Pleasures

Brecht's poem 'Pleasures' and my own list of personal joys

As I mentioned last week, I have recently been revisiting an old blog of mine, one that has not been active for four or five years. The annual renewal payment is due and as it is an expense I could do without, I have decided to let it go. Before it gets sent off to the old blog graveyard in the sky, I thought it may be worth looking to see if there were any articles worth keeping and I came across a piece I wrote in 2019 after listening to a Radio 4 programme about Bertolt Brecht, specifically his poem 'Pleasures' ('Vergnügungen') a short, simple poem of a few lines he wrote for his new lover in 1954.

I remember at the time thoroughly enjoying the programme and was very pleased to see when I checked that it is still available to listen to on BBC Sounds "The Pleasures of Brecht"

The poem is a thoughtful list of simple pleasures, an appreciation of those small, everyday things in life that brought him comfort and probably joy too. Many of Brecht's 'Pleasures' I can relate to personally - anyone who includes their dog in a list of favourite things is bound to be someone I would enjoying sharing a coffee with.

The first view from the window in the morning
The old book found again
Enthusiastic faces
Snow, the turning of the seasons
The newspaper
The dog
Dialectics
Taking showers, swimming
Old music
Comfortable shoes
Understanding
New music
Writing, planting
Travelling
Being friendly

Brecht died from a heart attack in 1956 at the age of 58, a sobering thought and a reminder to me that we should never take for granted those things we have in our lives, often the most mundane, everyday occurrences or objects around us that make our worlds that little bit more precious and joyful.

In my own life I do constantly remind myself to be mindful, to live in the moment and sometimes just stop. I will stop, sit, or lie down, often looking at what is around me but just as often not, with my eyes closed, listening to the sounds outside or in the room where I find myself. The many different calls of the birds, both in the air and on the ground, rustling the leaves while searching for food or arguing in the hedges. The wind, on some days nothing more than an almost indiscernible hush, other times loud enough to hear twigs snap and boughs whistle. A distant lawnmower in action, a scurrying in the bushes, my own breath.

You may think indoors there is nothing to hear when the radio or tv is turned off but a house is never completely silent; the gentle snuffles of a sleeping dog, the fridge humming, the creaking noises of the house settling at night, a tap dripping, a radiator clicking, the low rumble of traffic and of course our own bodies inhaling and exhaling the air around us. I use these moments to shut my mind off from the busyness of the day and whatever turmoil is going on in the world, to slacken my jaw, unclench my teeth, lower my shoulders and tune in to how I am feeling, there in that moment.

After switching off for five or so minutes, I usually find then is a good time to make a list of the things I feel grateful for and bring me a sense of contentment and happiness. I still wouldn’t remove anything from the list I wrote in 2019 but there are quite a few things I would add which would make it far too long for anyone else to read so I have re-written it and this time more in poem form.

I find it a grounding exercise, one that makes me more aware of the world around me and conscious of how many things I either dismiss without a thought or ignore in the normal course of the day. The holding of a hand, the way the morning light hits the curtains, the smooth, hand-painted pebble on my desk given to me by a friend, a small posy I plopped rather hurriedly in a tin pot. It is quite a humbling experience being reminded of the many things I have to be grateful for, no matter how insignificant they may seem. 

This is my list, my pleasures.

“Happy Endings”

New beginnings, old trees
The winter sun on my back
A kindness, colour
Conversation
Honeysuckle scent
The dog
Compassion
Making someone smile
Every flower in the garden
Sharing food, growing
Birdsong
A cold bed on a summer's night
Tolerance
Not having to explain a painting
Happy endings

As I was writing this, I thought what a good idea it would be if everyone took their list of pleasures on a first date, or even better read any potential romantic partner’s list beforehand. What a lot of time that would save!

I can think of quite a few things that would put me off if I saw them on a list of grown-up pleasures; eat as much as you like restaurants, expensive cars, cosplay, hot tubs, graphic horror films, cruises, Michael McIntyre, WWE wrestling, fox hunting……. this person may be just what someone else is looking for but not for me. Not as though I am looking of course, I have Michael, who came with his own very unique list of likes, some I share, some I put up with (as he puts up with mine) but thankfully none I really dislike.

If you do find time to write your own list of pleasures and feel you would like to share, please do, you can write them in the comments, by pressing the button below.

All the photos here are October pleasures that bring me joy.

Lots of love,

Lindsey x