The words are scattered
all over the floor, with
the books, papers, god knows
what else waiting to move
to its new home the next
bedroom over, my wife and I
having decided to swap
home offices, after eight years.
They are upset at being dislodged
don't like at all being disembedded
and vow that for some time
much of what I write
will look remarkably like this.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
THERE IS NO DOG IN THIS POEM
Billy finishes his reading
to robust applause, thanks
his hosts and proceeds to the tables
set up the the lobby of the theatre
pen clutched firmly in hand.
The slow procession to him is orderly,
we hold out our books reverently
await the kiss of his Sharpie.
Let us freeze this scene, Billy
smiling a practiced smile
pen firmly grasped, hovering
over the title page. Let us
peel back his scalp that time
has prepared for us
be shedding the obstructive hair
and let us carefully lift off the skull
and peer quietly into the mind
of the now famous poet. It isn't
what you expected, a brain calculating
his royalties on the books being sold
on the adjacent table, how the soon
to come added sales on amazon.com
could easily raise his newest book
to the 38,785th most popular. No,
it is neither of those, just
a mind smirking I've
hooked still one more
on the drug that is poetry.
to robust applause, thanks
his hosts and proceeds to the tables
set up the the lobby of the theatre
pen clutched firmly in hand.
The slow procession to him is orderly,
we hold out our books reverently
await the kiss of his Sharpie.
Let us freeze this scene, Billy
smiling a practiced smile
pen firmly grasped, hovering
over the title page. Let us
peel back his scalp that time
has prepared for us
be shedding the obstructive hair
and let us carefully lift off the skull
and peer quietly into the mind
of the now famous poet. It isn't
what you expected, a brain calculating
his royalties on the books being sold
on the adjacent table, how the soon
to come added sales on amazon.com
could easily raise his newest book
to the 38,785th most popular. No,
it is neither of those, just
a mind smirking I've
hooked still one more
on the drug that is poetry.
Friday, October 7, 2011
READY?
The Buddha said
when the student is ready
the teacher appears.
My Rabbi used to say
when you are ready
the Lord will appear
but you may not recognize
God and that's okay.
Both Buddha and my Rabbi
actually said
that when you are ready
you will appear
and it is then
you will no longer
recognize yourself.
when the student is ready
the teacher appears.
My Rabbi used to say
when you are ready
the Lord will appear
but you may not recognize
God and that's okay.
Both Buddha and my Rabbi
actually said
that when you are ready
you will appear
and it is then
you will no longer
recognize yourself.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
PACKING
Boxing books for donation
I am surprised it's now easier
to part with those whole flyleaf
might say Scribner & Sons, 1815
than far less impressively bound
volumes of modern poetry.
It might be that for most
of the contemporaries there is
still the chance of the meeting
while Pope's and Swift's ashes and dust
have long since been carried off
on the ever present wind of history.
It certainly wouldn't be
that in for precious shelf inch
the ancients bring a far greater
tax deduction. No, not really.
I am surprised it's now easier
to part with those whole flyleaf
might say Scribner & Sons, 1815
than far less impressively bound
volumes of modern poetry.
It might be that for most
of the contemporaries there is
still the chance of the meeting
while Pope's and Swift's ashes and dust
have long since been carried off
on the ever present wind of history.
It certainly wouldn't be
that in for precious shelf inch
the ancients bring a far greater
tax deduction. No, not really.
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