Karen Weeding began "Share a lyric, poem , line or thought " with this post. I thought it would be nice to start "4" with such a lovely thought.

"One of my all time favorite poets is Naomi Shihab Nye and one of my favorite poems by her is called "Famous." Tell me what you think:"

Karen Weeding, 2003

Famous

The river is famous to the fish.
The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.

The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching from the birdhouse.
The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.
The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.

The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors.
The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.

I want to be famous to shuffling men
who smile while crossing streets,
sticky children in grocery lines,
famous as the one who smiled back.

I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.

-Naomi Shihab Nye

I don't know that I'd like to be a pulley, perhaps a jamb cleat, less parts to break. On another note it reminds me of a Bowie tune, Heroes-

_______________________________________________________________

I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing will
Drive them away
We can beat them
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
Just for one day

_______________________________________________________________

Just for one day.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd...


Blue on black

Tears on a river
Push on a shove,
it don't mean much
Whisper on a scream,
doesn't change a thing
Don't bring you back

Blue on black

"oo-ee-oo-ah-ah-ting-tang-walla-walla-bing-bang"

The Witch Doctor, circa 1960 or there abouts

I have also found these words profound;

Who put the bomp in the bomp-shee-bomp-shee-bomp
who put the ram in the ram-ah-lam-ah-ding-dong
who was that man, Id like to shake his hand
he made my baby fall in love with me

Bobby Vee, I think, circa, quite some time ago

And she's my lifeblood
She's my secret sharer, always been around this place
And when I call her
It's not long before she comes to where I'm calling from
And do I hate her ?
And do I know her just to hate what she does ?

And are you jealous
Of the show we put on ? Are you wary ?
And is there justice ?
Is there something which resembles pleasure ?
And are you mammals ?
Do you eat and drink the same as we do ?

Oh ! It's OK, not to say

And is there time still ?
Time to forrage for a decent dinner here
Where we've settled
And where we've come to call the new century in
And when I wake up
I do not ask her if she knows just where we lay ourselves
It's better that way
And so it's this way that we start our day today

Oh. It's O.K., not to say.

Song: VIVA ULTRA
Artist: Bonnie Prince Billy A.K.A. Will Oldham A.K.A. Palace Music
Album: Viva Last Blues/ Sings Greatest Palace Music.

Time is what keeps things from happening all at once.

Wood and Wire

as close to
heaven as
I come on this old earth
is through
wood from
above the earth
and
wire
from elements below
touched by the tips
of my
fingers
that set in motion
patterns of
harmonic
resonance
from friends to
my left
and friends to
my right

it is then
the spirit
moves within me

and I no longer
act alone
but become
a part
of that which is
greater and
infinite




bz 6/2/04

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear."
Mark Twain

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great devotions, and spends himself in a worth cause; who, at the best, knows the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Teddy Roosevelt

"People who want to share their religious views with you almost
never want you to share yours with them."
Dave Barry

A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his
little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States looked like.

Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed
the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to
Shelby, and said, "Go into the other room and see if you can put this
together. This will show you our whole country today."

After a few minutes, Shelby returned and handed him the map correctly
fitted together. The father was surprised and asked how she had
finished so quickly.

"Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our
country just came together."

Q: What's the difference between Jesus Christ and an oil painting?
A: You only need one nail to hold up a picture

When I started this thread, I requested that contributors "keep it secular". I would like to make that request again as there are many valuable thoughts that can be shared without bringing religious views into the fun. It also helps to keep things civil.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

On this Valentine's Day, my most prized line was penned by a gentleman of my acquaintance who wrote:

"When you next come to D.C. (which is more likely than my
coming to Miles City), I'll tell you about Crete (where he
spends two months each year.) You can be my Desdemona and
I'll be your Othello, colors reversed and without the tragical outcome."

If that isn't a classic line, I don't know what is.

Johnnie Lockett Thomas


[This message has been edited by Johnnie Lockett Thomas (edited 2/14/2005).]

Sorry Tucker...

I didn't see your earlier admonition regarding religion. My bad.

Me too Tucker, I forgot - I'm trying to be sorry, but it was so good.

All over the place, from the popular culture to the propaganda system, there is constant pressure to make people feel that they are helpless, that the only role they can have is to ratify decisions and to consume.
Noam Chomsky

Some people live in California,
others in Arizona, New York or Montana
and still others live in the State of Joy.

Many wonder how to get there.

It's easy, really, requiring no travel,
but merely the decision to be there.

-Sally Huss

"I am the eggman, I am the walrus, coo coo caju." John Lennon