How to Do Nothing
First you must wash the window to observe more clearly
the dandelion seed heads bobbing in the wind. Next,
announce on Facebook and Twitter that you will be offline
for the next two days, if not forever. Heat water for tea.
Remember the bill you forgot to pay, and then cleanse
your mind of all regret. Consider industrial solvents
and the smoothness of sand-scoured stone, the miracle
of erasure. Eliminate all thought, but remember
the water. Hitch a ride on a Miles Davis solo and float
away on a raft of bluesy notes and lions’ teeth,
and wonder how to sabotage your neighbor’s leaf blower,
but nicely, of course. She’s a widow with a gun.
Now it is time to empty yourself. Close your eyes.
Become a single drop of dew on a constellation of petals.
Evaporate, share the bliss. Stuff that dog’s bark
into a lock box alongside the tapping at the door,
the phone’s vibration, the neighbor’s rumbling bass,
and the nagging, forgotten something that won’t
solidify until three in the morning, keeping you awake.
But don’t ignore the whistling. You must steep the tea.
* * *
“How to Do Nothing” was published in Volume 4 of Steel Toe Review.
Enjoyed it a lot :)))))
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I’m so pleased it resonated for you. Thank you.
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how beautiful. just float –
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Thanks, Beth. Somedays I feel too heavy to float!
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That was brilliant, timely and very welcome!
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Thanks very much, Margaret!
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Love this!
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Thank you, Wesley. Much appreciated.
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This poem should be a daily read, self-level reset, even on days when the goal of nothing (except tea) is beyond reach. Especially on such days. Like today – thank you for balancing my busy agenda with the notion of otherwise.
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I may not accomplish nothing today, but it won’t be from lack of trying? 🙂
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I tweeted this (it’s gorgeous; I love it) but oddly enough when I tried to post it on Facebook I got a message that it offended community standards. Was it the word dandelion? Tea? Solvents?
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Thank you. Ha! I don’t know what’s happening with FB. Someone else reported the same problem with another poem about a week ago. I haven’t a clue what could possibly be offensive.
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They invited me to challenge their decision, so I went ahead and challenge it. Maybe it’ll even get read by a human being.
Maybe the human being will have an ear for poetry.
Maybe Donald Trump will grow a brain and a conscience.
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I wouldn’t hold my breath on any of these…
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Me neither.
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love this!!
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Thank you, Nancie. There’s much to like about nothing!
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absolutely!
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I’ve been looking for the Instruction Manual for Life – have you seen it?
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I seem to have misplaced it…
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This is a brilliant post. I brought my husband in to share this with him. We actually do let the dandelions go for a while. I like their flowers and the green stems are great cooked with garbanzos and caramelized onions. We both laughed about the leave blower because we caused quit a stir in our neighborhood in Seattle area trying to get the use of the “blower” out lawed at a board meeting. This was prior to moving South. We both got a big laugh out loud over this. The verses are beautifully written and I am working towards these goals. Thank you Robert.
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Thanks, Joni. I like dandelions – have enjoyed watching them in the wind. And yes, they taste good, too! I’m so pleased this poem resonates with you.
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Maybe I’d be drifting away with Tom Waits, but I know the feeling well, like Van Morrison’s “Coney Island” bells……
” Hitch a ride on a Miles Davis solo and float
away on a raft of bluesy notes and lions’ teeth,”
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Oh, yes, we all have our own muses!
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What a great read to start my day. And why were leaf blowers invented when we already had raked?
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Thank you, Ali! Why, indeed!
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Loved this poem and the idea behind it.
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Thank you! I’m so pleased you like it!
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A formula for mindfulness that should be a broadside.
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Maybe it will be, one of these days.
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I would very much like to do “nothing” the way that you do! 🙂
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I’ve been told I’m good at nothing l… 😁
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Very funny. Especially enjoyed the line about the widow, the leaf blower and the gun.
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Taken from life. Well, maybe not the gun. But who knows?
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A perfect poem.
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Thank you, Linnet!
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