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Friday, January 25, 2013

SILENCE BETWEEN THE SMILES






Slanted plane of window light.
Melted road tar.
Clouds in the shape of Madagascar.
Random stabs at a keyboard.

Oh
do come in please
and we shall schedule you for
summary execution...
unless, of course, you'd rather not--
in which case you are free to
have tea and crumpets
and be on your way--
we do so aim to please.

Life
from within its own murky maze
is a story best read between the lines.
The silence between the smiles
speaks of its halting uncertainty.

Mistress gazes at the wife's picture
and asks do you love her?
Her eyes blink on and off.
Do lies equal kindness?

A man stays with a woman
not out of a sense of loyalty
but out of a sense of continuity.
Change what intrigues him about you
(like your hair, maybe)
and he may not be out the door,
but he'll be slipping out the back window
meeting a short order cook
in short order.

Riding the curve on a ripple.
Legions of dark delights.
Your eyes are divine
like fine boxed wine.

In the autumn I will turn over a new leaf.

GADZOOKS--an ancient evil awakens!
I draw my sword...
m'lady demurs
and buys my false bravado.
They just want someone
to slay the dragon
or at least wave that thing around menacingly.  

Belief without evidence.

Yet some still say "Your Majesty"
to another human being and
manage it with a straight face.

Kilimanjaro--that's majesty.
An old lady sitting on the crapper
 in a funny hat
 she never takes off,
 well...




17 comments:

  1. life is a story read between the lines...that stanza right there is the mean for me in this...and the wanting someone to slay the dragon or wave it around...ha..your humor and wit are superb sir

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  2. So inspirational, T ... I think I will wear my sun glasses on the crapper, when I'm old ... just to enoy everyone in the nursing home ... and then my roommate and I will watch housekeeping clean up after us ... and then we'll go AWOL as often as we can ... and then they'll give us the magic pill at night to keep us imprisonend ... and then ... o joy ... meouw/ wouem ... back to the crapper :)

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  3. BRIAN:: Thanks, my man. It feels good to be back after my little hiatus.
    CAT: Wearing your shades on the crapper...that's the sign of a true star...now smile for the camera!

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  4. You examine many a human foible in this one, and do so with humor and tolerance.

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  5. Your GADZOOKS stanza...haha! 'like fine boxed wine'...I hope no one ever tells me that :-)

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  6. "The silence between the smiles
    speaks of its halting uncertainty."

    This is my favorite part...intriguing story!

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  7. This plays out in a stream of consciousness that deals with many of the big questions: fidelity and obligations among the mountains to climb or go the long way round. I always leave your site with something new to ponder. Thanks, Tim.

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  8. Enjoyed your stream of thought here, Tim. So many things to think about within your poem.

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  9. you could write all damn day and i would just sit here reading it. maybe it's just the continuity, but i'd take this as a compliment if i were you because i have a very short attention span. so, you know, saying a lot. and all.

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  10. "silence between the smiles" That is where life happens....Love this!

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  11. gosh...you packed a lot into this..i was smiling, swallowing, smiling, swallowing...ha...loved esp. the dragon part..

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  12. The verse RE: Life? Wicked AWESOME! Loved this...and you brought dragons...is it any wonder ;)

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  13. You got it...that's exactly where life happens. Love your take on what majesty is too.

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  14. Always an interesting read when I visit your postings. Jack

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  15. Do lies equal kindness? Not in this case :) And "like fine boxed wine"... !! I have to remember that "compliment" ha

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  16. KIM: DAT WAS SWEET OF YOU.

    POET LAUNDRY: I HAVE FOUND THAT THE BOXED WINE GETS YOU TO THE SAME PLACE AS THE MORE SNOOTY KIND,,, LOL

    HANNAH: I WAS HOPING SOMEONE WOULD PICK THAT PART!

    KERRY: AND I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON YOU FOR AN INSIGHTFUL COMMENT--THANKS SO MUCH.

    MARY: I GUESS THERE IS A LOT TO THINK ABOUT IN THERE, BUT I DON'T LIKE TO TAX MY BRAIN TOO MUCH!

    MARIAN: THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT...NOW LET'S TEST IT: all work and no play makes jack a dull boyallworkand no playmakes jackadullboyallworkandnoplaymakes jackadull boy...

    SUSIE: MUCH APPRECIATED AND I AM HUMBLED.

    CLAUDIA: THE DRAGON PART...HEH HEH...THANKS!

    NATASHA: ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU...CAN YOU STAY THE NIGHT?

    BODHIROSE: GLAD TO GET A COMMENT ON THE MAJESTY ASPECT!

    GARDENS AT WATERS EAST: WELCOME BACK, JACK.

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