who am I
but a squirrel
Miss Chattericity is my
name, my game
to speak so many
words a minute
that the worthy
minutia might
fall on the page
fraudulent woman!
you claim to know
that which you don't
yet words keep welling
up to overflowing
mysteries deeper than
creation
harder
for my belief
is this: friends
have appeared
from thin air, my drivel
brought them, my
drizzled words of
minutia, fraud lines
of meaning, yet
they respond like
brothers, quick
to encourage in
words letting me
be me, where I've
talked for years
to the air
with sincere thanksgiving for Brian and Chen-ou
A Fable by Ralph Waldo Emerson
ReplyDeleteThe mountain and the squirrel
Had a quarrel;
And the former called the latter "Little Prig."
Bun replied,
"You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it's no disgrace
To occupy my place.
If I'm not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry.
I'll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track;
Talents differ: all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut.
"who am I
but a squirrel"
Kay, I need your sharp teeth to crack open my mind just like the Zen master used koans to open the mind and perception to the truth.
Glad to know you and Brian through the love of poetry.
Many thanks for your poem. I love it.
The title is effectively utilized, echoing the concluding line. However, I wonder if you need "..." at the end of L2.
Chen-ou
Chen-ou, I love Emerson, but haven't seen the fable before! Thank you so much. And thank you for your edit to my drivel! LOL.
ReplyDeleteAlways, Kay
Enough of the "drivel" talk, young lady. This is excellent and I won't have you bad-mouthing my friend or her work!
ReplyDeleteWhat a rush of language swirling about me these days. I'm fairly drunk on it. Chen-ou will find that appropriate considering the great number of drinking poems in the Chinese poetic canon! "No wine, no poetry" he once wrote me in reference to Li Po. LOL
I am very touched by this piece, Kay. Thank you.
You are most welcome. Both of you are special to me. Now, where can I find some of these drinking poems? They may be a good accompaniment to dinner.
ReplyDelete~Kay