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...and they lived happily ever after. Smith & Lady: poets, artists, photographers & adventurers.
Our relationship was forged to the soundtrack of Yoko Ono's magic,
frenetic, love-laden song, "Walking On Thin Ice." ( play song )
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Archive for July, 2011
Thursday, July 21st, 2011
Cat clean – foto by Smith
New Smith/Ball song at Bare Cat Blues . . . from a poem three days old into a song two days young. My words and vocals, Peter Ball’s music and recording. Peter says, “Both of us sound like we are driving fast along a cliff road and may go over and meet the surf and rocks below any moment. Somehow we survive.”
There are 23 more Smith/Ball songs at reverbnation.com/mutantsmith.
None of which has anything to do with today’s poem, except they’re both part of my July poem push . . . 9 senryu for Mandy’s 9 lives.
Mandycat Snaps
Does soft surface dance
paw paw press purr tail swish swish
making milk and bread
No mendicant she
It’s straight ahead need want now
No please or later
She is training me
She has hungers, she has needs
I’m the means they’re met
She works my buttons
Cries, rubs, purrs, scratches, bites
Get her wants and when
She does what she wants
Her path her time her meow
It’s her her herness
Cat folk live longer
It is because of the purr
And softness of fur
It is her head butts
Her little “Hey, you’re okay”
That make my day
She watches us
Small moves, big moves, in between
To replicate us
Heat has got her down
Full fur on floor hugging cool
Can’t find her zipper
— Smith, 7-21-2011
Cat water – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
I attended a moveon.org meeting last weekend about the “American Dream” movement they are building. Although associated with Democrats, I think this movement also encompasses progressive ideals. Everyone in the room was concerned about sustainability, the environment, peace, universal health care, good work, etc. Several people were very discouraged with some of the things President Obama has done, so there was a lot of conscientiousness and self-examination in the room.
Here’s some bit of news about the Gang of Six in the Senate: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/20-4
They are trying to raise taxes on us and cut taxes on the rich, and cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. But we aren’t going to let them.
For young people reading this, these things might seem like things that don’t immediately matter or that it is useless, but they do, and there is hope that we can change things. I’ve seen the standard of living deteriorate and expectations deteriorate significantly over the past ten years. It is not unreasonable to see this turn around and become healthier. We have the resources and talent to turn things around. I had the pleasure of seeing a Democrat in Wisconsin get reelected last night after having made phone calls to do this; I’ve seen us raise over a million signatures for putting Ohio’s anti-collective bargaining SB-5 bill on the ballot so we can overturn it when we only needed to raise 230,000… I have been involved in these campaigns and it does help and it does matter.
One of the action items of last week’s meeting moveon.org is to find five friends who will also participate in the movement to a small or large extent. As we are in such a time of flux, I think this is an important opportunity for people to engage and thus am providing this information with the thought that you’ll consider this and participate if you can. You can sign up for some information here: http://ourfuture.org/blog (newsletter signup on the right column of the screen.)
I understand that we live in a fast-paced society, but I think in this time of flux it is especially important to help ensure programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
I think also we’d seen a kind of deterioration in community life over the past twenty years, and now people are rebuilding community with local food movements, poetry, music… and activism is another way to rebuild and heal and socialize. I think that many have felt apathetic, estranged and horrified by the insanity of some of the stuff going on in the political realm. A way through this is to step into it and be part of healing via activism.
Lady
Tags: American Dream, Budget, Congress, Democrats, Medicaid, Medicare, moveon.org, President Obama, republicans, social security
Posted in america, Being, dreams, Environment, ethics, Events, Family, health, Healthcare, Letters to the Universe, news, Philosophy, Relationships, spirituality, Travel Notes, writing | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Braille of sea – foto by Smith
Empirical Dada
The Braille of sea
surface to touch
from bastion of be
to pluperfect plus
— Smith, 7-20-2011
Pluperfect plus – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
The monkey – foto by Smith
The Monkey and the Weasel
Uneasy malaise
I see the fractures spreading
as each one remains
Cracks in the sidewalks
the city oozing ozone
crisis in the lane
Tomorrow rises
built of failures from today
yet hopes anyway
The tree leaves rustle
bird chirp insect run and weave
burst in new day dawn
— Smith, 7-19-2011
The weasel – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | 1 Comment »
Monday, July 18th, 2011
Shame is not free . . . – foto by Smith
Bare Cat Blues
I lick my butter from a silver spoon
Yes I lick my butter from a silver spoon
Once a month I howl at the moon
My baby growed and left me for more
She done went and made me forlorn
Said I wasn’t packing as she slammed the door
I do not know how I got this far
Ain’t no way I done got this far
This living thing’s like juggling hot tar
I’m broke down and tumbled too
Been broken, beat, and humbled through
Happy ever after don’t seem to be true
Must lighten my load before I sink too deep
Cuz I’m ducking everything but the kitchen sink
While down the road lies death’s keep
I’m a simple man not easily fooled
Though simple-minded and frequently fool
My eye-closeds are spin-doctored wool
I seek for truth yet stumble through lies
Wasted my youth stalking the whys
Now I just fight the hive
Get up tomorrow and host my load
Lift-hearted romantic my engendering goad
I tote life’s line down the road
So I sniff my butter from a silver spoon
Cook new butter in a silvered tune
Lick me enough and I start to croon
— Smith, 7-18-2011
Self portrait – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | 1 Comment »
Sunday, July 17th, 2011
Waterwave – foto by Smith
Waterway
Two ways of water
fast slow hard soft light heavy
always yes and no
Three ways of water
ice liquid gas holy be
in one wet worship
— Smith, 7-16-2011
Nightwater – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | 1 Comment »
Saturday, July 16th, 2011
Sky Smith – foto by Smith
Back Track
Oh I once was a cow
Then I was a horse
None of it is now
I done run that course
They say I know a lot
On that they’re all quite wrong
I fake it on the spot
And act like I belong
There’s more than one of me
All looking out within
We all take turns to see
Which of us will win
It’s not that I’m at war
Not fighting me inside
It’s more like we all share
Me in me with me reside
So though I’m not true man
I can fake it good
I just watch you humans
Pretend I’m of the hood
Yet much you do is odd
Hurts others, costs big bucks
Goes against the sod
Reduces global luck
Not sure you’re what I want
Your footsteps seen too small
Your can’t becomes my can
Your going bringing fall
— Smith, 7-16-2011
Mutant me – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | 1 Comment »
Friday, July 15th, 2011
Fallen monks – foto by Smith
Haiku death matches
leave monks lying in the road
as sin saunters on
— Smith, 7-15-2011
When it rains . . . – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | 4 Comments »
Thursday, July 14th, 2011
1 minute family – foto by Smith
Onward Ho
We clawed through the sea
belly flopped onto land
till wretched in wealth
we poisoned our glands
We cut down the trees
befouled our own nest
gave the dogs fleas
and messed with the rest
And now running us
greed dressed in suits
a big moral muss
that none can refute
The balance of fair
is lost in this life
where our given share
is trickle-down lies
There’s more than enough
but not much more time
share some of the stuff
or pay for the crime
Because if you don’t
this card house will fall
be a world of won’t
collapse on us all
— Smith, 7-14-2011
Hotel terror – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
Window woman – foto by Smith
No TV for Me
News depresses me
with its shallow anger and hate
but what gets me more
is doing our laundry
at the Soap Opera Laundromat
having to hear Drew Carey
call contestants down
to The Price is Right stage
where they bounce
and jiggle
and squeal
and wiggle and squirt
in greed of need
and want to flaunt
something for nothing
in quarter hour fame
before the shame
of being same
returns
all small and normal
— Smith, 7-13-2011
Here’s an older The Price Is Right poem from a suicided poet named Steve Melton aka steve e gloom which I published in Artcrimes #5 Self Portraits & Poor Self Traits May 1988.
P.I.R.S.A.W.
by steve e gloom aka Steve Melton
The price is right studio audience women
Are unbeautiful and have unfurnished minds.
I see
And hear them
Screaming
Dashing
Flailing
They called
HER NAME –
She came.
She came on down
Oohing and dying
This is the pathetic substance of life
Pitiful, like the price is right, Me.
Blank. Coffee. Easy. Chair.
The price is right studio audience women
Annihilate all that is real.
Their screams are my screams.
Their sordid pricing dreams I share
Window woman – foto by Smith
Posted in Photography, Poetry | No Comments »
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