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Friday, July 20, 2012




After Another Reading of Raymond Carver's "All of Us"

Young, strong, brave me, doing all that!
Dancing, teaching, performing, making this,
making that. I drank great draughts
of art, all kinds, you name it.
Used the fine work out there
to define, refine, defend my being,
my sincere effort to soar. And let
me tell you it was almost glorious.

There was, of course, a catch. For many
of those potentially triumphant years,
I helplessly slogged through a swampy mess
each night.Yes, every night. I'll stand by that.
Same old, same old. So and so loved me, but
I wanted you and you wanted her, then her.
And for all that time I couldn't get free,
couldn't toss you off, over, away, used Scotch
to dull my fury and so became more pitiful.

From here, out of all that, well-rested,
I can see that awful catch of mine
has a place at the table, in fact, near
the head, across from the almost glory.
My foolishness can be read, watched,
listened to, painted. And it has been.
Will be. Now it's time for some lunch.





5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"My foolishness can be read, watched,
listened to, painted. And it has been.
Will be. Now it's time for some lunch."

Lunch is what is real in the now. It is wonderful you have creative gifts to re- play these stories.
Elizabeth (Zoe)

Maryanne Stahl said...

well done!

Maryanne Stahl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Ah, but to have the opportunity to look back, with clarity..and reach forward. Amen.

Martin heavisides said...

Haven't read the Carver story--I'll have to see if I can find it at the library. I suppose it would add resonance, but there's plenty here just as it stands.