I still have such a child at heart… and thank goodness, I guess, because kids say the darndest things…
I picked up Mary Oliver’s book “A Poetry Handbook” upon recommendation in one of my writing groups. While building certain disciplines, I can tell I’m an undisciplined, unwieldly poet. Given I was able to find at least 168 different poetry forms, I know there are rules and guidelines that exist. I also know there’s a wide door through which many a poet has passed and I appreciate the wiggle room. Still, I also appreciate the notion of learning the rules of certain trades (such as singing, acting, drawing, painting, pottery and more) in order to most effectively break them. It’s possible I started writing poetry from the breaking, part, or at least skipped ahead to it. I’m having fun, at any rate, and finding ways to pull in the structure. Structure can be a wonderful place for an artist if not too confining. It gives us just enough of boundaries to activate our creative problem solving which is where so much magic happens.
Today’s date, 4/11, made me think of the old information directory 4-1-1 which of course is used interchangeably with the word information, or at least we did that for awhile… not sure if the youths still do. It probably wouldn’t make much sense to them. I’m always looking for more information, always curious. Indeed, as a youth myself I was often reminded of the ill-fated curious cat. That lesson never much took and I’m glad I still have my curiosity today. My family likes to joke that “there are no more unanswered questions” as we all take out our phones when someone can’t remember the answer to something. Breaks my heart a little. We do that for new people in our lives, when we care enough to know, instead of maybe asking in conversation, face to face.
What piques your interest and pulls you deep into internet rabbit holes these days?
What’s the 411?
Spellbound by curiosity
And intrigued by you
YES, you!
I want to know alllll about you
What’s the 411?
“Look it up!” my mother would say
“Google it!” yells the internet
Give me your canon, your download
I suppose I could divine a way
To know: your favorite color, pastime,
Or the song you sing to yourself
Alone in your car
Walking between places
When you were a child
Would you sing it for me?
I’m sure a search bar cannot tell me
Why you love yellow above all others
Who loves yellow that much??
You do… and I want to know why
No matter how skilled
Al Gore’s Rhythm
It cannot tell me
Why you chose this exact
Combination of socks-pants-shoes
Of course, these are
But appetizers
Seedlings of desire
For all I wish to learn
How do you show up:
For your people?
For other people?
Does anything keep you up at night?
What is your:
Proudest moment,
Greatest challenge overcome,
A shame you keep in your shadow?
But I must know everything
Inhale your zeros and
Exhale your ones
Take a bite of this yottabyte
Fear not - you will not be consumed or erased
I will do my level best
Not to interrupt with excitement
When I hear you say “blue..
Because there are no bad shades of it.”
And squeal with delight
Because that is why I love it, too
Blue - me and you, me and you
And not just that
But we accidentally keep finishing
Each other’s sentences
Words plucked off each others lips
Splitting the last slice of key lime pie
Still, even these
Synchronicities
Can’t explain
What is coded
In my brain
Upon a node
That without fail
I simply must know
Every detail
Of your immortal glow
Such a clever take on 4-1-1 for the modern age.
Love it!