Change is hi-larlious. Everyone wants it, no one wants to do it. Stroll with me into Plato's cave? Rather not? Well, here we go anyway. Comfy, right? Easy for the eyes, nice temp. Hard to leave. You see my point. Change, the only thing and the everything, the "interesting" in the curse "may you live in interesting times" is change, and change is intrusion. I can almost feel my toes again. Is this being unfroze? I'm excited about the president. I'm also a little turned on. The man is so so so handsome. And that was no lady, that was the First lady! Love the matching green shoes and gloves. Love. Does anyone want to know what the Last Lady was wearing for the inauguration? Pajamas. This is from her, ahem, my first poetry book The Next Ancient World.
Rumination on change? Notes to myself? Incantation expiation for a cybernation up from out of hibernation? Maybe, but not three times fast. xoxjmh
Villanelle If You Want To Be A Bad-Ass
You will not be rewarded for remaining long the same.
You will, of course, be taunted if you ever try to change.
When trainers wander off, tigers, please do not stay tame.
Consistency is worse, it brings the wrong kind of fame.
The orbit of right action has a freakin’ woolly range.
You will not be rewarded for remaining long the same.
It, inertia, is a pity. It, stagnation, is a shame. Yet you
yourself preach caution as you pace your unlocked cage:
“When trainers wander off, tigers, please do not. Stay tame.”
Be a mountain if you want to, be the whole mountain range.
Will you, in turn, be hostage to your hostage on the page?
You will not. Be rewarded for remaining long the same?
You can say what you want when the angel makes you lame.
You can wrestle against water, you can rape your own rage
(when trainers wander off). Tigers, please do not stay tame.
As hard as bleeding a tree to death by cut and squeezing, change
from out of the gut of the rut’s range will be insanely hard.
But you will not be rewarded for remaining long the same,
when trainers wander off, tigers, please do not stay tame.
I love this poem! Now I want to buy your book. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Sheila | January 21, 2009 at 02:21 PM
Well thank you Sheila. I've had quite a day and appreciate your note colossally.
Posted by: Jennifer Michael Hecht | January 21, 2009 at 07:44 PM