In Response to Nadia’s Misdirected Email, I State Exactly What I Am Looking For

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tulip

 

In Response to Nadia’s Misdirected Email, I State Exactly What I Am Looking For

Balance. The ability to stand on one foot, on a tightrope, and juggle AR-15s,
ethics and dollar bills, while chanting the U.S. Constitution, in tongues.

Or good health.

Unweighted dreams.

A mechanism for disagreeing without needing to annihilate the opposition.

Doorways without doors, truth without fear.

A simple tulip.

One word to describe that instant between thought and pulled trigger,
intent and wish, the elevated pulse and sense of diminished space and time.

Sanctuary. Regret. Apology. Respect.

A tonic to the bitterness, a foil to the sweet.

Fitted sheets that fold. Uncommon sense.

Love in the abstract. More bacon. Smiles.

A closet that embraces everything you place in it. Everything.

The means of unfiring guns, of reversing wounds to undamaged flesh,
and rounds to their magazines, full and never used.

Self-organizing drawers. Due process.

Mothers who know only tears of joy.

One peaceful day.

Just one.

 

lights n sirens

 

 

125 thoughts on “In Response to Nadia’s Misdirected Email, I State Exactly What I Am Looking For”

  8. Wow, Robert. The ebb and flow between the commonplace and the profound is so beautiful in this. And it all seems so possible when you state it this way, except maybe the fitted sheets that fold.
    I’ll have to misdirect emails more often if this is an indication of what results.

    Liked by 11 people

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  15. like a clear, cold mountain stream, your poetry always satisfies and renews our strength and joy of living,

    You have a positive gift for language so much so that I just know if you were a writer of classified ads by profession it would only be a short while before classified ads began to look and sound like inspired literature.

    I treasure our friendship and pray for your continued success in your art and craft.

    Warmest Always,

    Obi-Ron

    Liked by 7 people

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  22. “One peaceful day… just one.” And the rest of the wants it for you. All good people want it for America.

    But you all live in a society where your leaders did NOTHING when 20 CHILDREN were slaughtered at Sandy Hook. Slaughtered lambs… and still nothing changed; tacit acceptance of the act in order to “protect” whichever political status quo benefits from non-action. Sandy Hook and the shibboleth that erases/silences its message… one peaceful day will not come easily to the USA when Sandy Hook is not enough to bring that day about. Your poems are salve to innocent skin; skin within that your national politik sows and you reap, misery.

    Such karma might have other plans for that one peaceful day….

    Liked by 4 people

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  24. Pingback: And again, Robert comes through… « buildingapoem

  26. fitted sheets that fold…Ha!

    Seriously…this list put me in a serene place just thinking of the possibilities. On my A list…”The means of unfiring guns, of reversing wounds to undamaged flesh,
    and rounds to their magazines, full and never used.”

    let it be so!!

    You gave us all a gift when you posted this one. Thank you!

    Liked by 3 people

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  32. Pingback: In Response to Nadia’s Misdirected Email, I State Exactly What I Am Looking For — O at the Edges – Engineer Marine Skipper

  36. Love it Robert. Especially the last lines:

    “The means of unfiring guns, of reversing wounds to undamaged flesh,
    and rounds to their magazines, full and never used.

    Self-organizing drawers. Due process.

    Mothers who know only tears of joy.

    One peaceful day.

    Just one.”

    Might we have just one. Starting from us.

    Liked by 4 people

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  37. This one is a keeper, the kind that whenever one reads it or sees or experiences a situation that it fits, finds that he or she can breathe again. Wonderfully said, Bob. About not knowing where the words come from, I have the same experience. Sometimes when I sit and look at a blank page it suddenly is transformed into a poem; at other times it remains blank. It’s one of those things that I love about poetry.

    Liked by 4 people

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  43. Incredibly moving. I want all of these things too, particularly the last.

    And the line “A tonic to the bitterness, a foil to the sweet” has just replaced an unwillingly remembered song that had been plaguing me all morning, so thank you for that!

    Liked by 3 people

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  45. Pingback: Living Words – Paradox and Poetry | seedzen

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