Liquified Whitman – First Weekend of Summer and More
On Memorial Day Weekend
First outdoor pee of the season, infused
with Vitamin B (to ward off
bugs), blends with blades of deep yellow-green like
liquefied Whitman, the
world lush at my feet as I feel, excitedly, that I just
can’t wait.
Later, I think
of the date–of those not far
away who bunch cut flowers in
cut glass to place in other fields of
soft, much-better-tended grass–and my forehead bristles with
thanks, insufficiency, those fields
of soft green grass.
I’m so sorry,
I want to tell them–all who carefully
position those
bouquets, and those who
lay beneath them, and all those too
who have no bouquets. I’m so sorry
for all that you’ve missed–the glistening,
urgent, buzz of being, this summer, this
bright day.
***********************************
Here is an old poem, much re-written and re-posted for Memorial Day weekend, and especially for the dVerse Poetry prompt hosted by Victoria C. Slotto. I hope it’s not too weird or disrespectful feeling. Veterans, and the lost, have a great place in my emotional landscape, but Memorial Day weekend also always meant for me the glorious beginning of summer and the freedom it brings (if you have private places to be outside.) An odd mix.
Tags: beginning of summer, First outdoor pee of the season, Leaves of Grass liquified, liquified Whitman, manicddaily, Memorial Day Weekend, Vitamin-B infused
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ManicDDaily 
May 28, 2012 at 10:41 pm
does Vitamin B really ward off bugs? what about fleas?
i like old poems 🙂
four memorial day senryu
May 29, 2012 at 6:42 am
I don’t know about fleas! Vitamin B is supposed to give your skin a certain smell that mosquitos do not like. I haven’t tried this year! But it is supposed to work. It does give your urine a greenish tinge.
May 28, 2012 at 10:48 pm
hehe…i like the opening as it made me think of when i had to teach my son to pee outside…he was afraid to do it and it was the middle of the night on a long road trip…anyway i am tangenting a bit…
i really feel the emotions in the second part of this though…the heart comes through strong and really expressed what sorry is hard to get across…all they missed…hard…nice k
May 28, 2012 at 11:12 pm
“the glistening, urgent, buzz of being,” i love this. thank you!!
May 29, 2012 at 6:43 am
Thanks, Jane.
May 29, 2012 at 12:33 am
I like the contrasts in this – how wonderful it is to be alive – how sad it isn’t … a fitting tribute for this day
http://thepoet-tree-house.blogspot.ca/2012/05/reminiscing-before-selling-family-home.html
May 29, 2012 at 6:28 am
Not weird or disrespectful at all. Very real and with much truth within it. Memorial day/weekend is a time not only for remembering the ones who gave all, but to celebrate them and what their sacrifice gave to us; the freedom to enjoy the summer; and life.
Very nicely done!
http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/the-thunder-rolls/
May 29, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Not easy to take the vivid and whimsical opening and turn it around like that, but of course, that *is* the essence of the joy of life that is gone out of the world for those flower-gatherers and the ones who’ve passed beyond even remembering. Light touch and clean tight writing makes this work well, k.
May 29, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Thanks. I was afraid I’d gone too far–the switch is so abrupt. I don’t know. Didn’t want to leave all light. K
May 29, 2012 at 2:26 pm
“liquefied Whitman”
That is just too cool!