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Monday, May 28, 2012

Waiting to be Reclaimed

—Photo by Taylor Graham, Placerville


MEMORIAL DAY
—B.Z. Niditch, Brookline, MA

It was always
sweltering desertion

my complete absence
by absolute shore

holding poppies
for my Uncle Jack

who hated the heat
of fractured war

hiding near the sea
by the slanted sun.

____________________

WOUNDS
—B.Z. Niditch

Do not go there
helpless as a child
alone in life's air

until a hurting bird
sings on birch branches
by shore dunes

near calm rocks
of seaweed
about our shadows

a neon butterfly
on my right shadow
shines with first light

along a wooded path
around scattered trees
empty of my initials.

____________________

NEVER
—B.Z. Niditch

Never beneath
the poet's embracing sky
has an innocent sun
touched the earth

Never
have rays of first light
against the wind
spread out words

Never has
endlessly living
out alembic speech
along laughter's rocks
whispered such joys
at the edge's shore

Nor
has an ode
of futuristic pranks
sentenced us
to nature's folly.


 —Photo by Taylor Graham


YOU, BAY OF BISCAYNE
—B.Z. Niditch

You, Bay of Biscayne
on the airy shore
of my childhood

by recurrent waves
at manifold glances
by sand dune castles
which fall
every time you build

amid the color
of faithless return
in luminous bodies
of cut anemones.

____________________

GLANCES
—B.Z. Niditch

Waiting for
your umbrella

on miles of dunes
from the beach rain

like other promises
that do not last

more than anemones
by the sea shore

of a photogaphic memory
jolting my patience

in a red eye
that will not close.

____________________

Today's LongerNip:

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF DEATH
—Caschwa, Sacramento

(Based on Carl Sandburg’s “Death Snips Proud Men”)

Act I

You missed Act I,
Because this is when
You were born and you
Didn’t know yet how to
Think, evaluate, and control

Act II

This is all the years of your life
When you were sleeping, waiting
In line, or otherwise subject to
Forces beyond your control

Act III

These are the moments when
You gave careful thought
To properly evaluate and control
A situation.  Some of you will
Miss this Act if you blink

Act IV

Finally, eternal sleep.
Family and friends will cry
And mourn and eulogize, and then
Place your remains to wait in line
To be reclaimed by the Earth.

Curtains
Flowers to the leading lady
Good job, everyone!
Now let’s go have a nice meal…
 
 _____________________

—Medusa, who is wishing you peace on this Memorial Day

For more about B.Z. Niditch, go to community-2.webtv.net/buzz-worthy/TheWorldofBZNiditch/index.html


—Photo by Taylor Graham