The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Sun 5/27/07)

[RetroLounge]

Advice to Myself

Leave the dishes.
Let the celery rot in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator
and an earthen scum harden on the kitchen floor.
Leave the black crumbs in the bottom of the toaster.
Throw the cracked bowl out and don't patch the cup.
Don't patch anything. Don't mend. Buy safety pins.
Don't even sew on a button.
Let the wind have its way, then the earth
that invades as dust and then the dead
foaming up in gray rolls underneath the couch.
Talk to them. Tell them they are welcome.
Don't keep all the pieces of the puzzles
or the doll's tiny shoes in pairs, don't worry
who uses whose toothbrush or if anything
matches, at all.
Except one word to another. Or a thought.
Pursue the authentic-decide first
what is authentic,
then go after it with all your heart.
Your heart, that place
you don't even think of cleaning out.
That closet stuffed with savage mementos.
Don't sort the paper clips from screws from saved baby teeth
or worry if we're all eating cereal for dinner
again. Don't answer the telephone, ever,
or weep over anything at all that breaks.
Pink molds will grow within those sealed cartons
in the refrigerator. Accept new forms of life
and talk to the dead
who drift in though the screened windows, who collect
patiently on the tops of food jars and books.
Recycle the mail, don't read it, don't read anything
except what destroys
the insulation between yourself and your experience
or what pulls down or what strikes at or what shatters
this ruse you call necessity.

Louise Erdrich

****************

RL

If you have a request for a certain Poet, post their name in the thread and I will find a poem by them and post it...

if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[wildhorses]

1. i like this woman and, right in the middle the way she stuck

these lines:

'Your heart, that place
you don't even think of cleaning out.'

very smart.

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

6. ...

:hi:

RL

[Guava Jelly]

2. Great advice

Sort of a don't sweat the small things hugh?
This is one of my favorites so far.
Thanks..
:hi:

[RetroLounge]

7. ...

:hi:

RL

[BarenakedLady]

3. Wow

That is me.

Thank you

:hug:

[RetroLounge]

8. ...

:hi:

RL

[Haole Girl]

4. Thank you

It's wonderful.

I liked the line, "That closet stuffed with savage mementos."

So true.

[RetroLounge]

9. ...

:hi:

RL

[Inchworm]

5. Umm, I resemble this one too :)

Pink molds will grow within those sealed cartons
in the refrigerator. Accept new forms of life
and talk to the dead who drift in though the screened windows

A perfect description of my home/life. :)

Thanks Retro!

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

10. ...

:hi:

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. Wow, my dear Retro!

This is just outstanding, and wonderful!

Especially this part:

Except one word to another. Or a thought.
Pursue the authentic-decide first
what is authentic,
then go after it with all your heart...

Here she strikes at the absolute truth of life, of being, of our existence!

I try to live this way......and it works!

Thank you...:hug: