Voices

1.

 -control all your qualities, bad and good. Unchecked, each one of them may become lethal

-the more power, the bigger the responsibility. One always owes something to others; and if not to them then to oneself. It might be it’s the highest form of responsibility.

-don’t go out of your way trying to disprove bad opinion of you. As unbased as it may be. “Девицы из рода Левеншельдов не выставляют себя напоказ.”.

-one never jokes about whatever constitutes another person’s identity. 

- Leave “ad hominem” for yourself, you have pockets full of that rye. But also, keep the rye mostly in the pockets. 

-don’t be envious of anyone. You’ve no idea what fight they’re fighting, fought, or will fight later, maybe even later today. 

-remember that everybody’s time is valuable just the same. Even yours.

-find whatever holds you together and play with it if you can, gently. Let it be your “Thou”. 

-or else it’ll play with you harshly

-you’ll pay either way. It has nothing to do with avoiding the pain

-“промчится тот короткий миг, когда все в сборе” 

-people are fragile, especially people who loudly claim they aren’t, Never forget that. 

-get up from bed to be with your loved ones. If you can.

-know when to let go. Know when not to. Know much of it doesn’t depend on you, too.
 
-the house always wins. Let it, it’s fun. Most of the time. 

-The most fun is almost always not an en fin de compte result but a relationship.  A road traveled, not an arrival.

-do struggle with G-d. Surely that’s one of the reasons for your existence

-write as if nobody’s reading, dance as if nobody’s watching, share as if you have-

-but if you can’t, just don’t. Stay hidden

-those who are hidden sometimes are those who want to be found the most-

-that’s why “go lightly”, lest you step on them, and they remain forgotten in the dark

-tough crowd. Then, every crowd has a potential to become tough. If it’s up to you -- decide when to lead or when to leave. You’re good at both; thread carefully

-if you can’t be a lady, at least be a gentleman. 

-don’t make stupid lists unless you’re packing

-never betray your own heart, Cathy- and try not to break others, in the process

-that’s a tall order

-die trying

-how is it working for ya?

-am dead

-who’s writing then?...



****************

2.


The city stands still, with its fire escape stairs,
With you in it; and doing mostly fine,
Without me.

Then who am I? but a familiar, 
Abandoned by his witch.
A ginger cat, that Holly let once go
On those same streets.

I’m looking at the sky-and it’s, indeed
“Such an empty place; so vague.
And "just a country where the thunder goes
and things disappear."

You’ve been my home, but I’m afraid to think
Of you too much. Just be somewhere, just be.

And what of me, 
I’ll wander till I die,
A ginger cat,
A hut on chicken legs,
A cloud of vapor.

Even if I 
Do find another place with fire escape.
I’ll sit there smoking, 
Saying to myself: 

“Don’t jump, for he is there somewhere,
Don’t jump. No, don’t you dare. Don’t close your eyes.
Find things to ground yourself 
Without actually landing 
On ground.  

Consider bougainvillea.
It’s pretty.
Consider bougainvillea”

****

the so-called poem was actually written as a prompt in the chat thread of

Buku Sarkar

after seeing a photo of a street which I took for a street in New York

I wrote it then very fast as if I was talking back which actually happens to me a lot; now I’ve changed it a bit.

I wasn’t going to show it; or the banal thing above; and I see nothing good in it; and it’s scary to hit button “send” somehow; why then?

because I can’t write until I get rid of this; actually it’s hard to anything, writing be damned.

I don’t attach

Buku Sarkar

’ s prompt photo because I didn’t ask for her permission; but thank you, Buku.

And thank you, dear reader -

Who knows when and who and how and why

Is far and near; When the lighning strikes?

Where thunder goes?