—Poems by James Lee Jobe, Davis, CA
—Anonymous Photos Courtesy of James Lee Jobe
—Anonymous Photos Courtesy of James Lee Jobe
Dragonflies rise in the slow heat. Sugar falls from their exquisite wings onto the waiting tongues of all creation. What is tomorrow? It is nothing. Don’t even think of it. Rise now in the slow heat. Shake the sugar from your wings as you fly. All of life in the beating of fine wings in the slow warmth of the air.
Fishing in the Sacramento Valley.
No bait, no rod and reel.
What I am fishing for?
The taste of this very day,
The smell of this very moment.
And guess what?
Looks like I’ve caught a big one!
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My secret friend, remember this; do not give in to despair. Not ever. The world will keep turning. Death, yes, but also new life, children born with no hate in their hearts. Death and birth are the walls of a life. Seeds will still germinate and grow into plants, crops, and trees and flowers. I promise you more flowers will bloom, another breeze will stir. A blue sky. A blue ocean. A green earth. Waiting for you, waiting for us all.
A dark thing quickly dashes across the pale rocks,
And just as fast, is gone.
What was it, we wonder, a shadow?
Looking up, only blue sky—no clouds, no birds.
So it goes sometimes, in life.
Something very dark scurries past,
Low and fast.
We cannot identify it, and, like fools
We look to the heavens for an answer.
And even if we actually found an answer there,
Would we believe it?
Quite often, no, we would not.
It wasn't the answer the ego wanted,
Or is just too unbelievable.
Or perhaps we do believe the answer,
But have no way to use the information
Gifted to us that is actually helpful,
Being slow and thick as we are.
No, my friend. When darkness passes,
Let it go. Don’t waste the moment worrying.
A better use for the light from the heavens
Is to find your own path through the rocks.
A dark thing quickly dashes across the pale rocks,
And just as fast, is gone.
What was it, we wonder, a shadow?
Looking up, only blue sky—no clouds, no birds.
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That I might peel away the layers of nonsense I have built around myself that hide who I am. That I might know myself before the time of knowing comes to an end, and that I might use that knowledge, such as it is, in a positive manner. That I might be of some service to others.
This brief and beautiful life,
To what shall I liken it?
To the puppy who dreamed of running,
Moving his legs while he slept.
To the cherry blossoms blowing loose
In the breezes of spring.
To my mother saying her last word in this life,
And that word was love.
The horizon is a fine escape artist. You move toward it, and no matter how far you go, it’s still there. Just keep moving. The journey is the thing, you see, not the destination. It’s the same with life, friend, to a point. All of your years, life’s horizon is still in front of you, and then suddenly, boom! You’re at the end. But life isn’t about the end, it’s about the journey. Try to slow down and enjoy the scenery.
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Today’s LittleNip:
As sweet as blueberries, as light as bees; sunrise loves the quiet.
—James Lee Jobe
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Our thanks to James Lee Jobe for this morning’s soft awakening in his fine poetry! Next Friday, Jan. 17, James will host The Other Voice Poetry Series in Davis, featuring Len Germinara, Linda Jackson Collins plus open mic. Both readers have new books! That’s at 7:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church Library, 27074 Patwin Rd., Davis.
Tonight from 7-10pm, 2nd Sat. at The Brickhouse features Brandon Leake. That’s at The Brickhouse Gallery & Art Complex, 2837 36th St., Sacramento. Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about these and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.
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—Medusa, enjoying the poetic scenery this morning!
Catching the Big One!
—Anonymous
—Anonymous
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