On the Road

Been hanging out with Jack Kerouac this weekend

life, the here the now, the present

even now, as I writes these meagre lines

life beats and pulses under my skin 

daring me to truly enter it’s folds

demanding attention to all of its

intricacies

the off limits, the boundaries, the no go, 

the unsaid, the said only in glances 

there are some who do not mind a contained life 

- a contained life is for those who are already dying

the beating of weather, be it 

instantaneous heavy rain whilst perched in a longboat 

on the river Amazon - ahh too refreshing my dear 

or a storm to slightly break the great Australian drought - we feel you

the incessant pelting of 

sun on my back as I trek the Columbian Paramo amongst 

two hundred year old Frailejones - this sun is unrelenting

the wind whips up with so much fury it off balances

mountain clouds settle, bringing reprieve - life continues on

a gentle breeze across my cheeks as I gaze across the valley and into infinity

the rapture of forbidden love 

exchanges, moments, flesh on eager flesh 

dangerous kisses in exchange -

for life, 

faithful to life is paramount 

without question, it’s time to live

what it means to live 

outside the confines

embrace the madness of one of all 

in this one in a million chaotic chance at life 

 

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Good to be free and wild for a time.
"the rapture of forbidden love
exchanges, moments, flesh on eager flesh
dangerous kisses in exchange -
for life,
faithful to life is paramount
without question, it’s time to live"
I loved the above lines. Those dangerous kisses, we shall never forget. Thank you dear friend for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Cassie]

The first stanza invites to read the whole of it, this is good, okey all of them are good. Well done

[The Black Penman]

I am glad I got to read this piece because I love a deep meaningful write. Congrats and you have a new fan.

[Davidgeo]

There's a nice philosophy of science sentiment to this (physics in particular). All order is truly falling into disorder... this is entropy... this is the second law of thermodynamics (you should look up a dude named Ludwig Boltzmann, in particular a thing called the Boltzman Constant). Everything currently alive and structured is currently decaying, winding down from order to disorder... even atoms, even black holes.

Jack's fantastic... my favorite beatnik, 47 was way too young. Don't overdo it with the booze kids...

[KWP]

hey yo!! Its been too long mate :D trust you to bring it back to science - timely too because I was just listening to one of my hippie podcasts that said 'energy never dies, it just changes' you know of course I am paraphrasing :D

[Davidgeo]

Indeed... 'conservation of energy' is one of the most fundamental concepts in all of science. It can neither be created nor destroyed, only altered/transformed. Energy never "dies" as far as we know. This underlies fundamental concepts like the energy-mass equivalence (e=mc2) and linear momentum among many, many others.

[KWP]

it's Sunday morning - that speil, may have been a bit early :D

[Davidgeo]

It could've been so, so much worse. Ever hear of a dude named James Clerk Maxwell, "the second great unification of physics" and his equations? It's, like, very interesting and stuff.

[KWP]

what was the name of that maths book you told me to read when I was in Columbia ?

[Davidgeo]

I forgets. That really depends on what were talking about specifically at that particular moment.... was is fundamental or complex?

[KWP]

It was a basic intro to maths because you wanted me to learn math because

[Davidgeo]

Hmm... that could be a lot of different very long and tedious books. What would probably work better is a lecture by a modern day legend of a mathematician designed specifically for non-mathematicians. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYwydG_aHPE

That video is of one of my favorite lectures regardless of subject. Cedric Villani is a lovely little genius of a man.

[Simran Kewlani]

Heyyy, this is so well written. I love the imagery. Hope you're doing well :)

[emmajoy]

Was told by the guy who sold me his crappy VW van.. which happened to be older than me at the time.. that he'd travelled for three years all over the globe and there and then felt like a frazzled Kerouac! Didn't know what the heck he meant - but did later. Seems life can be spent within walls or - or on the road, out and about. feeling and seeing, experiencing and learning, etc

You imply and if am right, that it's never too late to experience '.. - life continues on - a gentle breeze across my cheeks as I gaze across the valley and into infinity.. ; or perhaps more, 'what it means to live - outside the confines - embrace the madness of one of all - in this one in a million chaotic chance at life .. '

Too long the doubts , the need for safety and security. Maybe, perhaps, is better to be hurt and heal than never experience a scar or few?

As ever, E, fantastically wonderful writing. Keep smiling, content. Yes? (forgive, tidied typos!)

[KWP]

as always lovely - you are too kind :)

I was talking to my friend today, who, like myself, has a very addictive personality - she gets addicted to opioids, food and sex - my addictions shall momentarily remain nameless - but we both believe that because of our addictive natures we explore the avenues of life in full colour you know - we dig a hole, make it deep then wait til it rains to jump in and enjoy the mud - that's the same way I view Kerouac - I must confess I am not abundantly aware of everything about this man - I do know we share the same nature for loving life ...

life Is shorter than we will ever imagine. life is so damn enagaing - I choose to engage

to feel is to live - I love that :) X

[emmajoy]

Seriously adventured on and off from just into seventeens, followed by four years of studies, worked and worked.. til now. Admit to feeling resless. Your post has inspired me, made me think, made me realise all sorts of thoughts.. almost scary.

Life is what it is, to be lived. Thank you for expressing so many wonderful thoughts and magical ideas of how to be, to feel. You've discovered you... and that's what we should each look for..

[barleygirl]

This is brilliant on so many levels, I can feel myself about to spiel. First, I saw FB posting from Aussie friend about RAIN this morning! YAY! I do not remember Kerouac as being someone I could understand, but then I've changed as a reader from being at the cafe for 4 years, so maybe I should check him out again now. I love what you're saying & how you say it. This is the kind of poem that makes me want to write a poem. This is the crux of my life, really. I've lived a very unconventional life & now I'm writing a book where I show how some of that can go (fictionalized novel, but capturing the essence of a lovely bizarre life). Since I quit TV a year ago, reading tons & I am so sick of books where the lives all sound the same, even lives lived in very different countries, all sound the same. More than anything else, I want my book to show lives that are off the beaten track. Your poem seems to be a celebration of this, which is what I've been focused on for the last two months, writing this book & now editing it. In short, I'm resonating wildly with your words! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[The Twin Arenas]

ha nice one. i've been reading him a lot lately, too. really oils the gears.

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahahah good ol' Jack!! :) mmmmmmmmmm would could all chuck it and take the vagabond route .. your eruption of passion in closing surprised and added such a fire to an otherwise spiritual "now" ... death in the constrained is stark in contrast ... thanks for sharing these pieces of inspiration gleaned on your journies ;) your a corker dahlink!

[John the Baptist]

Well, old Jack did take it to the limit, but of course he ended up drinking himself to death. There is something to be said for living life to the fullest and living "outside the confines," but recklessness has its own drawbacks, sometimes making those safe confines look mighty desirable.

[KWP]

hey John - with a name such as yours how could I expect any other review to the contrary of what you wrote :))))

life is lived through experience I feel, that's where the learnings come, from learnings we have the opportunity to know ourselves deeper than ever before - know thyself - I reckon that's a good place to be XXX