| By Christopher James Beppo
Continuing our exploration of the enigma that is Ezra Small, which began last week in Part I, we present another grouping of cryptic verses and apparently random scribbling from Small's diary. Like the previous set, these are from late 1838, the period of Small's most intense "spells," when he filled page after page with inscrutable text, sometimes devolving into nonsensical strings of letters, as here:
nczind ozjodcpvxvi bduv htyjidv pmmdfv bpdhvm kzmzgviymv ozgg-vg-hplvttvm pfzmo xvcjfdv rzbocjm
The Ezra Small Project (ESP), a loosely organized team of experts and amateurs including yours truly, is attempting to decipher the meaning of these writings. Was Small channeling some unseen spirit? Was he wiling away the lonely hours preparing a massive hoax for future generations to mull over? Or was he simply insane? The answer is hidden deep within the pages of Small's diary, waiting for us to discover it.
Over her sweet shoulder
Hovers a portent
The mother adores unaware
Joined yet destined to divide
The young lion strains his bonds
The crow flies another direction
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