april fool’s day should be my birthday for I may wish to restrict being only a fool for one day not the whole year.
notes… I started this little project a few years ago on April Fools Day.. that was not an accident, for I have been a fool, and still am, no matter how far ahead I get I know I am handled by my own limitations, trying to breach them is my mission, I fail, I stumble, but I move on anyway, head held high with foolish pride, because… well, I’m human you know. And the poem… this is meant as an exercise in diction/pace, sometimes they just come to me that way.. so here it is in simple terms… enjoy… and thanks to all who have ever taken a pause here to view my work.
So… you know, the moon, that thing, in mysterious ways can do mysterious things, some howl, not me, not this soul, but my mind does wander and wonder at it all...
(1) from pine tar to the bore forgive me my grace a bit too comfortable in my grave on shadow moon and misty tides a rider appears a delivery, a note of handwritten dour as we prophesied in this late hour for the signs all gesticulated in blood nurtured in the knowledge that the past has returned. (2) with a somewhat lazy eye climbs upward the ladder rung by rung up hazy sky for an obscure moon there on this late february night a caged celestial bubble lost in the pool cast in the night
I made a pact with myself, when I started this blog, that my goal was honesty and personal growth, part of that movement in the nation me is to actively notice things that I see everyday and check them out (instead of passively passing them by), essentially we should see beauty every chance we get, and I also think history is beautiful, there are ugly moments, sure, but history is a vehicle in which we can gain experience without having to live through something ourselves… and learn. Even in a country as new as this (in the scheme of thing’s america is very new) we have plenty of history, especially here in new jersey. So saturday I decided to check out this place I have driven by hundreds of times…
I have mixed feelings about the place, I like that it is a little enclave in the middle of major roads (Route 4, 208, rt 80 is not too far), there is a nice path from the lot through the park (it splits, I only went left this time), it is interesting that the park literally is in people’s backyards when you are walking, some owners have gates that open to the park, others, well, their fences seem less comfortable if you get my drift, unfortunately the nakedness of the winter reveals the debris and litter of humanity, is it overwhelming ? no, but certainly noticeable, I picked up a few pieces as I always do, but this place is in serious need of a dedicated patrol to pick up the flotsam, a little effort goes a long way, I guess this is the paramus river, I should google it but I don’t feel like it, the roar of the tiny rapids does pose some nice sound and almost (almost) drowns out the car traffic buzzing about and over, I shall check this out further in the future… it did not inspire a thought on the spot, but upon reflection tonight I wrote this (first draft just for this post):
upon red mill the common ground now a park with visions before the founding now nestled between highways and routes older than the country still may outlast the bustle ’bout and shared the land with history books for washington surely crossed this little nook and burr in yuletide of times sure partook certainly before his career paced north to new york and even lafayette on his farewell tour did endure to pass these grounds and now casual walkers, bikers and pavement encircle the visitors of note leave their bags and baubles but I might imagine the red mill will grist for it’s own will and endure on beyond more generations
I posted a couple of quick vids on my youtube account as well to give you a feel.so, that promise I made to myself… maybe I honored it here, but I am still struggling to be ‘it’ all the time, there are plenty of times I don’t stop and admire… or do the right thing, I’m working on it, so should you, we are barely here in the scheme of things, I know it so easy to say that, I know, I am just a guy and I do not live up to my own standards, but I am trying, I want everyone to give effort, and make this world better, step by step.
notes… I was being very specific using the word ‘report’ as it pertains to signal cannons mostly used to announce a ship coming into port, so I am mixing some metaphors here. The rest (I hope) speaks for itself. I wrote this @ my desk today, which is weird for me as it is high pressure but these just popped in there (ghostbusters reference).
music… no correlation, I just was listening to this today so… 2 versions of the same folk song adaptation, some great singers as well…
Swiss and German are pretty close in a lingual speaking sense, very different people though (except in the small Austrian towns from my experience at least). Of course Eluviete had my fave singer (Anna Murphy) so I posted a live version there so you can see how friggin amazing she is in the real.
We see garbage, and refuse every day, especially in urban centers, what do we do ? I pick up what I can, I carry bags to pick up litter, whenever I hike I bring a bag and collect anything that should not be there, am I some hero ? hell no. but a little effort goes a long way, see some flotsam ? take some action. I am not some radical environmentalist, just do we need to see garbage flying about the streets ? Pick it up, do the simple things, it is just like smiling, do the little things. So… I was driving home tonight from a customer sight (and damn I have an email to shoot out, thanks for reminding me) and saw in the intersection of Magnolia and Oak Tree Road some dancing things due to the wind, it turned out to be garbage… and it inspired this…
the fault of the wind 10.27.2018
there was no parade, today
human debris
plastic bags, paper, not leaves
’tis the fault of the wind
pages dancing swirling on corner ends
across my path, to fast to catch
blown on by
into the trees and the oceans
’tis the fault of the wind
This is part of my “from the porch” series where I am writing from my, um, porch, just channeling whatever comes in on the antennae, so without further delay…
10.24.2018
long gone are the soft summer nights
on this night full moon high
the august sun, is faded words on bristled pages now
Back at the old homestead after a much needed and much enjoyed romp on the Jersey shore in one of my favorite places (Cape May NJ), I still have lots to post from that trip but I am going with what I usually do on the weekends, and that is post some of what I consider simpler poetry, in word or theme, just things I have written that I like, and maybe someone else will (and as usual I always post the dates these were written, they seem so new to me but damn I can’t believe some of these are months old)
5/30/18
where have the years of my life gone
where have they lead
what has been achieved
when all is said,
are children
an accomplishment
what has it all been
time, time, time
marching forward
I am stranded behind
but not
I am towed along
no escape
time always flowing
in one direction
to my end
“real” 7.10.2018
reality
why would I dwell there?
there… at there, is no hope
better in my mind
my heart
can lead
to the truth
I wish
to be.
“I surrender” 7.10.2018
So I will grant you
the right of way
even though you are wrong
I do not have the energy
to argue with you,
anymore.
7.19.2018
a blade, to fillet your bones
rib by rib, peel the skin
one by one, strips of flesh
slow reveal, the pleasure death
– revenge.
notes: I really like the last two, the last one is a bit sinister and seems relevant coming up to halloween, I also think the timing of the words works as read, but I am biased being that I wrote it…
Sort of the odd ball album from a usual metal/goth/doom band… I think this song is slick and sexy, especially considering the band’s history (death/doom metal start). Damn catchy, an oddity, like me, this is what makes the world interesting. so what do you think ? reading this? do I make any sense whatsoever ?
