozart's Piano Concerto #21 in C (1785, listen) and Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons: Winter" (1723 listen). Vivaldi's "Winter" inspired my first poem "I See Joy" written in June 1968 at Cornell. I caught Bus #22 and Stanford Shuttle Bus C to History Corner, Building 200, Room 305 and made it in time (11:05 am) for Professor Henry P. Maguire's seminar "Representations of Animals in Imperial Art". He showed the Barberini Ivory (Louvre), with image of the Emperor on horse victorious in conquest with conquered subjects reduced to lions and tigers. Another image showed Ascent of Alexander in griffins chariot from the North façade, St. Mark Basilica, Venice (11th century). After the lecture, my friend who came late and I chatted with Rema (Lebanese Byzantine scholar) outside History Corner. Since one of the last slide was Alexander the Great being drawn by griffins in a chariot to heaven, I noticed the sky was filled with cirrus clouds resembling birds flying eastward over the Stanford Oval. I took photographs of these clouds. Later while walking with my friend down Serra Street, there was a Feather Cloud that symbolized the Soul or Great Spirit. Then a giant V-Cloud appeared that spanned the length of Serra Street. Since Serra in Portugese means mountain, it's interesting that the V-shaped cloud resembled a mountain. Then it occured to me that the V-Cloud is like the geese flying not in V-formation but Λ-formation. They are flying in the shape of the Platonic Lambda, which Plato calls "Soul of the Universe" (See Giacometti's Walking Man). Finally, walking to Cummings Art Library, a giant Owl Cloud appeared. Since the Owl is Athena's bird symbolizing wisdom, I feel blessed so many clouds illuminated my mind today. Below are the photos and haikus commemorating this special day.

Click on Photos for Enlarged Images

	Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 6:20 am Mountain View: Waking up from dream— a marble bounced four times in steel crate and said a line from poem I had written. ("Marble in crate" created in Photoshop) Marble bounced four times in a steel crate and stopped to say "Ah— This is bliss!"
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 11:05 am-12:20 pm Stanford University, Building 200, Room 305 Henry P. Maguire, Johns Hopkins University "Representations of Animals in Imperial Art" Ascent of Alexander in griffins chariot, Venice, North façade, St. Mark Basilica (11th century) Alexander the Great lifted to sky in chariot drawn by griffins.
	Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1:03 pm Stanford University, History Corner Chatting with Rema on Byzantine Art after Prof. Henry Maguire's Seminar Cirrus clouds over Stanford Oval Cirrus clouds soaring eastward— falcon or hawk lifting my mind upward.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1:03 pm Stanford University, History Corner Telling Rema (Lebanese Byzantine scholar) about Khalil Gibran's poetry on children as arrows & parents as bows in "The Prophet". Cirrus clouds are like arrows of children Are these spirit clouds of children yet unborn coming for their rebirth?
	Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1:06 pm Stanford University, Serra Street Hoover Tower & Memorial Auditorium Airplane flies into a Feather Cloud (Photo after plane had flown away) Airplane is flying into a brush cloud or is it a giant feather?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1:08 pm Stanford University, Serra Street Hoover Tower & Memorial Auditorium Feather Cloud above Hoover Fountain Celestial Feather Cloud hovers over terrestial waters and trees.
	Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1:09 pm Stanford University, Serra Street Hoover Tower & Memorial Auditorium Cirrus cloud streaks over Serra Street Cosmic painter at work with white brushstrokes on the sky blue canvas.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1:16 pm Stanford University, Serra Street Burnham Pavilion & Encina Hall Feather Cloud above Pine Tree Pine Tree in the shape of Platonic Lambda greets Feather Cloud of the Soul.
	Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1:57 pm Stanford University, Serra Street Burnham Pavilion & Encina Hall V-Cloud spans down Serra Street (In Portugese, Serra means mountain) Giant V-Cloud spans Serra Street— Was this formed by two planes flying westward?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 1:59 pm Stanford University, Serra Street V-Cloud along Serra Street is like V-formation of geese in flight singing Platonic Lambda or the "Soul of the Universe" V-Cloud resembles flight of geese singing "Soul of the Universe"
	Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 2:10 pm Stanford University, Cummings Art Building Going to Art Library & seeing Owl Cloud flying toward the Cummings Art Library Turning the corner to another surprise— a giant Owl Cloud greets me.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 2:11 pm Stanford University, Cummings Art Building Going to Art Library & seeing Owl Cloud flying toward the Cummings Art Library Athena's Owl bird flies to where I'm going— always seeking wisdom.

— Peter Y. Chou, Stanford University, November 3, 2010