The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Thu 6/7/2007)

I Remember Galileo

I remember Galileo describing the mind
as a piece of paper blown around by the wind,
and I loved the sight of it sticking to a tree,
or jumping into the backseat of a car,
and for years I watched paper leap through my cities;
but yesterday I saw the mind was a squirrel caught crossing
Route 80 between the wheels of a giant truck,
dancing back and forth like a thin leaf,
or a frightened string, for only two seconds living
on the white concrete before he got away,
his life shortened by all that terror, his head
jerking, his yellow teeth ground down to dust.

It was the speed of the squirrel and his lowness to the ground,
his great purpose and the alertness of his dancing,
that showed me the difference between him and paper.
Paper will do in theory, when there is time
to sit back in a metal chair and study shadows;
but for this life I need a squirrel,
his clawed feet spread, his whole soul quivering,
the loud noise shaking him from head to tail.
O philosophical mind, O mind of paper, I need a squirrel
finishing his wild dash across the highway,
rushing up his green ungoverned hillside.

Gerald Stern

****************

RL

If you have a request for a certain Poet, post their name in the thread and I will find a poem by them and post it...

if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

My mind has been focused a bit like the squirrel lately -
Brought to sharp attention by the mental trucks running
through it


I used to have all his books, but I lost everything in
a move several years ago.

Thanks again. OB

free will to
manifest destiny
to have done
and
not just be
done upon...

to be aware
and
have control
to go with
the wind
or against it...

thanks, rl

:hi:

This is great, a wonderful metaphor!

Somehow the paper looks so lifeless, so fragile and almost meaningless against the terror of the squirrel...

I can practically feel his little heart banging...

A powerful poem indeed!

Thank you...:hug:

it's not a squirrel -- but it is pretty high strung and jumps around a lot.

and not given to a lot of philosophy -- but certainly doesn't mind monkeying a round.