Magpie Tales 37

There is a history of going

and coming—

of pleasing and displeasing—

of knocking on wood

and crossing fingers

and Late Night

with and without David

Letterman.

There are vague memories

of Here’s Johnny and

nights turned away

and nights…

nights so hot we could not

stand to touch and

others so hot the sweat

was the conductor of electricity

the completed circuit

that rode between two bodies

too wrapped up in each

to hear the pitter patter

of little feet

that

may

or may not

have been outside

the door.

The walls know more

than the disarray can tell.

But walls are the great depositories

of secrets. They hold

on to things we never knew

and things too

we let go of.

©2010 – Michael A. Wells - All Rights Reserved

Magpie Tales 37
 

Shhh.... listen

Now all my teachers are dead except silence.

 - W. S. Merwin

Confession Tuesday

The night is fleeting and I've got confessing to do so let's get started.

Dear Reader:

I saw today on the Internet that we are supposed to have a spectacular stream of meteors, likely leftovers from Halley's Comet, streak across the night sky this week. I confess I am always interested in such phenomena but rarely get lucky enough to observe things like this in real life. I'm usually reduced to watching some video after the fact, but still find it interesting.  For years we lived in the city where surrounding environmental factors like buildings, trees, night lighting all worked against me. Moving to a more suburban area with open fields on two sides of our property give better opportunity, but I still seldom see such things.
I mentioned the showers to my wife a while ago and she said, "feel free to go out and watch them on your own."  I'm sure she hopes to be watching the back side of here eyelids.  I may go check things out after while but I don't see myself staying out very long. Morning comes early... or so it seems.  Maybe I'll get lucky... but I'm not counting on it.

The Giants returned to San Francisco and played their first home game of the NLCS this afternoon. They split the first two games on the road and won a great pitching game before the home fans - a 3 hitter shut out, 3-0.  I truly have post season fever.  The Giants bullpen has all grown beards down the stretch and the fans have a motto, "fear the beard" and I confess that in support of the team, I've started  growing a beard too.  I've had a beard in the late 1980's and 90's but ultimately grew tired of it and shaved it.  I don't see myself keeping this past the World Series (assuming the Giants advance) otherwise it will come off sooner.  The mustache however stays. I'm forbidden by my wife from shaving it. Seriously!  

Well, it's nearly 11:00 and I'm going to take my pop and go outside briefly and see what the sky is like. Wish me luck!

Thanks for listening. Have a great week!

My daughter found this for me…

 

Thanks Shannon – I love it!  Rally thong – Brian Wilson Beard!  Fear the Beard!  LOL

The Making of a Great Poem

Over the years I've come across a few people... some contemporaries, others from the past that own a collection of thoughts, of sayings that are so profound that I find myself amazingly nodding my head yes, yes! to the vast majority of their collected quotations. One such person is Anais Nin. I could do a lengthy post of such profound statements from her, and I have quoted her here several times over the years-  but today I have chosen one thing that she said that I believe embodies what I think should answer the question, What should a really great poem do?"

 

Nin says, "It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it." 

If in the end, a poem can achieve this... can take the familiar and cause us to look at it and see something different, or in a different light... that is art... that is poetry!


Who Speaks To You! What person/persons has/have many profound quotations that speak to your core thoughts and belief systems?

Off to Bed with a Book to Read

I've had a pretty productive day of writing capped off with watching   game one of the NLCS between San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. Giants take the opening game on the road 5-4. Cody Ross again going yard tonight. Not once but twice!  At right he celebrates after the first with Giants pitcher.

Whale Sound - Another Voice

One of my older poems is featured on Whale Sound. If is always interesting to hear your work read in someone's voice other than your own. Some of my family members expressed that they liked the poem better hearing it in Nic Sebastian's voice.  I do love her reading voice- it brings a whole other level of artistry to any poem.

Here is Nic Sebastian reading my poem for Whale Sound:    The Cousin


Another of her readings - the poem by Terresa Wellborn  A Different Leaving.  Terresa's words and Nic's voice... I love what this collaboration results in.