Friday, May 21, 2010

PSF

Jumping in... assuming Ramon is still in QLD.
This is one of my favourites...

THE GARDEN

In the garden, small laughter from years ago.
Lanterns burning in the willows.
The power of those four words, "I loved a woman."
Put that on the stone beside his name.
God keep you and be with you.

Those horses coming into the stretch at Ruiduso!
Mist rising from the meadow at dawn.
From the veranda, the blue outlines of the mountains.
What used to be within reach, out of reach.
And in some lesser things, just the opposite is true.

Order anything you want! Then look for the man
with the limp go by. He'll pay.
From a break in the wall, I could look down
on the shanty lights in the Valley of Kidron.
Very little sleep under strange roofs. His life far away.

Playing checkers with my dad. Then he hunts up
the shaving soap, the brush and bowl, the straight
razor, and we drive to the country hospital. I watch him
lather my grandpa's face. Then shave him.
The dying body is a clumsy partner.

Drops of water in your hair.
The dark yellow of the fields, the black and blue rivers.
Going out for a walk means you intend to return, right?
Eventually.
The flame is guttering. Marvelous.

The meeting between Goethe and Beethoven
took place in Leipzig in 1812. They talked into the night
about Lord Byron and Napoloeon.
She got off the road and from then on it was nothing
but hardpan all the way.

She took a stick and in the dust drew the house where
they'd live and raise their children.
There was a duck pond and a place for horses.
To write about it, one would have to write in a way
that would stop the heart and make one's hair stand on end.

Cervantes lost a hand in the Battle of Lepanto.
This was in 1571, the last great sea battle fought
in ships manned by galley slaves.
In the Unuk River, in Ketchikan, the backs of the salmon
under the street lights as they come through town.

Students and young people chanted a requiem
as Tolstoy's coffin was carried across the yard
at the stationmaster's house at Astapovo and placed
in the freight car. To the accompaniment of singing
the train slowly moved off.

A hard sail and the same stars everywhere.
But the garden is right outside my window.
Don't worry your heart about me, my darling.
We weave the thread given to us.
And Spring is with me.

13 comments:

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

I'm back, but I've got nuthin'.

I was going to post See the Bombers fly up.

In retrospect Pers, yours was the better choice.

squib said...

Who is it by?

Perseus said...

My boys play your boys this Saturday, Ramon, in the battle for the 'Who Cares?' Cup.

Dreamtime at the G?

Nightmare at the G.

Squib: Raymond Carver.

Melba said...

My boys play my husband's boys tonight.

Someone's going to bed unhappy tonight.


Also it's our anniversary next week. I was hoping Puss could recommend some nice leather shoes (it's the 3rd. Leather traditionally is given.) He's getting a leather jacket, I want some Louboutin Miss Tack pumps.

Want, but think they are out of season.


Go Cats.

Melba said...

GO CATS

patchouligirl said...

I like your choice in poems Perseus. Music is another matter.

Melba said...

GO CATS

Anonymous said...

So, um, how did The Cats go, Melba? Ramon, how was the trip? And cheers for that link Perseus - very informative.

Melba said...

Alex, your question makes me wonder where you are, and in fact whether you are even in this physical dimension. My mind is going wild with possibilities.

You are on a scientific research station in Antarctica. You are in jail and don't want to use your internet time on sports results. You are a mineworker in the west and CBFd with newspapers.

CATS SHAT ALL OVER THEM.

But thanks for asking.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Alex, my holiday absolutely fuckin' ROCKED.

Thank you very much for asking.

Pers, my boys did your boys like a dinner.

Like. A. Dinner.

Perseus said...

Ramon: Yes, you won quite easily, but consider this: You were 7 goals up after only ten minutes.

Based on basic mathematics, you should have won by 84 goals.

In fact, you won by only 5 goals. We out-scored you and out-played you the whole night, save for the first ten minutes.

That is an indictment on Essendon. We are a very shithouse team, and the fact we beat you over three and a half quarters, means Essendon are pretty fucking shithouse too.

You're just a little less fucking shithouse than us.

Ramon Insertnamehere said...

Good point, well made.

Anonymous said...

Melba, you're right, I've been shamefully out of the loop for the past few days. I haven't been home and the only media I've consumed was a couple of pirated movies on a colleague's laptop.

Ramon, it's nice to hear that you had such a rocking time.

Perseus, better luck next time, I suppose.