Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Days of Optimism

Another great autumnal photograph by Jay Beets!
Thanks Jay for sharing so many & for allowing me to re - post!

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Everyone loves a day filled with optimism! Back in mid - August, Jay and I were reminiscing about a mutual acquaintance of ours from undergrad days who liked to refer to himself as a closet optimist. He said that his pessimism was just for show but in his heart he was an optimist!

Within an hour after my facebook chat with Jay, this post appeared, announcing good news from my friend Len:
"I am happy to have been notified that my poem "Optimist," from the Spring, 2014, issue of Rattle will be featured in their online edition this Fall. The editor has asked me to make an mp3 recording to accompany the posted poem. [He sent clear instructions so I am not requesting help at this time. I had a momentary vision of standing in front of a giant microphone as in O Brother, Where Art Thou? instead of my cell phone.] I am impressed by the support and generosity of Rattle and its editor, Tim Green. It stands apart from many others who publish the poems, send one or two contributor copies, and then there is no further contact or relationship. I will, of course, post a link here when the poem is up in October."
I knew then that when Len's poem appeared, I would have to write a blog post about this optimistic literary coincidence! Today's the day! And here's the poem:

OPTIMIST

Each time I vote, I pretend that this time
everything I hope for will take place, that
not only will everyone I vote for win,
but they will turn out more liberal than anyone
expected, that the evil half of the Supreme Court
will take a powder, wars will end, oil will die.
Every night, I visit your side of the bed
to pretend that you are just away for a moment,
it is warm from you and you will rush back to
place your head back on the pillow beside mine,
my nose nuzzling into your hair, to breathe you in,
my arms around you while you push sleepily
back into me, surrounded by my heat,
not fully waking by your brief absence,
and for some minutes I am whole again.


~ Leonard Orr
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Thanks Len for multiple appearances on my blog:

End of Summer Sounds
Golden Paintings by Leonard Orr
Excellent Images
Happy Birthday Dylan Thomas
"The same war continues . . .
The Magpie Waiting for his Beautiful Partner
Like An Ant
Bursting Into Light
Sun ~ Flower ~ Moon
Lovely As A Tree
What To Do
Star - Spanlged But Unsingable
Evening ~ Timing ~ Floating Poetry by Leonard Orr
The Ides of Whatever
That Lost Time & Place
Truth & Falsehood Have No Fear

1 comment:

  1. Len writes: "Thank you! I enjoy the many connections you make through your blog (and the device of the coincidence)."

    ReplyDelete