(no subject)

I'm not surprised to find out that balance is one of my weak spots. According to this article in the New York Times, I should be able to stand on one foot with my eyes closed and my arms crossed for 10 seconds--and I'm not doing that. I know from yoga that the balance poses are the hardest for me. Guess it's time to get back to Tai Chi--actually, I love it and have a friend who teaches it, so I'll practice the forms with my tape and then get back to class soon. Or at least back to practicing each morning.

Except that sticking to a routine practice is another one of my weak spots...

Another one for Poetry Month

Charles Wright is a poet I met only when I had to teach his poems--the very best thing about the work I did for thirty years was that I learned about writers I'd never have known, otherwise. Oh, yeah, the students, that was pretty good, too. This makes me think of the Anglo-Saxon poets and Hopkins, in the alliteration and rhythm and word-choice--lots of his poems use that, but this one is especially strong.

Deep Measure
by Charles Wright

Shank of the afternoon, wan weight-light
Undercard of a short month, February Sunday
Wordlessness of the wrong world
In the day's dark niche, the patron saint of what-Goes-Down

Shuffles her golden deck and deals
on for you and one for me...
And that's it, a single number -- we play what we get
My hand says measure,
doves on the wire and the first bulb blades
Edging up through the mulch-mat,
Inside-out of the winter gum trees,
A cold harbor, cold stop and two-step, and here it comes,

Deep measure, deep measure that runnels beneath the bone,
That sways our attitude and sets our lives to muse;
Deep measure, down under and death drawn
Pilgrim, homeboy of false time,
Listen and set your foot down, listen and step lightly