September 15, 1911

Long since I touched my diary--[I had] no thoughts. Why? Are there external causes? Why do I let myself be shaped from without?

I need to shape myself from within. Today I encountered a world of people. Chatted and listened. Everything is strange. Everything deranged.*

And me?

By Moyshe Varshe

Translated by Corbin Allardice

*- Literally, “everything is mad/crazy.” But the Yiddish rhymes meshune [strange] with meshuge [mad].