Wednesday, March 5, 2008

a pretty how town...

anyone lived in a pretty how town, with up so floating many bells down. i awoke in a haze of down comforters with this phrase buzzing in my head like a fly. have any of you ever reached out and grasped consciousness with e e cummings abuzz? in honor of e e, there will be no capitalization today!

i think it is because i have been "singing my didn't and dancing my did" lately. i get through the challenges happily and celebrate my victories emphatically.

i think it is also because i am moving to a pretty how town myself tonight, if sugarhouse can be called that...it's a long process because i have exactly or precisely 1,000 books and about 300 dvds....how did this happen to a simple girl like myself? is it shameful to have a home full of bookshelves and nothing else?

cummings is also speaking to me in my sleep because i have grown tired of sowing my isn't and reaping my same...sun moon stars rain. i don't want to sleep my dreams.


thanks for talking to me this morning cummings, i really appreciate it.


maybe he speaks to you too?

(this poem should be read aloud, it will blow your mind if it hasn't already)

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

7 comments:

Alisa said...

Great literary post! I have been having some weird dreams lately of a literary nature. It made me think of Alice and Wonderland when my husband told me that one night a few weeks ago I turned over to him in my sleep and said, "I talk to the flowers in a funny way."

Alisa said...

Also, good luck on your move! Sugarhouse--that's sweet!

Marie said...

It's a great poem. I chose it for a project in a calligraphy class years ago and I was quite pleased with how it turned out -- I added an illustration with sun, moon, stars and a vine down the side of the poem that changed through the four seasons. I learned on NPR the other day that ee cummings was also a painter (but I doubt he would have liked my pedestrian representational illustration of his abstract poetry).

I loathe moving and books become evil when they must be moved. So heavy. It's like they're made of wood or something.

Unknown said...

Alisa! Welcome, I am so glad to share personal blogs as well as Exp II with you. Now that I am further down your way, we'll have to have a book club...or just meet for a drink!

Marie, you are one of the first people I am inviting to dinner! I can't wait to have a non-virtual conversation with you!!! Hurray! I love your new photo too!

Marie said...

So are you going to keep teaching in Davis county after you've moved to Sugarhouse? Sounds like a killer commute.

I look forward to meeting you, too, but I'm warning you beforehand -- I'm half as interesting and twice as lowbrow in person :)

luminainfinite said...

oh D'Arcy,

how you make my life better
is a poem
i won't forget to remember
ever

Anonymous said...

By The Way,
I absolutely LOVE this poem!!! It's one of the best poems I've ever heard. I wish I would enter the Qwest compition with it. Thanx for teaching it to us.