February 2012
18 posts
“I believe much trouble and blood would be saved if
we opened our hearts more.” —~ CHIEF JOSEPH, NEZ PERCE
we opened our hearts more.” —~ CHIEF JOSEPH, NEZ PERCE
forgotten fragments of poetry... shards of winter...
Clearing out some folders today on my computer I came across this poem… I have absolutely no memory of writing it. So strange. But I like it! And it is so February that I thought I’d post it on this last chance extra February day…..
.
take a deep breath
winter is taking her time
and she is not that interested in you
she offers few distractions
no colourful bouquets or bare skin
no morning flourishes of birds and warm sun
just a cold shoulder and quiet colors
we are left with only our imaginations
our creature comforts
our homemade nests
and if we are lucky
a warm chest to lay our head on
pulsing with warmth and a little love
dream quietly into the mute sky
let the seeds drop deeply and sweetly into you
let them germinate in the soil of patient faith
retreat
be
tend your fire
rest
think
what is left when there are no distractions?
in which direction will you be facing
when the current of spring rises within?
take inventory
enjoy those who are close to you
when the ice thaws
it all begins again
the doing
the chasing
the singing
the dancing
the searching
the flirting
the moving
the blossoming
and it will be fun
but for now…
it is just this
icy kiss
this quiet diamond gift
of winter
“After the final no there comes a yes
And on that yes the future world depends.
No was the night. Yes is the present sun.” —
And on that yes the future world depends.
No was the night. Yes is the present sun.” —
-Wallace Stevens, The Well Dressed Man with a Beard
Play
“I was not looking for my dreams to interpret my life, but rather for my life to interpret my dreams.”
—
Susan Sontag
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
—William Butler Yeats
“Whatever inspiration is, it’s born from a continuous ‘I don’t know’.”
—Wislawa Szymborska, from her Nobel Prize acceptance speech
The Quiet World
In an effort to get people to look
into each other’s eyes more,
and also to appease the mutes,
the government has decided
to allot each person exactly one hundred
and sixty-seven words, per day.
When the phone rings, I put it to my ear
without saying hello. In the restaurant
I point at chicken noodle soup.
I am adjusting well to the new way.
Late at night, I call my long distance lover,
proudly say I only used fifty-nine today.
I saved the rest for you.
When she doesn’t respond,
I know she’s used up all her words,
so I slowly whisper I love you
thirty-two and a third times.
After that, we just sit on the line
and listen to each other breathe.
— Jeffrey McDaniel
