Seeing “The weight of One Self”

"The weight of One Self" - marble sculpture of height 2.7m by artists Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset, in Lyon, France.
“The weight of One Self” – 2.7 meter high sculpture by artists Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset, in Lyon, France.
I look at my limp
body in my arms and I
wonder who saved whom.
I can only hold
the weight of my own conscience,
talk the truth I know.
Never a hero
was made by saving himself:
Completely untrue.

You can read more about this philosophically forceful sculpture here.

36 thoughts on “Seeing “The weight of One Self””

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    1. 🙂 Thank you Millie. I really appreciate your feedback. I thought the last line was too strong when I wrote it. All the haikus were written as separate pieces and then combined and then it worked. (Learning “revision” 😉 )

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      2. Aw, Thank you so much. It really means a lot to me to hear you say that. Truly.
        “It makes you really think” – that’s very interesting to me as a poet. I thought that if the speaker showed judgement then the
        reader is bridled. Or so I have been told and I have stayed away from tough voices.
        But now it’s having the contrary effect. I suppose it works the premise is shocking. It makes the reader question the idea.
        I just learnt something! 🙂 Thank you Millie.

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      3. I would think that, in poetry, as in any writing, there is no difinitive style. That’s what’s so exciting. It’s good to see something that, perhaps, strays from the usual. It makes the work even more effective. Who dictates what is right or wrong in writing styles, anyway? I’m not a poet, so I’m only giving my own opinion here, of course. But I do read poetry and love to see something different or thought-provoking. I’m sure you’ll look more carefully into it all, Sam, but your work really hits the spot with me. 🙂

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      4. Hugs to your dearest Millie. You made my day! Thank you so much for the encouragement. I am on a break now, from writing, and have gone looking’ into the matter so to speak 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much. I am flattered by your entrapment. 🙂
      Yes, Lyon is a remarkable city. It’s more enjoyable than Paris. Really. All the culture and food, minus rude Parisians and a million tourists.

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      1. That’s great that you say that, we give power to external entities, and undermine the internal victories we need to win, before we win external victories. We are heroes, we aren’t arrogant for believing in out capabilities.

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      2. Here’s a haiku I penned while writing for the image, that didn’t make the cut for the post and fits our thread here:
        Save yourself before
        you attempt to save others
        when air pressure drops.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. I think it’s a great topic, it’s thought provoking and it deserves mention and contemplation. And the whole airplane going down situation is an example of persecution, what we consider a necessary action, something might not look like, for example it will benefit interpersonal reaction, learning the self might look “selfish” but mastering, or understanding, that internal struggle or journey will help you (us) to richer interactions.

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      8. I actually quite like your little haiku. It’s an easily recognizable visual. But the true hero, I think, is the one who can look into their own soul and find self-acceptance and peace.

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    1. Thank you Liane. 🙂
      I took the photograph when I visited Lyon last year with my husband. The sculpture grabbed my attention and I didn’t really know why. I was going through some albums today and came across it. I researched it and found its meaning extraordinary. It’s installed in front of the Palais de Justice, I suppose to accompany the most oldest of debates: Individual good vs Communal good.
      There are so many facets to this argument that I could not sufficiently express in the haiku form. Well, not yet at least.

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  10. Pingback: Seeing “The weight of One Self” | Impromptu Promptlings

  11. Oh my! That quite caught me off guard and took my breath away. I’ve never heard anyone express that thought quite like that. Saving one’s self is not a highly regarded pastime. But God knows sometimes we’re the only ones who can do it. Very poignant, Sam.

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    1. Thank you Calen.
      I think it’s a very interesting thought: “Saving one’s self is not a highly regarded pastime. But God knows sometimes we’re the only ones who can do it.”. You say it so well.
      We are told to take care of own selves without any show of weakness but when we do, and invest our time in ourselves we are judged for it. Something to think about.

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