The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Sat 5/19/2007)

[RetroLounge]

I Have News for You

There are people who do not see a broken playground swing
as a symbol of ruined childhood

and there are people who don't interpret the behavior
of a fly in a motel room as a mocking representation of their thought process.

There are people who don't walk past an empty swimming pool
and think about past pleasures irrecoverable

and then stand there blocking the sidewalk for other pedestrians.
I have read about a town somewhere in California where human beings

do not send their tuberous feeder roots
deep into the potting soil of others' emotional lives

as if they were greedy six-year-olds
sucking the last half inch of milkshake up through a noisy straw;

and other persons in the Midwest who can kiss without
unpacking the imperialist baggage of heterosexuality.

Do you see that creamy, lemon-yellow moon?
There are some people, unlike me and you,

who do not yearn after love or fame or quantities of money as
                            unattainable as that moon;

Thus, they do not later
                       have to waste more time
defaming the object of their former ardor.

Or consequently run and crucify themselves
in some solitary midnight Starbucks Golgotha.

I have news for you:
there are people who get up in the morning and cross a room

and open a window to let the sweet breeze in
and let it touch them all over their faces and bodies.

Tony Hoagland

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



Tony Hoagland is the author of three poetry collections, including What Narcissism Means to Me (Graywolf Press, 2003), finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and Donkey Gospel (Graywolf Press, 1998), winner of the James Laughlin Award. He teaches at the University of Houston.

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

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

[xchrom]

1. i sleep with the window open.

and love mornings.

[RetroLounge]

2. Do you cook breakfast too?

:hi:

RL

[xchrom]

3. yup.

:hi: -- with some good coffee. -- and other stuff.

[RetroLounge]

11. Yummy!

You're making me hungry for a good breakfast, coffee...

...and other stuff.

:hi:

RL

[xchrom]

13. lol -- yeah -- i'm -- uh --

hungry too -- for breakfast -- coffee -- and other stuff.

hmmmm --



:hi: see ya when i get back from durham. -- well -- see ya here.

[wildhorses]

4. do you have his book

What Narcissism Means to Me (Graywolf Press, 2003)??

i want to buy it from you.

i guess i should click on the link you have provided and look for it myself:think:

[RetroLounge]

12. If I have it, it is on the shelf in my bedroom...

:hi:

RL

[wildhorses]

14. hmmm

i am getting ideas:evilgrin:

[idgiehkt]

5. nice poem

my sneaking suspicion is that those people don't write the kind of poetry I like. Great poem.

:hi:

[Haole Girl]

6. Oh...this is so wonderful....

..and refreshing.

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Ah, my dear Retro...

I really missed being able to post in your poetry threads, sweetie...

So, here I am, making up for lost time!

And I love this one...

Especially the way it ends...

So gently erotic and evocative...


:hug:

[Inchworm]

8. I loved it

It's very now.

Thank you :thumbsup:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Welcome to DU!

I hope you'll have a fantastic time in our little addictive village!

:hi:

[Inchworm]

10. Addictive is right!

Thank you for the warm welcome :hi:

I tried several other forums here and The Lounge seems to be made for my klikity-klack addictions. Retrolounge already has me jonesing each day for poems. I kind of got scared in General Discussion... too intense for me.

:)