"In the Scheme of Things"
What is a cocklebur waiting
For a bear that never comes
What does it do the day
But wave in the wind
At the end of a stem
What nature is this
To have gifted a purpose
Crafted a means
Assigned proper tasks
To chloroplasts and sun
Was it better that one day I,
Yes a mammal with no hair
To speak of
But new jeans and argyle
On a clumsy path
Through loblolly pines
Become a raison d’etre
East Village Books, 99 St. Mark's Place between Avenue A and First Avenue
Saturday hours: 1 p.m. until late
Both the bookstore and the poet are the real deal.
ReplyDeleteThis is exceptional work. Please publisha book of your work.
ReplyDeleteYeah Donald!
ReplyDelete"become a raison d'etre" seems like a joke about what is the worst possible way to end a poem...
ReplyDeleteI won a bad poetry competition a few years ago with a poem that began "pump, pump, pump"...I think "become a raison d'etre" is the only worst thing I can imagine. It's like ending a marriage proposal with "on the flip side" or something.
Perhaps reread the poem because the final line refers to the cocklebur, not the narrator
DeleteIncredibly beautiful poem, I say as I fly away
ReplyDeleteJust by being born you've become a raison d'être. However, "Create your raison d'être" puts a finer point on things. You're not just existing, you're endeavoring to something more high-minded. Plus I think it would sound great on a bumper sticker.
ReplyDeleteI love that poem. I read it on the store window last week. "What Was I Made For?" Something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI went to the Printed Matter Art Book Fair yesterday. One artist had published his poems on cash register paper. Publishing can take many forms. I'm glad that EV Grieve published this poem on the blog.
Lovely bookstore and poem!
ReplyDeleteon the poetry tab of the the east village books website there's a ton of interesting johnny h photos - go check it out, a real authentic old east village vibe
ReplyDelete