1.
"Can ne'er I go?"
To me she said, "yes."
"where'er the wind blow?"
and she told me to guess.
So I decided to try.
"To a place where it's dry?"
2.
She was tall
with brown hair.
Her waist small,
My heart's snare.
I was sure
to love her.
3.
"Where are we going?"
He said to me.
I said, "I am showing
you the way to the sea."
"Ha, ha!" he laughed as his ashes said,
"that's the perfect place to scatter the dead."
4.
Her scarf was red
though her hair so white.
It blew from her head
though the wind was light.
I picked it up, took it to her as I said,
"Kiss me if thou wantest thy scarf of red."
lundi 25 février 2008
Bounty
The bounty in my kitchen after an hour and a half walk to the Hollywood farmers market this weekend was incredible:
This is raw wildflower honey from the market, not spun, but the texture of marshmellow cream with the lightest, creamiest flavor with just the slightest floral hint. It has blessed many a cup of fresh mint tea and lemon ginger tea as I'm trying to recover from this horrid flu/cough thing.
Here we have thinly sliced shallots cooked with pancetta with shitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and basil.
And here a stroke of kitchen brilliance caught me and I made this utterly inspired salad of pink grapefruit, avocado, and shrimp brined and then cooked in a hot hot hot cast iron skillet with cumin, coriander, oregano, white pepper, fennel seeds and garlic. The dressing was apple cider vinegar from The Apple Farm (more on that when Molly sends photos. Hint, hint, Molly Dear), grapefruit zest, shallots, and olive oil. All served up with a hard apple cider, also from The Apple Farm.
Lucky Orin!
This is raw wildflower honey from the market, not spun, but the texture of marshmellow cream with the lightest, creamiest flavor with just the slightest floral hint. It has blessed many a cup of fresh mint tea and lemon ginger tea as I'm trying to recover from this horrid flu/cough thing.
Here we have thinly sliced shallots cooked with pancetta with shitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and basil.
And here a stroke of kitchen brilliance caught me and I made this utterly inspired salad of pink grapefruit, avocado, and shrimp brined and then cooked in a hot hot hot cast iron skillet with cumin, coriander, oregano, white pepper, fennel seeds and garlic. The dressing was apple cider vinegar from The Apple Farm (more on that when Molly sends photos. Hint, hint, Molly Dear), grapefruit zest, shallots, and olive oil. All served up with a hard apple cider, also from The Apple Farm.
Lucky Orin!
samedi 23 février 2008
ViLLain “L”
Love and Love and LoneLiness
The L’s are kiLLing me
The nation died of this and Less
Fatter, fatter, reach grotesque
Or drink Lemon verbena tea
Love and Love and LoneLiness
Be reLigious, go confess
Spend your Living on psychiatry
The nation died of this and Less
4am, internet express
worLd-wide pornography
Love and Love and LoneLiness
Discover who you are or guess
Do not ever need
The nation died of this and Less
Rich mans sickness
Is the big “D”
But, Love and Love and LoneLiness
The nation died of this and Less.
The L’s are kiLLing me
The nation died of this and Less
Fatter, fatter, reach grotesque
Or drink Lemon verbena tea
Love and Love and LoneLiness
Be reLigious, go confess
Spend your Living on psychiatry
The nation died of this and Less
4am, internet express
worLd-wide pornography
Love and Love and LoneLiness
Discover who you are or guess
Do not ever need
The nation died of this and Less
Rich mans sickness
Is the big “D”
But, Love and Love and LoneLiness
The nation died of this and Less.
dimanche 10 février 2008
Millie and the What Ifs
Millie wanted to move her backpack so Amanda would have a place to sit. But she thought, “What if Amanda doesn’t want sit next to me?”
Millie left her backpack on the seat.
Millie wanted to help Rory pick up the marbles he dropped. But she thought, “What if someone thinks I LIKE Rory?”
Millie did not help.
Millie drew a picture for her teacher. It was a picture of tulips. Tulips were her teacher’s favorite flower. But she thought, “What if she throws my picture in the trash?”
Millie folded the picture up and stuffed it in her backpack.
Millie wanted to play dodge ball. But she thought, “What if I try to catch the ball and it hits me in the face instead?” Michael asked if she wanted to play.
“No,” said Millie. Even though inside she was screaming, “yes, yes, yes!”
Millie heard some kids talking about their pets. She wanted to tell them about her horse named Tony, her dog named Dude, her six rabbits, and her 24 guinea pigs. But she thought, “What if they say, ‘so what’?”
Millie did not tell them anything.
It was raining the next day. Everyone had to play inside. Some girls decided to play Chinese checkers.
“Who wants to be green?” Said Alisha.
“We need another person,” said Mandy.
“Okay, who else wants to play, Shaun? Jason?” Alisha asked.
“Tell HER to play. She’s not doing anything,” said Shaun.
Millie’s face burned red and hot. She liked to play Chinese checkers. She was pretty good. But, she thought, “What if everyone knows I was too shy to ask if I could play before?”
Millie pretended to read a book.
“Millie’s not very nice. She never wants to play with anyone. She doesn’t even talk to anyone,” Alisha said quietly to Mandy. But not too quietly.
Millie pretended she had to go to the bathroom.
For a long time.
Millie wondered if other kids thought what ifs. SHE had never thought of the what ifs that could happen if she didn’t move her backpack or help pick up marbles, or play on the playground. Maybe other kids didn’t think what ifs at all. Or maybe they thought good what ifs, like what if I play baseball, and I make a home run?
Millie saw Janina walking home in the rain with no umbrella. Millie had a blue umbrella with a duck on the handle. She wanted to share her umbrella with Janina, but she thought, “What if she laughs because I have a duck umbrella? What if I say her name wrong and she thinks I’m stupid? What if I look dumb because I am using an umbrella and it isn’t even raining that hard?”
Millie remembered what happened at school that day. She didn’t want anyone to think she wasn’t nice. She started walking faster to catch up to Janina. She made herself think good “what ifs”. “What if Janina would love to share an umbrella with me? What if she thinks I’m nice? What if she wants to be my friend?”
“Um, hi…” said Millie, but Janina didn’t even hear her. She kept walking. Millie was embarrassed. But she tried again. The words were stuck in her throat. She tapped Janina on the shoulder.
“Oh, hey!” said Janina. “You’re Millie, right? That’s a cool umbrella.”
“Do you want to share it with me?” Millie asked.
“Sure, thanks! I forgot my umbrella today. I can hold it, since I’m taller.”
Millie let Janina hold the umbrella. She was so glad to help, she didn’t even mind that half of her was getting all wet.
Millie left her backpack on the seat.
Millie wanted to help Rory pick up the marbles he dropped. But she thought, “What if someone thinks I LIKE Rory?”
Millie did not help.
Millie drew a picture for her teacher. It was a picture of tulips. Tulips were her teacher’s favorite flower. But she thought, “What if she throws my picture in the trash?”
Millie folded the picture up and stuffed it in her backpack.
Millie wanted to play dodge ball. But she thought, “What if I try to catch the ball and it hits me in the face instead?” Michael asked if she wanted to play.
“No,” said Millie. Even though inside she was screaming, “yes, yes, yes!”
Millie heard some kids talking about their pets. She wanted to tell them about her horse named Tony, her dog named Dude, her six rabbits, and her 24 guinea pigs. But she thought, “What if they say, ‘so what’?”
Millie did not tell them anything.
It was raining the next day. Everyone had to play inside. Some girls decided to play Chinese checkers.
“Who wants to be green?” Said Alisha.
“We need another person,” said Mandy.
“Okay, who else wants to play, Shaun? Jason?” Alisha asked.
“Tell HER to play. She’s not doing anything,” said Shaun.
Millie’s face burned red and hot. She liked to play Chinese checkers. She was pretty good. But, she thought, “What if everyone knows I was too shy to ask if I could play before?”
Millie pretended to read a book.
“Millie’s not very nice. She never wants to play with anyone. She doesn’t even talk to anyone,” Alisha said quietly to Mandy. But not too quietly.
Millie pretended she had to go to the bathroom.
For a long time.
Millie wondered if other kids thought what ifs. SHE had never thought of the what ifs that could happen if she didn’t move her backpack or help pick up marbles, or play on the playground. Maybe other kids didn’t think what ifs at all. Or maybe they thought good what ifs, like what if I play baseball, and I make a home run?
Millie saw Janina walking home in the rain with no umbrella. Millie had a blue umbrella with a duck on the handle. She wanted to share her umbrella with Janina, but she thought, “What if she laughs because I have a duck umbrella? What if I say her name wrong and she thinks I’m stupid? What if I look dumb because I am using an umbrella and it isn’t even raining that hard?”
Millie remembered what happened at school that day. She didn’t want anyone to think she wasn’t nice. She started walking faster to catch up to Janina. She made herself think good “what ifs”. “What if Janina would love to share an umbrella with me? What if she thinks I’m nice? What if she wants to be my friend?”
“Um, hi…” said Millie, but Janina didn’t even hear her. She kept walking. Millie was embarrassed. But she tried again. The words were stuck in her throat. She tapped Janina on the shoulder.
“Oh, hey!” said Janina. “You’re Millie, right? That’s a cool umbrella.”
“Do you want to share it with me?” Millie asked.
“Sure, thanks! I forgot my umbrella today. I can hold it, since I’m taller.”
Millie let Janina hold the umbrella. She was so glad to help, she didn’t even mind that half of her was getting all wet.
dimanche 3 février 2008
Eight Years Later
Brown and white our bellies press together
Your breath a mix of smoke and Crest toothpaste
I breathe in comfort but each breath is laced
Richmond and Virginia present ever
What happiness it is to let you go
And find that you come back to me again
From time to time to time the world will spin
And when it settles, when it stops, we’ll know
That whether we are far or just nearby
Tea we’ll have with milk and yours with sugar
Rent a car that drives us to forever
A gondola can take us to the sky
Ripe with life and soft with age and laughter
Brown and white our bellies press together
Your breath a mix of smoke and Crest toothpaste
I breathe in comfort but each breath is laced
Richmond and Virginia present ever
What happiness it is to let you go
And find that you come back to me again
From time to time to time the world will spin
And when it settles, when it stops, we’ll know
That whether we are far or just nearby
Tea we’ll have with milk and yours with sugar
Rent a car that drives us to forever
A gondola can take us to the sky
Ripe with life and soft with age and laughter
Brown and white our bellies press together
In French class, I am learning the passé composé. We were given a poem full of verbs in this form which we were to decipher and learn. After some work, I believe I've deciphered the poem. It is probably very famous, but it is my first time hearing of it. It shows loneliness simply and concretely in a way I connected with. I will also give you my best attempt at a very rough translation. I believe there may be some fancy word play that is going right over my head. If any of you French speakers care to inform me, please do.
Déjeuner du matin
Il a mis le café
Dans le tasse
Il a mis le lait
Dans la tasse de café
Il a mis le sucre
Dans le café au lait
Avec la petite cuiller
Il a tourné
Il a bu le café au lait
Et il a reposé la tasse
Sans me parler
Il allumé
Une cigarette
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder
Il s'est levé
Il a mis
Son chapeau sur sa tête
Il a mis son manteau de pluie
Parce qu'il pleuvait
Et il est parti
Sous la pluie
Sans une parole
Sans me regarder
Et moi j'ai pris
Ma tête dans ma main
Et j'ai pleuré.
--Jacques Prévert, Paroles
Breakfast
He put the coffee
In the cup
He put the milk
In the cup of coffee
He put the sugar
In the coffee with milk
With a small spoon
He stirred
He drank the coffee with milk
And he put down the cup
Without talking to me
He lit a cigarette
He made circles
With the smok
He put the ashes
In the fireplace
Without talking to me
Without looking at me
He got up
He put
His hat on his head
He put on his raincoat
Because it was raining
And he went out
In the rain
Without a word
Without looking at me
And I, I took
My head in my hands
And I cried.
Déjeuner du matin
Il a mis le café
Dans le tasse
Il a mis le lait
Dans la tasse de café
Il a mis le sucre
Dans le café au lait
Avec la petite cuiller
Il a tourné
Il a bu le café au lait
Et il a reposé la tasse
Sans me parler
Il allumé
Une cigarette
Il a fait des ronds
Avec la fumée
Il a mis les cendres
Dans le cendrier
Sans me parler
Sans me regarder
Il s'est levé
Il a mis
Son chapeau sur sa tête
Il a mis son manteau de pluie
Parce qu'il pleuvait
Et il est parti
Sous la pluie
Sans une parole
Sans me regarder
Et moi j'ai pris
Ma tête dans ma main
Et j'ai pleuré.
--Jacques Prévert, Paroles
Breakfast
He put the coffee
In the cup
He put the milk
In the cup of coffee
He put the sugar
In the coffee with milk
With a small spoon
He stirred
He drank the coffee with milk
And he put down the cup
Without talking to me
He lit a cigarette
He made circles
With the smok
He put the ashes
In the fireplace
Without talking to me
Without looking at me
He got up
He put
His hat on his head
He put on his raincoat
Because it was raining
And he went out
In the rain
Without a word
Without looking at me
And I, I took
My head in my hands
And I cried.
samedi 2 février 2008
Today I saw a Raindrop
A perfect sphere unblemished by the filth and sadness of the city it was in. It reflected clearly, with uncommon understanding, the world, and somehow made it brighter. I wonder, as it rolls down my windshield, how it managed to stay so whole. I see, in this tiny raindrop, a universe of sound, of rhythm, thought. And I thank a god I don’t believe in that I am seeing raindrops on my windshield where once I felt tears on my face.
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)
