Let's go now with those precisely marching shiny cloud band members, so eagerly clanging their golden sleeves together
over there in the valley of new light, for instance. They can lift whole
oceans up, like baby children, for a series
of smooches, all of unprecedented and unapologetic radiance. Ah. Ah. Ah.
Oh, surely they do get angry from time
to time, enough to darken our view of
the rest of the planets, but they are
quick to forgive, and to offer hugs all around,
so that the sky's once tearful eyes turn
happily bluer than newly born balloons. Then there's
my favorite aliens, the trees. These most ancient of
beings are the wisest of all pulled together
atoms on the planet. They push and pull every kind of
energy all around the world with their gnarly toes
and beautiful fingers at blurring speeds. They appear to
be standing still. Instead they are lighting and
relighting their feathery bodies with the eternal green
flames of nature's finest care. They provide a much needed warmth between
the dreamer and his forest of dreams. We are most
grateful to you for this free and revolving
service to all living beings. And let's not forget our flower-faced friends who're involved then! How
could we ever find our way out of
the fearful memory fields without their wafting heads bending the way, full of songs leading
us onward to so many more smells of all the new tomorrows? And
finally, here we come along, with our own wondrous selves! We are here
to provide the four directions of the wind
their central function, as a rightful purpose for
life's passionate daily play. See you next time, around this place. Same yes place, as yes is always remembered by us, one and all, in every sphere.
bonus poem:
Likely Story
by Darryl Price
Everybody's out to get me. They
follow me in their cars, but never
visit me at home. I won't find out
they love me till I'm dead. If I had
a time machine I would go back and
rescue Emily Dickinson. These
are just a few of the interesting
things. Everybody's out to get
me. They watch what I'm watching to see
what I see when I see the empty
road stretching out before me. Do they
ever know me looking at the sun
and clouds? They listen closely to what
I listen to and transfer secret
ominous playlists for themselves on
to cassettes--because it's cooler that
way. They talk amongst themselves like a
bungling gang of cartoon cat thieves. All
whiskers, long legs and dark clothing in
the starry night. They take notes on old
wedding napkins. But they never will
talk to me directly about la
la love. I'm starting to feel LONELY
in the bursting universe; that's full
of other colorful universes.
It's enough to drive a person
crazier than a raspberry. I
won't find out they love me till I'm thrown
into the tunnel of white light head
first. That's my only regret. That's why
I want to save Emily. She needs
to hear someone say thank you. Love you
just the way you are. Right to her face.
Love your words. Everybody's out
to get me, but you don't get me, as
John puts it. No use wondering why.
Allergic Reactions #1: the Sun (1st draft version)
Well I too woke up and outside there was the shining sun
literally smashing itself against the window like a crazed yet determined yellow
bird but it just couldn't break through the little rows of shuttered
blinds like it wanted to. It would hit and fall and recircle
and try again, over and over again. Okay, I said, I guess
I'm up. You can knock it off now. I stuffed the rest
of my sleep under the pillow for later. The usual things followed.
I opened the door and there the sun tried to stick its
huge foot in but it still couldn't enter the house altogether. I
got in the car and the sun immediately clamped down on the
silver top and beat it with its fiery fists until I turned
on the radio. This seemed to scare it away to some distance.
However it continued to glare at me from behind several boulder shaped
clouds. These clouds in turn were trying desperately to roll away and
gather against some other part of the sky by themselves. The sun hung on
with all ten fingers. I rolled down the window and none other
than the wind reached a hand in and tousled my hair about
and then swam on beside the front tires like a friendly dolphin.
The sun poured on the heat and finally the wind went beneath
the pavement and stayed there. I pulled up to work and got
out just as the sun settled on a corner of the old
building like a vulture looking disinterested but nonetheless a little bit hungry.
073010
A big hug for this one, DP!
"Let's go with those precisely marching shiny clouds"
Yes, let's! I'm with you, Darryl!
I want to thank you two for the visit, for actually taking the time to experience the poem, and be moved by it to comment. That's what it's for. To make art for sure but also to communicate from one soul to the next. I got lucky enough to get the two of you. Thanks Marcelle and Bill. I appreciate your giving back.
And then there are the laggards like me, hoping to add their float to the parade. There is such a lightness to this piece that really appeals to me: "baby children," smooches all of unprecedented and unapologetic radiance," "flowerfaced friends." Nice. And the bonus poem with its harsh sun, its "fiery fists." I don't know if you're describing FL but you could be. *