Standing in a River Thinking ( a poem dedicated to Kurt Vonnegut)

[Anthony]

Here's a quote by Kurt Vonnegut that i love
"...The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something."
--Kurt Vonnegut

So taking his advice I wrote a poem - maybe a lousy poem - about standing in a river. But at least I have created something today.

Standing in a River Thinking ( a poem dedicated to Kurt Vonnegut)

slipping coil of winding silver
carry me
white washed
in noise - papoosed in drifting mist

I am attached as you are
to gravity and slide
quickly from time to time,
or
else
to the oblivious sea slowly

[gusstrand]

Nice. Poetry is cool.

[Anthony]

Thanks Gus - it's always nice to get feedback.

[gusstrand]

Poetry is really one of those things that you either love or hate. I am of the former category. Heck, I have a book of Robert Frost poetry in my work bag this second. Writing it is alo one of those things. I'll have to do more... you've inspired me to re-open my Moleskine....

[Anthony]

Poetry is really one of those things that you either love or hate. I am of the former category. Heck, I have a book of Robert Frost poetry in my work bag this second. Writing it is alo one of those things. I'll have to do more... you've inspired me to re-open my Moleskine....

Gus - that's just about the best thing anybody ever said about my poetry - that it inspired them to start writing some too!

[Apache Trout]

Good stuff Anthony.
Gus, I have a wicker basket that Robert Frost used for bringing in kindling wood. It was given to me by one of my customers many years ago. My customer was the executor of Robert Frost's estate. When anyone wanted to publish any of Robert Frost's works they had to go through him. My customer's family and Robert Frost shared a vacation cabin at one time. I was helping him clean out his garage when he was moving and was about to toss the basket in the dumpster for him. He said, second thought, you might want to keep that and told me the story behind it. Sits in my living room to this day

[gusstrand]

Now THAT is cool!

[adam]

[Anthony]

adam,

and the water is so ****ing cold...Funny i never thought of this song. But surely it was there in my subconscious. That album is one of those albums that has permeated my being so thoroughly that I don't know where it ends and i begin

[adam]

Standing in the shower thinking
About what makes a man
An outlaw or a leader
I'm thinking about power...
The ways a man could use it
Or be destroyed by it
The water hits my neck
And I'm pissing on myself...


Standing
In the shower
Thinking...


Standing in the shower thinking
About a man I know don't like me
He don't like the place I'm headed
Same place he's headed...
I know he'd beat me to it
If he could but he won't do it
But he would man
If he could...
And the water is piping hot..
The water is piping hot
It beats upon my neck
And I'm pissing on myself...


Standing
In the shower
Thinking...


Standing in the shower thinking
Is my woman afraid of me?
She's seen how far I've twisted
It's just cause I can trust her
And ever since we met
She understood so she let
Me twist her good...
I twist her good...
And the water is piping hot
The water is piping hot
It beats upon my neck
And I'm pissing on myself...


Standing
In the shower
Thinking...