FORGETFUL

A friend of mine rides hard,

tells me he’s biked a million miles

on those BMW Ks. Takes off

between semesters at the university

where he teaches the art of saying

important things with good words.

He says we’re the last literate

generation, and he must be right.

A student of my own thinks Picasso

is a good investment,

not to mention Van Gogh.

“Did you hear what Christies gets

for one of those?”

Has he never heard

the sound of blues in his bones?

doesn’t he know that poetry

is good food?

He drifts like some waterlogged

leaf to the bottom, and drowns

in his own business.

What went wrong?

Did we forget to tell him

that blood is red, or that

those Sunflowers over there,

like captured stars,

are beyond anything

he can acquire?

Reviews

[emmajoygreen]

People rush life these days.. they rarely stand and stare: little or no time for that. We or many, rarely notice what precious jewels there are around us everywhere, whether or not we pause. Specks, atoms, amoebic would-be's - given the chance. Your expansive thoughts should be offered to every doubtful mind or/and gifted to every heart.

' What went wrong?
Did we forget to tell him
that blood is red, or that
those Sunflowers over there,
like captured stars,
are beyond anything
he can acquire?

[Vol]

Emma,
You know, I think we are so sensory overloaded, we cannot see beauty anymore, but it is worse than that, as a culture, we have lost all sense of wonder. Just look around, where is the JOY? It's not in having a good time at a concert or a party, that's just fun. Joy? I don't know...

[emmajoygreen]

Perhaps it's best to look for the positives in the all around? It isn't always easy - true, but the word
sounds more musical than negativity , don't you
think?

[Vol]

Emma,
It is always the human thing to look at the dark sides of things. As poets, we see things that need attention because they are unjust, or destructive, or even pointless, and feel we must set them right, but we do the same with beauty, we have to! We have to because, as you say, rush life so we want to slam on the brakes, screech to a stop, and yell... "Would you look at that?!" because we just can't stand letting beauty pass unremarked.
Vol

[emmajoygreen]

Of course never ignore the dark and negative but.. one can drown in them,. which is why one needs them as rafts when needs them, perhaps.
Wishing you both a more than happy weekend.

[Ken e Bujold]

While I not so saddened as to think we are the last literate generation, I can share a great deal of the dread you pose in this poem Vol. For I do fear we may be the last generation not consumed by the placing of an artificial value on everything, and subsequently of finding worth only in what we can somehow monetize.

ken

[Vol]

Ken, I do believe we are the last "liberal arts" generation.I retired from teaching creative writing and English and American literature over ten years ago. From what I've seen, I know there is no literary movement, or school, or segment of society that values literature anymore. Name one instantly recognizable to everyone poet alive today, one great artist, one literary novelist, one great composer, one great architect. There were som from each of those genres alive and famous in my lifetime. I wish it were not true, but, look around...
Vol