Day Old Poetry

I found some of these on my computer. I love words...arranging them, using them, making them up... or just reading them. Love them.

Some of these are old and tired - some are attempts to use words in a new way - some are attempts to "get it out" and be done with it (one of these did this for me -see "To a Daydream Ending")

BUT...

...you are only allowed to read these if you promise to attempt a poem of your own in a blog post of your own (in the near future.) Afterall, it is national poetry month (no, it's not - but it should be, on the brink of fall and all.)

So read on, and then share some back.

Highway Questions
(written in the car, on the way home from my audition at Northview)
How does one white line
Stretch on for a million miles
(or seven years)
Without one question
About direction?

Its second cousin
Just ten feet left
Vacillates
He stops and starts
Like night and day
“Should I stay or go?”
Will it be rain or snow?

Second cousin takes my hand
To lead me home
(to Flushing?)
Or…To Indiana


25 Words
There are only
25 words
in this poem
And you will count them
How could you not?
But none of them
will be
about you

No Friend of Mine
Friends
Without hands
Are no friends of mine
They can’t even give me
A proper send off
Or wish me well
Or wave goodbye
("25 words" and "no friend..." were written together,
when I was mad at some people)


The Twinkling of an Eye
In the twinkling of an eye
In a moment
Things change
A man forgets to call
A hair turns white on the head of wisdom
A lover leaves to find his freedom

I left to find my freedom
A hair turns wisdom white on my head
And I’ll forget to call
And things will change
In a momentIn the twinkling of an eye


The Perfect Number 7
7 years old
6 teeth missing
5 year old sister
4 one more summer
3 women in my life
2 little girls
1 happy daddy


To A Daydream Ending
I apologized in a daydream today
It went very well
She forgave me
Understood where I was coming from
Invited me in for coffee

We drank from our cups like old friends
As if we had put it all behind us
I was relieved
And I sensed a reprieve
An official stay of execution

She was prettier than I remembered
I don’t know how I missed it
At our song and dance classes
Her furrowed brow, my contempt
Bloody in the eye of the beholder

But we put it all behind us
Got on like old friends
Toasted with Colombian, “To us”
“To a new beginning...”
“To a daydream ending.”


Speak Easy
(written at the restaurant, "Speak Easy" in Flushing, Michigan -on the eve of my 6 week sabbatical of what had been a rough and wonderful stay at NCC)
One day before the altar
The altar of myself
One day before I falter
I falter on myself
One day before I investigate
Investigate the evidence of six years past

It’s a cold case file
Matt Bays…
Case closed!
But now reborn

It’s Sunday
The modern day Sabbath
All your sins are known
But not atoned
But not alone
…either

I will be singing songs
From a George Michael album
“Freedom, I won’t let you down”
But nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen
The lessons I’ve learned
The lovers that were spurned?
The Jesus-crossed lovers

That betrayed me with a bull's hit lie
With a wink of the eye
With a pack it up
…and take my tithe

One day before my altar
One day before I falter
Before I believe
Before I am relieved

And send the cobwebbed messages to sleep
In the basement of St. Pious
To the end of all my grief
And I will speak easy
(and I was right)

Forgot Ames....bad Matt.

So how can I make it up to you Amy? Hope about 3 pics from different eras? Yep, great idea.

Ames - Class of 1979


Ames - Class of 1990

Ames - Class of 1963

My Yearbook

Well, I've been seeing this "My Yearbook" thing on facebook and have been cracking up at it. So I decided to "yearbook" a few of you who I know read this blog. I have laughed HARD while doing this tonight. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have!


Lil Kim - Class of 1956


The Laundress - Class of 1986

Katie - Class of 1984 -"Hee Hee!"

Wee - Class of 1968

Liller (June Cleaver) 1954

Lilly Pad - Class of 1970

Jen - Class of 1968

Krista - Class of 1987

Heather - Class of 197?

When exactly was this happening? Reminds me of Tommy Bradford on "Eight is Enough."

Beth - Class of 1955

Your Head Master - 1952

What I'm Going to Miss About Summer!

Getting Older...

There are a few things I've noticed about being in your 30s (well, late thirties).

1. When you jump down from something, hitting the ground feels much different than it did when I was 18. It used to feel like a slight jarring; but now feels as if I have strapped a small house to my back before jumping.
2. I have allergies that have come with age. Never had them until my late 20s. NONE! And now..ragweed. I spend most of the fall feeling like this...

3. I have white hairs in my beard now, and they are soft. I'm RE-learning to shave because apparently the way I shaved before is not good enough for them. They don't shave off unless you shave against the grain of the way they grown. So if I shave normal, I will end up with a little field of white hair all over my neck - retarded!
4. Hard heels. Had my very first pedicure last week. I think she had to use a belt sander.
5. Age spots...shouldn't those happen when I'm in my 90s. That was a surprise.
6. Hair in the ears - I'm obsessed with it... just ask Heather. Oh, and also very long eyebrows that I watch like a hawk.
7. Thicker toe nails. No more cheap clippers; they keep breaking.
8. Soundly sleeping seems to be over. Too much on the brain.

Of course there are plusses. I'm smarter, less selfish, a better person. Plus I'm starting to look like Pierce Brosnan. Seriously, that was a joke. Oh, that reminds me of something. I went to see "Mamma Mia" with some friends a couple weeks back and in the middle of it, one of my male friends says, "Isn't he handsome?" meaning Pierce Brosnan. And I think he's kidding cause guys aren't usually man enought to say things like this...but apparently, he is. And then he responds to my puzzled face with, "What? He is." It made me laugh. I love when people catch you off guard. I mean I would've expected this from a guy who was sort of "metro" you know, but this guy isn't metro...he's pure hetro. I tried to tease him about it later, but he didn't care...just kept saying, "Well, it's true."

Anway, what about you...anything you're noticing giving way in your 30s (or you're 20s really - i noticed crap them too.) Or how about your 40's. Tell me all about it. I'm listening.