A RITUAL TO READ TO EACH OTHER
Sep 28 2010 Filed in: Other Poets
A RITUAL TO READ TO EACH OTHER:
If you don't know the kind of person I am
and I don't know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.
For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
storming out to play through the broken dyke.
And as elephants parade holding each elephant's tail,
but if one wanders the circus won't find the park,
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.
And so I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,
a remote important region in all who talk:
though we could fool each other, we should consider--
lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.
For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give--yes or no, or maybe--
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.
How to See Things Differently
Sep 23 2010 Filed in: Jims Poems
How to See Things Differently
An artist told me once
To paint a tree you must
Paint the sky around the tree,
And the tree will become visible.
And so I wondered if I am just
Whatever I am not,
And if I am not nothing,
Perhaps that makes me everything
Which was the answer
I was looking for.
An artist told me once
To paint a tree you must
Paint the sky around the tree,
And the tree will become visible.
And so I wondered if I am just
Whatever I am not,
And if I am not nothing,
Perhaps that makes me everything
Which was the answer
I was looking for.
Cruise Announcement
Sep 23 2010 Filed in: Jims Poems
Cruise Announcement
Good morning everyone.
This is Captain Charon.
We’re expecting fine weather
As we cross the Styx today
On our short cruise to Hades.
You will not need your passports
When you disembark.
Weather is expected to be warm.
Please remember to take
Plenty of bottled water with you.
Good morning everyone.
This is Captain Charon.
We’re expecting fine weather
As we cross the Styx today
On our short cruise to Hades.
You will not need your passports
When you disembark.
Weather is expected to be warm.
Please remember to take
Plenty of bottled water with you.