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Saturday, August 1, 2020

BLUE SUEDE



The polished night
obsidian
shelters you in its cocoon
your perfect spot to stay put
and ruminate
until the dawn

You cannot remember
what is holding
America together--
some long lost ideal
of ultimate rightness
and robust potential 
perhaps
as seen (or constructed)
in Whitman's mind's eye

The young greeter wearing
the mask at the market
says you always wear 
the coolest shoes when
you come in...

You look down... 

Oh, those are my 
Blue Suede Shoes!

You are startled 
that a pleasant someone
barely on your radar before 
has taken note of you
when most who once bore
the heavy burden of 
significant other
surely haven't given you 
a thought in decades

 A reason to hold on
at least one more day
you say

Just to see what will happen

to America
caught up in an Agatha Christie
whodunit 
where you think you know
who's the bad guy
but do you really...
in a world where all the players
are complicit in the murder?

30 comments:

  1. Wow! This is wonderful, and thought-provoking.

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  2. Love your blue suede shoes. I bet even Elvis would be jealous. Alas, I wish I did not agree with your last two lines.

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    1. Thanks. Kinda fits with an old rocker like me!

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  3. I identify with the opening line, the feeling of being sheltered by night and sleep from all the trouble that haunts us during the day, I’m not sure what is holding the world together, let alone America, although it is a shock to see what is happening to the place everyone admired, like the big brother we wanted to grow up to be like– now it’s Big Brother or even Big Bother we want nothing to do with – and the reminder of why in the blue suede shoes.

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    1. I agree. The shoes a a throwback to another time that reminds us of how much we've lost.

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  4. A very thought-provoking and well written piece. Even though we don't remember anymore what is holding the world together or America (in your piece), there's always hope when people see and acknowledge one another.

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  5. If danger comes you either runaway and hide or stay and combat it. Later on we will find out who was wisest, but to ignore it is worse than either.

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    1. True. It's the constant fear-mongering, day after day, from the media that I can't abide.

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  6. When somebody my age speaks the words 'Blue Suede Shoes' Elvis is suddenly resurrected, singing on our mental jukebox, sweet as ever. But when someone, say, half-a-century younger hears those same words, nothing happens. All they do is look at your feet. Shoes is shoes, they think; not anthem.

    I really enjoyed this read. Thanks.

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  7. This one pokes just behind the shoulder-blades...a shiver of danger and recognition in the what is noticed and ignored.

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    1. Noticed and ignored...we are so good at hiding our heads in the sand and twerking with our exposed asses :)

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  8. You're spot on, kindred spirit. This particular young person seemed to get the reference, though...anyway, she laughed!

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  9. Blue suede shoes are just the thing to soothe while we wonder who's next to be killed.

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  10. History will sort it out I suspect--meanwhile, we each have to chose to go down our own path--some will choose wisely--others not--

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    1. Thanks. The poem is gently nudging us toward recognition of a sense of shared responsibility.

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  11. what an interesting idea, thought. amazingly insightful.

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  12. Wow! This is entertaining and profound at the same time.

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  13. Oh WOW! There are layers of meaning from stanza to stanza, evocative and profound. I really enjoyed this one!

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  14. You know how to make a guy feel appreciated. Have a great weekend!

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  15. These are challenging times and your poem captures that.

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  16. Little things sure mean a lot. Happy Sunday. Stay safe

    Much💖love

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  17. I'm not sure much of anything is holding America these days. The threads are frayed and ready to snap.

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    1. But as always, we'll pretend that we don't notice.

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