Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The School Of The Ancients

A bird spiraled down out of the sun,
Black as a Bicycle ace,
Glib as an undertaker.

She broke her fall on the turnips from the truck I had lately fallen out of,
And, oh, what a fabulous line of bullshit she had.

I made her pancakes,
The good kind, with spiced plums;
She ate them,
And ate me,
Indiscriminately.

In the shadow of the wing of the bird with the fabulous line of bullshit,
I gave birth to a child,
An unlikely child,
The scourge of the countryside, in those days.

That's the sort of stuff that I called joy,
When I was younger,
Before I knew any better--

But now my child is grown;
I know bullshit from bath water,
Shibboleth from Shinola;
I am ready for you, my fresh love, the way Athena was ready,
Setting her owl after the faker birds,
Smiling to herself,
Finally satisfied.
______ 
for Ella's challenge at Real Toads. My words were child, bird, shadow, and joy.

22 comments:

  1. You see, turnips *are* good for you...

    ...or at least good for something.

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  2. These are my two favorite lines: "I know bullshit from bath water,Shibboleth from Shinola."

    However, the spiced plum pancakes sound intriguing.

    (Shay, did you like Adrienne Rich's poetry? Her poem, "Autumunal Equinox," was one of my favorites. I was saddened to read of her death today.)

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  3. like a brilliant quilt of memories!


    Warm Aloha from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral

    > < } } ( ° >

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  4. "I am ready for you, my fresh love, the way Athena was ready,
    Setting her owl after the faker birds" a hunting we will go. :)

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  5. Well, I'm smiling to myself after reading this, but I admit to the bitterest kind of envy at the "Black as a Bicycle ace" bird. Sheesh woman!

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  6. Good job on incorporating those words - I'm in awe.

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  7. 'the faker birds' ..

    Home of Danny's Coffee Shop .. I love it and I think I have found the perfect prototype for Danny's .. I am going to get some pix this weekend!

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  8. That's the sort of stuff that I called joy,
    When I was younger,
    Before I knew any better--

    ....just love that. I have to ponder if she really knows joy, though! She seems a bit jaded ;)

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  9. I do love the ending with being able to see the bullshit from the bathwater and being ready for fresh love.

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  10. I love how some readers see her as ready for for a new love, which is how I wrote it, but I also knew it could be seen as her having become predatory herself. I think it works either way.

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  11. I love how she ready to try again!
    I love owls, so happy your included this. It has a black spell magic cast feel...love it~

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  12. Love the black magick feeling of this...loved the crow , of course......and now I can only think about pancakes! Beautiful, as always, kiddo. I love the flashing way cool Danny's sign you have up top.

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  13. I said "pancakes" for clarity's sake, but what I had in mind was kolaches.

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  14. OMG! I had to google kolaches and now I want to try one! I love your banner. I want to steal "black as a Bicycle Ace."

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  15. "I made her pancakes,
    The good kind, with spiced plums"

    Okay, maybe I will wear your jacket after all.

    rosemarymint.wordpress.com

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  16. I loved the path this little poem took, the swooping in, the indiscriminate eating, the time flash forward.

    Wonderful, magical, enviable. I love you(r writing), Mosk

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  17. Yes, make me pull out that last hair. Of course, my baldness is quite fashionable, but the bill for exotic head rags is getting quite steep.

    You describe our movement from innocence to wisdom in all it's bitter glory, and yet also make it quite clear that what's fake can only be mourned for so long unless you're fake yourself. Loved it, Shay--especially 'Shibboleth from Shinola." (!)Yeesh!

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  18. Gorgeous write, my favorite line:she broke her fall on the turnips from the truck I had lately fallen out of...nice.

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  19. Enjoyed this, Shay (as always)... the third stanza cracked me up.

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  20. Turnip truck! I love this poem, all of it but you really had me at those two words. Well done as well!

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  21. Speaking of a fabulous line of bullshit . . .

    This be some classic Shay!

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  22. Jaded or wise..perhaps both. Oh and what maturity comes when we can recognize bullshit from its first scent...great piece!!

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Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?