Saturday, November 8, 2008

A Poem THING




I am posting this poem I wrote last week...

I'm not sure if it means anything, really.

Besides being mind trippingly circuitous and parenthetical (like most of my writing) I think it is an attempt to exorcise some of my frustration with certain things that went down on Tuesday.

(a one certain thing which I wish could just be swallowed up in the MOMENTOUS BEAUTY and WONDER of such an HISTORIC, HOPEFUL, INSPIRING and NEEDED MANIFESTATION of the POWER of CHANGE and DEMOCRACY with which we were blessed Tuesday night.)

But if this poem reflects some of my feelings, it certainly does not reflect how I feel all the time. Further, I am not sure to whom it is addressed. If you think it may be addressed to you, please don't take it personally--I was just rolling with some words and feelings, okay?

Also it may be kinda smug. But, hey--I am human; From time to time, I am susceptible to feeling various negative emotions--like....smugness. Besides the smugness, there also may be something honest and worth exploring in it...



(okay enough analysis of my own writing)


Here 'tis:
I have been you
but you have never been me:

I have looked at the world as you do
without the benefit of seeing the world as I do
—I have looked at the blue green sphere
divided in two:
peopled by those within the circle like you
and those without like me
and when I saw as you do
I counted myself blessed to be within that knowing ring
but now without it
I see spinning singing light-tracing lives
worlds without end
with no safely placed lines of “like me/like you”…
just humanity—just people
like me
and
like…you
and not like me and not like you…

I have been you
but you have never been me
and having become me
I could never go back to being you
but you will always be a part of me
—whereas I am no longer a part of you
for I have become me…

(I kinda look chunky in this picture, don't I? I was a little chunkier--note, I'm not saying 'fat', just chunky...maybe its just the haircut and angle...I just look round-ish....whatever. =))

LOVE and MISS you ALL!

9 comments:

King Family said...

i like it and i don't think it is smug. i have never walked in your shoes, but you have never walked in mine. i think that gives us the right to believe what we want to believe but also respect the other person's beliefs. i think that means all issues should be studied on all sides. our life experience is probably the biggest influence in our choices. this can be a problem so i feel that any extra insight and education on certain matters is vital for us before making decisons.???(sorry for the ramblings.)

i do think you are manorexic. chunky? are you kidding me?
love you!

Karen Liu said...

Nathan, I think this "poem thing" is beautiful. I felt profoundly moved by it.

martha corinna said...

I can dig it.
Last night I watched a really beautiful and interesting discussion on Bill Moyers journal. It made me think of you.
When can you call me?

cathy said...

nice-I agree with King family I have never been you-and I know what your referring to with "being me" but we all have our things that set us apart from others, some definitely more profound than others. A great poem I think I'll copy it and spread it around as my own-I'll say I wrote it for my big brother that I love very much. Is that cool? Hey I'm just being honest, telling the truth about my intentions. (Than people might finally think I'm talented)

Fordney said...

You are SO Fat. Don't come home until you have lost 52.5 lbs.
Also, I gave you that shirt.

Herrick said...

No....you look FAT,not chunky.


Now to the poem. I really liked it. Very economical but profound. Good work. Keep poeming. I just made up that word. You can do that in poems....make up words.

just jen said...

chunky?

whatever.

the poem is very revealing, thanks for sharing.

Meg McLynn said...

first off, CHUNKY? you just better stop right there!

This poem thingy speaks to me, as I believe it would speak to many. It's not smug, it's honest. And it makes me love you even more.

Erin said...

Nate, I really like it.

Um, and a big NO on looking chunky. You know, I'd love to look 'chunky' like that!