happy hands man
dancing while he runs
the mall between Lincoln
and etched wall
names of soldiers fallen
oblivious to the rest of us
ear buds in, at ease in
his spandex skin
under the spotlight of the sun
almost blinding on
a cold January morn
all the flowers turn
their heads in the passing
then once more trace fingers
along loved ones
& others
This is a Magpie Tale.
Written on my trip to DC on Saturday.
Posts
91 comments:
Wow!
"All the flowers turn
their heads in the passing"
This resonates so strongly. I've been in DC, would like to go back, but not on a cold January morn.
Never been to DC
Heck never strayed far from my sea
But you, as always with your gawking..lol, captured the scene
Making it serene
Sure get lost in the flowers and memories as well
As ones fingers go along and they have lots to tell
What an amazing poem. Love the images you create.
Brian:
I can see the picture you're painting almost more clearly than the picture itself!
Well done, again....
Been to DC sometime ago
The massive Lincoln memorial
The soldiers guarding the statue
Change of guards a great spectacle
Arlington where a lighted flame
burns where Robert Kennedy is interned
And the 'Cleopatra needle' stands
Everything in DC is grand!
Hank
Very well done. Thought provoking.
Vivid imagery..the running man a bright spot in the grief at the wall...nice work
touching...a subtle tribute. Nice.
Three cheers to those who are in their own little world, the real world.
"and etched wall
names of soldiers fallen..."
"all the flowers turn
their heads in the passing..."
"then once more trace fingers
along loved ones
& others..."
Hi! Brian...
What a very descriptive, very vivid poem. [I can almost visualize the V.N. Monument to the fallen soldiers designed by M.Lin.]
Tks,for sharing your very [poetic] words...too!
deedee ;-D
By the way, the [your] Magpie Tale image remind me Of [one Of my fave artist]
Wassily Kandinsky's "On White."
The last too stanzas of this poem are lovely. The flowers are so visual and alive.
Very nice!
...and others.
I like tight stuff like this
Warm Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
> < } } ( ° >
Some excellent lines in this.
spandex skin
Hm... think I could do with that? :)
I have never seen this memorial in person...would love too!
I too have observed the passing of the spandex crowd...they do seem oblivious to their surroundings and they move through the wind...conscious only of their trek! I loved this journey Brian!
Hugs
SueAnn
That was very heartfelt and well done. :) I hope you enjoyed your trip.
Knew you'd have a great poem about your trip...and you didn't disappoint. More to come, too, I bet! :)
Beautiful, as always!!! *sigh* It really is amazing how art can make us think of so many different, completely unrelated things. *smile* (and thanks for the image of the man in the spandex suit... That made me smile)
Through the eye of Brian. A wonderful and unique view. Cool.
One place I didn't visit... but there are places here with similar scenes.
What an image your words have created here, Brian... those last five lines are amazing.
DC is a neat city and if I lived there, I'd run on the mall, too. Like the idea of the flowers turning their heads.
Interesting the way the first two stanzas about the runner have that internal rhyme, and rhythm much different than the last three stanzas. It emphasized his happiness and obliviousness to the things going on around him. Form and function work well.
I have no idea how you saw this from this painting- but I like the spandex skin- and love to run over marble-(wave to Lincoln)- then touch
chiseled names! thanks!
this guy was def in his own world...lol...i figured between the memorials of soldiers fallen for our freedoms here was the guy living them....
and i wanted to go light because tomorrow i will post my poem from the holocaust museum...
I would love to visit this city and trace my fingers along loved ones and others.
I find it amazing that we project our everyday experiences to the picture prompt ~
Happy day ~
never been to DC.. but gt a good look of it from your words :)
Fantastic read as ever..
missed so much reading u !!
Great catch on a day in DC! It's also interesting to think how our lives cross and touch others and often we don't even realize it until it's already happened.
Touching that wall, the names of men I knew from the 'hood...nope no flowers to turn and look at me, grim and learning to hate them that make us kill each other in war.
I went to D.C. this past June-what a great trip that was. I walked the Mall...maybe next time I'll run it. The Holocaust museum was emotional and powerful; looking forward to reading your poem from it.
I went to the same Memorial and cried for all the people who died to satisfy some bloodthirsty men in Washington. I was there in summer, but I bet there are always people there, tracing the name of their lost loved one. You never fail to evoke strong feelings in me with your poetry, Brian. I guess that's the point.
I guess Tess knew we'd all see different things in this painting.
Poignant Brian, but I didn't see this, I almost feel bad!
Wonderful poem, such a lovely tribute to the Unknown Soldier.
as to the picture...it is the contrasting colors that drew me...there is a darkness int hat top corner and bright colors that break in...which captured the moond of the moment for me...
You make me see...
The contrast between mourning and everyday life is always striking and poignant. How many might wish they could be in 'spandex skin'.
So poetic and lovely!
I really responded to this. So much feeling and affinity to Kandinsky. Superb.
Very cool word pic. I think of how many times I have seen people run their hands over those letters...
I love the lines about the flowers, trying to cheer the people visiting the memorial. Also the 'trace fingers...' which is just what they would do, remembering their loved ones. Beautiful, Brian.
Lovely work! :)
http://anshul-gautam.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-folded-tongue.html
i much like the image of running between the now and the past, the living and those passed away..dancing with happy hands - gives it a comforting lightness in the weight of the names of the fallen soldiers
Well polished lenses, well arranged images.
Love this multi-layered work.
You capture a DC scene so perfectly! I can just see one of those joggers in their garish, skin tight outfits running past. Or a biker. And the way people all feel compelled to touch the Wall. You nailed it!
hope you had a great trip mate, great post..
And who would I like to be like when I grow up? Brian. He somehow shrinks what can't be said in 2,000 words to a short, succinct and powerful poem.
I guess I'll just dream on.
Leaving just enough for the imagination to overtake the shortened verse. My favorite writing.
you certainly brought it to life for me, thanks ..
An incredible scene captured sublimely
by a poet who comes to see, and does;
but the images are cataloged, the
moments sorted, the colors harnessed.
Send a poet to DC to find out what
the pulse is.
Used to live around there, and it always good to think back.
Good for the January runner--not me.
"...then once more trace fingers
along loved ones
& others"
Remember seeing "The Wall" for the first time; in hushed silence walking along the panels, tracing the names of the fallen .(I knew some who served, but personally none who fell). Amazing sense of history. Great capture, Brian.
happy dance man -> that's funny, seems like someone drunk
I have never visited the Wall, but I really enjoyed the description of yours. I sure hope if I had happened to have been there you would not have noticed my spandex skin. LOL. And, yes, I really think you you should get in touch with your feminine side and go for pink. :-)
I can see the scene as if I'm there.
The Wall...I like how you meandered your way there, Brian.
really nice moment capture, really like how you reconstructed the scene on page. great job, thanks
You have painted a powerful image with these carefully crafted words. I could feel that sun’s spotlight burning through the cold.
I've never visited that wall, but I am going to.
=)
hey - i saw that guy too.
not
I love the visual of the flowers turning their heads in the passing.
I love taking a peek at the world through your eyes, it's always so real, so unique and enlightening.
Fabulous write.
These are my favorites:
"happy hands man
dancing while he runs"
"all the flowers turn
their heads in the passing"
"then once more trace fingers
along loved ones
& others"
I like the way you began with "hands" and ended with "fingers."
I'm very curious about the flowers. They make me want to ask for a follow-up poem just for them.
~Shawna
rosemarymint.wordpress.com
A nice piece, Brian.
spandex skin under the sun....sounds like a sweaty combination
I did the wall drunk....don't do the wall drunk
spandex scares me
Peace
beautiful :)
Did you like DC?
So nice -- that monument is so perfect in its simplicity and the way that people interact with it.
Lovely poem. K.
Thank you for your kind words on my post. I have been to DC, and for some reason I was able to follow your connections from this pic to the poem...magically done....I could so picture the guy and the wall too.
Excellent Mag...
DC has been one of my favorites since we lived there in 68-70. I'm able to get back often enough to experience the energy .. the pulse beat of the world!
You painted such a picture, Brian. I could hear his running steps.
oh the contrasting images...hope to visit D.C. one day...
"all the flowers turn
their heads in the passing" got me
Those tracings of the names on the memorial really get to me.
wonderfully creative imagery...
Dear Brian: There is an foreboding immediacy to this poem which speaks of a synthesis of experience. The juxtaposition of the "happy hands man" and "all the flowers" conjure a wonderful magical image most irrational a paradox considering the title "Sequences & Ratios".
I was too absorbed with the names through my tears, to notice him running by.
rel
Wonderful thought provoking words.
Anna :o]
So visual..the words a painting unto themselves..I see the wall, the names...perfect.
:-) wonderfully captured ... very vivid images
Loved the flowers turning their heads... Always a special feeling to know that one is remembered..
A beautiful write, Mr. B ..
Wonderfully beautiful Brian!!!
happy hands man is a fun image and word combination to open with. that was what i liked best. cool poem.
The flower reference leaves pureness in the imagination. Man, your work and words are magical!
Good imagery, solid write. Thanks for the posted smile-causer. =)
I liked this...I couldn't help thinking that perhaps the runner is a sort of soldier, too?
Wow. That wall is so powerful, it is remarkable that anyone could take it so for granted that they could just run by (but I suppose that's a consequence of living in DC). Like this very very much. Thank you, sir.
all the flowers turn
their heads in the passing
perfect.
I am enjoying the connections I can read into your poem about modern art and public perceptions, about Kandinsky and the world in 1921, about music and who really listens and about people in Washington in January. Thank you for every allusion, Brian.
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