The spintop wobbles after a dizzying week. It spins, the revolutions breathless. It turns, slower now, spinning on wisps of the remaining adrenaline.
He’s got it half right. It is the steady pounding of days that is our undoing.
I’ve seen what’s to come—
it is the days,
the steady pounding of days,
like gentle rain,
that will be our undoing.— John Philip Johnson, from “There Have Come Soft Rains,” Rattle (No. 45)
And it’s Yoko Ono’s memories of the Summer of 1961 that beckon. “Stand in the evening light until you become transparent or until you fall asleep.”
Let it go.
Release.
Evaporate into the night.
Bring on the grace of Saturday morning.
Credits:
- Find John Philip Johnson’s entire poem here: There Have Come Soft Rains. And be sure to note the poet’s wonderful comment below.
- Photograph – Maria Stolan (Blue Lights Wake Me)
- Yoko Ono, 1961 Summer, “Body Piece” from “Grapefruit.”
Very nice 🙂
Thank you.
Sighing into this…
Me too (still). Thanks Makere.
Bring it on! The Grace of every morning…
It’s here!
Perhaps it’s time for a gentler rhythm to the spin in general? Just wondering.
Impossible to argue with your medicine. Impossible.
Sadness and worry bubble up every time I read how *crushing* the work week is and how much of a change the weekend brings. It must be like getting the bends, the blood boiling from rapid ascent. This can’t be good for a body, mind, spirit.
I camped out on your first sentence. Sandy, you have beautifully captured the dichotomy. Right there.
Wow, Sandy, what a beautiful characterization! I, too, worry about the extreme ebb and flow when I read these (admittedly) poetic recaps.
And is the weekend enough to recover?
1 day short! 🙂
yes and let it return to where it came –
Glad the lines resonated. Here’s the whole poem at the Poetry Foundation. It’s about a girl I went to kindergarten with, Annette, and growing up with bomb drills during the Cold War. Annette and I are still friends, btw. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/249630
Hi John. They did resonate. With many of us! Thanks so much for dropping by and for sharing the entire poem. I’m on my way to check it out.
Moving poem John. Thank you. And so wonderful that you and Annette are still friends.