Crooked Lights

Crooked Lights

fleeting, fickle

blinking time 

brinks the distance and eclipse

of light

light from the ceiling of

open cord connections 

jump  ..................................  jump

to grasp fireflies flung about by electricians and

marching transcendentalists

we all jump

light bends from crooked lamps     

movies swagger across center stage 

books and poems written .................................

an emphasis for glowering blazing gazes 

in the gloaming       (sigh)

equally entranced 

eager for surprise and delight

what bloody flow lends such power 

to emotions         -          off put         -         in banality 

I feel flatted      -        i am flatted

               yet

still    I     can    not    walk                                                 away

it's the lights, you see. 

crooked as they may be

we light our ways upon them

how lighted can they be

written in darkness?

10/16/2022

E.

Author's Note

Reviews

[William Michael Reeves]

Your mind is a prism! ( Prison prism perhaps) bending words into sensical nons. Then in the end it does make sense. Like a fractal. The balance of disjointed phrases becomes clear illuminated by the whole of this poem. I love it! How lighted can they be written in darkness you ask? Perhaps the truth is clearly seen in the dark. Like the blind seeing with their hands unencumbered by the distractions of vision. What we feel is less fickle or fleeting than what we see. Happily flatted I am. And what an amazing wire sculpture!

[Einstein Noodle]

yes .. love that sculpture too! thank you for your perceptive, insightful look at my imprisoned noodle .. yes! the darkness when light appears as a tiny speck is made more clear because of the darkness .. and vice versa ;) it's what we choose to follow that perhaps is what is important in the end .. you see my ways and means sir ... no one, including myself, has put it more succinctly .. it's just what i do .. hoping the the sense of it does bleed through .. love this review .. much appreciate the time and your candid thoughts shared .. Happy Thanksgiving .. if you are not celebrating .. i give thanks for you and once again for your review
E.

[Lorry]

This goes so well with your image Sir Noodle. After reading it, I automatically gave the picture the title of "man unravelling." I could picture this being a piece of sculpture made of wires in a gallery of modern art somewhere, but with hidden sensors that flicker into life as you turn and are about to walk away, with a flicker of light and a BZZZZZT sound and sparks flying, just to keep you on your toes.. .
And from somewhere hidden, I could almost hear you laugh as you make all your viewers Jump 😊

[Einstein Noodle]

well ... i'm chuckling a good one now Lorry .. your humor always does that to me .. the sculpture was just what i was looking for .. feel fortunate to have found it ... it speaks to me too sir! thanks so much for all the support and friendship .. here at the Café
E.

[Chris Shaw]

I missed this one dear Mr E. What can I say. No matter how dark or desperate life becomes we hope and pray for that crack of light which can can guide us from doldrums and it’s heavy clutch to move upwards into the gleaming. Never have I longed for darkness in the same way I have wished for light. For light has its very special majesty and I have no fear of it as I do of the dark. I enjoyed your chosen music as I read and understood the appeal of all things bright. Have a good Thursday.

[Einstein Noodle]

your review touches me my friend .. what a good point you make .. "Never have I longed for darkness in the same way I have wished for light." ... i think only disturbed people would do such a thing .. especially after seeing the light .. which illuminates .. darkness hides ;) ... on a light side .. poets and writers see the value of darkness as well ... it gives us clarity of the dividing line .. thanks so much for finding this one and your thoughtful words

[Robert Trakofler]

what a whimsical flow this has it is fun how you juxtapose the motion of the word placement. It always strikes me just how much in the absence of light we can still see if we give ourselves the chance. Ironically Fogerty just regained his music rights after almost 50 years...Imagine the darkness he must have experienced all of his Art and soul were owned by someone else and used for his own purposes without Mr. Fogerty having a word to say on the matter:( Yet somehow John stumbled across the universe and found his light in the end again! a quote from his twitter page... As of this January, I own my own songs again. This is something I thought would never be a possibility. After 50 years, I am finally reunited with my songs. I also have a say in where and how my songs are used. Up until this year, that is something I have never been able to do. Perhaps your poem was a bit more prophetic than you realized :) I love how your erratic lines lends itself to that searching and stubling to find the light so well great writing Mr Noodle

[Einstein Noodle]

what a fantastic share sir ... had no idea Mr. F did not have rights to the songs .. a happy day indeed for him to finally be reunited .. i am sure the road to it was dark and murky at best .. love the way you see his story in my poem ... i am inspired by your thoughtful read and review .. always Bunny Man .. thank you!
E.

[hazy]

An entrancing poem... thanks for sharing.

[Einstein Noodle]

Hi Hazy!!! so nice to meet someone new to me ... and doubly happy you chose to read this one ... we do have our favorites don't we :) so glad you found something entrancing about it .. stopping by your place now .. and again .. so happy to meet you .. love your "handle"
E.

[Temperance]

Crooked lights, crooked thoughts? What goes on in the depths of one's mind? Thoughts scattered like the lights or, trying to find the light....any light...to see the poem written in the dark. I'm hoping that life isn't so banal that it leaves you flatted or, that you truly feel that way. I can't tell you how many times I have read this piece wanting to get a good understanding of what you are trying to say. This one appears to be much more abstract than others of yours. I'm hoping that by transferring these thoughts to paper, in your abstract way, it has made things clearer for you and, that the light is more constant. Shine some light on the soul. Interesting read, Mr. E. Always a fan of Creedence! Temp

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahaha well ..thanks so much for wrestling with this one .. i am 99% non-confessional in my poems .. they are collections of thoughts and feelings that i try to center .. in this case .. "Light" .. and how it shines for us .. or not .. and if it guides us .. or not .. and if it is true .. or not .. and that is the most important thing in this poem my dear friend! peace and joy! .. and i am so grateful you chose to read this several times .. what more can one ask for ..
E.

[Betty Hermelee]

I loved the Creedence Song.... and I believe we can all find our own light.... if we can rid ourselves of guilt and anger deep in the darkness, and even there, some light can be seen through our mind's eye. light just like words can be jumbled up, bent, twisted... light comes form all sources and you go on to describe this in a very emotional way...
Best, B

[Einstein Noodle]

dear Betty! thank you for a review that looks deep into the words .. so glad you dove it .. and left encouraging words on this poem .. Creedence are a blast from the past that lasts :))))))))))))))
E.

[Betty Hermelee]

You're very welcome, and so nice to have you back at the cafe!
Best, B

[Carola]

hello E
i really liked these words, very insightful & picturesque for your mind.
and I 'got' your poem, that's a hurrah for me!
the only negative for me was these lovely words, lost and wandering all over the page.
blue skies to you & have a great sunday
cheerio carola
ps. that abstract sculpture is spectacular, which gallery is it located?

[Einstein Noodle]

yes .. we do go a-wandering don't we .. searching for light perhaps ;) i am so pleased you got it Carola .. i know you are not much for the abstract so your attentive read and wonderful revue makes my day .. which has only just begun :))) it's pretty grey outside but my dog seems to always find his way on our walks .. luv on ya .. wishing you blessed celebrations
E.

[Einstein Noodle]

ps. i did not see the name of the gallery nor artist attached to the pic of the sculpture .. but i do agree .. it is a corker!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Dazzling write here, E.
I missed this one before...all the allusions to that which lights...and yet illumination of our own darkness is so hard to find when we are at our lowest point.
I quite like this Credence Song as well...was it not the flipside of "Lookin' out my Back Door"

[Einstein Noodle]

it may have been ... the flip side .. i do not know .. Creedence has so many "keeper" .. i think their sound will not be forgotten .. thank you for taking time always, jacob .. when i posted it i thought if you did stumble on it you would find it of some value .. i think we are on the same wavelength on many subjects .. yes! thier is a darkness so deep some see it as light .. and our emotions can absolutely inhibit that tiny mustard seed of hope that will warm and light up the darkest nights of our souls ... i agree .. thanks for taking time sir .. always a privilege and honor to have your thoughts
E.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear E… there is a Song… “someone far from Harbor you may guide across the Shore… Brighten the Corner where you are”. Lovely Poetry. tenderly, Pat

[Einstein Noodle]

we can all use a sound guidance time to time eh!? ;) thank you very much for taking time Pat .. and letting me know your thoughts .. it's a precious and valuable thing .. peace and joy :)
E.

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest E.. almost four am here in Virginia in the East Coast. The weather has my Computer in a dither… however; my I-phone is surviving better in cyberspace. The Winter Birds are appearing on our Feeders outside the Kitchen Window… Cardinals and Bluejays. It is fascinating how they can endure the Weather. I may sleep until the Alarm at eight am… then Breakfast and taking Roger to Dialysis… a Ritual three days a week for Six years now. We are blessed. Before 1940… there was no dialysis and people passed soon thereafter. Have a ❤️ lovely day. gently, Pat

[Einstein Noodle]

yes .. medicine has come a very long way .. so glad your husband is getting the treatments he needs. You are blessed with each other aren't you? The geese started flying over a couple weeks ago here in AR. We had a bit of a cold snap but are now back to normal with temps 50s-60s in the day and mid 40s at night. Until this morning (it's moving towards 6 AM) the days have been sunny and bright .. invigorating with the Fall air. Yes! our feathered friends can endure extremes .. in SD when the wind is blowing 10-20 mph all the time and temps dip to well below zero .. plus add the windchill effect and the poor sparrows hunker down as best they can .. feathers ruffled in the winds showing their downy .. i feel so bad for them .. but they survive .. sometimes better than we. ;) Happy Thanksgiving Pat!

[Patricia Wedel]

Almost an hour after Midnight after .. Thanksgiving. All is well and we are rested, and vested in all the tomorrows. tenderly, Pat