
I've taken to talking to the animals. They listen as though interested, the squirrels
bright-eyed, the dogs with their heads cocked, the kitten attentive and questioning.
The crows talk back, their husky caws, counting along with me. Cat puts her paw
to my breast, purrs in reply. I tell them
my dreams, how the sky opens up for me, takes me in like a lost child. The stars
step back, make room for me. I fly, untethered, unbound. I tell them all I've lost,
besides myself. I ask: what am I supposed to do? They laugh their booming
laughter. They tell me
there is no 'supposed to', there only 'is'. There is only what I am doing this moment,
sitting at a machine, asking it to translate my human self. The ground opens up
for me, takes me in like a found child. I take from it that lightning, that darkness
that explodes inside. It tells me
who I am, what I am, this standing-up animal of self. I lift my ears, I cock my head,
I caw and growl and lift my hand to my own breast, here, my-self, in here, some-
where. It opens up for me, takes me in like its own child. What am I supposed to do?
Open up. Open up.
I like this a lot, SB. Especially "sitting at a machine, asking it to translate my human self. The ground opens up."
(Haven't been by in a while. I like the updated site design.)
Posted by: deb | 18 May 2009 at 11:24 AM
This is terrific, Sharon.
As for the lines not fitting in HTML, don't you think that's a message from your muse that you need to widen your main column? :)
Posted by: Dave | 18 May 2009 at 12:59 PM
Hi deb, welcome back! I'm glad to have something to bring you...
Dave, I actually decided to give it a try, just to see, and I can't. Well, I *could*, but I'd have to learn more than I want to just now. More HTML, CSS, etc. I use 'basic' templates, and 500 px is as wide as I can go with this three-column layout.
I stick w/TypePad because I want someone else to know, worry-about, and fix the back end.
Anyway, I fear most of my poems would float lonely in a wider space, and am not up to going through archives to fix all that. I still have a bunch of photos back there I need to fix. That's more than enough.
I am, however, delighted that you like this first real effort in ages. Reinforcement! Yay!
Posted by: sbpoet | 18 May 2009 at 02:19 PM
Really love this!
Posted by: niki | 18 May 2009 at 05:47 PM
Stopping by for a visit- lovely poem, reminds me a little of Mary Oliver, one of my favorite poets. Geologists are studying animals for earthquake predictions; they run to higher ground minutes or hours before quakes, natural disasters, catastrophes. We should listen to them all the time.
I like this layout, by the way!
Posted by: Victoria Webb | 18 May 2009 at 08:12 PM
Welcome, Victoria, & Niki, always happy to see a comment from you.
I do believe I have a poem that refers to that animal talent -- but it may take awhile for me to remember which poem. When I *do* remember, I'll come back and post a link.
I love Mary Oliver's work, so a great compliment, thank you.
Glad you like the layout. I'm getting used to it myself.
Posted by: sbpoet | 18 May 2009 at 10:19 PM
Found it: Snapshot Poem 05 December 02005.
And I see, in that poem, that I was quitting smoking at the time. Which I'm about to attempt again.
Life is a spiral. At least, mine is.
Posted by: sbpoet | 18 May 2009 at 11:30 PM
This is fantastic. "Standing-up animal of self" is wonderful.
Posted by: Nathan | 21 May 2009 at 06:46 AM
Cool - I like the images you lay out here with such firmness and surety.
Posted by: Tumblewords | 21 May 2009 at 07:37 PM
test reply
Posted by: Zalary | 21 May 2009 at 08:28 PM