"Those were hard things for me to come by, and I offer them to you for what they may be worth." - Toby Wolff



Saturday, September 29, 2012

Smith - Unplugged



I saw a dragonfly waltz above your voice.

You never knew how the sound drew wings...
how hearts soared and memories danced
on the floor of fading proms.
I watched old women lose their frailty,
middle age men grow hair
and children frolic as if you had brought them the meadow.

I tried to tell you that angels had chosen you as home
to anything they wished to sing,
but your father kept plugging your ears
and you let him
because obedience has a similar pitch to flight
until you're actually mid-air
and finally out of bounds.

You stood in your own regard,
which is always a mistake,
and let it transform your opinion.

I tried to tell you
what the dragonflies know.



HSS Concert September 2012

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10 comments:

  1. Makes me think of someone who is missed who also regretably missed himself.

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    1. I think he lacks the full understanding of his talents. He under-appreciates himself and assumes others do as well. I do the same thing. Pot calling the kettle black here!!!!

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  2. Wonderful, of course. I feel I know him from your words.
    It takes so much for some, the really talented, it seems, to admit how good they really are to themselves, much less take the chance of letting others know what they know.

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    1. For those who know how talented they are, when is it pride and when is it just plain truth? We are taught to be humble, so there is a difficulty tooting your own horn. But I also understand that some people just can't take in how good they are. There's a disconnect or a blockage.

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  3. Wow, that's an awesome write. You know it had me at dragonfly. I'm just now learning a bit of what the dragonflies know and it's ass-kicking stuff. Love you, my sweet, poet-friend, Annie. xo

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    1. Would be a good book, eh Marion? What the Dragonflies Know. You write it. I'll buy it :)

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  4. ...a refection in the pool perhaps,,,song travels in many directions,,,to retrieve from a catalog of memories,,,which is whay makes old men grow hair,,,but-does sound exits when no one hears?...

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    1. I like the idea of a song traveling in multiple directions at once...as in it may land completely differently from one set of ears to another. Your ending question is a good one. I'm going with "yes".

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  5. You have a nice mind to look at.

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Thank you for listening.