Behind the Scenes: The Anguish of the Blacksmith's Forge
I
I would like to
tell you a little bit about the background of THE
ANGUISH OF THE BLACKSMITH'S FORGE. Yes, I guess you
could say it is a book of love poems, but that would
be a rather limited description. Limited because
books of love poems tend to be rather cliché and I
hope there is more to this book than cliché.
The concept came
to me from almost two directions at once. The idea
is based on the traditional making of swords in
Japan. The Japanese Sword is considered
intrinsically beautiful. Simultaneously, they must
function as a weapon be incredibly strong yet able
to remain sharp with heavy use cutting through armor
without bending or breaking. Japanese Swords are
also regarded as sacred objects, and according to
the precepts of Zen Buddhism, are regarded as the
instruments of moral guidance for the Samurai
seeking a pathway to enlightenment.
It is the way that
these swords have been made for thousands of years
that intrigued me, the steel is heated in the forge
and folded over and over again forming a super
strong laminate from thousands of layers. The steel
is then hammered out to form the shape of the blade
and covered in clay, which is removed along the
cutting edge, and heated to the color of the moon in
February or August. It is then quenched in cold
water. This is a critical moment, as the tensions
brought about by the sudden change in temperature
could break the blade. This process produces a blade
with a tough, yet slightly flexible body, with a
hardened razor edge. The blade then undergoes a
rigorous polishing process, using up to fifteen
different grades of stones and copious amounts of
water, to produce a highly polished surface.
And I thought to
myself, how like the heart in love and out of love.
And what if one could purify oneself in some way to
allow the heart to be like this blade sharp,
piercing yet beautiful? And for the past several
months I have been undergoing what I would call a
spiritual rebirth. And, and, and – it all tied
together. Thus THE ANGUISH OF THE BLACKSMITH'S
FORGE was born at the forge of love...
This is a part of
the story, there is more that I will reveal from
time to time for you my dear friends.
Much Love,
Larry
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