The Waking

[juneflame.livejournal.com]

I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.

We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.

Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.

Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.

This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go.

— Theodore Roethke

(no subject)

[silverflurry.livejournal.com]

Instead Of A Preface


In the terrible years of the Yezhov terror I spent seventeen
months waiting in line outside the prison in Leningrad. One
day somebody in the crowd identified me. Standing behind me
was a woman, with lips blue from the cold, who had, of
course, never heard me called by name before. Now she
started out of the torpor common to us all and asked me in a
whisper (everyone whispered there):

"Can you describe this?"

And I said: "I can."

Then something like a smile passed fleetingly over what had
once been her face.

-----------------------------
Akhmatova, Anna 1957.

(no subject)

[silverflurry.livejournal.com]

Boxing the Female
Natasha Le Bel

I saw myself inside again I saw
myself inside a box
which had no bottom, front
nor face only
sides, four, closing
in at right angles and me
crouching low within the dark
interior
I saw myself again I saw
myself a box inside
which kept me as I
grew and grew
too large and round for this or
did the box continue
to shrink and tighten
into a passionate
claustrophobia
I saw myself inside again myself I saw
a box inside myself
I was open
and unclothed without
hair or
shadow to hide my
feminine geometry
which molds and holds
the woman I was then that I am
now
but it was so dark where it was bare
where I was
uncovered lying undiscovered there
fragile and awkward in the iron emptiness
I began and I
begin
coming out of myself again I am
coming into my form
my born body new and
gravid with musical sensuality
strong and proud
from deep inside this box I am
no longer kept I am no longer
held as precious token beauty
nor quiet prize nor secret pleasure I am
my own ugliness
outside this dark hard fist
of walls and corners crushing
my living mind, the blooming
human pattern of my chemistry
through pouring rocks of ferocious
silence
that you impose I will
turn over
my bones inside my skin and
shatter
these walls with my song I will sing
my ripe real me out loud
with body and heart and brain
all beating against each other
in a heightening passion and I am
opening
this box for you for
myself I am the naked light inside.

(no subject)

[penguinboy.livejournal.com]

jingle goes to war by Samhome

america's getting all sing-y tonight,
sing-y and ringy and dingy tonight.
all prosy and poesy and hold up your nosey.
from speachy and clappy to huggy and happy.
of heroes so braving and half-masted waving
so thumping and proudly and cry in a crowdly.
from tv and talky of what a big shocky
how something so tall-y could come down so fall-y,
to faces of stubbly who dig through the rubbly.
from tell a sad story to march off to war-y
and bombs we will droppy and no we won't stoppy
till all of the terries are hung by their hairies.

it isn't revenge ... it's a destiny thing
with hands on our hearts as the Hollyhumps sing
and the naughty are caughty and locked in their pens
and buggered with justice up both of their ends.

uncle sammy