Notes About The Poem

--with a line by Andrew Marvell

www.ronnowpoetry.com

Aging As a Spiritual Practice

Beautiful summer day. You know you're gonna die 
that's why you know no joy
unless religion, tv, stories, sports matter. 
For men like us dying's easy, it's living that's hard. 
And since dying's much like living, that's hard too.
There's some contentment in letting community decide 
your place in it. A good day to die, the Apaches say.

Can't stop the quince from blossoming 
or my sons from smoking, speeding.
The best that can be done or said's a blessing.
Less tv, less guessing about the effects of your anger 
unless you want to be an angry man forever. 
Becoming knowledgeable is the best defense 
against your insignificance. OK about being alone.

Alive, almost sure of it. Whether I'm a visitor 
to my life or the actual owner.
Mature poets steal, most are masturbators. 
There are a million poets, I'm poet #500K. 
Plenty of mysteries, infinite philosophies,
prayers, laws and unwritten rules.
That's why we go to school, life's complicated. 

All I do not know: ATP, probabilities,
the glorious revolution, meiosis and mitosis 
and all I'll never see, the bottom of the ocean, 
the palm at the end of the mind, a wolverine.
Forget-me-not, is that all I want? 
To get lucky, you gotta be careful first.
To be great, you gotta be willing to sound BAD.

In last night’s movie, a young writer
and an older, married with children French woman
fall in love. They did not meet during a village massacre 
and money is no object, Manhattan. 
But after everything has happened 
she cannot leave her children, not even for love, 
because of love, the love that brooks no serendipity.

In the subsequent late night movie, a wealthy 
altruistic doctor arranges for the murder
of his neurotic concubine. His guilt 
provides us with an opportunity to consider
the concepts of faith and forgiveness, 
that all will be well in the end 
after a period of meaningless suffering.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2017

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Rodrigues Avatar
March 9, 2017 at 6:13 AM
Lots of pondering here. Truly can't stop the kids from speeding and smoking, etc.. prayer and love. If you have kids you go through a lot of things! I don't nag my daughter about her smoking. "You gotta be willing to sound bad" - yup! Life is not easy.
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace