coming in like a lion...

...'member that adage? Remember when March was really cold?

Well, it's a not-quite-balmy 35 degrees in the borough of churches section of the apple. I suppose that's "normal" given Punxsutawney Phil's commentary last month (he is eerily accurate). Speaking of, I'm glad Gore got that Oscar! (I've still got issues with his Mrs. from back in the day but...) I remember seeing that movie and looking for Brooklyn. It's messed up but when he showed lower Manhattan under water my first thought was: that include Brooklyn? I am fanatical about few things, but the BK is one of 'em. So sue me.

(BTW, Punxsutawney Phil must be up to date. Dude has a website! http://www.punxsutawneyphil.com/. Hope he's not registered w/ you know who. But that would explain why he hides most of the time, just pissed off, I bet! Maybe I'm projecting on him though -- ya think?)

As those of you who know me know, I've got tons of opinions on things but/and as a belated raison d'etre, I have to add that I see this lil blog as an oasis of sorts from all the hardcore political blogs that I personally obsess over multiple times a day. Not that I won't/don't insert political opinions here but I'm taking a slightely different tack. (If you've ever had a conversation with me, you *know* how much I talk politics. Back in the day, before poetry came and took over, I was a Political Science major and am still a news junkie. Here though, I see Poetry (with a capital P) as a great summator, so I like to let the other words speak for my mood at the mo: sometimes political, sometimes aesthetic, often both.

At this, my usual crack of dawn hour, I can almost feel spring coming around, not quite but not so far away. The moon is waning outside of my window and through the curtains looks like the center of a cross. The diffused light brought to mind this poem by Marilyn Nelson (that I found, as usual via Poets.org, the Academy of Am Poets website). I like it b/c it has the name of this month in it, great lighting and to me, political undertones that could be applied to human rights, US politicians, war and contraints of today. Just my take. Here's the poem for you to assess yourself:

Daughters, 1900
by Marilyn Nelson

Five daughters, in the slant light on the porch,
are bickering. The eldest has come home
with new truths she can hardly wait to teach.

She lectures them: the younger daughters search
the sky, elbow each others' ribs, and groan.
Five daughters, in the slant light on the porch

and blue-sprigged dresses, like a stand of birch
saplings whose leaves are going yellow-brown
with new truths. They can hardly wait to teach,

themselves, to be called "Ma'am," to march
high-heeled across the hanging bridge to town.
Five daughters. In the slant light on the porch

Pomp lowers his paper for a while, to watch
the beauties he's begotten with his Ann:
these new truths they can hardly wait to teach.

The eldest sniffs, "A lady doesn't scratch."
The third snorts back, "Knock, knock: nobody home."
The fourth concedes, "Well, maybe not in church. . ."
Five daughters in the slant light on the porch.

link: http://poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15820

Here are links to a couple of other poems that are more to the point:
Dear George Bush by Kristen Prevaliet: http://poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16613
and For the Union Dead (and old school standard that unfortunately still applies): http://poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15280

Okay, so much for "oasis". Hey, no one can live in a bubble away from the world, even if one is in a perpetual poetry bubble. But what about the second part of the phrase I used as the title? The lamb part? March is also a verb as in marching to war, and like the month one wishes to conclude with a more gentle environment. Poets, even when they're upset still have hope in their hearts and it's worth agitating for. Now I'm going to close this post by going really old school and going in peace:

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
by Anonymous

To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.


Take it as non-denominationally as you like. It is certainly some of the most well-known literature on earth. Be well and think warm thoughts to keep you warm -- and take a coat.