ANOTHER WISE MAN
Allow me to direct you to David, and a poem that he posted a few days ago. Funny how you can hear a song for years and like it but never quite get it completely, then one day you hear it and 'Grok' it fully; usually because a life experience has widened your persective, I suppose.
Maybe its just the week I have had, or the fact that there are some close to me that have crept closer to Mortality, and brought me closer as well...
Maybe its the State of the Planet right now as we and our leaders seem to be so concerned about "everything" while making progress on nothing...this poem speaks hugely to me right now. See also"Doing the Right Thing".
GoGoGoGo.. now! I mean really see it! You must!
It also reminds me of what I learned from years of being a Chef...you know that you are in trouble when you are working on the priority instead of what is important...
Thanks David, very nice!!!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
The Priority vs. Whats Important
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Sometimes it seems that mortality is only a breath away...
The poem David had up was good - liked the first two lines:
"A man doesn’t have time
to have time for everything."
It made me think about how we all rush hither and thither, and pass by so much. Sometimes it seems there is no time for anything, let alone everything!!
Steve -
Thanks for the plug! Every time I read this poem, I get something new out of it. It seems to speak to everyone in some way. I, too, am going through an encounter with mortality with my ailing 92 year old mother. So, you have my empathy.
Annelissa -
I put a comment on my post for you. Thanks for visiting.
you know I love this poem.......and tell kissygirl that poems can be prose as well........a whole genre in fact exists.......whatta ya know??? a red dirt girl actually teaching a a sin city girl.......wonders never cease.......!!
Hah!!! Kissyface!!! I guess you are right; most all I know about literature is what I have gleaned from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Hour!
Can I count this as a Bullethole in my Mailbox? Please?
Anne- Even when we slow down there is still a lot on our plates...just look at what our President has taken on...as my Granmpa would say "he's got his ears wet"... this prose works on a lot of levls , yep!
David- Right back atcha!
RDG-Really? Cool, I knew Bullwinkle could'nt be all wrong!
Hey,Kissyface, you might appreciate this, you too Red Dirt Girl, I read the poem/prose, and i didn't think it flowed very well as a poem, but I wished it would, so I respaced(?) it, changed up the rhythm a bit. Just thought yall might like it!!!
Hey,Kissyface, you might appreciate this, you too Red Dirt Girl, I read the poem/prose, and i didn't think it flowed very well as a poem, but I wished it would, so I respaced(?) it, changed up the rhythm a bit. Just thought yall might like it!!!
Definitely a verse that has inspired many!
Words-adapted from the bible, book of Ecclesiastes
Music-Pete Seeger
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time for peace, I swear its not too late
hi waterbaby,
i enjoyed your changes to Yehuda Amichai's poem; however, I still prefer the original version for these reasons:
First, a poem should always be read following its punctuation; often lines flow from one into the next - making sure to pause at the commas.
Second, a poet often chooses his end line words very specifically for a reason. Check out this 'message' within his poem (starting with the first stanza):
time
everything
seasons
have
purpose
that
moment
eyes
them
love
forget
digest
history
do
time
finds
loves
forget
soul
professional
forever
misses
thing
pleasures
pains
autumn
sweet
ground
place
everything
I especially love the last....in the autumn of our lives, sweet ground is ultimately the place where everything ends up existing...from dust we are made; to dust we return......
cheers!
rdg
I think it says a lot for the Poet, Yehuda, and my daughter (Water Baby; to think that it appealed even to a 17 year old that is normally a little shy of making comments in such an erstwhile forum!
I commented over at David's. There are a lot of different things about poetry that appeal to people of any age for various reasons. Sometimes people point out things in mine that weren't even intended. In some, I don't contrive anything..it just falls out in a way that sounds good.
I bet Waterbaby, that you could write something on the same topic but in a way that you liked while just being honest to your feelings you want expressed. You discover your style in which you are comfortable and natural. It is hard to rework another's piece without disturbing something in it that helps define it.
Steve - per the comment you left on my blog in re your daughter's mytho-gael-celtic studies: if she's into all that, get her a copy of Barbara G. Walker's, The Encyclopedia of Women's Myths and Secrets. It's a great resource, though primarily focusing in indo-european culture, not so much far east covered. it basically does for myths (including the canonized saints), what etymology does for words. i think she'd find it useful and very interesting.
as for the poem vs prose issue - i'm not necessarily right, just how i feel. taste is totally subjective. again, liked what he was saying. what does it mean to be a bullethole in yer mailbox? i can guess, but please clarify? and sure, whatever you like, sir.
and btw, thanks for the info, red dirt girl, but i'm aware of the 19th c in france, and ts eliot's later aversion, stein's embrace, and then came the Beats. and now we have poetry slams. it's all good.
Kissyface;
RE Bulletholes...you seldom see a comment that takes exception or seems to challenge... everyone wants to agree with what you have said...I wrote a post one time talking about how I would never be employed as a Chef again and one of the comments was 'Really, where at?"... DUH! Maybe its the Chef in me that thrives on a little challenge and confrontation.. I asssure you I can change my view as well as take a punch...I absolutely loved it when Citizen H called me a while back, it wasn't all that bad but I liked that he pointed it out! I think we are all on the same page, mostly!
Cheers!!!
Kissygirl.....glad to see you at least know something about poetry......like i said, wonders never cease.......good here, too.
What a literary discussion! Obviously, I am out of my league. I'll just say that I enjoyed the poem/prose. It sounded real purty.
Grizzbab - we think yer real purty, too.
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