LUX-MACHINA

A beautiful landscape, a forbidding coastline —

he is bedded

upon the craggy landscape next to him a solid pure,

the light machine.

An exceeding great noise announces the approach of the Sun.

Gaze above ! The giant peak of the light machine is already announcing

the most solemn hour. The eternal light, that later comes down to us, to fly through the mass. Sculptured and rough machined light,

formed by the machine itself.

Now it approaches; and, alas! already blinded,

I must needs turn away,

my mortal eyes aching with excess of light.

He goes into the machine.

Thus is it when a longing hope, which trustfully has striven after the highest wish, finds the doors of fulfilment wide open in the machine:

but if out of the eternal depths breaks forth an over-measure

of flame, we stand aghast

When we would kindle the torch of life, a fire-sea, and what a fire!

environs us! — Is it love? Is it hate? That glowing winds itself round

us, fearfully alternating with pain and gladness,

So that we again look down to our light machine to conceal ourselves

in the most youth-like veil.

So then let the sun remain over me, while I gaze with everincreasing rapture on this cataract of light rays roaring through the rocky

clefts of the rocky rough machine. Light meets light. Light obtrudes

and coalesce. Light rays react, act and begin to live, pleasing to my eye. Light swirls my imagiantion!

From fall to fall, pouring itself in a thousand and still a thousand streams, it plunges, scattering foam on foam high in the air.

But how lovely budding from out the storm doth the changing continuity of the light fragment vault itself, now clearly outlined,

now flowing away into air, spreading cool showers around.

This mirrors human striving.

Look on this, and thou wilt comprehend the other better. In the light reaction

we have the life.

​

exhibited at AHO Works, Oslo, Norway.