paintbrush

blown like a kiss

over heart of stone

a love letter

- arem

Memorial

Is it time yet? Time to head out to the graveyard with a few geraniums; our dues to deaths well died, if not lives well lived?

. . . yeah, here's a geranium, got a good price on it at wal-mart - specials all over but they still had the best price - thanks a lot, by the way, for diein' & all - diein' for the U.S.A. - at least you can feel good about that. christ, how'd you feel if you died for nam, or germany, or japan, or goddam france, or some fucked-up desert full of oil for chrissake? that'd be a bummer. oh yeah, forgot that your kid's over there now. well, gotta go - three day week-end & all - goin' back down to wal-mart to buy a new grille. everyday low prices, man. yeah, it's made in china, but that's how it goes. looks like i'll have to get more geraniums next year. holy shit. florists must be cleanin' up, man . . .

evening song

and the sea rolls away

to the west

to the west

where the day is young

and we watch it roll

as it's followed by the sun

- - -

and the dark wells up

all around

all around

this place where we stand

with all of our fears

oh let me take your hand

- - -

- Ralph Murre

Remembering Stanley

from his drifting boat

an old poet calls to us

the cry of a gull

- arem

Self-Portrait with Thick Glasses

some may have wondered

about arem arvinson

now others may, too

Ready? w/update

Ready to head out coast-to-coast, and I don't just mean across our skinny little peninsula. Well, I don't really mean Atlantic - Pacific, either. No, we'll head from home base on the shores of Lady Lake and have an overdue visit with Old Man River. Bicoastal Wisconsin style. We'll travel back roads where we can and try to rediscover ourselves and our state, with an eye for real women who serve great pies and lousy coffee. Are there any left? Will report.

While on the muddy, muddy banks, we'll help celebrate a 70th wedding anniversary (!). Yes, seven - oh.! and they're still very cool people. Don't ask me how the hell that works, life is full of mysteries. Here's to Lorna and Pete, flowing like a river. Roll on, roll on.

And the rest of you - turn off your damned computers, close your books, and go LIVE.

Later, -R.

Scorecard:

Real Women - lots
Great Pies - zero
Lousy Coffee - getting hard to find
Wolves crossing road - one, very close
Brake for low-flying blue heron - once
Clothing layers on return - four, thick
Living done - lots
Books read - zero

happy birthday

Happy 94th, Studs,
and for the sake of all of us,
may you have many more.

The News

Didn't buy a paper today and I'm not watching the TV news, which leads to a thought, unoriginal though it may be: How different would the world be if I never learned any of the news? Probably not very different at all. But how different would I be? How would I behave if I never knew about the bombs and beheadings, the feasts and famines, never saw the peacock of NBC or heard the poppycock of the BBC? I'd probably sleep better. Is ignorance bliss?

(Ignorance ought to be cheaper -- think of the money that might have been saved if several of our world leaders had skipped expensive educations in prominent universities.)

How would I be different if I didn't take my walks in the woods? never saw these blossoms?
That's a little less fun to imagine.

- Ralph Murre

deborah butterfield

On “Riot”,
sculpture by
Deborah Butterfield

Riot


In the riotous coming together of you,
no horseflesh, but old Texaco station “T”;
nor Texas tea nor oat nor hay burned
in the transport of spirit
from salvage yard of tortured steel
to bluegrass of Elysian field.
What god is this, or goddess,
that can create from tornado twisted tumult
and with torch wielded, weld
this elemental equine?
What wand is waved to bring alive
this alloy, so brave and fairly fused?
Of what steely something
can bridle be built
to control the manner of this mare ?
Of what miracle stuff, the harness
that can contain the energy
breathing
in this red riot?
Contain her not, I ask, lest
mere metal she become, and joyless junk.


- Ralph Murre

appeared in WFOP Museletter

Dream

Did you ever have the one
where you're being chased
by a short man with a hatchet
down a long balcony and you
think this has got to be
mistaken identity 'cause I'm
a good person but you keep
running 'cause you don't think
you could reason with this guy
and he may only speak another
language and just as he throws
the hatchet you come to the end
of the balcony and jump to your
certain death but it turns out
you can fly better than Michael
Jordan or Mikhail Baryshnikov
and you lightly touch down and
then spring to the very treetops
and you're a bird?

You should have that one;
it's pretty cool.
Really messes with your head.

-Ralph Murre

I Tried

moonlight and blossoms

my words drowned out

by Basho's laughter

- arem