41. A Lake View

and so
we continue
between
pauses

out at
the lake now
where we work
in a way but
where we watch
more than we
usually do

or read

from the porch
we see the water
and that is all
we require
we are calmed
by the flatness
of the lake
in the early
morning

even if life
returns soon
enough shortly
into the advent
of morning
bringing with it
people and their
sounds the
noise they make
the process of
living we know
isn’t silent or
still everything
moves and that
is what moves
us though in
directions as
various as
the sounds

we have filled
this small cabin
with nine people
five dogs a cat
and still
the space works
because it isn’t
living space now
only being space

we exist as if
outside of the
lives we other
wise live

I spent my day
reading news
papers and
graphic novels
one for news
and one for
poetry because
I see almost
anything that
isn’t news as a
kind of poetry

(as I type this
the poetry I think
of is Archy and
Mehitabel the
prosaic typings of
a cockroach on
the keys of the
typewriter or so
that story went

and there’s some
thing right about
about this simple
and direct way of
speaking to you
in these short lines
with the words so
simple as to defy
confusion though
we know confusion
will always exist)

I did very little
writing today
forgot about
some projects
I have for this
weekend so I
rested from the
call of almost
everything

I watched I
perceived I
read with
my eyes (a
kind of see
ing) I saw
little reason
to do any
thing else

this is the
fourth of July
so as the night
came on fire
works began
slowly at first
but not for
long and the
rim of the lake
went wild with
noise and light
the various
fireworks
shooting into
space but
making it
only so far
we are con
fined by our
limitations
and night is
one of them

we roasted
marshmallows
we ate food
cooked on
open flames
we lived a
simple life
we did well
because
we were
unburdened
by great
accomplish
ment or
failure

these few
these simple
things I tell
you only in
the hope that
you and your
family can
experience the
same soon free
of the compli
cations of a
life that won’t
allow one
word to rest
unsplit on
a line

and I have
also meant
to say though
it is a day
late happy
birthday
as well