THUPA Round 4: shadow Digs Deep in the Artfag Closet (396 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.93 on 17 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by shadow (View user info) at 2009-01-11 15:14:43 EST
If I knew for sure, without a doubt
that a person only gets one life to live,
then I should expect that I would plan my days more carefully
I should rise earlier, and eat better
and I should wear proper shoes in the rain.
Or perhaps not;
It is just as likely that I should stay up late
and eat all of the worst foods
and when the rain comes pouring through the charcoal clouds
I would wear no shoes at all.
I am reminded of what Mr. Jones used to say,
or perhaps I only credit him with the saying because I thought him wise-
regardless,
he would say:
"Zorba came up on an old man planting a tree,
a little tree,
a baby tree,
and he said,
'Hey, whatcha doing planting that little tree?
you'll never live to see it grow.'
And the old man said
'I live my life as though I might never die,'
and Zorba said,
'I live my life as though I might die tomorrow-
which of us is right?'"
I am reminded of a story I read years ago,
it was about a silk slip trimmed in fine French lace;
and the woman who had bought the slip
on holiday sometime in Spring
would not wear it.
She saved the slip, the lacy black silk
for a special occasion,
and when she died
her husband tore away the tags
and handed it to the mortician.
I am reminded of a woman I used to know,
or thought I knew, at least;
she saved nothing for a special occasion.
And she ate as she pleased,
and she drank as she pleased,
and she loved as she pleased,
and she lived for a very long time.
But in those fading years
when one looks for comfort,
all she had were memories;
no one,
no thing,
not even a home to call her own.
And she lingered in that way for as long as I knew of her.
If I knew for sure that I had only one life to live
I would never spend it sitting by the phone;
I would call ten minutes after a date to tell you
I want to see you again.
If I knew I had only one life
I would taste everything at the table
although it is considered rude,
I think it is far worse to pretend you are not curious.
If I had only one life
I would buy another plane ticket,
and another, and another,
and I would leave my things in the care of people who care about things.
Even if I had a thousand lives
I would not waste this single unique one
fretting over the if's and what's
I would explore them all instead.
And in my only life
I would not wait until the seasons change to see you.
I would see you now and every day,
and abandon my fears to the pages of notebooks.
User Reviews
Submitted by Shallabow (user info) at 2009-02-13 08:12:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Touching, insightful, well-written... everything I've come to expect from you, really, but it's delivered in a new and compelling way every time. You invent some of the finest turns of phrase I've ever seen in published or unpublished works.
Submitted by F.J.Bell (user info) at 2009-01-13 09:59:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by beeltea (user info) at 2009-01-13 09:58:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i agree
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2009-01-12 15:20:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by messmind (user info) at 2009-01-12 11:12:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Comment denied.
Submitted by FALLEN (user info) at 2009-01-12 11:07:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
****swoons over shadows awsomeness***
Submitted by shitfuck (user info) at 2009-01-12 10:47:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Artfag made me laugh. The poem was good too.
Submitted by sage104 (user info) at 2009-01-12 09:46:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Ballare (user info) at 2009-01-12 04:04:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by HateMudkips (user info) at 2009-01-11 23:49:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 because this was somewhat bukowski-ish.
Submitted by YourNameHere (user info) at 2009-01-11 20:09:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2009-01-11 16:44:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Banjo (user info) at 2009-01-11 16:07:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Winner!
Submitted by pandora (user info) at 2009-01-11 15:52:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I don't care if it's poetry or prose (should that matter?). I like it.
Submitted by EmissionImpossible (user info) at 2009-01-11 15:50:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
what bubba? ignoramous.
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2009-01-11 15:29:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I like it
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2009-01-11 15:23:07 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Prose semi-disguised as poetry.