Everything Is Beautiful from a Distance, and So Are You -- Michael Blumenthal

[aimlesswanderer.livejournal.com]

Everything Is Beautiful from a Distance, and So Are You
by Michael Blumenthal

The young clarinetist, playing Mendelssohn's Sinfonia #10 in B-minor
in back of the orchestra may be exceedingly beautiful, it's hard to know
from here, just as I, to her, may be gorgeous myself and the day, in

retrospect, divine, as all the past loves of my life have been, and that boring
evening in County Derry as well, oh yes, they are all beautiful, now, when
I look back upon them, as, no doubt, my life will seem from some calm

and beautiful distance, some rapturous perspective, but here in the here
and now let me say that it's midafternoon, my lover is on her way over,
it's been a long chilly day in Budapest, what I thought was a herniated disc

is not, after all, a herniated disc, Mozart's 250th is behind us, as is the 60th
anniversary of Bartók's death, and it is only James Taylor on the stereo—
sweet, sentimental James—and I don't give a damn what anyone thinks

of my taste or emotional proclivities, I only know it's Thursday and in
an hour I'll be making love, and, looking up at me from the pillow,
my lover may or may not consider me beautiful, or even desirable,

but the deed will be already done, the evening before us, there
are roasted red peppers and goat cheese in the refrigerator, I'll be
as far from death as a man can be, oh can you imagine that?

Comments

[pachamama.livejournal.com]

Lovely; thanks!

[aimlesswanderer.livejournal.com]

You are welcome.

./w

[spiritualorchid.livejournal.com]

meh. The last line is really lackluster.

[aimlesswanderer.livejournal.com]

I agree, I agree. The last line didn't quite "hit it" for me either. The rest? Good.

./w

[slashfairy.livejournal.com]

possibly one of the best single sentences i have ever read.

ETA seeing comments about the last line: I read it all out loud, the last bit rather more quietly, with wonder at the fullness of the day and how alive he feels, and it suits me pretty well.

[aimlesswanderer.livejournal.com]

I'll sound flippant, but I want to take back what I said as well.

Thank you.

./w

[slashfairy.livejournal.com]

no worries.

perhaps because i am older now, and would give a lot to have every day be this recognizably full and rich, and at the end of it to "be as far from death as a man can be"... so when there's something that reminds me- your post, his poem- i feel i owe it to that wish to not be dismissive even if in earlier times i might have been.
it is only James Taylor on the stereo—
sweet, sentimental James—and I don't give a damn what anyone thinks

of my taste or emotional proclivities, I only know it's Thursday and in
an hour I'll be making love...

Yep. This one's getting printed out to read when I forget.

[maiden-heart.livejournal.com]

oh I love this. Thank-you.

[aimlesswanderer.livejournal.com]

You are very welcome!

./w

[harktislark.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. Thank you.

thinking about that last line -

[gh0stmeat.livejournal.com]

i like it because it's organic:

talking about beauty/distance, & then stating his distance from death at a blissful moment in his life, life being lovelier when considered in that light.