The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Sun 2/19/06)

[RetroLounge]

The Word "I"

Harder to breathe
near the summit, and harder

to remember
where you came from,

why you came

Winter's
harder, and harder to say
the word "I"
with a straight face,
and sleep--

who can sleep. Who has time

to prepare for the big day
when he will be required
to say goodbye to everyone, including
the aforementioned pronoun, relinquish
all earthly attachment
completely, and witness
the end of the world--

harder in other words
not to love it

not to love it so much

Franz Wright

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

RL

Please check out the Daily Poem Archive at
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[lizziegrace]

1. RL

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[RetroLounge]

8. ...

:hug::hug::hug:

:hi:

RL

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Morning, RL

:hi:

Do you write poetry?

Just curious :)

[RetroLounge]

4. Yes, I do at times.

Some of it is at http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

:hi:

RL

[In_The_Wind]

3. RL

" I" can be the loneliest word at times.

[RetroLounge]

7. Love that smilie

I feel all hugged!

:hug:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

5. Wow

That's just ...haunting.

[RetroLounge]

6. Good Morning...

Wright is another poet I just discovered...

:hi:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

9. Good morning

I think that's why I liked school so much. I could sit around reading poetry, and not only did no one complain, it was expected of me. :hi:

[RetroLounge]

10. Yeah, that's a good deal

being expected to do something you like...

RL

[miss_american_pie]

11. Or...

someone

:hide:

[RetroLounge]

12. Well, I wouldn't call it expected

more of a pleasant surprise...

:hi:

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. My dear RetroLounge....

Lovely.....even though I'm not sure I entirely understand it......

Is it about dying?

Well, whatever it's about......it's beautiful......

Thank you

:loveya: :hug:

[RetroLounge]

14. Hello CP!

Good to see you. If I remember, I think I read that the poet wrote this at a time he was approaching the age that his father was when he died...

:hi:

RL

[xchrom]

15. it is harder to breathe near the summit.

air is thinner -- or you're tired or a combination of the two.

[RetroLounge]

16. But what is the summit of one's life?

Toward the end perhaps?

:shrug:

RL

[xchrom]

17. poets tend to talk alot about death.

in either real terms -- or in the death of their art.

both are apexes from which there is no decent.

i'm a firm believer that poets -- of necessity think a lot of certain firm and fast things -- cells and molecules, death, language, space, remembering, other poets -- for whatever reasons those things weigh on poets -- it's a little generalized but i think there is more than a little something there.

[RetroLounge]

18. Yeah, I think you are correct...

Death of their art. Good point...

:hi:

RL

[LaraMN]

19. Sometimes I think life is one giant decrescendo.

Creeping slowly through the measures, with desperate, grumbling bumps of sound along the way.

[RetroLounge]

20. Can't describe it better myself.

"life is one giant decrescendo creeping slowly through the measures, with desperate, grumbling bumps of sound along the way."

nice...

:hi:

RL

[yvr girl]

21. Reaching the summit takes work

The view might be amazing, but you can't stay there.

Life is truly about the journey...putting one foot in front of the other when each step is painful and you just want to rest...overcoming obstacles that you can't believe you can withstand...drinking deeply from a spring of pure mountain water...being stopped in your tracks by astounding beauty...the best trips having nothing to do with destination.

[RetroLounge]

22. How true...

:hug:

RL

[aaronbees]

23. fascinating poem

There are some great twists in that poem that make it deceptive -- really neat, and I'll have to check Franz Wright out.

Always enjoy your Daily Poem threads when I get a chance to see them, RL. :)