The world might end
by lunchtime, so
leave this moment alone.
Let it breathe.
Grief will come in time,
in all its untidy dress,
complicated and deep,
feeling a lot like fear.
Lifelong friends may think enough
of each other
to lie once in awhile,
even as we traverse oceans and
mountains and valleys of emotion,
preparing to die,
with certainty that there’s another way
to be in the world,
even without a remedy for death.
Uncomfortable as it is,
afraid as we are,
we can only listen to our breath,
find a calm corner inside,
engage with the world as it is right now,
and live with an open heart.
Dawn breaks for me
as my friends live in twilight.
Night will come soon enough.
In the end,
our lives are simply stories, and
the world will proceed
with its plan.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Please Give
Please Give
– after Kay Ryan
If it please God,
let it be less about me
and more about them,
the ones without.
If it please God,
let my wishes go,
except the dreams of peace,
the ones with hope.
If it please God,
let my goals not matter,
but for the sharing with
the ones who need.
If it please God,
let me be smaller
but have the gifts be great,
the ones from the heart.
If it please God,
let my days run no longer
than I am useful and caring,
the ones filled with kindness.
– after Kay Ryan
If it please God,
let it be less about me
and more about them,
the ones without.
If it please God,
let my wishes go,
except the dreams of peace,
the ones with hope.
If it please God,
let my goals not matter,
but for the sharing with
the ones who need.
If it please God,
let me be smaller
but have the gifts be great,
the ones from the heart.
If it please God,
let my days run no longer
than I am useful and caring,
the ones filled with kindness.
Elm Avenue
There are no elm trees on Elm Avenue, anymore.
There used to be, back when Dale and Mary Alice
and all the rest of us were growing up,
in the so-called good old days in Okauchee, WI.
We were worried about the Russkies,
building shelters underground, stocking them
with Spam and water and some kind of hard bread,
lots of Anacin and Band-aids.
We should have been worried about the Dutch,
those tulip-growing, windmill-loving ice skaters,.
We’d blame them later for what happened to our trees.
We were worried about polio, too.
We all knew about iron lungs and braces, and
we all had a classmate or relative on crutches.
We weren’t worried when the doctor made his house call,
cigarette in his mouth.
We should have been, worried that is,
and we should have wondered why no lady doctors came around.
Our parents bought a new car every year.
They worried about losing face,
about keeping up with the neighbors.
The neighbors, of course, were all white.
We weren’t worried about what was happening with negroes.
We didn’t know any, didn’t know anything about them.
We didn’t know anything about brown and red and yellow races, as well.
That didn’t worry us either.
We all knew gay men and women.
None of us knew that we knew them.
Nothing to worry about there.
We were occupied with the things that really mattered,
like acne and masturbation and girdles and bras.
We weren’t worried about STD’s,
but owning a condom was still a big deal for boys with no clue.
We were all poor, at least against
the rich folks across the lake,
the Pabst’s and Miller’s and Johnson Cookies people,
the ones always last to pay their grocery bills.
In it together,
being poor didn’t worry us, and
we took pleasure in simple things,
like swimming and tag and the free movies
in the park on Saturday night.
Our heroes were athletes and actors,
local folks like Johnny Logan and Tony Curtis.
We didn’t worry about scandal then,
our heroes too true to make the
tarnished footprints of the future.
We might have worried about that,
propping them up,
only to knock them down,
but we didn’t.
There are no elm trees on Elm Avenue, anymore.
But, there are pine trees and firs and maples, even birches,
the ones we planted before we knew the elms would go.
We were not worried about the future when we did that.
We just put them in the ground, bought hammocks,
and waited.
Nothing to worry about.
Nothing at all.
There used to be, back when Dale and Mary Alice
and all the rest of us were growing up,
in the so-called good old days in Okauchee, WI.
We were worried about the Russkies,
building shelters underground, stocking them
with Spam and water and some kind of hard bread,
lots of Anacin and Band-aids.
We should have been worried about the Dutch,
those tulip-growing, windmill-loving ice skaters,.
We’d blame them later for what happened to our trees.
We were worried about polio, too.
We all knew about iron lungs and braces, and
we all had a classmate or relative on crutches.
We weren’t worried when the doctor made his house call,
cigarette in his mouth.
We should have been, worried that is,
and we should have wondered why no lady doctors came around.
Our parents bought a new car every year.
They worried about losing face,
about keeping up with the neighbors.
The neighbors, of course, were all white.
We weren’t worried about what was happening with negroes.
We didn’t know any, didn’t know anything about them.
We didn’t know anything about brown and red and yellow races, as well.
That didn’t worry us either.
We all knew gay men and women.
None of us knew that we knew them.
Nothing to worry about there.
We were occupied with the things that really mattered,
like acne and masturbation and girdles and bras.
We weren’t worried about STD’s,
but owning a condom was still a big deal for boys with no clue.
We were all poor, at least against
the rich folks across the lake,
the Pabst’s and Miller’s and Johnson Cookies people,
the ones always last to pay their grocery bills.
In it together,
being poor didn’t worry us, and
we took pleasure in simple things,
like swimming and tag and the free movies
in the park on Saturday night.
Our heroes were athletes and actors,
local folks like Johnny Logan and Tony Curtis.
We didn’t worry about scandal then,
our heroes too true to make the
tarnished footprints of the future.
We might have worried about that,
propping them up,
only to knock them down,
but we didn’t.
There are no elm trees on Elm Avenue, anymore.
But, there are pine trees and firs and maples, even birches,
the ones we planted before we knew the elms would go.
We were not worried about the future when we did that.
We just put them in the ground, bought hammocks,
and waited.
Nothing to worry about.
Nothing at all.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Valentine, 2012
At 10 and 31,
we’ve only just begun.
Not really birds of a feather,
but, truly, always together.
There’s good in what we’ve been,
in our 31 and 10.
There’s great in what we’ll be,
just you wait and see.
The best is yet to come,
with you, on Planet Awesome.
There’ll be no need to worry,
not in our love story.
With you as queen, I’m king.
Next stop…everything!
we’ve only just begun.
Not really birds of a feather,
but, truly, always together.
There’s good in what we’ve been,
in our 31 and 10.
There’s great in what we’ll be,
just you wait and see.
The best is yet to come,
with you, on Planet Awesome.
There’ll be no need to worry,
not in our love story.
With you as queen, I’m king.
Next stop…everything!
What Dying Friends Think
Life is too short.
Period.
It might be too short for
a lot of things, like
worry and jealousy and regrets.
Could be.
So people say.
The ones who are not dying.
Not yet.
My friends who are dying now know.
Life is too short.
Period.
Money doesn’t matter.
Period.
It might matter if you’re short
of food and meds and rent.
Could be.
So people say.
The ones who are not dying.
Not yet.
My friends who are dying now know.
Money doesn’t matter.
Period.
Man plans, God laughs.
Period.
It might help to have a strategy,
with wills and trusts and next of kin.
Could be.
So people say.
The ones who are not dying.
Not yet.
My friends who are dying now know.
Man plans, God laughs.
Period.
Period.
It might be too short for
a lot of things, like
worry and jealousy and regrets.
Could be.
So people say.
The ones who are not dying.
Not yet.
My friends who are dying now know.
Life is too short.
Period.
Money doesn’t matter.
Period.
It might matter if you’re short
of food and meds and rent.
Could be.
So people say.
The ones who are not dying.
Not yet.
My friends who are dying now know.
Money doesn’t matter.
Period.
Man plans, God laughs.
Period.
It might help to have a strategy,
with wills and trusts and next of kin.
Could be.
So people say.
The ones who are not dying.
Not yet.
My friends who are dying now know.
Man plans, God laughs.
Period.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Best of PSIFF fest 2012
Glad to Have Seen Them:
Apartment in Athens - 9
Shakespeare High -10
Pariah - 8.5
A Separation -10
Salmon Fishing... - 9
Unfinished Spaces - 8.5
Headhunters - 8.5
Sacrifice - 8.5
Love in the Medina - 8.5
super-secret sneak screening - 8.5
Jose and Pilar - 9.5
The Sound of My Voice - 8.0
Perfect Sense - 8.0
Postcard - 8.0
Le Havre - 8.5
Rose - 9.0
Asma’a - 8.5
The Kid With A Bike - 8.0
Blood of My Blood – 9.0
Abu, Son of Adam - 8.5
Three Quarter Moon - 8.5
Haywire - 8.5
Las Acacias - 8.0
The Girls In the band - 9.5
Simon and the Oaks -9.0
Almanya-Welcome to Germany - 8.5
Starbuck - 9.0
So-so:
Flowers of War ... overblown & I hate Christian Bale, but loved the women and the action scenes - 7
Declaration of War ... over wrought, over acted, over narrated - 7
Elite Squad ... "Headhunters" was better, if you want a body count - 7
Man Without A Cell Phone…ho hum - 7.5
Thin Ice…predictable, tv fare - 7
Yikes!
Once Upon A Time In Anatolia - 6.0 (but, maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for such an existential piece)
Sorry to have missed them:
Superclassico
The Story of Film
Rumble of the Stones
Sonny Boy
The Snows of Kilamanjaro
Diana Vreeland
Wunderkinder
Cracks in the Shell
If I Were You
When the Night
In Darkness
Chronicle of My Mother
Monsieur Lazhar
In Darkness
Pina
Beyond
Happy, Happy
The Turin Horse
Elena
MichaelPetrucciani
Bullhead
Mulberry Child
Bert Stern: Original Madman
Bitter Seeds
Apartment in Athens - 9
Shakespeare High -10
Pariah - 8.5
A Separation -10
Salmon Fishing... - 9
Unfinished Spaces - 8.5
Headhunters - 8.5
Sacrifice - 8.5
Love in the Medina - 8.5
super-secret sneak screening - 8.5
Jose and Pilar - 9.5
The Sound of My Voice - 8.0
Perfect Sense - 8.0
Postcard - 8.0
Le Havre - 8.5
Rose - 9.0
Asma’a - 8.5
The Kid With A Bike - 8.0
Blood of My Blood – 9.0
Abu, Son of Adam - 8.5
Three Quarter Moon - 8.5
Haywire - 8.5
Las Acacias - 8.0
The Girls In the band - 9.5
Simon and the Oaks -9.0
Almanya-Welcome to Germany - 8.5
Starbuck - 9.0
So-so:
Flowers of War ... overblown & I hate Christian Bale, but loved the women and the action scenes - 7
Declaration of War ... over wrought, over acted, over narrated - 7
Elite Squad ... "Headhunters" was better, if you want a body count - 7
Man Without A Cell Phone…ho hum - 7.5
Thin Ice…predictable, tv fare - 7
Yikes!
Once Upon A Time In Anatolia - 6.0 (but, maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for such an existential piece)
Sorry to have missed them:
Superclassico
The Story of Film
Rumble of the Stones
Sonny Boy
The Snows of Kilamanjaro
Diana Vreeland
Wunderkinder
Cracks in the Shell
If I Were You
When the Night
In Darkness
Chronicle of My Mother
Monsieur Lazhar
In Darkness
Pina
Beyond
Happy, Happy
The Turin Horse
Elena
MichaelPetrucciani
Bullhead
Mulberry Child
Bert Stern: Original Madman
Bitter Seeds
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Most enjoyed Films of 2011 (so far)
with a large number of films yet to see, here are the films I most enjoyed this year:
Midnight In Paris
Drive
The Artist
My Week with Marilyn
Harry Potter 7
Louder Than A Bomb
Moneyball
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Debt
The Help
Bridesmaids
A Separation
Le Havre
Apartment In Athens
Shakespeare High
Pariah
Jose and Pilar
Rose
Asma'a
The Guard
The Iron Lady
Beginners
Honorable mention, close but no cigar:
Ides of March (ho hum)
Margin Call (ho hum, ho hum)
The Descendants (didn't move me)
The Tree Of Life (self-indulgent)
Hugo (loved the 3-D effects)
J. Edgar (a one-trick pony)
War Horse (epic, but manipulative...My Friend Flicka does trench warfare)
Yet to see:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Shame
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Melancholia
Martha Mary May Marlene
City of Life and Death
Win Win
Midnight In Paris
Drive
The Artist
My Week with Marilyn
Harry Potter 7
Louder Than A Bomb
Moneyball
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Debt
The Help
Bridesmaids
A Separation
Le Havre
Apartment In Athens
Shakespeare High
Pariah
Jose and Pilar
Rose
Asma'a
The Guard
The Iron Lady
Beginners
Honorable mention, close but no cigar:
Ides of March (ho hum)
Margin Call (ho hum, ho hum)
The Descendants (didn't move me)
The Tree Of Life (self-indulgent)
Hugo (loved the 3-D effects)
J. Edgar (a one-trick pony)
War Horse (epic, but manipulative...My Friend Flicka does trench warfare)
Yet to see:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Shame
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Melancholia
Martha Mary May Marlene
City of Life and Death
Win Win
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