In Danish writer Peter Freuchen’s, Book of the Eskimo, Freuchen tells how one day,after coming home hungry from an unsuccessful walrus-hunting expedition,
he found one of the successful hunters dropping off several hundred pounds of meat.
He thanked him profusely.
The man objected indignantly:
“Up in our country we are human!” said the hunter. “And since we are human we help each other.
We don’t like to hear anybody say 'thanks' for that.
What I get today you may get tomorrow.
Up here we say that by gifts one makes slaves and by whips one makes dogs.”
Told by: Graeber, David. Debt: The First 5,000 Years
I PRAY FOR THIS
We are slaves of each other
slaves of the beauty we see
prisoners of the pleasure we feel
Like two ships drifting on an endless sea
we bumped into each other
while we were sleeping
I have no idea who you are
I have no idea of who I am
What can one pray for in this situation ?
That it go on forever?
That would not be trusting at all
That we be always happy?
Who knows what feelings must enter into this play?
We are not in charge
We did not create this moment
We cannot create the future
Not certainly, absolutely, finally
We are slaves of another
living in a universe without end
in a place we cannot fathom
Our hearts are heavy
with feelings of awesome subjection
We weep in our happiness
We cry in our joy
We sing and make up poetry
We dance and make love
I look at you and have faith
in God and Ignorance
Love shines in your eyes and fills my heart
I love you
I am a slave of love
I pray for this