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nobody loses all the time


A message from above? St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne. April 2010.

Of course, the bird is not a raven, but it would be far better if it were! Planning is underway to introduce Henry and Ezra to the delights of the metropolis that is Melbourne, so before too long you may well see a couple of familiar faces lurking in the corner of a similar photograph…

nobody loses all the time (X), E. E. Cummings

nobody loses all the time

i had an uncle named
Sol who was a born failure and
nearly everybody said he should have gone
into vaudeville perhaps because my Uncle Sol could
sing McCann He Was A Diver on Xmas Eve like Hell Itself which
may or may not account for the fact that my Uncle

Sol indulged in that possibly most inexcusable
of all to use a highfalootin phrase
luxuries that is or to
wit farming and be
it needlessly
added

my Uncle Sol's farm
failed because the chickens
ate the vegetables so
my Uncle Sol had a
chicken farm till the
skunks ate the chickens when

my Uncle Sol
had a skunk farm but
the skunks caught cold and
died so
my Uncle Sol imitated the
skunks in a subtle manner

or by drowning himself in the watertank
but somebody who'd given my Unde Sol a Victor
Victrola and records while he lived presented to
him upon the auspicious occasion of his decease a
scrumptious not to mention splendiferous funeral with
tall boys in black gloves and flowers and everything and

i remember we all cried like the Missouri
when my Uncle Sol's coffin lurched because
somebody pressed a button
(and down went
my Uncle
Sol

and started a worm farm)

Comments

Julie said…
I did not know that poem. Loved it.

Shall send me into what I laughinly refer to as my 'library' later today to check what else ee wrote.

Taa ...
Tash said…
eeeeeeeeeeeeeks.
not a poem of the "not even the rain has such small hands" variety.
truly splendid pic...waiting for the boys.
lettuce said…
poem-smile

wonderful light in your photo
Kris McCracken said…
Julie, if pressed, I generally lump for ee as my all time favourite poet.

Tash, I very much love not even the rain has such small hands. He had a great ear for a decent phrase.

Lettuce, I got this one in the late afternoon sun. The day had been gloomy up until 4:30 or so.

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