Precariously piled,
implements of process,
sink to
bottomless depths
with a
residual sigh.
Their fate the
same
as yours.
Rinse
Soap
Scrub
Dry;
Repeat.
‘Til gleaming towers
emerge anew
with beaded
sweat and steam.
The tell-tale sign
of completion:
ripple marks,
flowing and fading,
on supple
fingertips.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Found Poem
PUTZHEAD.
Scrawled on the walls
by a legend
under
neath the porch –
– without hesitation.
Putzhead.
He’s a mad tyrant,
from opulent parties
and a
ferocious façade.
Oh!
The deceptive maze of
human relations,
like a
two-pronged
side-slip
corkscrew.
Scrawled on the walls
by a legend
under
neath the porch –
– without hesitation.
Putzhead.
He’s a mad tyrant,
from opulent parties
and a
ferocious façade.
Oh!
The deceptive maze of
human relations,
like a
two-pronged
side-slip
corkscrew.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Haiku
Tangerine sunset
Sweet enough to swallow whole
Melts on horizon.
Bliss is a blossom
Blushing in the springtime sun
Wistful and tender.
Sweet enough to swallow whole
Melts on horizon.
Bliss is a blossom
Blushing in the springtime sun
Wistful and tender.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
"Things I Learned Last Week" Poem
(with apologies to William Stafford)
Deer, within 20 minutes of being born,
take their first steps.
Sometimes, permanent marker can be erased
with a whiteboard pen.
A woman working in a factory makes a
shirt that will sell for $1000.
She won’t see that amount of money in
one year’s salary.
Henry the eighth beheaded his wives but
he did take pleasure in singing and music.
Christopher McCandless sought solitude.
His last words were, “happiness is only real when shared”.
If I ever die, I’d like it to be
in the forest. That way, I’ll have
the silence to go with me, and no one
to interrupt the tranquility.
In Montana, one person’s job is
to protect wild animals during the breeding season,
so that when they grow healthy,
they may be hunted for game.
Deer, within 20 minutes of being born,
take their first steps.
Sometimes, permanent marker can be erased
with a whiteboard pen.
A woman working in a factory makes a
shirt that will sell for $1000.
She won’t see that amount of money in
one year’s salary.
Henry the eighth beheaded his wives but
he did take pleasure in singing and music.
Christopher McCandless sought solitude.
His last words were, “happiness is only real when shared”.
If I ever die, I’d like it to be
in the forest. That way, I’ll have
the silence to go with me, and no one
to interrupt the tranquility.
In Montana, one person’s job is
to protect wild animals during the breeding season,
so that when they grow healthy,
they may be hunted for game.
Friday, May 7, 2010
"I Am" Poem
I am
Clouds, Waves, and Constellations.
I like berry picking and spontaneous dancing.
Humility, Benevolence, and Grace are important to me.
I am a perfectionist,
but only because I care that things are done right.
Like a lizard, I am solar-powered.
I wish to learn something new everyday.
I hope to see oneness in the world.
This is me, I am.
Clouds, Waves, and Constellations.
I like berry picking and spontaneous dancing.
Humility, Benevolence, and Grace are important to me.
I am a perfectionist,
but only because I care that things are done right.
Like a lizard, I am solar-powered.
I wish to learn something new everyday.
I hope to see oneness in the world.
This is me, I am.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Quote Reaction #6
The Lemon Tree, by Sandy Tolan
‘Bashir and his siblings breathed in the atmosphere of humiliation and defeat, and for Ahmad’s firstborn son, avenging the loss of Palestine became a singular goal, even in play. His siblings and neighborhood children would find pieces of wood to fashion as guns and play “Arabs and Jews,” like cowboys and Indians, in the dirt streets. “He insisted that he always play the Arab,” Khanom remembered. “He would be very angry if anyone would try to get him to play the Jew.”’ (Tolan 98-99)
I have just begun a new novel, a ‘non-fiction narrative’ as the author describes it, on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It presents the deeply rooted histories of two families, an Arab and a Jew, battling over the same ‘homeland’ at the height of the war. This quote gets to the heart of the inbred prejudices that even the youngest members of society are subject to. It caused me to pause, and reflect inwardly on those beliefs that I have accepted as an individual. Being submissive to another’s way of thinking grants them a power over you that can be dangerous and limiting. That frightens me, and I hope to always maintain a broad scope that is not ignorant, but liberating.
‘Bashir and his siblings breathed in the atmosphere of humiliation and defeat, and for Ahmad’s firstborn son, avenging the loss of Palestine became a singular goal, even in play. His siblings and neighborhood children would find pieces of wood to fashion as guns and play “Arabs and Jews,” like cowboys and Indians, in the dirt streets. “He insisted that he always play the Arab,” Khanom remembered. “He would be very angry if anyone would try to get him to play the Jew.”’ (Tolan 98-99)
I have just begun a new novel, a ‘non-fiction narrative’ as the author describes it, on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It presents the deeply rooted histories of two families, an Arab and a Jew, battling over the same ‘homeland’ at the height of the war. This quote gets to the heart of the inbred prejudices that even the youngest members of society are subject to. It caused me to pause, and reflect inwardly on those beliefs that I have accepted as an individual. Being submissive to another’s way of thinking grants them a power over you that can be dangerous and limiting. That frightens me, and I hope to always maintain a broad scope that is not ignorant, but liberating.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Quote Reaction #5
Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi
“The war came one morning, suddenly and unexpectedly. It was announced on September 23, 2980, the day before the opening of schools and universities: we were in the car returning to Tehran from a trip to the Caspian Sea when we heard about the Iraqi attack on the radio. It all started very simply. The newscaster announced it matter-of-factly, the way people announce a birth or a death, and we accepted it as an irrevocable fact that would permeate all other considerations and gradually insinuate itself into the four corners of our lives.” (Nafisi 157)
I can’t imagine myself in a position where the message of war is delivered so diffidently. Of course, the context in which the author lived in is diametrically opposite the culture I am currently immersed in. However, the war does manage to seep into every facet of her life, despite its subtle beginnings. It is interesting to hear the first hand account of the progression from stubborn resistance to completely succumbing to a force/fear-based regime. I know I would not tolerate it even remotely well with my sheltered Western upbringing.
“The war came one morning, suddenly and unexpectedly. It was announced on September 23, 2980, the day before the opening of schools and universities: we were in the car returning to Tehran from a trip to the Caspian Sea when we heard about the Iraqi attack on the radio. It all started very simply. The newscaster announced it matter-of-factly, the way people announce a birth or a death, and we accepted it as an irrevocable fact that would permeate all other considerations and gradually insinuate itself into the four corners of our lives.” (Nafisi 157)
I can’t imagine myself in a position where the message of war is delivered so diffidently. Of course, the context in which the author lived in is diametrically opposite the culture I am currently immersed in. However, the war does manage to seep into every facet of her life, despite its subtle beginnings. It is interesting to hear the first hand account of the progression from stubborn resistance to completely succumbing to a force/fear-based regime. I know I would not tolerate it even remotely well with my sheltered Western upbringing.
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