This is day three of 28 Days of Unreason —
“As with dancing you have to learn the steps” – Jim Harrison
Things my mother told
me don’t always work.
Here is how the dance goes:
One – my eyes surface to discover
the incivility of seven has intruded.
Two – mourn the loss
of the unbeing peace of slumber.
It often isn’t the molten silvered dawn that molests,
but the army ants that inhabit
my joints and ligaments;
or the gestating future ghosts that haunt
my brain – my brain has become
a perpetual motion machine.
Three – brushing my teeth helps.
Four – breakfast soothes the wooly beast that grazes
at my bowl and drinks
out of my coffee cup.
Five – ponder.
Did I forget to turn off
the alarm of my rinse and spin thoughts?
A little over a year ago, I joined Jillys2016 in a challenge called “28 Days of Unreason.” She culled quotes from the poems of Jim Harrison in a book called Songs of Unreason. We used the quotes as prompts; diving boards suspended over the abyss of poetry. Jill is revisiting unreason, and I am skipping gleefully along. Come and join the fun!
Ah man! That was great! Can’t even pick out my favorite lines. The counting out the dance steps of life, routine, ritual was a perfect mechanism.
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Thank you! You should really pick up a copy of Songs of Unreason. Jill turned me on to it. A few others have found copies… one in a library I think. Harrison’s poetry is… hard to nail down. He’s best know for writing “Legends of the Fall,” but his poetry is what sets him apart for me. Using his words as prompts has it’s genius. That’s all Jill, though.
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Yes, I saw that. Will pick up a copy. I’m kind of on prompt overload though. So many great options every day I can’t pick.
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I understand.
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This is worthy of your description of Harrison as living on another plain or planet – very ‘out there!’ The army ants is an amazing descriptor and the wooly beast that grazes at your bowl – these are extreme images, obviously coming from a perpetual motion mind. Take a bow, Charley!
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Thank you, Jill! I appreciate the encouragement. …so, you don’t think I need to seek professional help?
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Did I say you didn’t? 😉
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Yes, I will mourn the loss of the unbeing peace of slumber tomorrow! I know some of these same awkward steps…
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Ah, the motivate ourselves to wake and work dance! Glad you enjoyed it!
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