A MUSING I loved him well-~that Joe. We talked of many things-- Of when he used to play with frogs And how we'd never part. I loved him well-~that Joe. I saw him on the street the other day; He‘looked at me with eyes that didn't know. --Darlyne Deem
SPIRITUALIET The angel—spirit danced in a wild bul-hu; The man up front said, "A message is coming, Coming for you! Who, who, who does it want?" "I W said a woman with a dirty black hat And a tinsel star on that. ( She found it in a rummage sale And thought it was so nice) "I see the spirit and I... Show moreSPIRITUALIET The angel—spirit danced in a wild bul-hu; The man up front said, "A message is coming, Coming for you! Who, who, who does it want?" "I W said a woman with a dirty black hat And a tinsel star on that. ( She found it in a rummage sale And thought it was so nice) "I see the spirit and I know He's called me twice W "Good Angel-spirit," said the man Up front. "Tell this woman Why her mind you haunt." 51's 3F ‘5‘ "The spirit," said the man, "Says he must Tell you that your brother is living and Your mother is, too, dni he's hippy in his World and the skies are always blue, And he says he's your brother who died when He was two F "Oh, yes W cried the woman with The dirty black tan (and the star In her crown from a rummage salc jam) "Yes, he's my brother who died When he was two. Praise the Spirits for my messuge coming through!" The spirit disappezrcd with contented sighs And Slipped chk into his spirit paradise. -—Patricia Razook Show less
I“M GLAD I'M NOT GOD I'm glad I'm not God. Omnipotent, a burning light, All seeing, all knowing, Seeing eVery sparrow fall In golden no;x then yeacc is heavy like a turquoise sky, Saving liVeJ broken, Useless, wandering aimlessly by on a city street, nnowing sorrow icrcvpr and ever Must go on... Show moreI“M GLAD I'M NOT GOD I'm glad I'm not God. Omnipotent, a burning light, All seeing, all knowing, Seeing eVery sparrow fall In golden no;x then yeacc is heavy like a turquoise sky, Saving liVeJ broken, Useless, wandering aimlessly by on a city street, nnowing sorrow icrcvpr and ever Must go on unbroken, : A.monotonous eterngl clock. I‘m glad I'm not God Busily numbering through timeless days The hairs on hunanity's heals, Guariing little grains cf sand; Counting and recounting heaps of dust, A miser with his gold; Creating, dying, rising To gain men's adoration. ——Jean Harrison Show less
N IGHT—T IME SONG I sit at my window And listen to the night song. A drizzle swishes down, And the drizzle becomes pellets Making tiny noises when they Bounce on the window sill. It stops; it dies and There is no sound Except a whooshing whiSper. In little gusts, With false ferocity, it... Show moreN IGHT—T IME SONG I sit at my window And listen to the night song. A drizzle swishes down, And the drizzle becomes pellets Making tiny noises when they Bounce on the window sill. It stops; it dies and There is no sound Except a whooshing whiSper. In little gusts, With false ferocity, it crescendos Eb repeat, now and over again, "Til the morning comes. There is no remembrance Then of the night—time song. -—Maurine knderson Show less
party went on 1nd we crept back to bed. The boys fell asleep right away but my sister and I lay awake by the open win~ dow not daring to say anything to each other and listening for our first time to a grown man cry. The next day itrained and the threshers went to town. Dewey went along with our... Show moreparty went on 1nd we crept back to bed. The boys fell asleep right away but my sister and I lay awake by the open win~ dow not daring to say anything to each other and listening for our first time to a grown man cry. The next day itrained and the threshers went to town. Dewey went along with our threshors and when they came home late that night we could hear them singing down the road and underneath it all, we Could hear the guitar. ——Patricia Razook Show less
listening for sounds of the guitar. In answer to our thought, somebody Bail, "Where's Dewey?" Everybody agreed he wasn't anywhere in the house and Mother said she'd go outside to look for him. We ran from the bed to the side window and watched her go down the steps. Not ten feet away we could see... Show morelistening for sounds of the guitar. In answer to our thought, somebody Bail, "Where's Dewey?" Everybody agreed he wasn't anywhere in the house and Mother said she'd go outside to look for him. We ran from the bed to the side window and watched her go down the steps. Not ten feet away we could see Dewey sitting on the running-board of the old truck. EVen in the dim light we could see that he was holding his guitar tight against him and crying into it. Mother said, "Come on in, Dewey. They want you to play for them." He didn't answer.‘ "What's the matter, Dewey?" Mother asked. He looked up at her and we could see his face was all wet. He choked when he talked but we could understand what he said. "It's my fault. All my fault. She used to Work hard for me. She didn't deserVe a son like me. I ran away with a threshing crew when I was fourteen. And do you know how old I am now, Esther? I'm twenty—two. I havenft heard from her so long I don't know if she‘s living or dead. It's all my fault F He picked up his guitar and threw it on the ground. Then he sat down again and buried his face in his arms and cried. Mother said nothing. She walked into the house and we could hear her saying that Dewey wasn't feeling well. Tne Show less
DEWEY Dewey wasn't our thresher but sometimes work grew slack on the big farm next to ours. Then he and the rest of the crew would come over to work for my father. Of all the threshers, we four children liked Dewey best. He was from the South as most of the boys were but we liked him best because... Show moreDEWEY Dewey wasn't our thresher but sometimes work grew slack on the big farm next to ours. Then he and the rest of the crew would come over to work for my father. Of all the threshers, we four children liked Dewey best. He was from the South as most of the boys were but we liked him best because he had a guitar. He would wink at my little brother, Dick, and grin slowly as he idly picked up his guitar. My D11 and his boss said that Dewey Workei as slow as he played and song. But we didn't care. He taught us "Red River Valley" and "Blue Eyes" and our favorite. "The Burglar Song.“ One night after we he: gone to bed? we heard the threshers‘ old truck clanking up the hill into our yari; there was laughing and talking and behind it all, the guitar. We wanted to run outsiie and yell along with the others but we Were supposed to stay in bei. The four of us stood in the bedroc; ioorwey to call to the visitors is they came in but we were sent back to e‘. Soon we could hear the rattling of iishes and could seell. fresh coffee. fie knew - v ... L ,3 Mother must be opening. nor PeaCnes ind dill pickles and we wanted to be out there eating on: singing "1th the rcst. —\ ll ‘ It seefled as if the grown—ups hm: bc'n talking forever. They were tllklnb 5: much they forgot tr sing th WU 1“'9 Show less
I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING Stand there on the street corner with scorn in your eyes. I know what I'm doing. I'm puking all over the sidewalk because there's too much whiskey in my belly. I'm hanging on this post because if I don't I'll fell. I've spent my paycheck. and now I'm going home to my wife... Show moreI KNOW WHAT I'M DOING Stand there on the street corner with scorn in your eyes. I know what I'm doing. I'm puking all over the sidewalk because there's too much whiskey in my belly. I'm hanging on this post because if I don't I'll fell. I've spent my paycheck. and now I'm going home to my wife and kid. I'm going home without any bread, and they're hungry. I'm going home without any money for gas, and they're cold. Next Week when the money comes, I'm going to do it again. I'm going to drink for one hour. For one hour a week I don't live on a street full of broken glass And stinking garbage cans. For one hour a week there are no back stairs to climb to the sixth floor Of a rotting tenement. For one hour a week my kid doesn't Wear a rag, And she doesn't Show decaying teeth when she smiles. In fact, for one hour a week I don't have any wife and kid. Stand there on the street corner with scorn in your eyes. I know what I'n doing. -—Gloria Ostrem Show less
RUSH HOUR Racing motors, Concert of horns, Hated breath while Policeman warns. Swarms of shoppers Into, out of stores, Jay—walk singly, Cross—walk by the scores. Cars, trucks, busps, Inch forward, cut behind. Each noses out the next In the Jam-packed line. White-gloved peaceuaker, A.whistle,... Show moreRUSH HOUR Racing motors, Concert of horns, Hated breath while Policeman warns. Swarms of shoppers Into, out of stores, Jay—walk singly, Cross—walk by the scores. Cars, trucks, busps, Inch forward, cut behind. Each noses out the next In the Jam-packed line. White-gloved peaceuaker, A.whistle, beckon, halt, Recipient of curses, Unthanked, "it's all his fault." —~Ruth Aaskov Show less
take that because we'd have to admit that we aren't any better than the dowdy commoner. If we disagreed with you, we'd be saying that the Hillman's and the Howard's lives might be better than all this, even if they don't know that your furniture is genuine whatever you impressed us that it was,... Show moretake that because we'd have to admit that we aren't any better than the dowdy commoner. If we disagreed with you, we'd be saying that the Hillman's and the Howard's lives might be better than all this, even if they don't know that your furniture is genuine whatever you impressed us that it was, So I'll continue to eat your fattening lunches and diet at home. And Bess will wear her atrocious, youthful hats, and Agnes' dress will be too bright. And I'll say when you pause, "Yes, Eunice, that's just how it struck me." Liz smoothed her skirt and smiled at Eunice. "We're so lucky to have you in our crowd, Eunice——you add a real zest to these little parties." --Florence Helland Show less
