Parade -- FRAGMENTS

Notes for a piece on the St. Patrick's Day parade

a horse showing off
the quick, bright flashes
of its street-polished shoes

The parade is a needle,
drawing the community's thread
through the fabric of the street.

motorcyclists,
trying to say something serious with their hogs

Seasons Rhyme

Spring, the baby, cries
and tries to rock its wooden cradle.
Summer and her love, alone,
lie heedless on the hill.
Autumn keeps the kitchen warm,
baking apple pies,
till Winter comes in stamping snow
off his leather boots.

Not sure how old this one is; very, is all I can say.

Things Worth Not Pursuing

Things worth not pursuing include
sleep, inspiration, perfection, and faith--
oh, and dogs and cats.

All these things we want are fugitive
like names, like thoughts, like memories--
like Bo Peep's sheep
they come back home
only when we let them stray.

What else do these things have in common?
Are they all children of our other mind?
(You know the one I mean,
the one that doesn't know about what time it is,
or when you have to get there.
So useless in our waking lives,
so crucial to our dreams.)

Of course, dogs and cats aren't children of
either of our minds,
but fairly clearly they possess
just the one that counts in this discussion.
Perhaps we should ask their opinion.
Maybe they can let us know the secret,
how to chase without pursuing
so that when we let them be,
these things that flee when sought
may come and nose our arms--
moist assurance of devotion--
or place one paw,
so delicately,
a touch at which our hearts leap up,
just briefly on our shoulders.

March 20 2009

Ooh! Ooh! Another one!

Just thought of another item for the list of things you cannot successfully pursue: Faith (religious faith certainly, and presumably all faith).

OK, sleep, inspiration, perfection, faith. What do these things have in common? Possibility: all are in some way non-rational (not irrational, just not in the domain of things influenced by reason). Perfection is a bit of an oddball there, but perhaps still fits if you think of it as a state that is pretty much beyond the ability of reason to produce.

All these things go away if you seek them; if you don't, they may come and tap you on the shoulder. Interesting (assuming this is a valid line of thought).

A Drum in Your Heart

If you have pierced ears,
do you have a drum in your heart?
When you asked me that,
how could I say anything but yes?
Freshly hysterical from your bath,
you probably meant something I was just
too old to understand,
but honestly, I'll miss it more than I can say
the day you stop making
such perfectly reasonable nonsense.

(And yes,
though it's been years since my last earring,
I would venture to say that I still do have
a drum in my heart. It beats for you,
in case you didn't know.)


March 5 2009