Enraged Monkey

Summary

The content reflects on the nature of thoughts, comparing the emergence of a particularly potent and disruptive idea to the sudden appearance of an enraged monkey.

Abstract

The passage uses the metaphor of an "enraged monkey" to describe the birth of a thought that is powerful and consuming. It begins with the quiet genesis of an idea, likened to the barely perceptible movement of a feather, and progresses to the fierce intensity of a rhesus monkey's rage. This image, originally sourced from Isherwood's diaries, is presented as an embodiment of pure, unadulterated rage. The author, Wolfstuff, contemplates how thoughts can be transient, yet sometimes linger, and at their inception, hold the potential to manifest as various forms of consciousness, including memories, hopes, reminders, wishes, or in this case, a screaming monkey. The piece concludes with a copyright notice and a link to the author's personal website, hinting at a personal narrative that might provide further insight into the author's perspective.

Opinions

The author perceives the emergence of a thought as a dynamic and potentially volatile process, akin to the awakening of a primal force.
The metaphor of the enraged monkey suggests that the author views rage as a raw and elemental emotion, capable of overwhelming the mind.
The reference to Isherwood indicates the author's appreciation for powerful imagery and its impact on personal expression.
Wolfstuff implies that the nature of thoughts is diverse and unpredictable, capable of evolving into myriad forms of mental content.
The inclusion of the author's personal website suggests a belief in the interconnectedness of personal experience and creative output.

From Silent Thought to Scream

In stillness a thought arises — weary, unfed An enraged monkey

The incipient thought. Just a feather. Hardly noticeable. Softly rising out of the dark nowhere below.

Not even fluttering. Just a wing, an eye, a foot, a claw. Another claw. A scream. A furious hunger. The enraged rhesus monkey, all mouth and teeth now. Where on earth did he come from? Uninvited. Unfed. Venomous.

I got the monkey image from Isherwood, a long time ago; from Volume One of his diaries. This powerful and leaping-off-the-page image has since remained, for me, the perfect manifestation of rage, furious, justified, pure, all-consuming, all-involving rage.

And I think of thoughts, how they come and go and sometimes only reluctantly go; how as they break the surface, at birth, before forming, they can be almost anything: a memory, a hope, a reminder, a wish, a screaming monkey.

Enraged Monkey

From Silent Thought to Scream

Wolfstuff

So, who am I? Really really. I could tell you that I was born in northern Sweden during a snow storm, and subsequently…